The only issue imo is that you can't get credit for fight you've done until you've go the stratum.

Outside that VW has a storyline and the final fight require you go though the entire storyline like with every other story line.

imo i'm glad SE went this direction with the game combining story line and endgame it's sad to see fun fight like Alexander be killed once and forgotten this way theys no lack of help for story content.

As a side note in 1 day i did all T1-4 Bastok, Windy and Sandy for a friend these fight are a joke now (so is all of T1-5 jeuno minus 1 or 2 fights)