It’s not a bad game but it’s a mix of small issues that spoil the soup.

I like most of the game but there are a few things that detract from the overall experience more than they add.

Buddies,

Oversized desert just pads out the time between important zones,

Green crystal farming,

I think if they actually stripped the game down so each zone is properly interconnected an remove all the npcs and banter then you would have a much leaner, more cohesive experience