I'm having an ok time with this somehow, despite most of the criticisms I read beforehand being completely true.
The endless fetch quests are abysmal and degrading. We learned nothing from Witcher 3 it seems; they don't have to be this bad and doing them really makes "I'm wasting my time" run through your brain way more often than it should for a game that's supposed to keep you playing forever.
The mobs are boring, there is just too little variety for a game this huge. Terrible voice acting, characterless npcs, flavorless lore; yes.
As to the 'running simulator' stuff I don't really agree. Fast Travel annoys me in most games, I like the way it's handled here and it forces you to slow down a little and enjoy the world, which is one of the big positives. It's a beautiful game and it's nice just to be in it.
Other positives: Grouping and dungeoning feels less traumatic and messy than in other similar games. I also like the way crafting is so integrated, it feels worth it to get good at almost everything. I like the way fishing was done, the minigame feels realistic and not overly fussy. The community is not unendurably toxic (yet) at least on my server. I've heard complaints of over-policing but haven't experienced it.
You are free to look however you want. Going with a character creater that comes closest to the glory of Saint's Row 2 (at least in terms of gender) than anything I've seen in ages was a smart idea. One of my least favorite things about WoW was the lack of freedom when it came to appearance; everyone started to look like they did a somersault through a thrift store after a while no matter how high level you were. In New World there is a lot more control over the way you dress, especially if you get deep into crafting.
As an ancient Everquest veteran, leveling up is always going to be too fast for me, but it seemed to be slowing down as I got into the 20's and 30's. I'm hoping New World will keep me interested for another few weeks at least. [edit-it did not. lost interest quickly at endgame.] The factions do still add a bit of interest at lower levels, even to your travel plans and market strategy.
Giving Bezos money and having to see the Amazon games logo every time you log in is a bummer. You can see his warehouse labor strategy playing out in the way those quests are designed...and the low key stingy way the game has with money and loot, and the way the market takes a fee out of every transaction (they can't help themselves, even in fiction.) But there's no subscription and the mircostransaction store is unobtrusive. On the whole it could be worse.
There is a great deal of room for improvement in MMO's in general, ways to improve and innovate when it comes to role playing and encouraging interaction, but this type of game is so expensive to make and run, nobody seems willing to try anything new, and this is not an exception.

I can't deny any of the criticisms; the world lacks detail and usually revisiting maps is a huge negative for me. But I'm enjoying it a lot anyway. Sad to say but almost any game no matter how shitty can hold my attention if there is a stealth mechanic. Smiting enemies while not being perceived hits my sweet spot.
Lots of queers and ostracized or abused people grow up being little ninjas, avoiding detection and danger with any little advantage, quietly taking retribution without incurring more abuse, heightened spatial awareness, calculating escape routes and paths of least harm. It's a familiar mode of existence that gives our skill set a workout.

The first game has been a high point in my gaming history, a cherished perfect memory, so maybe there was no way this could live up to it, but I've been a little disappointed. Picking up the thread all these years later has been done very well but the levels just aren't as iconic and differentiated as in the original game, and the platforming (not my favorite game type to begin with) is annoying and repetitive at times. The emotional problems you face as a player seem more abstract and less in your face. Worst of all are the boss fights which are tedious and take way too long. I don't need a 30 minute boss fight to feel satisfied. Maybe my reaction times just aren't as funky fresh as they were 20 years ago, but I'm not enjoying it as much as the original.