Played it for the first time around 2021 so can't compare to when it came out. It's an incredible game if you like sandboxes/exploration/achievement hunting/games that give you a loot of freedom overall.

Many people criticize that although it's a practically infinite universe, you start to notice the creatures/planets/biomes patterns pretty soon, and that's true. But the strength in the game relies on the many different aspects it offers: the main quests, underwater exploration, base building, trading, pirate hunting, ship hunting, freighter management, etc. Some say each aspect might be too shallow but here it depends on your tastes IMO.

I enjoyed it playing to get the 100% and will probably replay it some time.