I feel as if the vast majority of people who disliked the game are treating this game as a mainstream game, when in fact this game is more of a side quest. Thinking about it from a logical standpoint, here are my thoughts on some of the main issues that people are having:
-SMALL ZONES: while most of the zones are indeed small, the game does make up for it with out of zone spawns. especially when you look at the size of the pokedex. Plus, where they make lack in size, there is 20 of them.
-BUILDING AVAILABILITY: i can understand why people dont appreciate that you dont go inside of buildings like shops. You want the aspect of being able to talk to people. Yet these same people are upset that there is so much talking in the story. Pick which one you want.
-BATTLE SYSTEM: it is a 50/50 if you are gong to like it. I think it is very creative, and reflects more of the anime. However i can see it being a problem for people who love the old style way more.
-PHYSICAL EXPLORATION LIMITS: You can get to everywhere on the map. I dont see what the issue is. And if you miss the rotom glide jump, just get better. If you are trying to get somewhere that game isn't designed for you to get to, then dont go there.
-SIDE CONTENT: For a non-mainstream game, lets look at this from numbers. There is the main story line, which you should focus on the most. Then there is the Mable quests, which could eat up a lot of time as well, and it is kinda similar to that of Arceus. There are 75 Emma quests that show up as you progress through the story. And there is also a post game that ads more content for the royal.
-PRICE: It is very steep. The good thing about video games is that they will stay there if you dont buy them right when it comes out. You could easily put five dollars away here and three dollars there and in no time you have yourself enough money to buy it.
-RIDING POKEMON: The map is too small for you to be riding a pokemon, especially since there are teleport markers everywhere. and flying would bring the exploration part of it down even further. I think the parkour aspect is very futuristic, just like the time the game takes place.
Overall, people are hating on this game way more than they should be. I think for a non-mainstream game, it provides a great amount of plot and adventure. I think they should stop comparing to others, and look at it as its own.