To chime in, I think a lot of this kind of discourse is just based on what you're looking for in a game.

In American Truck Simulator, one of the DLC's is the state of Wyoming, which is remarkably barren. It's the least populous state in the whole country, and many of it's "biggest cities" don't even top out over 100,000 people. If you look at the reviews for it, it's actually somewhat divisive. A lot of people criticize it for being "boring," but that's also how Wyoming is in real life, having driven across the state partially myself. I think a lot of this has to do what people come into the game expecting. Some want to enjoy the game as a truck simulator and Wyoming offers plenty of space for that. Some also want to enjoy the game via other formats, such as the scenery, and Wyoming doesn't excel that much in those areas.

My point being, I think it's just hard to make claims about this thing because it's all just subjectivity. I think if you make a black-and-white claim about this then you just aren't thinking very rationally. Some people will like it and some people won't. Such is life.