You're really boiling people's critique to cool clothes, "exploring" and a few bugs?
The thing I agree with is that the game is flawed at the fundamental level. Yes, a year, atleast was needed to fix this game.
I agree with you at the combat is fun and freeflowing, but, that, IMO, results in unbalanced gameplay more than it does. The AI is pretty bad and combat is not dynamic at all. Once you master the proper skill upgrading, it's too easy to be a demigod, hack everyone to die and one shot them. That's fun for 30 mins a day of aimless gameplay, but, a horrible foundation for a game.
It reminds me of Mass Effect Andromeda, the combat was more open, but, nothing was really balanced, so after a while you just become a super sayian.
As for your other point,
You'll enjoy the game the less you
explore. The game world is dead. And even after the updates, the game still generates traffic horrible. You can turn the camera 360 degrees still make cars appear and disappeared.
Crowds are still sparse--all day looks like it's 4am based on the size of the crowds.
But, it wasn't as bad as it was at launch. The driving mechanics are still trash, like indy game made by one dev type of bad.
Again, that word dynamic, nothing is happening outside of the main story. You got the same gangs messing with people, etc., etc. You may find something cool like that 6th Street Gang was having a party and I played their shooting game.
In the end, this game was not ready, and no one is crazy not to have invested the time to enjoy it and get to the actual good points.