That's unfortunate, I was really looking forward to this because the setting was so cool and I loved the mystcraft and rf dimensions mods for minecraft. Unfortunately the developers made some...interesting, design choices that just killed the game for me, and apparently everyone else too.
Right? It's definitely something different and I can't fault people for liking the look. The problem is the rest of the thing is also a poorly designed death trap from the ground up.
It seems like you really need to decide if the paycheck is worth the drama. You make it sound like you have other options, so if fear of the unknown is the only thing keeping you from jumping ship, I think you should jump.
So up until very recently, the monster hunter games had a theme of living in balance with the environment and monsters were only hunted to help control manageable numbers or if some had gone out of control. Then they were apparently specifically told to tone down their environmental messaging to appeal to a wider audience.
I usually have a pretty bad attention span with games so it's wild to me that I've been playing warframe almost exclusively for nearly 3 months now, and I'm super excited for 1999 later this year.
I also really need to get back into the satisfactory server I've been hosting for some friends and finish the turbofuel power plant for them.
Finally, Monomyth came out in early access recently so I've been savoring it. Arx Fatalis had the absolute coolest fantasy setting I have ever seen, as well as just being an awesome game. Monomyth is a love letter and I couldn't be happier.
Regardless, I'm so happy they've resurrected it. I first became aware of them when High Fleet came out, and then Carrier Command 2. They definitely publish game with a style and I love it.
It helps to understand some of the deeper lore, but AW2 does a good job of letting you know the important bits so it's not necessary to have played the first one.
I believe the things you are calling out are an integral part of the ARPG genre so there isn't going to be much change to the core without fundamentally changing the game you're playing. Plenty of people enjoy the wanton clicky destruction and seeing numbers rise, just look how popular stuff like cookie clicker is.
Have you tried monster hunter? (Or god eater or wild hearts) Those games sound a lot like what you're describing. At its heart the core gameplay is 'Hunt monsters to gather parts to make better gear to hunt more powerful monsters'
Instead of mowing down tones of small things though, you take down a single large and dangerous foe. As you progress, new and more powerful foes appear, but despite the large roster of monsters, they all feel unique. And while better gear certainly helps, a good deal of skill is also required.
I would wear the hell out of this shirt