let me tell you why the reviews are so mixed on this game.
This game has a barrier to it, and it is extremely difficult to get past that barrier, due to the nature of the game's sheer overwhelming difficulty, matched with incredibly deep/complex crafting and combat systems that take a good 15-20 hours to actually get a basic handle on. The thing is, there is a point where you break that barrier of "this game is hard and boring and i dont get it," and then all of a sudden you realize, "holy crap, i get it, this is the most amazing game ever." For me that point might have been when i FINALLY killed my first wyvern. Before that the game is pretty boring, but its a necessary evil to ease you into the difficulty (and it doesnt even ease you in that well, its just so hard - yet so rewarding).
Most people will give up before they ever are able to handle the difficulty or the complexity of the game, and therefore wont get to experience the best kept secret of the gaming (or at least RPG) world. That is why every review you see either is extremely high or extremely low, there are those who spent the time to understand and get the hang of the game, and they "get it." And the others just couldnt break past the barrier, and sadly for them, they are missing out on something truly great.