I disagree with that. I have put more than one hour in and have found many interesting planets, creatures and geological formations. I'm also captivated by the small stories. What are the Sentinels? What and who am I? What's at the center?
Off course, it takes time and patience. Many worlds are barren, many creatures as very bizarre. But if you explore enough, you finds gems. And that feeling of discovery is something no other game I can remember gave me.
This game in fact is a different experience. I get it if it's not everyone's cup of tea (in fact, apparently the game was built to be 'divisive' [1]).
What I recommend for people beginning is to take their time. Leave their ships behind somewhere and walk around the planet. After you distance yourself from your ship (enough that the return trip on foot is not an option, the only option is finding a beacon to call it), you'll start seeing changes on the terrain. An unexpected lake, sand dunes, cave networks, forests where there were none, etc. The variety on the game is quite impressive, actually... of course, some patterns do repeat. But isn't that true for the universe as well?
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Tcqzg976hQ&feature=youtu.be...