From what I’ve played and heard, it’s a bit of a “reset” after the highs of Endwalker, and the story takes a while to get started. It takes 20 quests to even reach the first new dungeon, which will take at least an hour+ of gameplay and cutscenes. I’m still looking forward to getting through it, but I understand the muted responses.
I like the characterization of a healthy metagame as one where you have to think of what’s currently being played in your area and adjust your build or sideboard for it. It can be very telling if an archetype or deck is so strong that you never have to think of what cards you’re bringing to deal with threats.