I dedicated 2 years of my life to this game and the sequel. Like others have said this game was waaaay ahead of it's time. That's why it took me so long to beat it.
I actually enjoyed exploring. Working at the docks made me feel like a real man, lol. This game also partially inspired me to visit Japan. There are area that look exactly like the game. That just made it so much better.
If the Kickstarter campaign for the 3rd game doesn't work out I would pay money upfront for a well made documentary about the process of creating the most expensive game ever. 6 years of development? That's like iPhone/iPad status.