Most reviewers don’t finish games they review so it’s hard to listen to their opinion .
Days Gone was super slow for the first 10 hours and if they reviewed only that part it wouldn’t get a good score . But if they played the entire game the game really opens up after around that 10 hour mark and it’s where the game begins to really shine . They should have to show their playtime and where they left off in reviews .
Do you have any evidence to substantiate your claims? Just saying "they didn't have the same opinions as me about the story" doesn't count. Most of them list how many hours they put into it (including the critical ones).
I wouldn't call the story bland. It's just not told very well.
If you make it halfway though the game you start seeing some crazy twists leading up to the ending.