I think people are going into this game expecting either some kind of MMO or story, when the developers have been very clear since the beginning that this game is essentially neither.
This is about as open-world (open-universe?) as it gets. Freedom to go where you want, explore what you want to explore, and etch your name into a constantly-expanding database. Nothing more, nothing less.
Personally, I think that sounds amazing, and this is coming from someone who prefers RPGs and games that have good stories. But a game like this... I could legitimately see this game, or others like it, ushering in the next revolutionary wave of games - games that are expanding of their own accord, that even the developers can't predict. That, to me, sounds incredible, and quite literally the possibilities are endless.