This is the perfect example of gamer expectation being completely dominated by their own imaginations.
The game was never going to meet that unreasonable level of expectation.
It's getting mixed reviews precisely because it is a divisive game. Shawn himself said as much. It is NOT a game for everyone.
Opinions, and subsequent reviews score, aren't invalidated because a dev claimed a game isn't for everyone. Nothing is for everyone. If the expectations for the game were too high, it's because the devs themselves were out there throwing out nonsense about the game in the first place.