The game certainly isnt very deep at all. Upgrading inventory is basically the main mechanic that drives the game...which is pretty sad.
I wonder how fast you could progress with unlimited inventory.
The mechanics in the game are designed to impeed you as much as possible from doing simple things, because beyond those simple things, there really isnt much else.
The impediments in place keeping you from progressing are insane:
Extremely limited and costly to upgrade inventory system, life support, hazardous weather, toxicity, running out of mining beam charge, running out of boost thruster fuel, running out of pulse drive fuel, crafting warp drive cells, inability to stack certain items in inventory, sentinal attacks while mining, repairing damaged ship parts and repairing damaged enhancements to ships+multitool+exosuit, pirate attacks, gotta go to your grave.
Its really just a non stop battle against bars that you fill and then they empty, then you fill etc.
Really just isnt worth it for what you get back: going to new planets that always have the same old things. Shelter, rune, beacon etc.
Maybe one planet is good to mine; you mine it for awhile, get bored. Go to new star system. Find new planet thats not good to mine; move on because there is essentially no purpose being here.
I honestly think that the game wouldnt be that bad if they removed all inventory restrictions. Just let us have unlimited. Or at least much less of a restriction. Game would flow much more. I mean many of the tech upgrades require easily found elements. The only issue is you dont have enough space, so you might not have them currently. Then you gotta make room for them. Then go get them.
A lot of this could be better if it was automated too. Like why cant I have the option to automatically have my thrust boosters or mining beam be refueled, instead of going into the menu every time? Its annoying.
Oh yeah and the exosuit to ship transfer system doesnt work well. If my exosuit or ship inventory is full, the game should automatically make the room, not make me handle it.