I found the mechanics to be frustrating, boring and outdated and the story not good enough to make up for it. I still don't understand the hype.

I think, you are just afraid to accept that this game is not your cup of tea. I mean, when you say "outdated", what exactly you mean? This word by itself means nothing, how do you expect "understand the hype" when you don't bother to have concrete examples of what exactly you didn't like and what exactly was "outdated".

If you really want to understand, why there is "hype", just read/watch reviews, and if you don't agree with some points - make the list, and only after there could be discussion.