Why am I not enjoying Nier automata?

I liked the demo, the combat.

But ive gotten to the open city area and its becoming frustrating. Invisible walls, closed off sections. And the map is a confusing mess.

Im supposed to go to the desert but every possible way seems to be shut off. Its becoming increasingly annoying.

I saw all the praise for it and right now im struggling to understand it. Am I just playing it wrong? I expected more of a combat experience than just wondering around confusing maps. Grrr