The ending was good and saved it. The first third was good but as it kept going and feeling like side quests after side quests, it got annoying. Still, the ending (like last two or three hours was very satisfying).
For example, one of the aspects I disliked was the MC having the bad habit of acting with a lot of pride even he ought to be more stoic and logical so as to not cause more trouble for himself (such as when he first enters the hobgoblin city).
Another annoyance was that it really did feel like a series of side quests, which on one hand makes sense given the premise, but on the other hand felt annoying; which is why I actually listened at 1.2x speed because it became bothersome.
Sidenote: I actually liked the side effects. Though I guess it’s a YMV sort of thing considering other reviews.