unpopular opinion: I like the boat, it's the salt mines that deserve the bad rep
I enjoy story, and while I can understand that the boat doesn't really have the same "vibe" as the early half of the game, it does have this interesting abandoned vibe to it still. and maybe it's just cuz i like the concept of exploring a shipwreck but i don't mind it nearly as much as I've heard other people do. and as for the tape yeah I just like story, I find mia quite interesting and that section was intriguing to me to get some insight on her. I wish so badly it was more though, like more insight on how she ended up with the connections, I have a whole essay I could make on why I think capcom kinda failed her as a character.
it's the salt mines however that do nothing for me. it's like "let's throw a bunch of random annoying enemies at the player before the big boss fight with zero other purpose outside of that" I think you might find a few interesting files in a building before you go in there (it's been awhile since I've last played the game in full sorry) but like. that's about it. re7 is legitimately one of my favorites it's a shame it's ending is sorta lackluster. but hey at least I'm apart of the minority that can enjoy the boat section for what it's worth.