Well the common route is a little bit of what everyone has already stated. It's there to introduce the characters, who they are and they play it off well. It sort of gives a "little busters" vibe when you meet the Kazama family. Everyone has a place. Then they build up more of that as you go along.
It's honestly when you lock in on a heroine path where the real meat of the story happens, and well, the theme varies with each heroine. I'd say Kazuko has a very inspiring emotional weight to her story while Momoyo's feels like an action movie as you the plucky protagonist try to win the goddess of war's heart.
All in all, a lot of us love the series for what it is. It's given me plenty of joy and made me smile a lot. If anything else, I'd say give it a try.