I just really don't see how it could have been done any differently given how much of the story took place in the OASIS. I enjoyed the CGI parts of RPO and felt they were done extremely well.
What I didn't like was the changing of the story and the slicing off of so much of the content. I've said it many times, but it really should have been a two or three part movie with much more effort spent trying to get everyone on board with idea of benefiting from having their respective IP being showcased in the movie. Let's face it, many of these companies weren't exactly common household names in 2018 and sill aren't. Being part of the movie could've catapulted them into the retro craze, but instead they are left on the sidelines. Ultraman alone could have used it to kick off a new movie, which I'm amazed hasn't been done.
Ultimately it was the immersiveness of the Ready Player One story that sucked me in, and the movie had none of that.