It's all down to personal opinion about what they enjoy. Atmosphere, music and story are very important to my enjoyment. I also find that the ones in green have more engaging and interesting encounters.
I am not sure why you think the ones I mentioned do not have unique mechanics etc., but here is a list of some of them below for each.
Having a puzzle is not good in and of itself, it needs to be done well. Puzzles in Qarn, for example, are neither interesting not engaging. I'd say many of the boss fights have pretty interesting and unique mechanics though. For some examples:
Tam-Tara Deepcroft (Hard) - great background story, boss fights have some mechanics i.e. eating orbs etc.
Sohr Khai - This is very mechanic heavy in all 3 bosses, with moving moogles out of the purple, placing the lightning in the right area on the pegasus and the pads system on the final boss
Haukke Manor - This is like the only dungeon in the game that is not a linear path, it's the first boss that really had mechanics to handle as well
The Antitower - This I mostly enjoy for the great atmosphere, but there are some interesting mechanics on all 3 bosses
Brayflox's Longstop (Hard) - The final boss required a great timing of LB, the only time that LB actually matters in DF. Placement of yourself to bait aoes/attacks and dodge aoes was important on the first two bosses
Brayflox's Longstop - protecting brayflox, killing add in time, breaking people out of water, moving final boss out of regen etc.
Haukke Manor (Hard) - loved the music here (and in other places that used it) and the atmosphere. First two bosses had interesting mechanics until we just out-geared it
Hullbreaker Isle - banana's on first boss, hiding in water on 2nd boss, kraken is a very unique boss fight
The Aetherochemical Research Facility - loved the story, atmosphere and music of this place. Mechanics were pretty light, but kind of gave you a preview of mechanics to come throughout 3.x
The Wanderer's Palace (Hard) - This had mechanics throughout with moving out of the totems, then eating the right colour on the 2nd boss, and moving the boss properly in the final encounter
The Wanderer's Palace - Keeping ahead of the Tonberry was an interesting mechanic, kind of the opposite of gating with walls actually.
Amdapor Keep (Hard) - First Boss, Zelda amiright? But really, needing to dodge behind statues, not stand near statues to bait aoe, moving close to reduce damage on charge etc. And that is just boss#1
Sastasha (Hard) - This pirate fight was much better than the pirate fight in Hullbreaker, with the shooting that is interrupted by damage and the constant adds showing up. Kraken also a unique encounter.
Neverreap - This was really unique with the bird boss at the start disappearing and having to find it, killing the 'adds' in time etc. 2nd boss where mechanics matter more than DPS. Final boss had an invincibility maneuver with tornadoes - quite a few unique ones here.
The Lost City of Amdapor (Hard) - Final boss requires killing 3x with standing in the Cure move to reduce amount healed, first boss requiring you look away or you AoE your whole team etc.
I just touched on a few in each, there are plenty of mechanics in all of them. Each of them have way more involvement than anything Hullbreaker Hard brings.