If peoples decks brick against cards like this, then its a learning moment about how to threat assess, how much removal to run, and how to develop a gameplan
Summons in FINAL FANTASY are powerful beings that you call upon in battle
If a replacement effect causes the top card of your library to go to a zone other than your graveyard, Aberrant Researcher will still transform if that card was an instant or sorcery card
It's not a particularly close contest with the third most valuable Strip Mine either, especially when compared to Strip Mine #130, which is almost $100 more
Other cards found in the Ursulas Return set that feature this new approach to the Shift keyword include Flotsam & Jetsam, Entangling Eels - which a five strength/five health card that requires two cards to be discarded - Diablo, Devoted Herald, a card that requires players discard an action card, Li Shang, Valorous General - with players needing to discard a character card to Shift it in - Olaf, Carrot Enthusiast, a Sapphire card that can be Shifted by discarding an item card, and steel card Aladdin, Brave Rescuer: which requires that a location card be discard for it to be Shifted