Then you end up with a whole map where you can only go one or two places to be challenged. Huge areas that are completely pointless and offer no reward, instead just having to go and do the same area over and over again. How boring.
The feeling of getting stronger comes from the gear you find and working out ways that you can get the powers they have to synergise with each other.
I’d much rather have it this way. As an example, I played starfield a while ago and even though it has dozens and dozens of star systems you are stuck with just 3 or 4 that offer even the slightest challenge at the later levels.
I can see quite a few trees if I zoom in on the image, they’re just young saplings at the moment as it’s all new and just been landscaped.