.Keys: so a map being this big with mobs for exploration, "fun grind" and lore secrets is good for me.
idbeholdME: One major downgrade compared to Titan Quest when it comes to exploration was the loss of seamlessness. We regressed back to loading screens all the time when entering dungeons/area transitions. I've found it breaks the exploration immersion a decent amount. In TQ, there were only a couple teleport/loading screen transitions throughout the entire game. All dungeons had traversable entrances, even multi-floored ones, and were connected to the surface map. And loading screen transitions (the couple there are) were generally used only when it made sense (mostly teleports and act transitions).
TQ and Dungeon Siege 1 remain some of the most seamless worlds to date.
You have a good point in loading screens being disruptive to immersion. Indeed.
Somehow it doesn't bother me that much though. Well, when dying many times, yes, they're annoying. :P
Maybe we, older gamers, got accustomed to loading screen back then, filling the gaps with our imaginations.
Indeed it was a good comparison from your part, as my example comparing Grim Dawn and FFXII with MMOs excluded the fact that MMOs are known for their seamless connected world maps, albeit some games still retain this "seamless world feeling" even with loading screen, somehow.
In the case of Grim Dawn and FFXII, in my humble opinion, they have believable worlds, traversal routes, cities positions and lore, with rules that work in their existential context, be it political or magical in the sense that the kind of powers that are shown can be clearly understood.
Which really makes me curious, as I have not read anything to avoid spoilers about Fangs of Asterkarn, how will the quest line develop? (rhetorical question :P).