Which begs the question, why does FFXV need to have such a humongous open environment to begin with. Big for the sake of being big is what I'm concerned. I would generally prefer a more linear world if developer could not make a meaningful, big world map.
In order to capture that actual feeling of being on a road trip. I don't mind big environments with nothing in them but I do when I'm forced to explore them. This isn't the case here. The story paths are set on a linear path and you'll get to them just by following the road.
Also cause of all the hate they got for XIII. Sure, maybe the reason why FFXIII was bad wasn't just cause of the linearity, but that's sure as shit what everyone said back in the days and that was the most thrown complaint at them.