>>50486057True, that's why you put things in the world for players to find, even if it's just intriguing visuals. Like the murals in PLA, for instance. Those don't do anything for you, but some of them are tucked away in really obscure areas, and you'll never find them unless you just wander around and stumble across them.
Hell, PLA as a whole is a great example of my point. There are so many beautiful sights you only get to see by going somewhere the story never directly sends you, and Pokemon that can only be found in areas you have to actively search for. It's fun and rewarding to find things hidden away like this, or stumble across areas you can tell will be relevant later. That's what you do, you build a sprawling world for players to explore, and you put things in it that are fun to find, that get them thinking or challenge them to do something before they may be ready for it. Especially in a game like Pokemon, where there's such an emphasis on going out on your own adventure, seeing the world and choosing what your party will look like. More game does not always equal better game, you're right, and a straight-forward interesting game is always better than a complex, boring one. But Expansive worlds do mean more opportunities for interesting things to be included.
And even without all of that, the exploration is fun in and of itself. If I could choose to play a game that had extensive exploration, but no reward for it, or a game made of straight corridors that was just as empty, I'd take the one that gives me a little freedom.
