Map Markers and the Checklist Trap

Design

I have noticed a pattern in open world games where exploration is replaced by a chore list. You start a game, open the map, and see a hundred icons. Instead of looking at the horizon and wondering what that tower is, you just follow a dotted line on a mini-map. It turns the experience into a series of errands. It is like following a rigid set of instructions for a project without ever understanding why you are doing the steps. Some newer titles are stripping the HUD away, forcing you to actually pay attention to the world. It changes the loop from clearing a menu to actually discovering a location. When the game stops holding your hand, the world actually feels like a place instead of a spreadsheet. Which games have actually nailed the balance between giving you enough direction to not get lost and leaving enough room for you to find things on your own?