Yeah a lot of games embraced that style and it doesnt really work. Less is often times more, that isnt to say you cant have big maps look at rockstar games. But you have to be careful on it, if you are going to make a big map include empty space where the player can feel tense about threats or just kinda vibe. Stalker actually does that type of thing pretty well, also I have not been more panicked than playing Stalker Gamma and getting jumped by five cats at night in a thunderstorm cause I thought I killed everything on the way in.