Zone design in this game has needed work for some time. They've been way too big and empty with nothing to do since Heavensward, tbh.

That said, I will specifically call out Heritage found for easily being the worst zone in the entire game. Ugly, nothing to see or do, and tells us next to nothing about the people besides "They all use electrope now and love it!"

In previous zones, you'd usually get some sort of story and background about why things were the way they were. See a unique landmark? Chances are it will come up in the MSQ or a sidequest, at least. But here, there's a giant wall going through the middle of the zone to cut it in half, and there is no explanation for it. It's one of the first things I noticed about the place. "Wow, they sure have a big wall here. Wonder what that's for?" There was always an answer for things like that previously. Well, I did every side quest in the zone, and unless I somehow missed it or it was that much of a one line footnote, I never got an answer. It's just there. It keeps nothing in or out. It doesn't divide up any people or cultures. It's not an entrance or exit from a specific space. It has no reason to exist at all. It's just there. And after all the previous attention to detail, even if the zones were still rather boring and empty overall, it was such a slap in the face to someone like me who loves the lore and the little details in this game. I was already so angry and disappointed in the story in that zone and that added to it. It's a little thing, yeah, but those things build up.

So much of Solution 9 is massive for no reason and feels so...fake. Yeah, futuristic sterile world, sure, but not fake like that, fake as in it feels like a movie set. Like if I turn a corner I'll be back in a warehouse with the lighting crew. I was really looking forward to Solution 9. Now I go there as rarely as possible because it's so flat and boring and lifeless (and I hate the music there too).