As someone coming to this game after a few years away, and after playing New World, I cannot agree more with the OP. It's an incredibly high fantasy game.
Central Tyria is absolutely amazing. Shiverpeaks, Ascalon, Kryta, the Tarnished Coast, the zones feel real. Kessex Hills and Queensdale feel and look significantly different despite being in Kryta, and that is something New World missed. The argument was made that it's "an island covered with forest, of course everything will look the same!" But look at this game, this game shows you can create different looking zones despite them shari