do these people care about level capping? Because the numbers of the zones are arbitrary. They could just hide the numbers and let you run around until a magical bell sounded, but it could still take the same amount of zones completed. Would this really be better? People are stuck in this mindset that we should pay attention to the level numbers and having to do anything lower than yourself in order to do something higher is insulting.
WHYYYYYYYYYYY?????
People should realize that this is a game, one that is designed to be completionist. Take a different game, like Batman:Arkham City, where you don't 'really' level up, but the more things you do -> the more abilities you get. Would the game have been different if sections of the map had levels and as you progressed you got higher than them? No. It would play the same way. This is that exact same concept.
The ENTIRE game is the content and the experience. You are supposed to have to do more than you think you need to level up. This is why I refute people who say this game isn't progressive. It's not a radical or new idea, but the implementation of it was brilliant.