One of the many games I've picked up recently is Breath of Death VII. While I am certainly digging the classic JRPG vibe, it also brings back unpleasant memories from Final Fantasy II.
In Final Fantasy II, trying to run around aimlessly would simply get you killed 99% of the time, as you would suddenly be jumped by monsters that could kill you by merely blinking in your direction (which was the game's "clever" way of letting you know you should only visit that portion of the game world later).
Does this happen in Breath of Death as well, or does the game allow, or even encourage, exploring your surroundings for hidden goodies?