As one person pointed out at one point, if you cap characters at a particular level per Act, then it totally discourages exploring the entire map.
I don't particularly subscribe to this point of view - running on the hamster wheel and filling bars is not what I feel compelling about RPG - but there are definitely players you will agree with you.
Even if XP is capped exploration can be incentivised by items, consumables, gold, rare crafting materials (if such system exists). I also suspect that Larian doesn't expect players to do completionist playthrough of each act before moving on - they were saying how much of the content can be missed in one playthrough, and that doesn't really happen due to player choices.
I have a ton of items and weapons and equipment - the best in the game so far. So I don't really need any additional items. I've got WAY more than enough. And now I have nowhere to go with levels and increasing my characters' abilities."
I agree, but that's more of a problem of too generous economy, getting more junk that one can use/comprehend, and dodgy weapon design. Personally, I wouldn't think much of what we have in Early Access - that stuff can be completely overhauled and moved around in 1.0.
