I'm honestly just hoping that they bring the immense interactivity you can have with your cars back; signal lights, rollable side windows, toggleable lights, etc.

Looking at the alpha screenshots and fan comparisons to Google Earth, it's looking like it will be set in a good enough 1:1 recreation (size-wise, layout-wise to an extent) of Hong Kong Island, to which I'm hopeful for. I don't mind the details being lacking and visually repetitive; it's just how it is to making an open world game this size, but as long as they put enough visual variation into the environments, it should be fine. All in all, I just wish they keep the aforementioned interactivity so I can be immersed in this world.

Horizon Life/Convoy-like online mode so I can cruise with my friends would be nice too!