I realy dont know why is such a problem if BDO is sandbox or not, that you have to derail every topic. By definition BDO is sandbox, but lack elements compared to some games. Face it, exept it. In reality id doesnt matter how its called if it bring fun. Renault megan RS is sport car, but we have porshe gt3rs too...

The tings are realy simple in reality, but some people just try to make it more complicated for not realistic reasons.

Also on topic. If BDO was so easy why there was few rants to lower dificulty of some PvE modes? Sadly devs like to listen majority of their player base, and that majority is scared of any challenge nowdays...

If I am to guess the reason for derailing a topic is: "I deserve more attention than the author of the topic. I am saying something different from the title! Notice me! OP doesn't deserve attention!"(that's how it sounds to me) Then several other posters follow the troll and it's like that in not all, but most topics. I ignored almost all of them, since I am not going to waste words and time for nothing. They're not worth my attention anyway. Just... I am outraged. Sorry for the author to see this.

Cool, then World of Warcraft is sandbox game, so does literately every mmo.

Sandbox, Open World, and Life Sim all fall into the same genre of video games and entertainment.  BDO is any of these since one can skip the main quest and jump into the action from anywhere.  If one wants, they can skip the prologue video (aka dream) and never once talk to the black spirit.  They can earn enough silver to buy armor and escalate to level 49 without much more than talking to stores and vendors.

At level 49, if you plan to proceed, I think (untested) you need to talk to the black spirit to receive the quest item  that allows you to proceed to level 50 and beyond.  Otherwise, there is nothing one is required to do to level up.  Getting any character to level 56 or 57 can be done quickly, as others have stated, it is the tutorial and why you are titled as Awakened at level 56.  After this point, leveling will slow to a crawl and if you plan to reach for the stars, you will need to fight many bosses.

After first your character awakens, you are given the option to defeat Rift Bosses all on your own across your account.  Might I suggest, if you lack challenge, get to awakened and see how well you fare against any Rift Boss.  You will be the only one who can see them and fight them, no party is allowed to assist you.  Out of 12, my wiazrd has killed 2 this far.  Then there are world bosses where you can fight aside all players who arrive at the event. After you hit level 50, other players will greatly challenge you to open world PvP as you ride between Valencia and Calpheon.

If you really need a combat challenge,  with the common mobs, try fighting without your armor or equip low level weapons. These items are not restricted by your level.  The map clearly indicates AP suggestions or Level of mobs.  BDO is not just a combat simulator, there are many other aspects to explore. 

The challenge in BDO isn't the mobs, in the vast majority of cases.  However, there are things like:  Pit of Undying, Savage Rift, Rift Bosses with the quest gear you most likely have, Attoraxxian Dungeons, and PvP that offer the type of challenging, hands-on, direct, experiences you're referring to (I'm thinking Monster Hunter-vibes here).

BDO is not like the typical MMO's.  PvE doesn't offer the "Monster Hunter" type gameplay, or forced group content like raids to get BiS gear.  The game rests heavily on your shoulders, demanding a high level of self-agency to become relevant in Gear Score.

The challenge in BDO is figuring your way around this game.  BDO offers multiple paths you can take, IE: Active lifeskills, mob farming, passive lifeskills, enhancement, etc. - and the challenge, to me, is figuring out how to use these tools to your liking in a way that efficiently earns you income (silver).  This is basically BDO's PvE end-game, for the most part - earning silver.  And earning silver really comes down to efficiently managing the game's tools, and figuring out exactly how to do that is the challenge.  Keeping up in gear score with the "big bois", RBF no-lifers, or others in your guild can be a challenge.  In my guid, we have a few people who are past 700 GS and staying relevant against them is a challenege.  Fighting them is also a challenge.

Another challenge in end-game is efficiently farming rotations and defending said rotation from those who might contest you for it.  When entering a new grind spot, you do not have Knowledge of the monsters.  This means you'll do nerfed damage to them, until you kill enough to gain Knowledge.  After that, you'll do significantly more damage to the mobs and see their HP.  That's only the tip of the iceberg.  Learning how to pull the mobs with your class and efficiently clearing them in as little time as possible is the meat of grinding mobs, IMO.  This is how you pull relevant Trash Loot numbers at grind spots.  Do it wrong, you'll make significantly less silver than the averages (there's a nifty website Garmoth.com, where you can see global averages of every grind spot), do it right, you'll meet the averages, do it extremely well, you'll make more.  That takes time to learn, on top of learning your class.  But once you learn it, it becomes easy to efficiently grind the mobs.  This is where PvP comes into play -- people may contest you for the spot -- and it is objectively a challenge to defend yourself and your spot, if need be.

This is the beauty of this Open World PvX MMO, IMO.  It's truly unlike WoW, GW, ESO in that, the game rests agency on your shoulders alone, way more than those games.  From learning the ropes in the vast array of activities, to PvE mob farming, to all forms of PvP (OW 1v1, Node Wars, Siege, GvG's, etc.), to keeping up in Gear Score, etc.  Or, you can just watch your toon AFK process in front of the Heidel storage keeper all day and call it playing the game, it's all on you!!

It comes down to you, as a player, figuring out your way around this game to efficiently progress, staying within relevant gear score ranges and developing mechanical control of your class to actually make an impact in PvP.  That's the challenge in BDO to me and it's kept me engaged with this game for the better part of nearly 5 years.  (Gotta take a few breaks here and there, the nice thing about BDO are AFK and semi-AFK lifeskills...you can take a break from the game while still earning silver in it).

I like the freedom this game offers.  I like that it doesn't hold your hand like other MMO's -- although, that's changed a bit since the intro of Seasons.  But even though there's some time-gated, linear content to progress gear now -- IE: Guaranteed PEN coming up, guaranteed PEN accessory questline, etc. -- the huge chunk of the game and your personal progress rest heavily on your shoulders, and yours alone.  And ofc, I like the combat -- PvE and PvP.

Monster engagements aren't necessarily "challenging" on surface level, for the most part.  AI is simple.  Mobs die in one-hit at the spots your quest gear can grind at.  Move up to end-game spots, then you'll see you actually need to use real combos and use good add-ons.  Or you can go cookie cutter from class Discords or copy a streamer's setup.  It's up to you.  Maybe give Pit of the Undying a shot.

I love this game yet I think this post is an eye opener and I fully agree. The devs are literally dictating what players wear, eat, sell/buy, what monsters they kill and what quests they complete. It's literally gambling and grinding, but of course there many fun or relaxing activities to do, such as fishing, farming, exploring etc.

Accepting the game's nature is not propaganda and it doesn't mean the game isn't fun to play! It's more about honesty

Hit level 50 and flag on someone. That's when

Devs dictate what?

Yeah, you have some restrictions and guidelines, but no, devs are far from dictating as many things as you suggest.