The first thing I look for is the presence of any bad gameplay elements.
For instance, I usually leave quickly if I don't know what I'm supposed to do. Humans are impatient creates who demand instant gratification.
Symphonia solves this elegantly by giving new players only a handful of locations to visit.
Also, stop pissing me off by putting a lot of houses on the overworld and then leaving most of them empty. It's already annoying enough to explore when you're walking so slow.