Jenny, what is a node of exploration? I think I kind of see your point now.
A node is like a stepping point. In games like the Atlantis games, you move around by taking long steps/jumps from node to node. At each node you can rotate around to look at things. But you can't move to a place between the nodes. The original Myst and Riven also had nodes, only you couldn't rotate around. In contrast, games like RealMyst or MystV don't restrict you to nodes. So if a lot of nodes are removed from a node-based game, that game has a much smaller environment for you to explore, and less opportunity to create an atmosphere.
Any other series of games with that same issue? Any of the Microïds ones for example?
In the original PC version of Amerzone you were able to through a door on the second floor of the lighthouse and walk around on the balcony area outside. In the remake version the door is just unclickable background decor and you can't get outside there at all. There are also a lot more nodes on your way to the lighthouse in the original version. When I got downstairs past the area with the old computer, there were even more nodes missing -- so many that there was obviously a substantial part of the game missing. At that point I became physically ill at how they'd butchered it and couldn't stand to continue. I'd rather play the original inside an emulator. Interestingly enough, the PC version at GOG seems to be the complete, original version of Amerzone, while their Mac version is the butchered one.
I'm not sure about Syberia, since the remade iPad version is apparently only 1/3 of the PC version of Syberia and they never finished the game. GOG doesn't have the Mac version of Syberia, possibly because they don't want to offer it until they have all 3 parts of the original Syberia.
I haven't tried the Dracula games, Return to Mysterious Island, or The Messenger.
Road to India has been butchered.
Still Life for Mac may be OK. I haven't played far enough into it to be able to say for sure, but so far it seems complete. I didn't notice any excisions early on anyway. However I don't remember it all that well, having only played it once before (and that was several years ago.)
Dear, dear, I just bought them all again all over again...
I bought the ones for iPad, not realizing they had so much of the game removed. I also downloaded Mac versions from GOG, since GOG sometimes gives access to both PC and Mac versions.