I've experienced the same issues in a few games in recent years, and especially with ARPG's. It's also the same reason I could never really get into most MMORPG's. I need to feel like I'm actually interacting with the game's world and environment, with immediate and responsive feedback based on my movement and actions.

Another thing that's always bugged me is the frequent dependency on NPC level-numbers as a metric for measuring enemy or area difficulty. I want the reason an enemy is a legitimate and dangerous threat to be because it's actually smarter, faster, more accurate, and/or better armed. Or of course because they're more numerous. Where the combat actually has punch and substance to it, and every so often you'll experience fights that are distinct or unique in some way, specifically because of how the flow of the fight can unfold.

And there's absolutely ways to implement a feeling of an ever increasing challenge in a game without depending on level systems. Just look at STALKER as a perfect example. You don't have a bunch of idiotic bullet sponges at later stages to bore you to tears. You have mutants with psychokinetic abilities who will straight up yank your gun out of your hands and bash you over the head with it. Earlier game mutated beasts who can still manage to tear you up if you slip up at the worst moment. And the classic "cheeki breeki" bandit who might just manage to land a lucky shotgun blast to your face as you turn a corner.