Anyone actually like linear games?

First time I ever heard the world Linear with games was when zelda BOTW stated to get news and people talked about it and how the old zelda style was getting old. I love BOTW best game ever made untill TOTK lol but I also never had a issue with the older zelda games. I never felt like it was getting to repetitive or old or what not. I always thought between the games different art style, dungeons, story, music etc that they felt different and where always high quality. I had no idea people thought the old style was getting like to repetitive before that. So no I have no issue. Also DK2 and DKTF are 2 are both in my top 10 all time favorite games and both are 2 platforms so yeah.

Dragon's Dogma vs Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen is an excellent example of the boons of linear design vs open world.

How Arkane builds their levels is my ideal. Not too big, open and curated.

I'm fine either way, can't say I have a preference. But it is much more difficult to make a great linear game than an open one.

Yes, I like linear games as well as open world games..i do think that linear games have become too rare nowadays. It is almost as if open world has become the norm and must be implemented in each and every game, even if not strictly necessary to the gameplay.

In general yes. Give me a sandbox to play with. Most open world games are big, filled with chores but still have a linear design.

Something like Crysis, Prey, original Far Cry is what I like otherwise just linear.

Well yeah, most of my all time favourite games are linear.

Metal Gear Solid 4, Metal Gear Solid 2, Metal Gear solid 3 - all linear. Metal Gear Solid 5 wasn't though I'd say its on par with MGS2, better than MGS3, not as good as MGS4.

The Last of Us 1, The Last of Us 2, both linear

Elden Ring is open world and my 3rd favourite game after MGS4 and TLOU, but Dark Souls 3, Bloodborne, Sekiro are linear...

Absolutely. Got open world overload the last decade or so. :P