Linear or Free Roam?

I prefer video games that are more straightforward, siiince that's much easier for me than to spend countless hours figuring out what to do. XD

Not to say I don't prefer games with variety, it's just.. too much variety may be a little much, you know?
 
Ever since I was introduced to dynamic (I think thats the opposite of linear) games, I've become extremely picky with linear games. Most games I buy now are usually dynamic, with the exceptions being portable games. I always rack up more playing time with dynamic games, so, according to my standards, makes them well worth the money and they also allow flexibility, just in case I'm unskilled with a certain task.
 
The only place I believe linear games belong is in old NES games like Mario or Castlevania. Free roam games are for the next-gen.

I prefer them to linear anyway. I like having different routes to get where I need to go.
 
I think there needs to be some kind of inbetween. There should be some essence of exploring, roaming off the main path, however a truly open game (out of the MMO scene) feels out of place and empty, ie. Skyrim.

A Linear game, however (FFXIII?), feels very forced. It takes options out of your hands and essentially gives you a straight line to run.

So yeah >< Somewhere in between would be best.
 
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Both types have their ups and downs.

Games where there's only one path to one goal get predictable after a while, but you can challenge yourself to complete them faster, or go for a 100% run.

Games that are open-world can be a little overwhelming for some players, but they sure keep you busy for a long time.
 
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I definitely agree with SwiftSign. There are some perks to having a ton of way to do things, but I think it's easier to understand if there are main options that will get you there efficiently. Video games shouldn't let you run rampant trying to figure out everything on your own after you're assigned a quest, but they shouldn't hold your hand all the way through either. Finding a balance is key to solid game-play.
 
A combination of the two, classified as non-linear exploration. Super Metroid is an excellent example of this.
 
I like both, except the way they did it in Shadow the Hedgehog was horrible! You can never be completely bad because in the end, you save the city. What if I wanted to be bad? It just puts a lot of confusion into my mind.
[Shadow:] I have to be a good hedgehog? Damn it! Let Sonic have my role for god sakes!
 
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