I like linear games a more than massive open world so when I play open world I always play in a way that makes it feel more linear so I don't just go where the wind blows and do things at random.... I always have a flexible plan in mind to clear out an area in one gaming session or follow the main quests one day then when it feels right switch to side quests for a day or if I am not in the mood for heavy gaming that much on a day I might spend an afternoon or a few hours treking around scouting / opening up the map etc.

I feel like when I approach open world games in a specific way I pre-plan then it feels a bit more linear but I have to stick to the plan!

I don't feel overwhelmed by map size and tasks anymore though because I was out of gaming for a long time then brought a PS4 for covid lockdowns and the first game I played was Valhalla.... When I finished Norway map I was pretty pleased with myself and had so much fun I was looking forward to England.... when I got there and saw the size of the map I was genuinely shocked, completely fucking jaw-dropped shocked.

It took me hundreds of hours but I ended up platinum for Valhala and I am middle aged. (only mention because when I was young open world only just started, I had played GTA games only)

I think at the end of the day how Linear a game is doesn't really matter, what matters is how well designed the game is and what you personally make of it..... I have played plenty of old games that are "linear" for want of a better word and have been lost for hours wondering what the fuck do I do and back then no internet to find out :D