Looking at a few gameplay videos if you wander too far while 'exploring' there is a white flash and you get put back to some 'safe' point?

So you can't actually go anywhere and explore? You see a vast expanse of open world and you can't actually go and explore any of it as your mission is on rails and stops you exploring?

So it's just a shooter on rails?

Once the tutorial section is done, its wide open. Its absolutely not on rails or linear at all. Gameplay videos just doesn't really do this game any good. Neither does the demo as the demo had a lot disabled/removed and so the experience is a lot different.

Yeah the whole fog thing is annoying, they could have just left you to explore, but i guess people would get lost, the whole language barrier would be enough, i think, to make people go to the island. You wouldnt be able to get any quests otherwise.

Good to know, I hate games that don't let you explore! So once the tutorial is over (how long is it?) you can literally go anywhere you please assuming you can either swim/walk/climb there?

The tutorial is about 15 minutes long. Long enough for you to to learn the basic controls.

After that you can go wherever you please and take/do (or not) the available quests in any order. There are no barriers apart from the need to upgrade your movement system to reach some areas.

As a matter of fact, I've already found quite a number of unexpected bonus items in unexpected places.

There many quests that connect between places. So you are encouraged to wander and come back later.

I'm not sure how long it took for me the tutorial. Some on Steam seem to think its an hour or more. It didn't really feel like a tutorial to me but just part of the game. I like it far better than old Outcast. Although, the faded cutscene switching is a bit odd that some people won't be able to stand that and the amount of cutscenes at the beginning. I have no problem with it.

Its so open. Traversal gets so incredibly fast as you progress. Right now in the game, I can go anywhere on the map, in seconds and do whatever I want anywhere in less time than it takes people to run to something in other games. So fast. But, am quite far into the game now. Its ramps up speed as you progress.

Edit - Just finished it. After seeing the end part, I wish that was what the game was based on. I would have even taken a 6 hour game based directly on that. Quite nice. Think I may replay just that part a few times next =)

Took a lot longer than the times on the store page lol. Those times are so ridiculously off right now. Even if I rushed it and skipped all VO, still never would be close. There's more hours of stuff I left on the map too.

If anyone reads this and wants to know how the game is in comparison to the original, I would say that its based on it but not it. That is, its not like a sequel. Its something else and anyone who compares them will view them as very different. You can't go into this game while wanting the exact other. You won't get it. It feels like the same world to a great extent. But, that's where it ends. You feel like you're playing something else and you have to be okay with what it is to like it. This is definitely more for people who are new or those who can accept it like me. I'm sure old fans would call it newcast lol. That highlights the difference.

And that's the rest of all I have to say on the game. Just randomly here.

It's a relatively small but really full open world at heart.

Basically you're on track for 1h in mostly long dialogues and constantly switching cutscene.It's not the best design et can be overwhelming for new players to the franchise .

It's a shame the beginning is so rough and long because once you finish the intro, you can go everywhere you want and you will find most things by yourselves and completing quests on your own without even the need to rely on the map most of the times.

It's a really good way to explore and interact with the world rather than following question marks on maps.

I suggest playing that way because the quest menu is really not intuitive.

It's a shame most people will pass this game because of the long introduction but it was not the best design choice by Appeal.

The quest menu is actually super easy once you understand what you're looking at. It works by simply drilling down on the chosen location and then shows the main quests for that location and then drilling down on the desired quest shows all the sub quests needed to complete it. Takes a short moment to adjust and then can use it to track and directly show the location of something on the map. Its just a little weird the first few minutes :)

It is possible that you might find that you need it for certain things but I'm not sure. Some quests have certain aspects that I don't think will be easy to know without using the menu. That may get too tiring after a while. I got tired of it quickly and just kept using it instead to move on.

Thanls for all the responses, will pick this up once it's on sale and then go exploring :)

It is an open world, just not at the beginning. You need to do the main quest until the mist (which is not explained) disappears. Once you do that, it is true open world: you can go anywhere and focus on any one aspect or region or questline.