Seem, I always defended the game just based on "linear isnt bad", not really thinking about the reasons why its linear.
Ive also always been confused why FFX is well liked despite... also being very linear up until it opens up at the end? But XIII got memed for hallways???
Do people not understand what genre conventions are or something? Oh boy, when I hear the word "nonlinearity," the first thing I think of is the Final Fantasy series.
Old JRPGs were really nonlinear when tou could walk around the world searching the only place that advances the plot /s