A Plague Tale is an incredible example of what can be done with a linear design. Both Innocence and Requiem were amazing.
Open world games like the Witcher 3 leave the player with this really weird interaction with plot urgency. I'm looking for someone but just barely missed them? Hurry to the next town so I don't miss them again? But then zero consequences when I ignore that quest for twenty levels.
These are mutually exclusive. The best case scenario for popcorn ceiling is that it's a tedious pain to remove, and it only gets worse from there (painted, asbestos, etc.)