It’s probably a stretch to reference Metroid, but that was the best succinct description for the thread title.
When I saw what appeared to be an open world section in the demo, I was thinking that the game could have more exploration and puzzle elements, which has me pretty excited. Even before I read the article linked below, I was imagining that it could involve equipment upgrades and/or simple environmental puzzles that you use to gain access to new areas, or fight enemies that were previously un-approachable, etc.
That’s pretty much confirmed in this interview here:
I’m honestly really looking forward to it. I love this type of thing in games. I think it will also provide the opportunity to include optional story bits (computer terminals, or simple story-via-scenery), which is another thing I love in these kinds of games.