Where did linear action games go?

Now this is not to say we have seen none, but the ratio of story-based, linear action games has not only dwindled, but it also seems to be downright evaporating. We get great games like Gears and Uncharted, underrated gems like The Order and a couple more I will mention later, but it seems that the open world genre, has not only overtaken the linear action genre, it seems to have utterly killed it. Yet what is worse, is that a great many of these new open world games would be better, without the open part. I am not here to hate on the open world genre, when done well like in the recent Red Dead Redemption 2, it not only adds to immersion & storytelling, but it gives the player their own subtle stories to experience. This is what makes the genre so appealing, however, it takes great effort and care, to create a world that feels like more than a series of movie sets.

Which would be one complaint levied against the linear genre as well. Yet, there is a clear difference in the feel of each movie set. Where a level to level experience is akin to a Film, showing only the best and most relevant parts, an open world game is like a TV Series. There is nothing wrong with additional material, the issue is when it is relevant, and also when it drags the pace of a game to a screeching halt. This is why it takes such precision to make an open world feel alive and worth living in. 

So what is to be gained by adding what in most cases, is meaningless content? What is lost when we skip these pointless scenes of travel or item chasing, that is neither a fun or necessary addition to the gameplay or story. If so many of these open-world games trimmed the fat, you would be left with a game that was far more enjoyable. An open-world only adds to the game if the world is either worth living in, blowing to hell or some combination thereof. Take a look at a game like Max Payne 3 from several years ago, as amazing as Redemption 2 is, I am playing through Max yet again. Not only because it captures the feeling of action cinema better than any other game, but also because it never has a dull moment amid the compelling action. Battlefield Hardline does this as well, and in my opinion, featured one of the best FPS campaigns of the eighth generation. Yet for all the games to have come out during this generation, less than a quarter have been linear action games. Is this a big issue, well that depends on how much you love the genre. I will always love blasting level to level, experiencing a story and enjoying the more guided experience. Because, that guidance can make or break a game's pace, taking the game from non-stop excitement to a dull and tedious slog in the blink of an eye.