Now that fans are aware as to when The Last of Us Part II will be arriving, everyone is getting excited. However, since launch day is quite some time away, those looking forward to the game are likely looking for any information they can find about the highly anticipated sequel. That said, a recent interview between IGN and director Neil Druckmann has revealed why the upcoming title is not open world.

During the discussion, Druckmann provided an explanation as to why The Last of Us Part II does not feature an open world setting, but not before discussing the pacing of the title. “It’s not padded, it has that pacing of the first game,” Druckmann said. “You’re going on this crazy, emotional, harrowing roller coaster ride that has these highs of tension and these slower, more provocative, thoughtful moments… those kind of events are sprinkled throughout the entire game.”

The Last of Us Part II director then went on to talk about how parts of the game do open up, despite not being an open world title. “Depending where you are with the story, we might open things up significantly and say, ‘Here are some optional things you can go explore, some side stories, or you can go directly next to where you’re meant to go,’” he said. “But the tension is not high, and as the tension ratchets up, we might tighten things up, you might play a very scripted, authored Naughty Dog setpiece. And we know we can go in both directions according to the need of the story.”

Druckmann also noted how an open world setting doesn’t exactly work for The Last of Us Part II. “Unlike an open world game that is usually open all the time, that [type of] game doesn’t work for us for The Last of Us because that loses tension,” he said. “If I need to go rescue someone, and [the game] says ‘OK go rescue them right now…or do these 10 other things on the side,’ you lose tension.”

The Last of Us Part II is set to arrive on February 21, 2020 for PlayStation 4. Keep it tuned to Don’t Feed the Gamers as this story develops, and for other gaming goodness going on right now, check out the following:

• Red Dead Redemption 2 Devs Are “100% Focused On Online” Content
• New Mafia Game Reportedly In The Works Alongside Remasters For Mafia I & II
• Code Vein Review | An Anime Souls-like That Falls Just Short Of Perfection

What say you, gamers? Are you glad that The Last of Us Part II is not open world? Sound off in the comments section below, and be sure to follow DFTG on Twitter for live gaming and entertainment news 24/7!