Many RPGs, particularly JRPGs, tend to be linear experiences. Even if the player has choices to make or sidequests to complete, they tend to travel down a path decided by the game to tell a coherent narrative. This isn't always the case, however. Some RPGs draw from the open-world genre to give players the utmost freedom.
Source:https://www.cbr.com/best-open-world-rpg-video-games/