From jackson youll find larger areas for exploring but its more linear than a true open world. Downtown seattle gives the most freedom to roam around, handy to grab all the resources before moving forward. When playing as ellie or abby remember weapon scraps and supplements are usually tucked away in side rooms, worth checking every corner. Maybe interesting that early designs had actual open-world hubs but got scrapped to keep the story tight. Climbing and jumping open up lots of routes through buildings, nice to have options when enemies are around. Search thoroughly since optional dialogue bits add good character story if you take time finding them. Worth mentioning the remastered version adds even more ways to move through areas.

Key point though - dont expect totally free exploration, the games still pushing you forward through its story beats