There's no sense of discovery in ubisoft games, in this game when I head to a check point I get to walk through a beautiful world and see some amazing scenery and you never know what the area that your going to brings. Also quests pop up on the way that have amazing story lines.
I agree this is better for the reasons I stated above. With that said, I think I have a pretty good handle of what the next area is going to bring 30+ hours into the game, but I truly hope I'm surprised and will find entirely new activities just around the corner..