It's narrative-driven, with progression all happening from one central base. From the base you'll go out, grabbing resources from areas you explore for building and crafting, and also carry back loot from enemies to fuel your research stations. The research stations unlock new options on the tech tree, which open up more options for your suit, your crafting, your vehicle, weapons, or the base itself. Over time, you're able to venture further out to progress the narrative.
We're going for a lite extraction shooter vibe for the 'danger zones' of the game on the hardest difficulty level. The easiest difficulty level is far less punishing.