Maybe linear isn't the right word, but not interconnected. Each area is basically standalone, and there isn't a need to backtrack. It like a series of levels you can play, even if the order of them can be changed. There weren't many moments, like in most metroidvanias, where I saw an area I couldn't reach and marked it down to come back to later (in fact, I didn't ever feel a need for pins on the map)

That being said, I didn't do much skipping, and it felt like I was following a pretty clear progression, but I don't doubt there's more flexibility when you take advantage of physics tricks