User blog comment:JAlbor/Wikia at E3 2012/@comment-75.106.64.58-20120523070217/@comment-1153722-20120524060555

As I explained numerous times before, freeroaming through New York City is not gonna happen, since Desmond has neither the time, or security from the Templars, to walk and climb around. Skyscrapers are way too tall as well, Desmond scaling them would be very unbelievable. Maybe we will see Desmond infiltrating an Abstergo base or something like that in a linear sequence, but we won't see anything but linear sequences with Desmond, I'm sure.