Exploring the (Open) World

[Neon Ignition]

My recent attempt to start playing through Assassin's Creed: Origins and subsequent loss of interest had me thinking why it joined a number of other games where I'd struggled to maintain interest and I've come to feel that the issue is...

their Open World

Now, this isn't an anti-world sentiment or even a criticism of the one in the games I'll mention but it's curious as to what decides the difference between an open world that engages the player or, as AC:O did, makes me fall asleep at the controller within 15 minutes of playing the game. Other games have had similar effects on me and slid into the backlog as a result such as The Witcher III, Watch Dogs 2 and Metal Gear Solid V.

But for many others the worlds built by the developers for these games are absolutely loved and one of the key selling points in these titles and their success. There's a part of me that knows these are well crafted open worlds as well and yet I find them utterly unengaging. The open world in Zelda: Breath of the Wild? Personally, I don't think it's very good. It's fine, serviceable really but I didn't begin to snooze as I played so whilst it doesn't strongly resonate with me there's clearly something about the swirling mixture of features, structure, location and mechanics that comes together to either appeal to the individual gamer or not.

It's made me somewhat curious as to what it is that clicks for me with open worlds in games, what makes the difference between one that I love and one that slips me into an unconscious state.

Now many will love the games I've struggled to maintain interest in and probably not be so enamoured by open worlds I've enjoyed more, so the question of the thread boils down to a very individualistic taste one...

What open worlds have resonated with you and what makes or breaks your love for one?

[dataDave]

The overworlds are usually fine. I've only really invested time in FFXI, WoW, Skyrim and BotW. BotW obviously has reams more diversity to the various locations over Skyrim with forests, deserts, jungles, swamps, arctic peaks, volcanic regions, canyons, etc. Also, with MMOs and BotW each of these regions have their own soundtracks and audio adding to the character and ambiance.

Navigating these spaces also plays a a huge part, obviously - that's what ultimately make them fun or not. Skyrim can become frustrating if you break off from the path as you end up trying to climb mountains which can't be climbed as there is no climbing function, so you end up jumping up rocks repeatedly in one huge circle for twenty minutes when you should have just stuck to the path instead. It's strange, I force myself off from fast-travel (and now even horses) on Skyrim in pursuit of immersion, but then I fully take advantage of teleportation when playing BotW despite BotW's world being 100x more enjoyable and rewarding to traverse.

Speaking of which, my father-in-law was here visiting the month after our son was born. This guy vocally despises video games. Anyhow, the M-I-L had sat and watched me play BotW for a while prior to this as she was also fascinated as to why I'm so 'into' my hobby, so she told him to sit and watch. He watched me climb a tower, pick a location, ride to it on horseback (he loves horses), reach a ravine which was too wide to cross... but then at that moment the Chinese music fades in (he's Chinese Malaysian) and a big fiery dragon comes flying through giving me all the hot air I need to paraglide across it, right over the dragon's back catching the thermal to lift me across where I only had to do a few seconds of climbing to get myself up on the ledge. He was blown away by this. I then gave him the pad whilst I went to do other stuff and he made his way over more landscape just by using the control stick, no buttons required (until he got bummed by a Moblin camp - I heard his panic from the other room "Aiyo. Ai-YO!.... Ai-YOOOOoooo!!1" like he'd spilt hot coffee over himself). His mind was blown. His only experience of gaming prior to this being Solitaire. The cherry on top being when I lifted the Switch out of the dock and handed it to him...

Anyway, back to topic. It's the dungeons and cave systems which lack this diversity across all the games I've played. Obviously it would probably take twice as long for the developer to work on underwords which link to their respective overworlds, but it's something that must be addressed. Fallout 3 has a mod which fixes this, but I'm only around 40 hours into that game.

I'm finding BotW and Skyrim better enjoyed as passive experiences. In that I'm out to 'complete' them over the course of months, maybe even years, rather than trying to fit them in to a 20/30 hour schedule. With BotW especially I'll spend a week or two in a specific region before getting a bit sick and tired and moving on to other games before eventually coming back and tackling another region for another huge chunk of time. Repeat. I'm at 140 hours now and roughly 2/3 of the way through the game. My most memorable time on BotW being spent at the small fishing village close to Eventide where I'd lasted several evenings role-playing a tourist on holiday, having Link just chill out on the beach with his top off during the day - farting around up and down the shore along with the kids looking for Koroks and possibly shrines, resulting in the eventual discovery and conundrum of Eventide itself. That was awesome, and probably one of my most memorable experiences in gaming. Even when I left and continued the game I began to miss that area, like I'd genuinely been on holiday to somewhere nice.

[charlesr]

The move from Mirror's Edge, which was very structured, to the more open routes and order of play of the sequel left me cold. I really want to finish it but I want less choices.

[kryss]

I like how the Xenoblade worlds are seemingly open, but quite linear. XCX opens up after you get your Skell, and then even more when you get the flight module.
BotW is massive but I've never felt it empty, and certainly has the best features of an open world I can think of.

[JazzFunk]

I liked the size of the open worlds in Vice City and Gun, just big enough but not too sprawling, playing through GTAV in small doses recently has been a bit of a 'mare for me, it's ironic but I always wanted open world games back in the day and I'm still drawn to them but it all just feels like a plate full of boiled potatoes playing stuff like this a lot of the time.

Jeeeez, Vice City, so compact n' vivid, I still remember it in great detail, it wasn't swamped by the ambition of a super-vast gameworld.

[kryss]

I always seem to end up in the same places on GTAV when the cops are chasing me, it barely seems big enough.

[JazzFunk]

It's all just hills to me. Don't get me wrong, I love roaming around it sometimes. It's ace. But then I switch it off. It's an ambivalent relationship. I admire it greatly but it often feels like it has no soul at all. Like with, say, Shenmue, Yakuza, the smaller, richer worlds create a massive sense of heart and soul.

I might sound like I don't but I still like GTAV for what it is but there's too much landscape with nothing in it, it should feel like a big theme park when it feels barren more than it should.

[_SD_]

I must admit I’m really not fond of these open world games, and the new Zelda made that quite clear. Firstly, I don’t have the time to explore every nook and cranny of these ever expanding worlds, and mainly because I find them quite overwhelming and intimidating. I also think there’s a little OCD going on too, as I’m a bit of a competitionist and I know I’ll never be able to find everything without the use of a guide, which I don’t like to do.

The first time I played aLttP I was blown away by the size of the world, only then to discover that there’s another version of the map. The first time I finally ran out onto Hyrule field in 3D was mind blowing. I wasn’t impressed with the seemingly endless ocean in Wind Waker, but the size of map in TP/SS or even Skies of Arcadia is about the most my brain can cope with.

[JazzFunk]

The bigger the landscape, the more travel has to be simulated. In GTAV, I often feel I'm driving 5-15 minutes across practically barren landscapes to reach fiddly little missions that all feel very samey and empty, despite the brilliant cutscenes that sandwich it all.

My favourite open world, in terms of soul, would have to be Deadly Premonition. I even have to disagree with myself when it comes to the travel. In this game, it works to the game's advantage, it makes a comparatively small world seem quite big and really gets you into a procedural feel with your character.

Awww. Bless it. Time for a replay soon, it's been a looooong time. I even have two 360 copies now lol, should one fail. I'll buy more if I see 'em cheap. I'll buy 'em ALL so no one else can have 'em.

[JazzFunk]

I tell a lie. Maybe it's Crackdown.

Or Shenmue. One of the four I mentioned.

And I think they made an epic job of Arkham City...it's just the environs were more an obstacle than an open world. But it was badass and kinda open world. Impressive.

Spider Man 2. That was a nice world as well. But no real density, very comic book, which was kinda the point. But a fun world to mess about in.

[QualityChimp]

Sometimes I enjoy an engineered corridor shooter that's like a haunted house ride. If you analyse it, the magic goes.

Other times, I love exploring open worlds.
It's an interesting question, OP, thanks.
It's made me realise that in all these types of game, I spend the majority of my early hours just exploring.

I was a powerhouse from levelling up by exploring and surviving in Fallout 4, but major plot developments seen in videos hadn't happened.

In GTAV, I spent hours getting the money cases, but I'd only unlocked one character. Still haven't completed it.

My happiest memories of Red Dead Redemption are pootling around the woods looking for flowers and HOLY MOLY I'VE BEEN EATEN BY A COUGAR!

Oblivion, Fallout 3 and New Vegas' biggest addiction was finding undiscovered locations on the compass.

Are there any co-op games like this?
I imagine the element of wonder is lost when you're constantly losing the suspension of reality.

[Golgo]

It's the time commitment and busy work of open worlds that grip my poop. As much as I admired Witcher 3, especially its better quests like Bloody Baron and the Crones, when I got to Skellige after 90 hours and saw another map littered with question marks that I knew were low level mobs and treasure trash, I could not take another step. I think I prefer a more linear and densely textured adventure within the illusion of a larger world, such as the last Batman game or indeed Bully, which remains Rockstar's best in my view.

[Golgo]

I think also one's tolerance of open worlds depends on one's level of OCD. If you're a bit anal and absolutely must clean all those ?s off your map (i.e. me), it can become a very dreary kind of torture.

[Junko]

I really struggle with open world environments, I prefer a start at point A and end at B with a clear objective . Maybe I have a poor attention span or just lack imagination , I don’t know

[JazzFunk]

Spent about five hours on GTAV today and loving it again, feel like I've mopped just enough missions up to make it feel less daunting now and I'm fiddling about checking out the little side-things, golf, the stock market, property buying etc.

Feel a bit guilty about lambasting it now, reset my TV settings so it's not straining the eyes. Also helps having the music turned on, had it set to off cos Ive been playing this at night and not wanted to upset the neighbours, deffo feels more un-barren with choonz in the cars.