Recently, I've been back on the Genshin Impact grind. And the experience is reminiscent of why I left. But I keep coming back for one reason. The Open-World is crafted well, and it makes me want to keep exploring the depths of the surrounding areas. Especially with these latest regions in Sumeru and Fontaine. The multiple layers of the regions contain a large amount of secrets. And I just find it extremely fun to run around a world, just taking in the sights and mysteries within.
I am going to discuss some of the other details that make these types of game work for me. And also how some Open-World games are just not understanding how to keep a player's attention, I think that is what separates Elden Ring from Assassin's Creed Odyssey or Tears of the Kingdom from Forspoken.
Elden Ring and TOTK make me want to stay in the world and question the structures in the surrounding areas. Piquing curiosity is essential to the formula that AC and Forespoken just don't understand. One of the pillars of this curiosity stems from the map design.
ER and TOTK have these large maps, but the only thing that will show up on them are teleport points and places of interest. They are not cluttering the player's view and instead letting them explore the world. The expectation is that the player is going to make their waypoints and seek out the areas that appeal to them. Or ones that simply further a questline. So, the level of freedom given to the player feels limitless. Kickstarting a journey that can take you to places that you never would've dreamed of discovering.
Yet the same cannot be said for games like AC and Forspoken. It has been years since I've played Odyssey, however I remember the clutter that plagued the map in that game. The purpose was more checking off the areas on the map then exploring the world. And the same can be said for Forspoken. Just going from point to point without really caring too much as to what is being offered to the player in terms of worldbuilding.
My interest in Odyssey was in Ancient Greece, so it didn't matter as much, yet Forspoken is a new world. I wanted to give the game a fair shake in that regard, but the underlying issues in it are prevalent from a lot of areas. I still plan to go back and finish it, but it's not that easy.
That leads me to my next point. Why should I care about traversing these worlds? Well, TOTK has the benefit of being a sequel to an already amazing game. And then it goes and delivers itself ten times over. While Elden Ring is a game that feels like Dark Souls 4. Two masterclass titles in the Open-World genre.
I had such a delightful time going around The Lands Between and discovering random caves and entrances. It was especially satisfying when these would lead to fun encounters. The only drawback was those damn stone cats. I hate those fuckers so much. Even when an area might feel a little too familiar, the game would hit you with a cheeky trap. And you would have to hold the nonsense that just occurred.
The little nuggets of irregularity can certainly go a long way when the genre is saturated with the AC-like design of Open-Worlds. They're not terrible, but they don't make me curious. My sense of wonderment is not present like when I am playing ER or TOTK. But that love of discovery is not all that should make your Open-World work. Traversal is just as important.
Hoofing it across these massive plains shouldn't be a slog. ER and TOTK work for their respective games, but this is one where Forspoken gets it right wholeheartedly. The parkour and fast running speed is one of the reasons I like Sonic Frontiers so much. Juts clearing large parts of land without a care in the world. It makes fast travel a little boring depending on the distance.
Games that lack a go-fast mode are just losing out on sick jumps that I could be pulling off. It just feels too good to not be an expectation for future games. Especially when many of these games are going to be following the AC formula more than the ER or TOTK formula.
It's one of the reasons why I can go back to Forspoken and why Genshin Impact sucks to run around in without a character like Sayu or Yelan. Characters designed to make world traversal less shitty. Many long stretches of land are made better when I can zoom across the world. Another example of this is Saints Row IV. A pretty average game with some of the most fun movement I've ever experienced in a game. Similar in design to Forspoken's idea, yet it feels faster in terms of scale.
I can't wait to get more horse riding games instead of parkour games because Forspoken was shot behind the barn. But before I go, there is one more thing I wanted to touch upon in regards to the Open-World genre. The user interface.
Just let me turn it off and don't punish me for it. I like walking in a direction and pausing every once in a while to check that I am not lost. These game are more fun when I don't have to experience thirty icons on my screen that occasionally blink. I love that I can continue to turn off all of the items. And I understand that some people need and like those items.
If you are someone who hates the clutter, but hasn't played without it on-screen. Then I suggest playing with the stuff turned off. It's fun and confusing. An element that gets you to wrap yourself in the world a bit more.
So, that's my piece on Open-Worlds. Are they all good? No. But there are elements that make all of these games mentioned good. To me, the most important element is to make sure that the world isn't boring. It can be steeped in non-sense collectibles for what it's worth. But if it's not cool or engaging in some facet. Then the sandbox is just a sandbox. Devoid of interest and just made to function or look pretty or both. That is the greatest sin of this genre. To simply function and look pretty is not enough. Make me put the time in that you think it deserves.
Comments
Post a Comment