Why Open World Games Don’t Work

In this article we take a look at: Why Open-world Games don't work.

[steve30x]

Rubbish. Sandbox games almost always sell very well. Skyrim and GTA games sell huge ammounts and people love the ga,es This news article is just somebodys opinion on why they dont like sandbox games

[nzk0]

Read the article, the author is a huge Open World fan, it's just a critique :)

[steve30x]

I did read the article before I commented.

[Baka-akaB]

It's a poor article taking a single example and the worst one at that , a game that isnt even trying to offer a real narrative but just set you free in a lego world where your actions dont even matter , you can just do whatever you want , it doesnt even pretend it has an impact .

Where are the parts where he'd make the same points and critiques with games like Infamous , Yakuza , GTA , Red Dead redemption , Assassin Creed , Sleeping dogs and many others

[DOMination-]

I like sandbox games but sometimes they can be a bit distracting if they are fully open from the start.

Skyrim for instance.. I love it, played for nearly 100 hours but honestly i look back on the first 20 and think what a waste of time. Because i could do anything, go anywhere i ended up just messing around and not really doing anything.

I like a bit of structure to it. Like on gta they always have some bs reason why you can't cross a bridge until later but it means you get to learn each islands layouts and appreciate them more.

[lovegames718]

Most open world games to me are large worlds filled with emptiness. Repetitive and monotonous affairs that bores me to death. I own Farcry3, Assn Creed and other open world games and the feeling was the same across all those games. The only one that was open world that didnt give me that repetitious and empty feeling was Infamous 2.

[Rainstorm81]

Buy a Rockstar open world game (not LA Noire) or try Sleeping Dogs.......Also the thing with open world games is they are virtual sandboxes, you have to use what they give you to craft a fun time in the world (just Cause2) ....it just takes imagination

But hey open world games aren't for everyone some people need much more linear games, it's easy to get overwhelmed by some open worlds variety, where its so much to do that you easily lose sight of what to do (AC3/NFS:MW)

[Coach_McGuirk]

I've always felt that open-world games were for people with vibrant imaginations, who don't need a storyline to tie everything together.

[Hydralysk]

So I'm paying $60 for simply a set of game mechanics? Imagination is free, I shouldn't have to do the writer's job for them if I'm paying them.

The majority (not all mind you) of open world games side-quests or exploration just result in killing X number of the game's standard mooks, or driving from point A to point B in under X seconds. Good luck imagining compelling reasons for all of those.

[Coach_McGuirk]

If that's how you feel then you probably shouldn't spend $60 on it.. My point was that certain people enjoy this type of open-ended gameplay. You're obviously not one of those people.

[bluetoto]

It's simple really, some gamers like to be told how they should enjoy their gaming experience and others like to do as they please.

Most open world games allow unlimited freedom while linear games offer a straight focused story.

"The majority (not all mind you) of open world games side-quests or exploration just result in killing X number of the game's standard mooks, or driving from point A to point B in under X seconds"

The same can be said for linear games as well, even more so. The entire game consists of clearing one area after another, usually behind cover. Even worse most of the "driving" sections of linear games are on rails.

Not putting down linear games at all though, UC series has some of the best experiences, but leaves little desire to replay the same straight line SP unless you're going for trophies.

[A2X_]

Red Dead Redemption is a fine exemple of storytelling in a sandbox game.

[PooEgg]

I like Open World games, because it feels more real to me then games with invisible walls and a set path that you have to follow. However I also like a good story in my games, and often this is lacking in Open World.

For myself a perfect game would mesh brilliant storytelling with Open World, basically allowing you to take multiple paths and make multiple choices which would effect the outcome of an amazing epic story. I will admit that I don't think I have ever seen it done 100% successfully, but I still like Open World games for what they are.

[3-4-5]

People like that don't have any creativity and don't know or understand how to create their own fun.

Some of the most fun I've ever had gaming was just running around doing nothing or anything I wanted in an Open World or Sandbox game.

If only people like this man understood that Open World = infinite replay value.

You can do stuff within the game 2 years down the road that you never even thought possible because of the randomness of Open world.

When done right.....which isn't as often as it should be, the genre can be awesome.