Why Elden Ring and Breath of the Wild Are the New Standard for Open World Games

Open-world games are becoming more and more common, but many game studios misunderstand the true appeal of the genre and end up missing the mark.

[Ezio2048]

I still think RDR2 is the best open world game but Elden Ring and BoTW is close second for me.

[Vits]

Personally, I see RDR2 as the best realized Open world map. One where you could find new things at every corner and be full of secrets to discover. However, both ER and especially BoTW where more open in structure.

[Ezio2048]

Ofcourse they are more open in structure. RDR2 and for the same fact TW3 are heavy story focused games and to deliver such a cohesive and amazing story, you can't expect as open gameplay structure as ER or BoTW.

I consider RDR2 as the best because the world itself is unmatched, the detailing in this game is unmatched. Combine that with top level story, voice acting, music and sound design, and still one of the best looking games. Yes the gameplay and controls could've been better but the other aspects are god tier so I can ignore it.

[LordoftheCritics]

BOTW easily.

Nothing compares.

[neutralgamer1992]

This is subjective IMO. BOTW is the most overrated Zelda game in the series. Only if those reviewing could do a fair job and take off their nostalgic tinted glasses. If BOTW was a game for playstation or Xbox it would receive harsh criticism for it's shortcomings

Weapons break too easily
Story is next to non existent
Performance is all over the place
Unimaginative Boss Fights
Boring Towns & Settlements
Breath Of The Wild's Lack Of Traditional Dungeons

But since Nintendo only gets credit and Sony deserve any criticism we have to see articles like this

But this isn't the platform to have discussions like this because Nintendo fans will now become keyboard warriors

[Sciurus_vulgaris]

Red Dead Redemption 2, GTA 5, and The Witcher 3 have more interactive, dynamic worlds than Elden Ring with easier to track quests. Elden Ring open world is far from perfect. At times it’s confusing. Boss are repeated with questionable balancing and a lot of the dungeons are redundant.

[lucian229]

The bosses do not not repeat, only some of the mini bosses, and if you remove the very few mini boss repeats, the game still has way more bosses than any other game anyway

[Crows90]

Guess you didn't 100% it
Main bosses don't repeat...but there's a ton of mini bosses and the whole appeal of the open world is finding this bosses...those bosses repeat like crazy.

[Snookies12]

"only some of the mini bosses"

My guy, what? Did we play the same game? I loved Elden Ring, put about 110 hours into it. There were so many repeat bosses in those side dungeons. Even I had to start admitting that they really could have done better in that regard.

[lucian229]

@Crows, no i didnt 100% it but i beat majority of it; beat malenia, beat everything else. yes the centipedes and erd trees repeated, but like i said, this was only mini bosses; normal bosses themselves especially are more numerous than other games period anyway.

take skyrim for example......nearly all the enemies are the same as well as bosses ...yet no complaints.

[-Foxtrot]

Elden Ring I can see it

BotW no

[Inverno]

BoTW has gliding and climbing, the more traversal options an open world game has the better.

[-Foxtrot]

By that logic Far Cry 3 is better because it had gliding and climbing....

[badz149]

So Just Cause is the best open world games hands down, then?

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

I actually think that BoTW influenced alot of games from it's release onwards, it definitely set a new standard, I could argue the same for Horizon Zero Dawn which released around the same time if I remember right.

[DankSinatra]

I mean, BOTW world is highly interactive to the point that damn near anything can be used as weapons to make combat incredibly creative. Everything from simply cutting a tree down and having it drop onto an enemy to utilizing the weather (wind, lightning or rain), you can even use grass in combat. Hell I keep seeing newer and newer ways to fight something every day based on the environment alone. I’ve never seen a game so free with its open world to allow this.

Does this mean the games open world is on par with others? No. It’s pretty dead and basic. But it definitely has the most interactive open world.

[Crows90]

Here are some tools and go have fun isn't good open world game design for me. I don't find that very engaging....especially you don't need 90% of it for the game.

[DankSinatra]

@crows90 your want for what makes an open world enjoyable is subjective. What you look for is not what everyone else looks for. Some people are tired of the same old systems used in open world combat. Hell what you’re saying can be said about Elden ring as it’s a tired combat system that’s been mimicked to death and back where as the mechanics in BOTW are literally a breath of fresh air as no other game has mimicked this much freedom for its combat. I find it fun that I can time a thunderstorm and throw my metal weapon when a lightning bolt hits to cause lightning to hit my opponent, or use grass fire to clear out an area and then use that same fire to make an updraft to fly up and attack from the sky. You say it’s not necessary means you’re used to having game mechanics hold your hand and rely on them where as breath of the wild is literally about utilizing your freedom to its fullest and experiment.

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

The interactivity is pretty impressive, that and you can complete tasks in multiple ways, I beat some shrines in ways I don't think I was suppose to beat them. I also thought it was pretty cool that you could create drafts of air by making big ass fires and riding upstream via gliding.

[Imalwaysright]

It's not just its interactivity that makes it impressive. It's also the logic based reaction between the interaction of the player, the objects in the world, the elements such as fire or wind and qualities of hot, cold, dry and moist. What BoTW physics system is doing is a simulation of the real world. A simplistic simulation but a simulation nonetheless.

[shinoff2183]

Sounds a bit like minecraft

[shinoff2183]

Danksinatra

' I find it fun that I can time a thunderstorm and throw my metal weapon when a lightning bolt hits to cause lightning to hit my opponent'

Classic jrpg have done elemental damage from damn near day one

[DankSinatra]

@shinoff2183

Cool, that JRPG doesn’t let you weaponize lightning in real time by planning and timing an actual lightning bolt while doing real time combat. JRPG and ARPG are like apples and oranges. Real time Vs turn based. One is achieved through nothing more than a menu selection and one is achieved through random chance ( storms in BOTW are random) and planning (you’re not even told you can weaponize lightning in BOTW, you figure it out by complete chance).

[CS7]

BOTW detractors really have me puzzled.

I get that everyone has an opinion but how can you not see the BOTW is objectively a leapfrog in open world design?

The physics based open world is filled with interactive objects creates phenomenal gameplay moments. Lightning strikes you if you wear metal or use a bow and arrow to set fire to grass and trees which then creates and updraft for the glider. Bomb arrows explode in hot areas. These are things not seen even in current-gen games with much more powerful systems.

Tell me which current-gen game has comparable physics and interactive systems?

There was a moment I solved a puzzle in BOTW and after looking on the internet I’ve never found someone who solved the puzzle like I did.

Compare to GOW:R and Horizon FW (both are some of my favorite games) the puzzle must be solved one specific, limited way the developers thought of. It feels unimmersive.

To this day, very little game have as an immersive and interactive world.

The game also allows players to go anywhere they want from the very beginning of the game. This gives players the freedom to explore the world and discover new locations on their own terms. And it treats discovery as a core gameplay mechanic. Elden ring borrows this same discovery as a core gameplay mechanic and *surprise* its winning game of the year left right and center.

Past open world design is dated imo. The free open worlds of BOTW and Elden are the future.

Even if your game is narrative heavy, open up the physics and use discovery as a core gameplay mechanic instead of vomiting markers all over the map.

[Crows90]

No real dungeons, no enemy variety, but combat design.

Sure you have creative tools, sure there is this freedom thing but all of that is pointless if i don't enjoy the package.

Breath of the wild is the 1st Zelda i didn't beat.

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

I don't really get why people downplay it either, I prefer traditional Zelda, and BotW has it's flaws, but to say it's mechanics and design hasn't been influential or somewhat revolutionary compared to alot of boring, dead, open world games is baffling at best.

At this point, I think people just hate it for the popularity and not what it actually is, I don't like or enjoy the majority of open world games, so I was surprised I enjoyed this and played it right through, it was breath of fresh air.

It has had a noticeable influence on open world games since it's release.

[Imalwaysright]

Don't worry about those people. I engaged in conversations with some of them and when they start discussing the game all they're doing is telling me that they never played it. Those people are just trolls and the majority of them are well known PS fanboys that are upset because Nintendo creates masterpieces that are the anithesis of Sony's formulaic games.

[Inverno]

Well in terms of traversal then yeah Farcry is better than Elden Ring. I would say Just Cause is better than all cause of how freely you can launch yourself into the air and glide. My point is that neither BoTW nor ER should be the standards cause they don't do everything, or certain things better than other games. Game devs should look at those games, but they needa look at others for things those 2 don't do at all.

[Crows90]

So you want a game that does everything...basically bend over backwards for traversal options ...how does that make an open world good exactly?

[Imalwaysright]

Better? No, they do things differently from other open world games. Whereas other open world games are constantly telling you where to go, what to do, what you can't do and have maps filled with icons, BoTW and Elden Ring put you in their world and basically tell you to do what you want and tell you that you have to discover things on your own. This gives BoTW and Elden Ring a level of player agency, freedom and a sense of discovery and adventure that other open world games just don't have.

[shinoff2183]

Thats how im feeling, botw and elden ring shouldnt be Standard but parts were good. Both games felt empty to me. I still like botw, and by far to this day majoras mask is my least favorite. To this day its ocarina of time, I had my n64 before I even owned a ps. Elden ring I put about 20 hours in and it just isnt my cup of tea. Not do to difficulty I just didn tlike it.

[Inverno]

Can't reply directly. I don't want a game that does everything. I'm pointing out that these two games don't do everything and that devs should look at other games for mechanics that may be better than what BoTW and ER do. Also imagine a world as big as BoTW and being forced to walk, then ask yourself how traversal options make an open world game better. Also people keep forgetting Elder Scrolls 3 and 4 basically did most of what people praise these two games for. Aside from the physics from BoTW which it does better than most games.

[PitbullMonster]

Empty and lifeless should be the new standard?

[CS7]

No.

Open ended gameplay allowing you to go where you want.

Deep physics system that interacts with all levels of gameplay.

Discovery as a core gameplay mechanic instead of a map filled with markers and errands.

That should be the new standard.

[Crows90]

I can go anywhere...but there's nowhere interesting to go.

Deep physics? So you gave me tools to play with...but not much to use it against.

Discovery as core mechanic...but nothing to discover...

No thanks

[BrainSyphoned]

Ah yes, BotW, the game that invented all genres.

[Crows90]

And toast

[badz149]

The be all an end all of all gaming. You playedBoTW, you've played it all as they said.

[SurgicalMenace]

🤣🤣

[phoenixwing]

If breath of the wild wasn't a Zelda game that nintendo fans ate up it wouldn't make the list if we're being honest

[andy85]

Nor would it score above 90

[CS7]

Massive PS fan here and BOTW blew away every expectation I ever had for the game.

It frequently resides at the top of greatest games of all times lists and honestly anyone without bias would clearly see why even if they don’t enjoy the game personally.

[phoenixwing]

@cs7 sorry the sword you were making a point with broke. Don't worry though if you argue and exhaust the conversation to the point no one cares you'll have my point that doesn't break anymore.

[badz149]

@CS7

It's easy to exceed expectations when the said expectations were low to begin with.

[CS7]

N4G has more sophisticated gaming taste than almost every single media outlet who rated BOTW 10/10.

Keep on your tinfoil hat guys.

[LoveSpuds]

I am with you CS7, I absolutely adored BotW, one of my favourite ever games.

[Duke19]

Meh, give me worlds that feel lived in. Elden Ring at least explained around the lack of almost any NPCs with Story, but BOTW just felt empty imo.

Skyrim, Fallout, RDR, GTA, hell even cyberpunk offered far more intriguing open worlds imo. Even if you preferred the gameplay in these 2.

[GoodGuy09]

Pretty but not interesting. All I've ever felt to do in those games' open worlds was f*** s*** up lol. Literally all you do in those games were go from point A to B for boring and repetitive side activities and to do main missions with every area looking and feeling the same (although I loved the beauty of RDR2's map). I've never felt compelled to explore in these games as much as I have for botw or elden ring. Botw map feels empty because it's like a post apocalyptic world and obviously it's on switch hardware. "Breath of the Wild" kinda hints at the game being full of wilderness and wildlife and little NPCs.

Botw, you had much more wonder and discovery and memorable points of interests and it made you want to explore regardless of knowing it's a mission or just to discover some cool secret and hidden rewards which is how an open world should feel. There's a good reason why BOTW is so heavily inspired by many games.

The game drops you on the map and doesn't force you to go anywhere for the main story with the whole open world map being completely uncharted for your in game map left for you to discover on your own....that is amazing. Granted you have to do the tutorial first, but this tutorial is regarded as one of the best all time tutorials out there for a video game and you get all the gadgets you need for exploring the whole map. Those games you mentioned, you get to see the whole map charted leaving little room for discovery and get overwhelmed with all the side activites/missions, towns, etc etc.

Idk what it is but everybody on this site has some crazy hate on botw for some reason lol.

[Duke19]

I enjoyed BOTW, but also think it’s vastly overhyped by the masses. It’s strength was in gameplay not the world, but that’s my opinion

[shinoff2183]

Ive personally explained I dont hate botw, I like it but its not going in my top 10.

[SeTTriP]

Elden ring did not do it better then botw not even close imo.the sense of discovery in botw is in a league of its on.

That was/is a 10 out of 10 game.

[lucian229]

Breath of the wild is very empty. Please don't let that be a standard.

Elden ring is done right however.

[shinoff2183]

I felt they were both empty, elden ring can have enemies all over still fairly empty to me. I did only play 20 hours or so so maybe more shows up

[a7madRyan]

Man i love elden ring, but it stole almost everything from zelda breath of the wild and just added dark souls combat to it, i still believe its one of the greatest games of all time but nothing in there gameplay wise original, and it didnt add anything new to the gaming industry like zelda mario halo gta street fighter finalfantasy minecraft gran turismo and more, the only new standard that they made is shipping a great but buggy ass game will still get you 10/10

[shinoff2183]

I really cant help but to think alot of people that keep saying elden ring is one of the greatest games ever started gaming on ps3 and 360

[Demetrius]

I’m thinking of giving elden ring another shot but idk mane I don’t want to rage a lot playing a game, lol I game to enjoy myself not get frustrated over n over

[HeliosHex]

Games like botw or rdr2 I can see being the standard. But sorry not elden ring. It adds some things but it needs alot of improvements in order to be considered the standard. It can and will be surpassed.

[_Decadent_Descent]

" It can and will be surpassed."

Yes, by the next Fromsoft game.

[HeliosHex]

@decadent. I hope so. Would hate to see them repeat the same mistakes.

[OhReginald]

Currently I think elden ring has just the right amount of things to do for its size. I loved BoTW, but i felt theres was a whole lot empy spaces of just nothing. But then again elden ring has the mountain top of giants which was just barren place and not a whole lot of content. Kinda like they were in a hurry to finish the game so they can work on their next project.

[shinoff2183]

New standard. Zelda was empty. I enjoyed it but jeez. Elden ring also empty but had alot going on if that makes sense. I wouldn't say standard but they were alright in there own space

[lellkay]

People love to pick these two (and for good reason) but there are so many other great ways to do open worlds and it really depends of the direction and style of the game.

RDR2, Elder Scrolls, The Witcher 3 and GTAV all undoubtably do great open worlds that perfectly compliment their specific style of game and what players who play them want from an open world.

People seem to think ER and BOTW are the only games that understand the "true appeal of open world" and for some reason think these two should be the ONLY way that all games to do open worlds from here on out.

[obidanshinobi]

Not played ER yet, but I've put over 300 hours in BOTW in 2 playthroughs, 150 hours each.
Recently spent 75 hours in Horizon FW and did pretty much all the side quests and "content". A good game but nowhere near the excellence of BOTW.
Spent twice as much time in an "empty" world compared to one that's filled with map markers.
I think many gamers are missing the point of BOTW's open world, it's all about exploration, discovery and mystery.
And that itself is very rewarding when the environments are so different and interesting.
The biomes are fantastic, best desert or any game I've played, best rain forests of any game I've played, some of the best weather effects, easily the best implementation of lightning in any game I've ever played.
Marshes, swamps, volcanoes, hills, mountains, plains, rivers, lakes, woods, forests, rain forests, waterfalls, towns, ruins, there all here, such a great variety of environments it puts most other open worlds to shame.
The world is just so good you want to explore it, and that's much more rewarding and satisfying to me than running towards an icon to do another repetitive side mission.
We've been tricked and conditioned by creatively bankrupt and lazy game designers into thinking that our open worlds need to be packed with repetitive "content" to fill up the map. BOTW breaks that mould and it's all the better for it.

[darkrider]

No, just no. Both seem dated. Zero innovations, even empty, the quality of world, nature, animals, not even close and Zelda is generations behind what can be done in every single aspect. From animation, to motion, to acting...

[TheKingKratos]

Well that sucks then if those two are the standard for open world games as both look and olay very outdated and need a complete overhaul

[Fonsecap]

Easy answer, cause they're good games.

[SurgicalMenace]

I don't see it. Both games didn't have anything that STOOD out as unique to me. One is the Nintendo version of The Witcher, and Elden is dated combat with a horse. There are plenty of hours in both for me to make a fair assessment. I'd never return to either.

[DOMination-]

Yeah right, none of these games hold a candle to Horizon

The Xbox one with the broom brooms that is

[_Decadent_Descent]

Tell me what gameplay mechanics and/or sense of exploration and discovery that HFW has over ER.

[LucidIllusion]

Really? That's fucking sad.