Open World or Linear? The two main styles of level and game design. Both offer great and exciting experiences in games, but which one is better? Is it the one with a better story or the one with more options?
Keiichiro Toyama—the creator and original director of the 1999 Silent Hill—shared his personal thoughts on the recently announced remake by Konami, reflecting on what the project means to him after more than two decades:
“I felt something similar when the game was adapted into a movie. It deeply moved me to see the names of the characters and locations I had created come to life visually, even though I wasn’t directly involved. That wouldn’t have been possible without the continued support of the fans and the dedication of the developers who’ve kept the series alive.
I’m really looking forward to seeing how the remake evolves this time. With the advanced technology we now have, I’m sure I’ll be surprised by how the game is reimagined. Since the original was built for the first PlayStation, there will naturally be challenges—like the camera and controls—but I’m eager to see bold and creative solutions to those elements.”
Haha Not only is bold and creatively not what the industry wants, it’s not what most people want.
They want to get scammed and pay twice for a thing they already own.
I’m sure many would want bold and creative done well, but that’s easier said than done. I like variety so give me a little bit of everything, done well of course.
Was the SH2 remake even bold? Or was it more or less just a 1 to 1 over the shoulder remake?
it was not. it greatly expanded the areas and puzzles to the point where it felt like an entirely new game. the enemies and boss fights were given a MASSIVE upgrade. the abstract daddy fight in particular was incredible. and the team added two new endings.
Game Rant interviews Plants vs. Zombies composer Peter McConnell about honoring the series’ quirky roots, adapting its themes, and now going vinyl.
The score for the first Plants Vs Zombies is such great, iconic music that it has a timeless quality. Not quite the level of Minecraft, but wonderful in its own right.
Celebrate Final Fantasy IX's 25th anniversary with the latest merchandise, including figurines of Zidane and Vivi, and a range of t-shirts.
Wait...when you talk about open world you might have to more specific, cause it could mean a lot of things. Unless of course you mean sandbox games.
I say this because I've come to understand linear games as level by level, you get no choice in the matter. Like, a game like Mushroom Men, complete level one, move on, level two, move on, etc. and then there is a game like Super Mario Galaxy (or heck Super Mario 64) where you get to choose everything you want to do, get everything, get the bare minimum etc.
On the other side, you can even argue that an "open world" game is a linear game because while you have the freedom to do as you please, you really don't, everything is still scripted, the story and events halt until you do the very next planned event.
I'm just saying that in a sense, we aren't really looking at too different types of games, just ones with a different interfaces but overall, similar experiences. Like...what if Mirror's Edge had been open world, and you can jump all over the city and whatnot. Would that have made the game better or worse? Probably neither, it just would have been different, maybe only appealing to a slightly different audience. Heck, if you were to ask one of the game professors at my University, he would probably say we haven't reached open world gaming until we can make the AI making the story and being affected by the players actions because even in "open world" games, the players are going to receive similar experiences based on what the developers want.
Oh, and as for "open world" games putting the player in charge...that's what game designers want you to think, if they are good, they're more likely using subtle techniques that perk senses of curiosity to make you do what they want. If the game is good, then that means the developer never let you leave what they intended and you are completely at their mercy like some kind of mind controlled sock puppet (muwhahahahaha)
next gen games expecially open worldgames are lacking major content.
pfft,MORE expeience goes to Open worldsandbox games but overall EXPERIENCE in depth then LINEAR FTW!
but will shall see wen inFAMOUS hits if you can combine great story depth with sanbox roaming.
You get more variety. Each scene is a picture to remember. Each chapter could be a different world.