Designing an open-world game for 2020 is no easy feat. Besides a linear chronological quest, some experience points or skill development helps. Most of the content depends on the set-up and design anyway, so coming up with a strong, interesting premise is a must.
In the last few years, gaming has had some stellar content-rich, engaging open-world games with gameplays so enriching and immersive that players have simply lost themselves in it, and yet they are also perfect for someone who wants to stay a casual player. However, some games have been major duds that are too empty and large, and players fumble through the game as they struggle to find things to do. Here’s a tally of some of the most enriched content-driven open-world games, and some really boring, aimless ones.
Content Rich: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
When it comes to immersivity, CD Projekt Red really knows what it’s doing, and their secret is actually pretty simple. The developers have figured out that the key to building a content-rich, engaging world lies in planning out a great backstory and adding some relatively redundant components which may not affect the endgame but enhance the entire experience for the players.
In The Witcher 3, the players control Geralt himself, and because he’s not a traditional hero, players can have a lot of fun figuring out his next move. There’s always something for Geralt to do, so even if a player has a few minutes to kill and isn’t necessarily looking for a long-time engagement, they can totally lose themselves in the gameplay.
Too Empty: The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall
The Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall stretches over 15,000 cities, towns, villages, and dungeons. And therein lies the game’s biggest mistake, it’s simply too vast. Since the players don’t have to engage in questlines, they can be whoever they want. This takes away the sense of immediacy and there’s basically no thrill involved because Daggerfall’s universe is literally too big without much to do, and players don't feel a personal connection which is crucial in open-world games.
Yes, players can join guilds or orders and make themselves useful but then again, then can bypass all of that. There are some good devices like letting the players make their own spell and letting them use it for confrontation or equipment enchantment. But the game feels too desolate, due to its size and secondly a player can spend days trying to figure out what they actually want to do.
Content-Rich: Red Dead Redemption 2
The best thing about the game is the number of options for each player. Not every player wants to pilot the game from Day 1, as the main man. And in Red Dead Redemption 2, players can choose a first-person or a third-person narrative. This helps if someone is just trying to understand the set-up and wants a low-key start but still wants to have plenty to do.
The land in Red Dead is a key component of its success. It’s depicted to be unexplored, like a true country western set-up, but is designed beautifully and is filled with wildlife and bandits, and even some township settlements. The player can be a part of random events or missions like a ride-by shooting or a public execution, which is a great aspect because it lets players decide the time they want to invest at a particular run.
Too Empty: Fallout 76
Bethesda has actually been responsible for some of the weaker variants of open world games, which look rich and engaging and have a good premise, but have an under-utilized gameplay. Fallout 76 has actually taught the developers a lot about the needs of multi-player games today. This was their first multiplayer game where players have to navigate a nuclear-ravaged world of Appalachia, which actually features some recreations of real locations from West Virginia.
The vastness of the geography made the set-up feel even more empty. Plus, the game did not feature any human non-playing characters, and this took a toll on it storytelling, because there’s often a dearth of things to engage in. Sure players can build bases, try out missiles, and use nuclear weapons, but the game simply needed a lot more elements offering immediate gratification. The gameplay also needed to be a lot less concise and easier to navigate.
Content Rich: Grand Theft Auto 5
It goes without saying but this rendition of Grand Theft Auto was designed for instant gratification, and therein lies the key to its success. Players can travel by foot or car, they can control three main protagonists and switch between them, which also means they have a lot of free reign, which makes this thrilling game so much fun.
It doesn’t just let players choose their own adventure, but actually lets them design it for their benefit so players can make it all the more fulfilling. It always helps that San Andreas is perceived to be quite morally compromised, so players can take a few liberties with their heists.
Too Empty: Superman Returns
This game could have easily made Superman's world more interesting. Instead it feels like a free roaming map that looks and feels desolate. Players can master Superman powers and actually get creative with it, but it doesn't offer much more.
And there are not enough points of engagement. Superman remains invincible, which is quite boring. No matter what happens, he cannot be injured. And the game simply does not have enough to do, there’s a Bizarro mode and a Biazarro Rampage mode which are wild cards, but just not enough to hold a gamer's attention.
Content-Rich: Saints Row IV
Saints Row basically envisioned what modern open-world gaming could and should look like. Volition took a lot of inspiration from Grand Theft Auto 3’s template and basically made things a lot wilder and unbelievable, retaining the playful aspects. The player is the leader of the street gang Saints, is elected President of the United States, and receives superpowers which he needs to keep aliens at bay.
It all sounds ridiculous, which makes it that much more fun to engage with. Players can race, fight zombies, and their superpowers gives them enhanced jump height and speed, so they can actually outrun cars and even create shockwaves, collect data clusters for better strategizing, all while being the President.
Too Empty: L.A. Noire
There are some basic errors in the design of this game, which is why, in spite of having an astute gameplay, players have found it redundant. For instance, players need to travel from one place to another in human speed, there are no upgrades or fast travel. So of a player is looking to engage for a few minutes, they won’t get very far at all.
The game follows the career of an LAPD officer as he gets promoted to detective and is assigned to different desks. The game brings together investigative components with action, and yet is crucially anchored by chronology, so a player will need to stick to the progression and side quests are not really an option, which is kind of a bummer.
Content Rich: Assassin’s Creed Origins
Besides some technical issues, the gameplay in Origins was designed to be versatile, so every kind of player can make the most of it. Since it’s a stealth game, they can stick to the linear progress or spend some time earning experience points, acquire skills, or even traverse the land on foot or by horse to get a better feel of the set-up.
The game is also full of possibilities, players may have to fight a crocodile one day and explore an underwater city the next, and simultaneously help fellow neighbors in some quest. There’s a lot to do, and it's entirely up to the player. The game clicked because this is the kind of freedom new open-world gamers are looking for.
Too Empty: Far Cry Primal
A gripping game is all about good storytelling, but in Primal, the script is quite unsatisfying to begin with. Players play as Takkar, the alpha leader of the Wenja tribe who has to build a village and will be helped by a hunter who can identify missing members of his clan. The tribe isn't unpredictable or even deadly, which is kind of a buzzkill.
Takkar can tame ancient animals, he can interact with tribe members, but players really needed a better designed map for this one. There’s no focal point to the story, Takkar has no nemesis, chores seem quite dull, and even the prehistoric wildlife, which was advertised as a big selling point for this one, turned out to be duds.