5 Essential Ingredients For An Amazing Open World

Making an open world game takes a spoonful of story, a dash of worldbuilding, and a healthy dose of exploration - but what other ingredients make them delicio- wait, sorry, perfect? Let us know what you love to see in open world games in the comments below!
PlayStation Access is the official KZbin channel of PlayStation UK - a vibrant, welcoming community celebrating all things PlayStation. Join us for weekly livestreams, list features and in-depth coverage on all your favourite games.
Check out the Community tab for PlayStation news, behind-the-scenes sneak-peeks, polls and much more: bit.ly/AccessC...
All music featured courtesy of epidemicsound.com (www.epidemicsou...)
We use the AverMedia Live Gamer Ultra, Elgato 4K60 S+, and Atomos Ninja V and Ninja Inferno for gameplay capture.
Follow the team on Twitter:
Ash: bit.ly/AshMillman
Rosie: bit.ly/RosieCa...
Rob: bit.ly/RobPearson
Dave: bit.ly/DavidJac...
For the latest gaming news and updates, check out PlayStation UK on Facebook (bit.ly/PlaySta...) and Twitter (bit.ly/PlaySta...)
#TuesdayChecklist

[@ramulus694]

Every time they mentioned traversal in the open world, all I could think about was the wind guiding you in Ghost of Tsushima. That is such an amazing way of making the player appreciate their surroundings.

[@d3n0tz_]

Yeah, after all the hype they make about GoT, I was surprised none of them mentioned the game at all. It was, for me, one of the best open world game I've played.

[@zachbenimble1932]

One thing I wish were in more open worlds is leveling up a skill by using that skill like you do in elder scrolls. It really makes me feel like my character is learning rather than just getting stronger magically.

[@NB-yu4lj]

Makes a ton of sense.

[@supercoolbananas]

I’m very surprised with Rob. His essential ingredients did not involve any water graphics or killing NPCs.

[@johngingras]

Rob: "Always use one more clove than the recipe calls for." Rosie: "Hmm, this cookie recipe calls for chocolate chips and dough, with zero cloves of garlic. Therefore, I shall add one clove of garlic!" 😆 Wonderful video as always! Thanks!

[@cmwinchell]

You forgot the absolute MOST important thing for an Open World: The Lore. The history behind the world you are in, things in the background or foreground. Cyberpunk has one of these hidden gems of lore. The original teaser with the cyberpsycho attack. The woman with the Mantis Blades is named "Melissa Rory." You find documentation about a treatment plan for one Melissa Rory when you help River look for Peter Pan's BDs...assuming you're like me and you read every message and file on every computer that you can. There is also a cyberpsycho attack in a location you happen to be in. After you defeat the psycho Maxtac shows up and the OIC is one Melissa Rory who happens to have...yep, Mantis Blades. If you ask her about it saving psychos she will say that it is rarely done. The way she says it sounds reminiscent of someone who has first hand experience. Lore is important!

[@fizzyizzy8115]

I love Forbidden West. (Of course, who doesn’t?) One of my first “whoa” moments in its open world was fighting a bunch of machines and after finishing my fight I looked over to see a boar taking a mud bath on the other side of the river. After some time after his happy bathing, he got up and wandered off. It was just so nice seeing them put detail into just a side animal like that. It’s small but when someone does that it shows how much they care for a game. Just lovely. 🥰

[@stuartpenzer773]

The mark of a good open world for me is how little I use fast travel, it's a bit of a mix of everything mentioned but it's my metric for open worlds

[@michaelpluck9227]

Character customization... not just like in Skyrim or Cyberpunk where you make yourself look a certain way... but in Horizon and Witcher you can pick what you wear which determines a play style and changes the details of the character.

[@SuperKendoman]

"Please, explore me!" , add another one to the Playstation Access memes 🤣

[@maceofbass9295]

Guerilla have absolutely smashed their underwater environments; they're incredibly beautiful and fun to explore. I hope more games will embrace the "unlimited breath" mechanic moving forward.

[@9brightshiners]

The bug and bird calls in HFW are particularly good and immersive. Some of them (that I've noticed) are calls from actual animals native to the area in current-day. Wandering the mountains and hearing a Chuck-Will's-Widow call put me right back into memories of camping as a kid, and the first time I harvested from a jay in that game I was stunned to see that it was specifically a Steller's Jay.

[@PerovNigma]

On the topic of "a world opening up to you", I would add the moment in _Batman: Arkham Asylum_ where Batman leaves a cave or a building or something and the camera pans over the island while choral music does its thing.

[@mischiefgoblin9102]

Absolutely agree with Dave about freedom of choice, dragon age inquisition is my absolute favourite game and it really wouldn't be the same without that choice XD

[@Deadzonex21]

Dave's tinder profile "come and explore me" 😂😂😂

[@Daxworth]

The best thing about being VOD Squad is looping Dave saying “Please, come and explore me. Don’t gif that!” at half speed.

[@DanFarrell98]

It’s incredible how Forbidden West just keeps looking better and better. Even if you think you’ve seen every environment you’ll go in a new direction and it looks beautiful in a completely new way

[@AQCorner]

Recommendations from the descriptions, Ash - pokemon arceus (collectable beastiary), Rob - no man's sky (no-one has been here before) Dave - Divinity Original Sin 2 (freedom of choice), Rosie - Guild Wars 2 (things to do)

[@babbit_janeway]

16:43 - PLEASE gif that.

[@olibob203]

I always think it should be renamed Wednesday walkthrough, as you walkthrough your experiences through games

[@troygreen3272]

Had a blast watching this gem! I love things in the open world that can be used for boosting or upgrading equipment and or armor. I love being rewarded for exploring every square inch of a map. Special weapons, cool outfits, loads of ammo. Fill the map with goodies for me to find.

[@RD_Clarke]

Saw 5 entries and thought it could have been Alex or Dan arriving on the scene! 👀

[@JamesC-ci1yn]

Completely agree with Ash here. An open world game where you never use the fast travel, has a successful traversal mechanic. Who fast traveled in Spider-Man? I know I didn’t

[@berlinchai8252]

A brilliant open world is how can we interact with the things and environment around the world/setup. Such as tools we can pick up and use, cars we can steal n drive, places that we can reach(as long as we can see it, we can go/be there, like a mountain top to check a view)

[@dannyregan7555]

Photo mode! What use is a lavishly detailed open world if you can’t spend hours setting up *just* the right shot to share on social media? Far more than simply showing off a pretty environment though, they can also be used to capture special moments for you to remember years from now.

[@jmace2424]

Rob’s Essential List consists entirely of Water 😃

[@gabrielcancinos4578]

With an extra clover of garlic

[@mpsylocke]

And oregano

[@stephenskillern8065]

Shhh don't give away his secrets

[@David-mu8pg]

With a side of "Beach"

[@mikehess9458]

I would seriously watch you all talking every day. Love the vibes this current iteration has. Still missing Nath though.

[@tonyAJ420]

9:20 The Halo theme

[@JohnWalker857]

Riding my bike through the wind and the rain in Days Gone is something i like to do.😊

[@tabeatamm3594]

My favourite open world games to traverse are the Spiderman games and the Batman Arkham games. They're so fun.

[@bakaryansama]

I think they got almost everything in the video. One of my favourite open-world elements is the surprise. Old FF games others had "Random" encounters which wasn't really random but in open-world games you can reload a save then travel down one route without a fight. Reload it and go the same route, bandits or a dragon attack.

[@cmsmithy1234]

Rosie’s like “hey, most important ingredient for cake is cake.”

[@makeitheavy94]

I mean is she wrong? 😂

[@wwaxwork]

Damn right or it's just a pile of icing.

[@cmsmithy1234]

@@nathandts3401 I have indeed, in fact, I’ve platinumed and 100% the last 2 assassins creed games. I think you’ll agree 300 hours well spent. It doesn’t mix well with my ocd, can’t leave question marks

[@dmacks]

Dave... choice? Consequence? Let me give you Disco Elysium

[@calumchamberlain2861]

I like to see an interesting and diverse cast of characters in an open world RPG RDR2 is good example of this not only the main cast but in the stranger missions and random NPC in the towns and settlements. Different types of Monsters and a varied set of beautiful environments to get lost in are also two elements that make a game world easy to get lost in. On the subject of mini games who has taken the time to get stuck into machine strike from Forbidden west? I have Done the tutorial and beginner boards and I'm loving the strategic part of it :). Hope everyone is having a lovely day 😊

[@Scudge0]

11:17, that's when you miss and have to wait again when things respawn XD

[@nickjeffery536]

For me, I find that, as I am not someone who has the right mentality to enjoy something like Dark Souls (I get frustrated if I keep getting stuck on the same thing over and over agan, often to the point of quitting completely), playing a true open-world game means that if I am finding a specific mission too tricky, I can walk away from it, and go and try something different for a while. While I am not completely against more linear games (I recently played through Guardians Of The Galaxy and really enjoyed it), I do tend to gravitate more towards the open-world style...

[@mactavish3836]

I didn't expect cooking tips on this video. :)

[@MGP2210]

0:39 Cool blouse/shirt, Ash!

[@Er404ChannelNotFound]

Super hyped for Elden Ring and it's videos like this that make the wait much more bearable ❤ Though I'll have to apologize in advance for being too busy to even open youtube when the game releases XD

[@itsdeonlol]

I love just existing in open world games!!! I agree with Rob!

[@aisforannihilation1662]

Collectibles, secrets, enemies to kill & loot. Lots of side quests, treasure hunts & exploration

[@warrencochrane5155]

What Rob describes is like me in RDR2. It felt like I existed in that place, and discovered places. And the beauty

[@MakoyUnggoy]

RDR2 is such an epic experience, still one of my favourites

[@whome6020]

boats. i LOVE when an open world game lets me use boats. it's such comfort food for me lol. the Witcher 3, Far Cry (most of them) Assasin's Creed. i literally always head to the nearest river to see if there are boats to steal...

[@doesitmatter6015]

Variety in exploration and a means to explore, activities that come naturualy that embrace and fufuil your wonderment while the world feels alive.

[@110341]

I love my yeast with a sprinkle of oregano.

[@Umbruh_Prime]

lol whats with the random bass drop at 18:57?

[@FineYungCannibal.]

It does make more sense that a troll would pull a trolley now that Rosie has said it.

[@evi6199]

I completely agree with Rosie, im collectively playing both AC Oddysey and Origins and it definitely has those in it. As a fan of Xenoblade Chronicles, I love restricted zones, being level 10 and coming across a level 80 area where you know you will get destroyed but you also know you will come back later and destroy all these monsters :D

[@samtepal3892]

1) Don't be Dynasty Warrior 9

[@Surikoazimaet]

Or Simon the Sorcerer 3D.

[@kennylynch9136]

Skyrim without the game breaking glitches , a lot of different quest, characters that don't annoy me, interesting enemy's, unexpected things U wouldn't of expected 2 run into

[@martynpotter21]

Did Dave draw the shortest straw this week or something? 😂 Ash got to speak twice before his entry. Bit of a raw prawn for Dave, c'mon Access, the man has feelings 😉

[@hardeeptrivedi8063]

I’m sure I’m gonna enjoy this ❤️

[@rockutron9000]

I always liked the Metal Gear style of not leveling your character, rather you acquire new tools that let you experience the world in a different way. That way it feels like it's your own ingenuity that gets you through the game. Although Horizon has a leveling system there are so many gadgets that it never stops being fun experimenting.

[@seafarer9190]

Yes the sewer moment also the butterfly moment was so fantastic!

[@dreamfall815]

For me, it's the ability to hide helmets.

[@calebjross]

My dream is to one day go to a bar/pub with Rob, buy him a Dr. Pepper, and just talk about games.

[@cataorshane]

Collectibles?! Well... depends! I love notes to read but not books to read! Or The Riddler's bs trophies. The most important thing to me in Open World Games is traversal. I wanna be fast moving through the world. I want movement to be dynamic.

[@TonyMarklund]

I'm with Dave here as a big fan of "immersive sim"-type of games.

[@stefantherainbowphoenix]

For me, an amazing open world definitely needs towns or other settlements, a lot of NPCs and quests as well as a bunch of different areas to explore. So basically everything Elden Ring doesn't have lol.

[@theanimaster]

Rob just ruined that Leaplasher tip for me. Lolll. Fair game - I appreciate that tip, and I pre-ordered the official game guide as I had done with Zero Dawn - more as a collector’s thing than a guide (though I’m happy to report I’ve probably never have discovered the shield orb armour in Zero Dawn without the book).

[@TommiHonkonen]

Someone done messed up, it says bandai namco for witcher

[@consciousgamer5164]

Love the new intro screen. Make me feel like I just loaded up a PS2 or something lmao

[@guitarsimon1]

I see Rosie is a fan of the ‘George Lucas approach’ to open world games.

[@cluepac]

Snapper it shall be!

[@troysaxon8740]

Dave would LOVE Biomutant. Thats exactly how that game starts. Its not as good as Oblivion’s but it is a damn good second!

[@rebelcommander7starwarsjur922]

Where’s no mans skys mention or any space one for that matter

[@PlayStation-Planet]

Copy Paste Fetch Quests are essential for many Open World games. And will usually take you from one end point of the map to another

[@AgentM0001]

I really thought Rob would say “Murder. Open-world, free-range murder.”

[@smaykk]

I like it when open worlds have self-references or lore

[@woteveruk1]

ok ,i wholeheartedly disagree with rosies, you do NOT need to fill an open world with things to do, when yo udo that, you end up with a ubisoft game, where theres TOO much to do, where theres like 20 different kinds of collectibles, and each one has like 50 collectibles to get , yeah there needs to be side activities, but NOT filled with side activities lol i partly agree with robs, there should be secrets that arent marked on the map, but, things like quests, should have some form of waypoint or marker something telling you where you need to go, and i kindof agree with ash on the having ways to ravel, but, i think that was spoiled for me in the horizon zeroa dawn, by the limited climbing, being able to climb only in specific places, if its the same in this one, then the glider is kind of ruined, not much fun using a glider if you can only climb up in certain places after all

[@lagubatka7455]

Has David got his first platinium yet?

[@robzombie5928]

If you can see it you want to be able to get there.

[@timothyoswald8618]

Whoever put the Emperor on the thumbnail is an evil genius. Gross.

[@DerekHoscorner]

I love like it crash bandicoot ratchet and clank and final fantasy series

[@nrxia]

In this video I learn that Rob probably doesn't mince his garlic as much as he probably should. "One more clove," is fine advice. I'm one of those people that can't have too much garlic. But the thing is, if you really want that good garlic flavor, you're going to have to chop and dice and mince until those bad boys are as fine as possible.

[@Dreamsmasher410]

I think it's Thursday ash.....o wait thats New Zealand time....time travel is hard 🤦

[@x98saint]

Someone please tell me where ash got her shirt 😭

[@blakeharvard5841]

Thanks for this. There's a time to laugh.

[@adampoole1972]

For me the world just needs to feel real and believable

[@irisvanderzon5880]

I feel like I’m cheating on Horizon by playing Elden Ring Friday. It’s just not enough time in between, but also impossible not to play on release!

[@gamer2101]

Agree. I am a nerd and actually have made a schedule for my gaming. 😂 Things are pre-planned. I must play both.

[@joet6434]

I may be strange but i need to complete one game before moving on to another, i like to know that every activity or collectible in the game has been seen & experienced, probably why i only managed to complete about 5 games last year 😆

[@davidludwig7501]

I like to switch it up and play multiple games at once. The bigger the open worlds the longer it takes to beat. Play Horizon for a few hours and switch to Elden Ring for a bit.

[@yustamoment]

You guys should really make the move to 4k videos, the gameplay vids do not do justice to the games :O

[@nameplayer1667]

I love your shirt Ash…🤘😜👍

[@dmacks]

Wait.. we're subtitling brummie Ash now? Harsh!

[@MrHabushi]

Ash: "I just love collecting little freaks!" Well you've got 49k Twitter followers, I'd say mission accomplished!

[@rommel.fernandez]

What was the GIFable moment!? 😭😭😭

[@shaunus4345]

Does anyone think rob could be a young relative of Rob Corddry

[@eclectic_gamer]

❤ Rosie ❤

[@egnaroninja]

Maybe I am missing something but where is Nathan?

[@redvalkyrie84]

You measure garlic with your soul!

[@NJ-vk1dg]

Precisely what Rosie said, sidequesting makes world discovery so much more enjoyable. Also the thumbnail for video 🤣🤣🤣

[@DasilvaTyler]

can yall add a header image to your page

[@timothyoswald8618]

I'm so deep in Forbidden West... time has basically stopped making sense at this point.

[@mpsylocke]

Whelp. I'm off to a quick lose today

[@p5rsona]

I too like oregano

[@Umbruh_Prime]

i have a feeling that after friday, every other open world game is going to leave me thinking "needs more elden ring"

[@marcusfenix5460]

Lol as if anyone is coming here for ER news 🤣🤣

[@zetroxela1884]

Bring back rob

[@Loneshillouete]

I'm kind of agree with Rosie, but also disagree. a good open-world game need to give us many side stuff to do but it has to be a fun or meaningful one, don't throw us with a hugeload of repetitive things to do or quest we don't care about

[@jmace2424]

Ash Plays Pokémon when?

[@kirbyrawstorne]

Is it bad that I started watching this video and instantly began craving Ash's sandwich?

[@nrxia]

Fact Check!! Which part of Ubisoft is responsible for Oblivion, again??