Open Worlds Might be Overdone

With Sonic Frontiers and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet both promising us open world experiences, I couldn't help but think about the current state of video games and the effect that open world games have had on the industry. I've played some fantastic open world games, like The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild and Elden Ring! But lately, it seems like developers are hopping on the open world bandwagon even when a lot of them probably shouldn't... This video contains some of my thoughts on this topic, and also some really bad jokes.
Let me know what you think in the comments, and if you enjoy the video, consider LIKING and SUBSCRIBING! We are trying to hit 1k subs by the end of the year!

[@GameGuy53]

For those of you who have watched some of the other videos on the channel - do you like the new format where I include my face? It's easier for me to edit, and you also get to see how much of a freak I am. I think it's a win-win! I hope you're having a fantastic day!

[@patrickschornstaedt5913]

I hope the new minecraft game is open world

[@GameGuy53]

I heard Minecraft 2 is a kart racer

[@tylerchristianlaw]

I heard GameGuy is allergic to Legos

[@theodorealipon2132]

Great video. Just my own opinion regarding the new Sonic game. Personally I also am not too excited about it cause it feels like it's just following the steps that Mario Odyssey made. Though I can't judge it yet as it hasn't been released yet. The only gripe I have about the trailer is that it is missing a lot of objects and textures that you'll see from the original style of older Sonic games, compared to Mario Odyssey that even in the urban area you'll still see some references of the usual objects you'll see in traditional Mario. Though about the open-world band wagon, I think it's a great way for developers to rethink how they create a game(Existing or New) as it would allow them to have a better way to tell their story. But that said, not all games or stories are great in an open world setup.

[@GameGuy53]

Yes I agree - hopefully the game is still being worked on so that some of those graphical issues don’t pop up in the final product, but they also felt comfortable enough to show it to us in that state so I’m not so sure what to think. I’m definitely hoping Sonic comes through for us on this one, but we’ll see! Also I definitely agree with the rest of your comment, open worlds aren’t always an automatic win, but they really can be, and when they succeed they almost always hit hard.

[@mmarrone]

Games that need open world treatment: FIFA Skylanders Guitar Hero Pac Man Fever Petz Coldstone Creamery Hotel for Dogs Action Girlz Racing Pizza Delivery Boy Pirates: The Hunt for Blackbeard's Booty iSpy Scene It? Twilight Edition

[@GameGuy53]

Nice list - I would only add Pepsi Man to perfect it.

[@crispbongo26]

This is an amazing video but where's our Pacman Fever video????

[@GameGuy53]

The rest of these videos are being churned out of an oven set to 450 - the Pac-Man Fever video is in the slow cooker being cooked to perfection.

[@tylerchristianlaw]

Do you feel like Pokémon has always been “open world?” I would argue the OG Zelda was also pretty open world. Sure they weren’t MASSIVE but they were open. I feel like the issue is when they try to take games that have been classically episodic (like sonic) and they try to expand on it. Sonic’s super speed really excels in the side scroller/ mission based games while it might become a little wild in an open world format. Certain games need the open world to thrive (GTA, Darksouls, Animal Crossing, Pokemon) because those games are really focused on immersing you in the world. But I think games like Dragon Ball Xenoverse, this upcoming Sonic game, Halo Infinite, and any new Metal Gear games should’ve stuck to their roots and kept away from the massive open worlds. Also have you ever considered being a lawyer? You sure look like one!

[@GameGuy53]

This is a very well thought out comment for a lawyer recruitment bot - but you make a great point, OG Zelda games definitely had a lot of open world elements to them even if the stories were more linear. BOTW is just bigger and allows the player to go out of order - that’s really it, but that still somehow makes all the difference. And you’ve hit the nail on the head with the rest of your comment. Those are all great examples of games that need open worlds, and others that maybe don’t. I almost wish I mentioned some of those in the video! I will say that I’m remaining open minded about Sonic - although watching his trailer sparked the idea for this video, I still believe he could surprise us and knock our socks off.

[@jimbobiscool1256]

Not every series needs to be open world, I reckon this still would’ve been the case 20 years ago if they had the technology not saying it wasn’t possible

[@GameGuy53]

You’re probably right about that, it’s almost inevitable that when shiny new technology paves the path for something to be really popular, tons of developers will hop on that trend. They almost have to sometimes to stay relevant!

[@RegalPixelKing]

Normally when I hear that a game will be open world I have a lot of doubts. There is so much more to consider when making an open world game, that means that so much more can go wrong. Elden Ring for example is a masterpiece, but it also has the worst difficulty balance out of all of FromSoftware's Soul's like games because there is no way to perfectly balance or to properly push a player in all of the intended areas in an open world game compared to their more linear games. And that's when it comes to a masterpiece. Zelda technically made an open world game before Breath of the Wild, that game being called Wind Waker. The problem with Wind Waker was that there was effectively a 5 minute loading screen between one island to the other because of how pointlessly open the great sea was. The great sea made Wind Waker the worst 3D Zelda game in my opinion because of the game's more open approach to it's world design. Open world design can add some exciting content because of its open design too. Part of the reason why I love Elden Ring is because I find so much to do ever 30-60 seconds. Open world design philosophy is fundamentally different than linear design philosophy. A game being open world can really push game designers to thing outside of the box on how to tackle such a massive and open experience. I guess it all has to be handled the right way, because if it's not handled properly, you get nothing but a big empty field loosely held together by a few points of interest.

[@GameGuy53]

Totally agree with all of this, some great points! Though I do find it interesting that you find Windwaker to be the worst 3D Zelda, have you played the HD port on the Wii U? I found that that helped alleviate some of the problems that made the original a bit more sluggish. But you’re so right - it’s all about execution, a really solid open world will never feel like it’s too slow or too much of a chore to explore because your curiosity will lead you to find things to do even in the least interesting parts of the world. Windwaker couldn’t really achieve that because of the GameCube’s technical limitations at the time - sure, it was open world, but a lot of that world was just the ocean between the islands. It wasn’t the same as a vast field where you can rummage through every single transitional area for hidden gems. Open worlds that don’t have that can be pretty boring to explore - Windwaker has an excuse since it’s an older game, but when newer open world games come out and the world is boring to explore, that’s a flop and at that point I’d rather have had the game be a different format. Love me a well executed open world tho, those are *chef’s kiss*

[@RegalPixelKing]

@@GameGuy53 Yeah, I did play the HD remake, and I loved it. Even if there is a "worst" Zelda game, there is not a bad Zelda game. I found the Swift sail save that game for me. If the original GameCube release was a 6 or 7/10, the HD Remake was an 8 or even 9/10 for me. The pacing, along with the improved textures, lighting, and gyro aiming made the whole thing so much more enjoyable than the original. Regardless I do think that Wind Waker being released in 2003 on the GameCube is a decent enough excuse for its deficiencies. But stuff like Ubisoft's yearly releases of either Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, or Tom Clancy is basically the same check-list styled open world games. The might be designed well on a technical level, and you can have fun with those games. But they are all the same tired games with different skins, you never feel like you are playing something special with any of Ubisoft's recent releases. Thankfully I think that games like Zelda BotW or Elden Ring are pushing devs away from pointlessly making their games open world. They are setting a new bar, and their competition, whether it is Horizon Forbidden West, or Assassin's Creed Valhalla, looks overly manufactured at best, or using a lazy formula at worst.

[@nickwodeshick608]

Open World games are for cowards. I prefer Episodic games, framed, formatted, and with the exact same plot as your average episode of hit television show “Columbo”