Why Do Open World Games Feel Exhausting?

[@jayveeeee]

I might be feeling exhausted, but I play video games too much. Tell me if you're enjoying open world games and why! Would love to read some great stories

[@BlazerPandaI]

A good way for me to relax and instead of stressing about me, I get to be someone else and not worry about anything

[@jayveeeee]

@@BlazerPandaI totally feel this, I love when a game gives me an escape like that 🙏

[@meystir]

I just love the freedom of them and that there’s options to continue the main story. Sometimes I’m not in the right headspace to take in the story but still want to live in that world for a while, and being able to do side quests, gathering resources or exploring is really fun at those times. I should say though that I do need breaks from them because I agree that they can be exhausting and similar to each other. But I always come back, nothing hits quite the same for me. Thanks for a great video!

[@SteveyBwoy24]

I am same I love open world games because for me in the game world I can do anything in it and to name all my favourite open world games 1. AC vallhalla 2. Gta 5 3.dying light 1 and 2( for I'll be playing) 4. Red dead redemption 2 5. Watch dogs legion Ghost tshuma And 6. The last of us p1 and p2

[@dodesskiy1]

You should play Ancestors. For reasons you've outlined, and cause you do like AC.

[@CriticalNobody]

Open worlds can be magical in moderation, but the genre has became oversaturated. Instead of one or two massive continents a year, we’re given a dozen and it’s just too much. Plus, some these feel cynically designed, bloated with grindy content to incentivize the purchase of collectable maps or XP booster “time savers”. It’s gotten to the point where I instinctly groan when I learn an upcoming game is going to be open world. I’ll take tight 8-10 hour experiences over that any day

[@samedge1774]

Basically every time a RDR or GTA comes out, they reinvent the genre and generate countless inferior copycats. A decades worth of exceptions (Witcher, Zelda etc) can be counted on my hands.

[@DC-zi6se]

@@samedge1774 The GTA series (and it's cousin) is basically ruining Open World games. Because they're so good.

[@relarin952]

I used to love longer experiences but now i would much prefer a 10 hour experience to 50 hours of bloat

[@Leohlyon]

I hear what you guys are saying, but what should the price-point be for a 8-10 hour game?

[@relarin952]

@@Leohlyon i guess it depends on the quality and replayability

[@jacobfield4848]

20 hours of excellent gameplay and story on a detailed map is better than 80 hours of grinding on a huge map.

[@emmanuelalajiogu6537]

Absolutely, reason I love call of duty series

[@adamlion3495]

Then you will probably like Batman Arkham Knight , It's about 16 hours when you just rush through the main story , 30 hours when you do all the upgrading , all the 14 side quests , and overall extras , and it has a large map that isn't obnoxiously large or empty or has it's parts copy-pasted. The side quests are usually 30min-1 hour long , they're little stories themselves that you can go through and finish individually or play small bits of them along with the main story (which would be the best way to IMO ) , and one of the best aspects about the game is the thug dialogue , it doesn't have civilians or good npc's , but it compensates for it with street thugs who's conversations you can overhear from pretty far ago like a radio. But ,BUT , you wouldn't understand a lot of it if you dont play the 2 games that precede it ( Batman Arkham Asylum , Batman Arkham Knight ) but you can buy the 3 games in a bundle , or the first 2 games in a bundle . And there's also Batman Arkham Origins , which was made by a different studio to tell batman's origin story. I hope you buy it.

[@adamlion3495]

* It also has excellent and fun stealth combat , it's called " predatory mode " in the game

[@Jjcbgoat]

@@adamlion3495 eh the spider-man games are better

[@adamlion3495]

@@Jjcbgoat hell no

[@sikckaputten]

There is nothing worse than an open world game that starts with a map that is completely convoluted with icons and activities. Looking at the map at the start of AC Unity almost gave me a panic attack.

[@ahmedsachwani2868]

Bruh trust me. If unity gave you a panic attack Valhalla and odyssey will give you a defo heart attack

[@pardivile2795]

@@ahmedsachwani2868 Odyssey didn't overwhelm you with map icons at the start. The map was hidden at the beginning, meaning you had to discover it before anything popped up

[@ahmedsachwani2868]

@@pardivile2795 the more you discovered the more you dreaded the amount of copy pasted camps all over the damn map

[@pardivile2795]

@@ahmedsachwani2868 I did not face that issue at all. I did a strict stealth only charecter and loved every moment of the game. Clearing out huge forts was the best part

[@ahmedsachwani2868]

@@pardivile2795 except after doing 50+ forts you stop giving a damn

[@bobbobbins4877]

I remember the map of GTA San Andreas feeling endlessly huge. Despite the fact that it was small by current standards. It felt larger because the world was dense with things to see and do.

[@JefferyEpstien911]

Also the fog was a big factor

[@trapez77]

It’s not small by current standards

[@seraphiim444]

is it small? idk it still seems pretty big to me

[@DavidCurryFilms]

It was far more populated with distinct events and story moments than many modern titles. Also a relatable main character.

[@jamiewalsh9184]

Nope just nostalgia son. Wasnt that fleshed out of an open world at all. Rdr2 is the king of open world games

[@BlueJayYT]

For me, open world games are starting to become more exhausting as they make me feel the need to go through every room, every corner, and every street because if I don't, I might miss that one amazing thing that makes the game great or that one piece of loot that I need. It just feels like a chore, so much about open worlds are beginning feeling like a chore. Like having to go to a tower in breath of the wild over and over just to view a small portion of the map, I hate having to do that. Assassin's Creed does it a bit better, allowing you to climb up new and unique staples of architecture like a Great Pyramid or the Notre Dame, but other games still don't do that. I much prefer the Skyrim style of "You entered the area, now you have a pin on your map" but the entire map is still visible from the get-go. Maybe the biggest problem is that people now think, "If it's not open-world, the game sucks." Open-world games are a style, not the answer. They're not inherently better or worse than linear games. Many of the best games of all time are linear like the Portal games or Uncharted games. They have their strengths and weaknesses, but this open-world craze has led to an insane oversaturation of the genre where we get dozens upon dozens of continent-stretching open-world games each year. An open-world game is a commitment to really explore and enjoy, I can't imagine anyone has the time to fully enjoy all of these AAA Open-World games that get released. I love open-world games when they're made in a way that doesn't push me into playing it like it's a completionist chore. There is a sweet spot for these games, but too many miss the mark, spoiling a potentially amazing game concept.

[@Gadottinho]

Yeah, I always hate it, I almost always need to search every bit or I will not get the best ending or some shit like that, and it's not fun to do these things

[@mathewhosier9739]

There's an oversaturation of them because they sell far better than linear games, if Skyrim wasn't the best selling rpg of all time maybe this wouldn't be the case, but if you look at the best selling RPGs, they are all open world or at least open ended, the best RPGs have loot and deep progression systems

[@renofheavens2]

Yeah open world gets old quick. No real focus with long stretches of nothing in-between points of interest. I get bored and burned out and either quit the game altogether or have to wait months to a year to come back to it to have some sense of freshness again

[@lonewolf4663]

Maybe you just thought you loved it but deep inside open-world games is just not for you.

[@HDGaminTutorials]

Um this comment makes zero sense because most open world games are so blatanly easy you wont miss any op items and most are follow the map marker rinse repeat beat game

[@hardcoreLazors]

I just finished Bioshock Infinite for the first time and what a breath of fresh air to play a game that doesn't take 70 hours of crappy content to finish. I miss these kind of games where you can explore but the world is cut into smaller slices.

[@keptyouwaitinghuh2720]

Batman Arkham Asylum and city for example origins and Knight are to big. Shadow of the collossus is pretty small(and my favorite game ever) but it feels so big. BioShock infinite is my 2nd favorite game and my 3d red dead Redemption 2. Infamous second son makes a whole lot of fun is around 10 hours and has a little bit perfect open world (not much voriaty but small). Uncharted and last of us of course and assassin's Creed 1 2 brotherhood and maybe Revelations ( Revelations it's my favorite but it was this part where the city's lost the atmosphere because they went to big but the story is the best) Detroit become human,Max Payne 3 or dishonered many games with perfect storys and small decent open worlds.or just good storys

[@ashdonsimmons01]

Try metro exodus!

[@robertwatson5104]

Exactly

[@jockturner1547]

Games like Ratchet and Clank or Jedi Fallen Order are the types of "open world" games I'm leaning towards much more these days. Linear experience with large open play spaces full of exploration but because they are somewhat shorter all of the content is fun and engaging, while not taking like 60hours to complete.

[@Silath01]

@@jockturner1547 aren't they more Metriodvaina than open world? I always like Metriodvania better than open world

[@Doublepulse]

As I get older, and want to spend my time on more quality experiences, shorter games these days are a blessing. For me 16-20 hours is the sweet spot. It's not too short, but not too long either. You hit the nail on the head with systemic experiences. It bothers me when the main missions aren't giving you a choice on how to execute the mission.

[@EmperorsNewWardrobe]

What if you discover areas ‘into’ existence? Suppose the world is initially tiny, and by a core discovery mechanism throughout the game you make areas materialise until it’s a moderately-sized open world by the end of the main quest (16-20 hours), or a larger-sized open world after discovering all the optional content (100+hours). This way the player wouldn’t feel initially overwhelmed by all the usual optional possibilities, and they simply wouldn’t be aware of (nor feel they missed out on) any undiscovered areas

[@davidnechay8969]

Look into Eastshade and the forgotten city. Some of the best games ever

[@nutsackreviews]

@@EmperorsNewWardrobe so minecraft

[@TamaHawkLive]

I think that's spot on, as the generation who grew up in the birth of open worlds is starting to age up, as adults we have less time and value shorter more condensed experiences. Open worlds are a great time sink but we need to have a market that recognizes the lifestyles of different types of people. Nintendo games are probably the best type of games in current time for adults ironically considering they look like they're designed for kids but really they're designed primarily for the Japanese demographic which is a very busy society and as such their games reflect that.

[@SussedRage]

Yeah when you know all you're doing is connecting the dots the games story really becomes a chore - Rockstar have done this for decades. Get to the yellow dot, sit and do nothing listening to so and so with a cut scene, then kill a few people, go to the next yellow dot...repeat for 30 hours. Ok the story may be great (maybe not!) but all you're doing is being pinged around the map. But I guess their open word random events _are_ at least top notch.

[@rohit_parashar]

Yes, sometimes they're just too big and empty to try and complete; companies must try getting quality in and be out with quantity.

[@Nikigun]

Both are still better

[@rohit_parashar]

@@Nikigun I agree, but that is too idealistic

[@andrewherrera7735]

I think that they have a bunch of low pay/experience level designers create the worlds and only a few skilled programmers and designers do the heavy lifting such as combat systems.

[@rohit_parashar]

@@andrewherrera7735 that is very plausible

[@zach2921]

I've actually had the opposite problem. Some of these places don't feel empty enough. To take Fallout 4 as an example, I don't want to trip over enemies every 10 feet I walk. It just gets really annoying and makes me feel like I'm not really playing an explorable world. I actually really liked the pacing of Fallout 3 and New Vegas being a little slower, and it just feels like Fallout 4 has ADHD in comparison. I greatly prefer an experience like Breath of the Wild that lets more of the map be "background".

[@ShredBird]

All the topics you mention in this video is why I loved Subnautica. The story was compelling, it didn't hold your hand, you felt vulnerable in a giant and mysterious alien ocean, you had time to reflect, time to admire. There was no map, you had to place beacons of important locations yourself. I get exhausted by open world games easily and I couldn't put that one down.

[@ethanhawkins3391]

One of my all time favorite first game experiences. The planet feels endless and the game is rich with content and never holds your hand like you mentioned

[@jinougawithchocolate9329]

Subnautica also managed to make a map that feels way bigger than it actually is because it utilises both empty space and verticality incredibly well. It makes it less of a drag to travel from one part of the map to another because realistically you're never that far away.

[@Tethloach1]

People will have different experiences, people have different interests

[@ClickToPreview]

And I was overwhelmed by the vastness of the ocean and couldn't stay engaged for more than an hour.

[@coralreef6298]

I have put so many hours into Breath of the Wild and I fell in love with the world, I explored it so much, even after 100 hours, I was finding new and interesting places that I never ran into before, I hold it dearly in my heart.

[@starchild4627]

@Kyle Hill i love the games of nintendo but not the company itself, bcuz nintendo easily has the money to make a console equal to the ps5 or xbox series x or even greater than that, but their decisions are just stupid

[@CosplayZine]

Why you want them to make a super machine that is too much currency for the common consumer. They can save money by making cheaper products. They'll lose money. Doesn't sound too stupid now does it?

[@TheRealTact]

Botw is one of the few open world games that are actually good.

[@daniniamut5135]

@@starchild4627 because they innovate, they don't regurgitate.

[@nikitos3558]

@@TheRealTact BotW and Elden Ring are the only open world games I can enjoy in this oversaturated market of generic open world games

[@scoth2455]

Open worlds are one of gaming's worst cliches. Nothing glazes me over faster then when a game is described as a "vast open world where you can go anywhere and do anything." It just usually means it is a collection of generic fetch quests and tower climbing.

[@hei7846]

Yakuza is a great open world game tho

[@utsavbasu1048]

@@hei7846 true

[@denzelcanvas5223]

speaking FACTS

[@AFT_05G]

Not all open world games are the same lmao,that mostly applies for Ubisoft formula open world games.

[@marcomensi6390]

Good point. Yakuza’s maps of Tokyo’s Kamurocho and Yokohama’s Injincho are indeed expansive and densely packed with activities that can be explored largely at the player’s discretion. More importantly, its world avoids feeling empty and repetitive like the more “expansive” open world games.

[@aarondubourg3706]

I really like smaller "hub levels" like you see in Thief, Bioshock, Dishonored etc. It's restricted enough for a highly tuned experience but open enough for player freedom.

[@tivvy2vs21]

How about immersive sims?

[@jenjoe4359]

@@tivvy2vs21 those are immersive sims

[@tivvy2vs21]

@@jenjoe4359 I know that's what they're called, although I think looking glass is a better name

[@AFanOfCinema]

Deus Ex: Human Revolution was amazing it this

[@youngnat]

I wish Ghost of Tsushima was this, Maybe not as small but small enough for it to not feel like a Ubisoft game with checklist and outposts everywhere.

[@PaddyX360]

Yes. Too many 60 hours plus, open world games getting forced on us. Need more 10-15 hour decent campaign games

[@ernestisom5878]

Wouldn't even consider them 60hrs, redundant crap and filler doesn't count.

[@ernestisom5878]

@N7Andy Witcher 3 felt short to me content and story wise. The length is traveling and looking at your mini map all day instead of the actual environment. I'd say divinity original 2 is a good game content and story wise for length.

[@metroidcypher]

10-15 is way too short, that's basically just cutscenes in a big rpg

[@andrewherrera7735]

@@ernestisom5878 Not to mention the quests are mostly bland filler dialogue, and a brief 'sequenced' event. They were probably made within a few days by the team and nobody thought twice about whether it was even fun.

[@andrewherrera7735]

I am mad at people for liking BOTW so much. We shouldn't be letting nintendo get a pass for such a lazy developed game. They skipped all of the hard parts of making a zelda game such as making good gameplay/level flow, good dungeons, and clever story. The landscape is so terrible and ugly, it has no points of interest other than scavenging for stupid tree guys and food ingredients.

[@renanleandro5914]

I wish we had more games nowadays that used Morrowind's system of telling you where to go. Instead of having a floating dot on your screen all the time, NPCs will tell you which direction you should go and points of reference for you to know where you are. This works perfectly well on Morrowind (despite what people say, there are like 3 or 4 instances where it will actually be hard to find the place, in a game with hundreds of quests) and with the graphics we have nowadays, It would be the perfect open world.

[@RobsRedHotSpot]

There are a couple of technical reasons why the dialogue-driven navigation of Morrowind would be hard to achieve in large open world games today. For one, the perceived need for voice acting makes everything dialogue-based much more expensive to produce. Also, today's 3D environments, animations and physics are so complex that pathfinding (for NPCs but also for the PC) is much more challenging. This leads developers to opt for more linear quest design and world navigation.

[@Dupamine]

not everyone understands english

[@malekhekal4238]

Ghost recon breakpoint does this

[@CenterSargE]

Surprisingly, Far Cry 5 does something similar to this. The only map waypoints you get at the behinning of the game are for the 3 main storylines and the companion missions. Everything else on the map is hidden and must be discovered organically: you either find it yourself, or an NPC tells you where to find it. While this way of discovery will still fill your map with waypoints, I think it's a good balance.

[@Dupamine]

@@CenterSargE shut up

[@cherubin7th]

Despite not being open world, Zelda Majora's Mask is the game that gave me the best open world feeling. The side quests have meaningful rewards like the masks that do something interesting and deep connected stories.

[@bl4ze1t38]

Haven’t played Majorca’s Mask but I get the exact feeling you describe from Ocarina of Time, although I wish there was more density. I’ll admit though that I’m still pretty early on in the game and I keep getting stuck on what the hell I should be doing (I am playing very blind and I don’t read the dialogue very closely). I plan on playing MM after I finish OoT

[@TheRealTact]

I wish new games had the same love put into them as old games, nowadays most developers just don’t care anymore.

[@aff77141]

That's an incredible point, actually--the amount of disjointed bullshit in most open world games, with no actual substence in the quests you're doing or enjoyable ways to interact there's no point in an open world, and by contrast a closed world that just happens to be large and have a lot of directly pertinent things to do feels much more full and free than many true open worlds

[@threestars2164]

I agree - no other game ever came close to majora's masks concerning sidequests.

[@122josh]

The fast travel point is a great one it's funny when I look back at some of my fave open worlds like Witcher 3, Ghost of Tsushima, RDR2 or even Death Stranding I hardly ever fast travelled at all in fact there would be times when I know the quest I'm needing to get to was miles away yet I wouldn't care because the world I'm playing in and the means of travel were so engaging or immersive it wouldn't bother me that's when you know an open world game has grabbed you.

[@bol8122]

That was me with spiderman I didnt even know there was fast travel till like a year later

[@bp67499]

@@bol8122 Fast travel in Spiderman PS4? Don't you me web swinging?

[@14112ido]

@@bol8122 Can’t blame you. I haven’t played the game, but if I had the option to reach my objectives by doing spider parkour amongst the skyscrapers while looking cool at the same time, I would forget about fast travel too.

[@xu517333509man2]

Yes you are right. For my final play through with the Witcher 3 when the new dlc drops I’m playing it with no map and limited stats. Tw3 is the best game I ever played in my life. Seeing your comment it’s nice to know that other gamers feel the same way.

[@businessgamerprb5398]

Death stranding... Omg I only fast travelled when game forces me to ( maybe 2 or 3 times) and I never even took the truck or bike .. I travelled only by legs... I used to carry 4 hematic grenades and if I fast travel I will loose them... That's maybe 70 percent responsible for not fast travelling throughout the game... Don't get me wrong... I didn't construct a single generator or zipline ...and played offline..

[@mickiethompson1815]

I feel you, its like everytime I play an open world game like Skyrim for example. All you wanna to is complete the main storyline but It gonna take days because the game is open world and theres side missions and more to explore. Which definetly makes the game more longer.

[@dodesskiy1]

Especially in Skyrim. They stress that the main story is just one of the things you can do, yet if you only do it it's all to quick and easy. Once you do it, it feels like you didn't. They were going for a huge sandbox. With mods expanding it to no limits. If only the combat itself minus archery was anything good... It has everything, but it's all done halfway.

[@heuvelke1065]

@@dodesskiy1 cmon! What u doin

[@FuzzyChubbyPurpleUnicorn]

More longer......

[@dodesskiy1]

@@heuvelke1065 The main quest there was straight if you keep to only it. Takes a few days that's it. That's what I meant, the game has tons more than the main quest though, but as far as combat, I'll stand by it, and sign under it. Just like this Far Cry Primal, great and all, but archery driven. This is likely why in Elder Scrolls Online they went out of their way to weaken archery, and to buff magicka users. If I remember right, in Oblivion archery was even more the thing to do for any situation. It's how the game's made, as an FPS with RPG elements here and there. ESO is a full RPG.

[@chrisredfield6274]

"More longer"

[@Darkteen75]

As a kid I yearned for my open world games, as an adult I know yearn for more closed world. Or at the very least get rid of the fluff like outposts and towers. Smaller maps with changes in the world would also be great like places getting destroyed or locations getting built.

[@covfefe-ry5vp]

you've finally put into words what i've been feeling this year. Ghost of tsushima, cyberpunk, spiderman are all games that i started this year that i just absolutely cannot bring myself to finish. even open worlds games i used to love i dont really play anymore. the amount of time you have to grind in these games is getting outrageous

[@mathewhosier9739]

Right then why are these games so popular then? Why do they sell so much better than linear games with no progression?

[@Max-kd2gh]

@@mathewhosier9739 the idea of it sounds great

[@ringofdreal1374]

@@Max-kd2gh sure, the ideas sounds great but it's not everything. A game could have millions of sales due to its idea but the actual game needs to be as good as the idea or be better.

[@steverempel8584]

@@mathewhosier9739 Cause big open world games are great for people who only play a few games, and aren't burned out by trying to finish one or two open world games a month. These people aren't paying attention to, or watching gaming news. Shorter linear games with no progression are much needed for the gamers who like to clear several games in a year.

[@Jjcbgoat]

You need to finish spider-man is great

[@Liam-jy7yi]

I miss bioware's semi open world game design. They offer lots of hubs in places which offers exploration, unique side quests with choices and a bit of freedom. And when you leave the hub there is one straight path that serves as your linear mission which gets straight to the point, no "you must collect 5 elderflowers" or "you must be level 15 to enter this level" bullshit.

[@Liam-jy7yi]

Also the fact that the writing was better and the fact that your dialogue actually had choices and wasen't butchered by the same "yes but good guy, yes but evil, yes but im a funny guy" shite you see in the dragon age age games following 2.

[@One.Zero.One101]

My personal preference is semi-open world, meaning 3 smaller maps rather than 1 huge map, kinda like how The Witcher games did it. It's the best of both worlds because it's easy for the devs to lock the story in 3 acts while still giving the players a good-sized map to run around. As a developer it's incredibly difficult to code quests in 1 huge map because you have to account for every single possibility of what order the players will do the quests. It makes coding the quests 10 times longer and adds extra dialogue and extra voice acting.

[@usafo6546]

Having areas that you wander in that are not within your current “level” is ridiculous and game-killing.

[@dodesskiy1]

You open the map, it gives level ranges. the world is so huge there's not one time you won't find an area of your level range. Not one time do you need xp boosts. They are all full of quests, and they are not fetch quests. You can also just take out forts via stealth, it's fun, it pays via engravings training. If you don't like doing that, that's another thing. They wanted to force you to travel via the ship, to see the world. I don't know, sort of like Odysseus did. The freedom of where you'll go, what you'll do is unbelievable in a non MMO. And it's that you guys hate. But each likes a certain genre I guess.

[@usafo6546]

@@dodesskiy1 thank you. This is a fantastic tip. Which game includes this feature?

[@dodesskiy1]

@@usafo6546 Odyssey.

[@lobal2]

Yeah, picked up Odyssey, really enjoying it. Put it on exploration mode and go explore. Hell found my first Cultist lair by accident, dropped in a cave and there he was. Unless your an old AC fan, this is a fantastic game. It seems to get alot of hate for being different. But I'm loving this game. 70+hours in, just seeing what I can find.

[@dodesskiy1]

@@lobal2 I gotta tell you, if you do it and Origins, and want another fun one like them, Horizon Zero is a lot like them. I'm in love with it already. There are great 75% off deals for it too on the web for an activation code.

[@Susanoo7108]

Infamous and Infamous 2 achieve the perfect balance for me when it comes to size and traversing the world. As Cole upgrades your ability to traverse improves and it makes me motivated to level up and parkour across the cities. Also, because the design of the open world is pretty memorable, I sometimes instinctively know where to go die to its design.

[@fartchamber12]

even tho they give you 4 different ways to traverse seattle it still ends up being boring because you're only ever getting a shard or finding a camera.

[@krucible9369]

After replaying Mass Effect trilogy It was so nice to experience linear maps and worlds again

[@TenereAMir]

Gross. Linear gameplay is boring AF

[@tek1645]

@@TenereAMir open world gameplay is bloated and uninspiring. Hard not to sleep halfway when doing random AI generated, generic side quests to level up just so you can even have a chance to move one

[@renanleandro5914]

@@TenereAMir you are limited then

[@rogoznicafc9672]

@@TenereAMir mann go play a plague tale and stfu bcz noone play open world games solely so they can go on a random walk to find a shack in the middle of the woods or something. its the story... mostly

[@jRex918]

Fable is one of the most linear games of all time but it is also one my most favorite games of all time. The maps were so small but there were so many secrets to discover in those small maps.

[@DIABETICCHAD]

Nice video! I’ve been slowly making my way through Zelda BOTW and I think it has one of the best, “I’m not gunna hold your hand but here’s something I herd through the grape vine” ways about it.

[@williamgolas5197]

One of my favorites growing up was Gothic 3. When I was little I didn't even understand half the dialogues, but I couldn't care less. I would just explore and make up my own stories as I played. My imagination filled the gaps. I would mostly spend time in familiar locations and from time to time, take the courage and go to the unknown territory. And when I actually discovered something cool, it felt soooo rewarding. Loved every hour of that game. So yeah, all of what you're saying makes perfect sense

[@userlpI13645]

Openworlds also lost the magic of discovery for the clarity of content. Everything needs a map marker and a description telling what the content is gonna be. Going back to older games and seeing all the unorthodox ways they gave side content is very cool.

[@MarinaAndTheDevil]

This

[@emeraldwind4897]

Would you say the classic thief games are a good example of this?

[@qqq386]

That is why I loved morrowind so much, every place felt like an adventure

[@amuroray9115]

@@qqq386 are things even marked on the map in Skyrim? I don’t think so

[@HEADASSLOOKINGAHHH]

i love how ghost of tsushima changed things this time around, you don't have a mini map and you basically follow the wind. It was refreshing to not see so many things in the screen.

[@Jakeylicious7891]

Witcher 3 is one of those open world games where the side missions are just too good.

[@itsoracle]

currently spent all day playing Witcher 3 doing side quests

[@PatrickGigachad]

But it's also too fucking big and tiresome to play

[@YungDonProdigy]

It really is too good.

[@moonknightish]

@@PatrickGigachad It's not too big. If it was smaller, the world wouldn't feel "real".

[@PatrickGigachad]

@@moonknightish you're right I finished the main quest in 30 hours

[@Bas-Man1]

The only open world games I feel are exhausting are the last 3 Assassins Creed games

[@wolfchadaverageusenjoyerza8288]

I felt this way with Valhalla and RDR2

[@wolfchadaverageusenjoyerza8288]

@no info Is slowly paced, has clunckyness in the animation, is tedious, has countless useless animations too slow to stand, simply put, Arthur is a piece of wood when you try to control him. I tried to 100% complete it buy after 5 hours I got so bored that the only thing I wanted was to complete the game and move on. The first RDR was my favourite videogame ever, so after that RDR2 had an excelent story but gameplaywise it was a huge letdown for me.

[@ernestisom5878]

Assassins Creed is like call of duty just copy paste same game new package lol

[@wolfchadaverageusenjoyerza8288]

@@ernestisom5878 AC is full of issues but being copied and paste is not one of them

[@keptyouwaitinghuh2720]

@@wolfchadaverageusenjoyerza8288 that's a question of taste. For me it was the reason I bought it. What you need to hunt skin and than put the skin on your horse to sell it. What the skin can fall off what your hat can fall off what you keep dirty when you fell into mud what you can still see your wounds after 30 min and so many more. That's the realism what makes the world so real and alive. And you are smocking shit if you say the animations are cluncky because the animations are the best i saw in my entire life

[@CampingforCool41]

Rdr2 is probably my favorite game on the ps4 honestly. It’s so relaxing to me. I can see why it’s not for everyone because it deliberately feels slow-paced. But I think that fits really well for the era and story

[@Postumeartist]

I loved shadow of the colossus. It was an open world game with a whole lot of nothing to do. However, almost everything you could do was purposeful. I’d prefer a huge variety of different kinds of quests at 40hrs of game and done, vs 400hrs of content but each kind of different quest is repeated 10x

[@akito6572]

Honestly, I prefer open world games over any other game. I like to just explore the world and get lost in it. And I get to decide what I do next. Non-open world games literally force you to do certain things from start to finish. It's not a bad thing if it's well made, but I'm not a huge fan of that

[@tylerthunder2001]

I like open world games as well I like games that give you a lot of freedom

[@dodesskiy1]

You're describing the older AC games minus Black Flag. I got through AC 2, I've 2 others they've made after installed. I can't make myself boot them up. They are so linear it's not funny. People will say the story compensates, it doesn't. It feels junky in those games. In fact the effect they were going for that it's not happening to you is oh so clear. It makes the story almost pointless, or some of the gameplay. It's sort of there, but you can see he has that sword to click and for animation to play. I swear I stood there with that block pressed, and once in a while either square or x and then square. By the 4th time it got so old I can't describe it. Every game after repeated it, I've played AC 3, 4 and all others by now, minus those 2 after AC 2. I really wanted to like the older ones. The story is also pushing an ideology, I grew up under the ideology it's pushing winning and going full bore for 70 years, not 2 like in Unity and they all got punished for it. I'm trying to ignore that push in their games but it's hard. Now you take Origins/Odyssey. Neither is anything to do with anything but this huge beautiful world set in 2 distinct eras. They really went out to recreate them, and they immerse you in them. Forget RPG or not RPG. Those 2 became actual games. Sure parts of the older ACs were fun in their way. The overall feel of them, though not Black Flag was, I want to be there, not relive someone's life there. Funny thing is, left to himself Patrice Desilets created a total opposite of their idea of a perfect AC. He created a huge open world. More open than any AC, including the 3 newest. It works well too. If you guys don't know, it's called Ancestors. You really get lost in it, it's all gameplay too.

[@lobal2]

@@dodesskiy1 Couldn't agree more about the old AC games. Recently picked up Odyssey, have to say, I'm really enjoying it. The ability to change the game from fighting in battles to hunting mercenaries and then sailing to differnt islands wondering what I'll find. Aside from black flag, I never liked the old AC. The micro-transactions or whatever we call it now is concerning but the style change is one that I like.

[@dodesskiy1]

@@lobal2 I think those existed for years, the only thing that held the devs back was the lack of internet in the old consoles, or super slow internet on PC. You buy or not buy as you like. I didn't get DLCs for many I've played till Odyssey. Now I'm thinking Origins for when I play it again. Witcher 3 I got both for back in the day, though I think the codes were on the DVD. I bought the complete edition. Same with Syndicate. CDkeys has them for pennies for many games. Some are worth it. It's more of the game, and they did make it after the game. Cosmetics or XP boosters are optional. I've not gotten any DLCs for Valhalla, may never do it even cheap. To me they are worth it, for the right games.

[@xxlive4eatingxx275]

I agree with you. I love it when I have the choice of what to do next, but I have the feeling that the RPG mechanics of most open world games today work against that. That was my only real issue with Odyssey for example. I wanted to do a mission or explore an island that I saw from my ship, but I couldn't, because of my level. This made actually playing the game feel like a chore to me, because I had to do the content that was available at my level and not the content I was interested in. And surprisingly after hitting max level in Odyssey I really loved the game, because I could do whatever I want. I think BotW did it best, because it has no RPG mechanics and you're really free to explore at your own leisure. Also I really enjoyed Valhalla, because the RPG mechanics are so bad that you can ignore them and just play the game how you want. Giving the player more freedom is really what I wish for in open world games, but I don't know if it's because of the monetization or if the devs are afraid that you skip a lot of content, that we likely won't see it in more games till BotW 2.

[@BonzerMrT]

I like open world’s, I do not like collect-a-thons or lack of interaction. Games like dishonored or nioh, where you have open levels are more interesting to me. Make a detailed and open environment that’s contained. You can replay the mission a few times still finding new paths and enemies along the line.

[@HEADASSLOOKINGAHHH]

Exactly, those types of open worlds are fine and fun, but when its stuff like Valhalla or RDR2, where you spend more time travelling than actually playing, it gets tedious.

[@YungDonProdigy]

@@HEADASSLOOKINGAHHH then you enjoy a good linear game with an entrance and exit. Much like they used to make them.

[@naganut9718]

From what I heard Kirby and the forgotten land are also sort of like that, Linear levels but so much to explore with different paths and secrets

[@Katniss0000]

then that is not open world best example is real life.

[@hamed3436]

i like the way yakuza series handle the open world aspect of the game. even tho they have a small map, but they're filled with so many side content that has different mechanics. just like cabaret club, pocket circuit, karaoke, dance battle, taxi racing, etc. even the side mission are funny.

[@ArrowSlayer]

For me personally, I like the story in Breath of the Wild and how you can solve puzzles in a variety of ways. Wish the enemy variety and the shrines could've been expanded on.

[@TheRealTact]

That’s one of my few problems with botw being the lack of enemy variety, but everything else in it is just so full of life and color. I could go on and on about how great that game is and how other open world games should follow that game’s footsteps.

[@dream0froses]

I just started playing it recently and felt the same. The shrines get old fast, enemies are the same, weapons break too fast so I can't even sell them for coins. I hated having to travel back to my horse after gliding too far away. The world felt empty and pointless. There was a lot to be desired, so I'm shocked this game won an award supposedly. The best open world games to me were the Witcher 3 and Elder Scrolls.

[@Raddish-is-radd]

@@dream0froses what? Have you even play botw there aren't coins heck you can't even sell weapons you can only sell materials or are you just saying this just because you don't like the game for whatever reason and don't actually have any points so you're just saying random things

[@dream0froses]

@@Raddish-is-radd I literally listed my reasons for not liking it, that's how making an argument works. I don't remember the names of the currency in every game I've ever played so I call them coins. What I was trying to say is I enjoy selling loot for items/materials but I couldn't do that in this game because weapons break too fast, which was also very annoying.

[@Raddish-is-radd]

@@dream0froses dude or gal that's literally the whole point of the game to encourage u to use different weapons and or come up with unique ways around said problem u literally missed the entire point of the game if you didn't realize that hense why you have multiple runes that allow you to freeze enemies lift metal object throw bombs multiple ways to deal with a problem aside from hacking and slashing or a combination

[@TheLostAngel15]

I love how almost every thing you mentioned that makes open world games exhausting is present in Genshin Impact and it shows. At this point, it's just the thrill of gambling for shiny new stuff and the need to find how the story will progress that keeps people playing. After making it through the current story and reaching the end game, the whole veneer of a breathtaking open world experience of the first few parts of that game just falls apart. Or maybe the problem was making a gacha game open world in the first place, but that's probably a discussion for another day.

[@martinmcfly5405]

Horrible grind, stupid repeatable quests daily .... this makes genshin totally bad... it s like work the game... should be play the game...

[@technicallyinept2120]

Still true. Was my first thoughts watching this

[@fischlseyepatch]

Even from a year ago its still relevant, genshins biggest problem is its lack of endgame content

[@amandaslough125]

@@fischlseyepatch Except it's only halfway through the story and thus it's not the end of the game.

[@caribbeanstrawhat]

Was thinking this exact thing 😂 especially when he started talking about hand holding when it comes to quests. Genshin will give you a marker (sometimes) but will make you work to figure out what to do next and it can be really frustrating since it’ll be shit no one even considers.

[@MrBjarkenfjart]

Spot on. Every time I hope this game maybe different, but most of the time it's a let down. Would love to know your top 3 open worlds games.

[@jayveeeee]

Glad you enjoyed!! :) This is really, really tough. But based on this video I think I'd say Red Dead Redemption 2, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and then the new Spider-Man games. They're all pretty recent games but I love them each for different reasons.

[@dodesskiy1]

You may or may not have tried it, but Horizon Zero seems awesome to me so far. Fun to actually play and explore.

[@MrBjarkenfjart]

@@dodesskiy1 yeah it's a great game 👍

[@JustJustKen]

Its actually the story that gets me going for Open-World games, not the large scale map itself. RDR2 is an Open-World and that never got me bored. AC4 is also and that is not boring. Biomutant too. Some game devs might be experimenting how far they can scale the exploration of their worlds, sacrificing a portion of what makes it enjoyable.

[@Jombi-d3g]

Ac4 was very boring honestly the missions were repetitive, tailing and eavesdropping either on foot or ship

[@stormblade2895]

The RDR2 story is fantastic, but not because of the open-world.

[@kostasspirou1010]

@@stormblade2895 Well, of course, because Story and Open World are 2 different things...

[@MichaelOdendaal]

Hands down one of your best videos to date! Enjoyed and related to this so much. Man AC 2 and brotherhood were the good days!

[@jayveeeee]

Thanks man!!! Really happy you enjoyed 🙌 Those were the good old days 🥺

[@agiemaliki]

One of my favorite side activity in open world games is scavenging the witcher gear diagram in witcher 3. Not only grinding for better gear diagram, the quest also comes with story and lore about the diagram, even just with notes. Thats make the quest really engaging to do.

[@thylionheart]

reminds me of Genshin Impact. I honestly love running around the world, finding chests and challenges and unlocking secret places-especially the underground ruins in Sumeru, oh my word. But so much of Liyue and Inazuma especially feel so empty and abandoned. There are abandoned, dilapidated houses here and there, but only a couple major cities and towns within those two specifically. Sumeru has definitely improved on that since the jungle portion has 6 major cities/towns/locations with people, but as beautiful as Liyue is, I don’t run around it anymore because I’ve found everything in it already and I have no reason to run through Jueyun Karst anymore.

[@atinybard6594]

My favorite open world mistranslation so far is Assassin's Creed Odyssey. The game was advertised and focused on having one of the THE largest open worlds in any AC game... But when you load in for the first time, you notice something funny. The world IS enormous, but the different areas of the map are level locked for your character. Which means you can only access specific areas, in a set order that the devs want you to. To help out the poor Ubisoft devs, that means you designed a linear level based game - not an open world. Just because you spread the areas out on a map - forcing the player to go to each specific area one after another when you hit a certain EXP threshold is not an open world. Ubisoft completely lost track of what made the early games so great.

[@gabiruman]

true, the fact that Odyssey invested so heavily in level locking things, has really affected my immersion in it, why can't an assassination just be an assassination? Why is it connected to the damage your underleveled character can inflict on another minor enemy? I found myself going into the game's options and lowering the ammount of levels an enemy can be ahead of you, because you really can't feel like you're progressing otherwise. Even so, it's like you said, you end up following a predetermined path due to level requirements during pretty much the entire game.

[@peepeetrain8755]

but it's a good thing though, if you just load in. You'd be bombarded with everything the game has to offer and will overwhelm you instantly. All you need is just do the story a little bit until you reach a certain level and then you're free to do whatever you want.

[@NotoriusMaximus]

all this new AC design starting with Origins was immersion brakers with the level system, you running thru someone with a sword same level- he dies, higher level he shrugs it off. At least in Odyssey they got rid of 3 stupid bows system

[@Bunnibunnibunni]

Honestly though its a good thing. If everything is the same level then every location has to be designed with you going there instantly in mind, which is why in games like botw everything is completely piss easy and shrines cant be designed with getting new tools and upgrades later. I'd rather the game be slightly linear at the start than have botw syndrome where every piece of content is on level 1 babymode. Valhalla actually does it pretty well, no boss you fight is a complete pushover, but in games like botw every divine beasts boss, other than the first one, will be a complete pushover and be boring as hell to fight.

[@gabiruman]

@@Bunnibunnibunni I see your point, but I disagree when you speak about botw. There's a reason people like botw, and that's because of the freedom and sense of discovery the game offers you. I can see why this style wouldn't suit AC storytelling but then again there are ways around that. If you thought everything in botw was piss easy, then congrats on being a pro gamer, in my case I was completely destroyed by regular Bokoblins until I learned how to properly play and until I got hold of decent weapons, this game is proof you don't need levels to feel progress. In the beginning I was terrified at Guardians, and could barely hurt them, but the more I played the more I learned about their weaknesses and how to deal with them. I feel like in AC Odyssey this could easily be fixed with not having levels, or not on the weapons at the very least. You could still have enemies with special assassination protection that would make you find creative ways of killing them instead of just having them be damage sponges. Progressing your abilities is one thing, upgrading a weapon's level and make it hurt more is just ridiculous and immersion breaking.

[@TrashPanda-2112]

Subnatica falls perfect for me. Very little hand holding in a open mysterious world that allows you move at your on pace. Fantastic.

[@thekekwguy5722]

And the soundtrack is flawless

[@nighTmareCSGO]

The Witcher 3 is that one girl you met that you absolutely fell in love with, she was the most beautiful girl in the world and every moment you had was magical and completely happy. You remember everything you did with her - your childhood sweetheart. Then unfortunately the relationship ends, and you’re secretly still in love with her but you don’t tell anyone. Every person you’re with after that never fills that void that she did. You miss her so badly and reminisce but know it will never work again the same as before. You’re always comparing. She ruins every other relationship you’ll have. Then I suppose red dead 2 came along and that’s the one you decide to marry regardless.

[@Diaisdumb]

While it's not really an "open world" game, the Yakuza series has always been somewhat contained, but at the same time has so much to do compacted into enjoyable side quests and storylines that can immerse you into the game's world and take you so far from the main plot. Instead of taking you on boring collections or annoying quests like in other open world games, too large to appreciate everything.

[@erincaldwell5203]

Completely agree with your point about fast travel. I spent SO many hours in BOTW and found myself feeling burned out. I made a new rule for myself where I'm not allowed to fast travel, and it made me realize how much of the map I completely bypassed just because I was always in a hurry to get to the next destination. It brought back my love for the game, even if only for a little bit.

[@ethanners6605]

It's exhausting when you have like 3 hours a day to play, and can't do everything

[@michaelwells529]

I'm at a point in my life where its like, 1-2 hours every couple of days, so yeah I know exactly what you mean.

[@ethanners6605]

@@michaelwells529 especially when I gotta choose between sleep and completing a mission lmao

[@2complicated4u]

*sighs* depression 😩😂

[@TheArklyte]

The thing is, open world doesn't equal empty sandbox. Many modern "open world" games have less depth then behind the wire endless expanse of Project IGI 1. For context, that game had endless map with grass texture and very simple geometry beyond the walls of normal level. So yeah, it had big _open world_ :D I mean that these worlds often have nothing to do in them and especially WITH them. Grinding achievement isn't fun. Destroying wooden bridge, robbing local caravan and then seeing it affect local market and hear NPCs comment on prices of food IS fun. Modern "open worlds" are sandboxes without reactivity, *tabletop RPGs without GM*

[@jayveeeee]

These are great points! I think my expectation is "empty sandbox" and the reality is few open worlds do that. It turns into a scavenger hunt where you get instructions on how to find everything.

[@Laiiney88]

Can't tell you how many times I've played Skyrim, TW3, Rdr2, fo4 and Botw! Just wrapped my first playthrough of Ghost of Tsushima and I loved it. I love openworld when it's filled with things to discover, and like you said, things to interact with. Something about these new ACs is just too much for me. The thought of staring an AC ng plus is exhausting! Tw3 is a long game plus dlc, and that isn't as intimidating to me as AC. One playthrough and done for me, and that breaks my heart

[@dodesskiy1]

If you keep only to the main quests in say Odyssey with new game plus you can finish it in 2 or 3 days. It'd not be as fun. I didn't enjoy it. I 1 shot everything literally. Gear and skills are too OP for earlier areas. But for you NG+ would do what you seem to want.

[@Based1889]

@@dodesskiy1 doesn't matter odyssey is still boring as hell.

[@dodesskiy1]

@@Based1889 I feel the conflict within you, let go of the hate. I almost let go of it after playing AC2 by now. I might even restart Brotherhood soon. Boring endless right shoulder button plus square to win 90% of the fights zero stealth used. Or add x to dodge first, then square. Almost no timing involved. So I boot up Brotherhood, guess freaking what the very first scene was LOL? If I can let go of the hate, I think you might be able to...

[@Based1889]

@@dodesskiy1 nah man I just completed odyssey and it was a complete disaster

[@fartchamber12]

To be honest i'm not sure there is anything to "discover" in Tsushima, everything you'd ever want to find is marked obviously on your map, you even have magic wind and birds to take you right there.

[@Jsteiner1974]

I'm so tired of open world. Half of them I get so bored I never finish, and the other half I finish with a sense of relief that it's finally over. I find them to have zero replayability, too. I can't resist passing up a collectible or doing a side quest or closely examining every single little thing for fear of missing something. This takes forever and I often forget what my next goal is in the story because I'm so distracted by everything. The impressiveness of the open world wears off so quick, too. I prefer a game that's more focused and paced right.

[@brucevandermescht6957]

I also hate how we have become so dependent on fast travel in open word games, but that is just one of the symptoms of these massive open worlds becoming too big to explore organically. A map size like Arkham City/Knight was perfect, since there was enough size to the map to glide around and "be the Batman" but at the same time you could always arrive at your next objective in less than a minute once you're done exploring the city.

[@thekingofmeerkats]

Do miss the days of a good single player "linear" story. Amount of games I've picked up and only done a few hours on and got bored is ever increasing. Must say I downloaded Control off Game Pass and that has been one of the best games I've played for a while. The story, the lore was immense... I have never actively seeked out collectables but in this game, it added to the world building and even character building. I'm looking forward to Far Cry 6, yes its the same old game in a new setting but there's something about it that keeps me coming back to them even after completing.

[@amuroray9115]

I haven’t played far cry since 3.

[@nestormelendez9005]

Try the uncharted games or tomb raider

[@Herzman]

Not sure if Outer Wilds counts as an 'open world' game but It really nails the discovery part you mentioned. Like really nails it. Throughout the whole game the only thing in your mind is to learn more. You've got this little star system to explore and while the game doesn't give you any markers or quests, it's characters and environment do give subtle hints on where to head next to progress the story.

[@jayveeeee]

YES that game is so good. I honestly should’ve put it in this video because everything you said is spot onz

[@Herzman]

@@jayveeeee have you played the DLC that came out recently? They somehow managed to implement it to fit the story so well, these freaking developers man.

[@ididntmeantoshootthatvietn5012]

Outer worlds is such an overrated game

[@whitewalker608]

@@ididntmeantoshootthatvietn5012 They're talking about Outer wilds and not outer worlds. Both are different games.

[@dificulttocure]

@@ididntmeantoshootthatvietn5012 Outer WILDS. Best game ever.

[@Nikimouse311]

I am like 250 hours into Elden. I have been playing open world games for a bit, and I was so used to like my hand being held. I absolutely love that in Elden Ring, I had to basically figure it out myself (with of course the occasional online guide). It has felt very rewarding.

[@Andrew52_52]

Not much to figure out tho. Don't take hits or grind til you strong enough.

[@Walamonga1313]

Elden gets boring like every other open world too. I say this as a FromSoft enjoyer. Replaying Elden is much more tedious than any other Souls game

[@ODUBlue]

As soon as I finish the 1 ~ hour intro/mandatory tutorial stuff, see the map pop up...and then see 15+ markers everywhere from the jump, I sigh. Most of it is just map cleanup. Sometimes I could use a hint where to go, but instead I get a gigantic flashing compass point or superimposed giant skybeam. That just puts me on a guided tour. Which is the opposite of exploration.

[@ReSunDestin]

They feel exhausting to me because of the reverse, they don't hold my hand enough and I get overwhelmed by the amount of choice, when I start Skyrim, I know I can do "anything" but I can't keep playing for more than 10min because the amount of choice bores me out

[@Odinsday]

Out of every open world game I’ve ever played, the only one that never becomes a chore to play is Breath of the Wild. There is something about the way you can interact with the world, through weather, food, enemies etc… that make it feel more realistic than most of these AAA games like AC Valhalla. BotW is one of the few games that feels truly free. You can do whatever you want after the Great Plateau, including fighting Ganon if you want. Even if the Shrines around the world aren’t masterpieces of dungeon design like the other Zelda games, the world has so much to offer terms of exploration, like the Lanayru Dragon which is one of my favorite moments in gaming.

[@criert135]

Shame the aesthetic just looks awful to me. I honestly hate it and have no interest in exploring the world simply because of how it looks. Glad others enjoy it though

[@mihailcirlig8187]

@@criert135 Lmao it's the best looking aesthetic world for me, sorry but I don't agree at all with what you said, it just looks so beautiful

[@criert135]

@@mihailcirlig8187 Fair enough, matter of opinion. I genuinely hate it haha

[@AndDeathForAll82]

Breath of the Wild is one of the only ones that doesn’t feel exhausting. The way it’s designed is just perfect.

[@justinb813]

Literally the opposite I sold that shit the quests were too sprawled out I’ve never sold an RPG before completing it until I got this. Overall gameplay didn’t help either.

[@shawklan27]

@@justinb813 felt the same with tsushima

[@justinb813]

@@shawklan27 okay that’s crazy lol

[@234zuscoutjango9]

@@justinb813 Breath of the wild isnt an rpg though

[@XxbluescopexX]

I don’t know what game your playing

[@LordApophis100]

Vanilla WoW had only few breadcrumb quests and a lot of small ones hidden across the map to discover. It encouraged to explore the map, looking for interesting things. Later expansions started to kill that feel of exploration by focusing on quest hubs and guiding the player everywhere.

[@logansaxby7224]

That breath of the wild Zelda open world reveal after the great plateau may be immediately stop playing the game. I saw all that there was to do and just noped out of there

[@soren633]

I'd say that Witcher 3: Wild Hunt had a fantastic sandbox feeling with mission design. There are plenty of missions in that game that are only unlocked by completing things in certain ways and only allowing you to discover major side quests as contracts on a notice board that you could easily miss. This is extremely interesting to me as it creates so many different outcomes to so many potential missions, really giving a truly open-ended feel to the game.

[@نونيم-ي4ح]

Sandbox? i love the witcher 3 but mechanically its shallow as fuck thanks to the garbage red engine, it has some cool choices but gameplay-wise its really nothing special, i also wouldnt say that the boards are easy to miss, because they are literally all pointed in the map.

[@broderzzcompany]

I don't know, everyone says Witcher 3 is awesome, and I can't say it isn't, but it never made me want to explore the world or do any side quests or contracts.

[@DevlinUK]

@@broderzzcompany agree with this. I’ve done 50 hours and I’m bored. I’m tempted to just blitz through the main story to see how it ends, but even doing the main quests can be boring. I feel like I’ve seen and done so much stuff that has detracted from the main story, and that the combat and gameplay isn’t compelling enough to make me want to continue.

[@broderzzcompany]

@@DevlinUK yeah, exactly. Combat was rather bad and not interesting, story was great, but again, nothing too great. I lost interest in game when defending that fortress from wild hunt, I thought that was end of the game, but no, they just had to extend the story.

[@criert135]

@@broderzzcompany Wow, that’s not a take I can understand at all. The side quests are so well written and interesting in the Witcher 3 that I wanted to do all of them and was rarely disappointed

[@swaggrokrag]

Morrowind is still the best example of an open world. Everything in that game is really left to the player to figure out but it gives you enough to be able to figure it out. No quest markers at all and you had to carefully listen to the direction of NPCs and navigate your way there on your own.

[@tengkuadam1399]

That game has no "hand holding" it's more like "if you don't know what you're doing, we're cutting your hand off-ing"

[@vjbd2757]

Exploring Vivec is such a pain though.

[@e.corellius4495]

not to mention the high chance of just killing key quest givers. no game lets you do that anymore. heck there quest chains for certain groups (morag tong and house telvanni) that have you kill off key quest givers for other plotlines. you wanna run around killing people for some group you have to commit lol, none of this bounce around and be apart of every group despite their differences.

[@jamesfilms_]

First thing I did in the Witcher 3 was turn off that pathing guide option in settings. I think it definitely helped discovery. Easier to leave the path when you don’t know exactly where it is

[@e.corellius4495]

i actually could not disagree more. i have a much easier time wandering off when i know where progress is, so i can avoid it lol. if i dont know exactly where im supposed to go i try to B line it to the goal. my sense of direction is ass so if i take one wrong turn suddenly ive wasted 2 hours just trying to get there. im basically only comfortable exploring when ive got a gps to tell me how to get back to the right path.

[@James-gj8rn]

Breath of the Wild offsets that because of the amount of surprise and discovery when exploring, i love it for that 😊

[@jayveeeee]

Yes! It's kind of like an easter egg hunt, there's so many eggs to find and *for the most part* they stay exciting to find

[@James-gj8rn]

@@jayveeeee yeah and we are still discovering new things 4 years on but on the other end of the spectrum, i am glad that traditional Zelda is back with Skyward Sword as well

[@ernestisom5878]

Needs more objectives and enemy types though in my opinion plus some unique mini bosses. Also more unique items would be cool. The puzzles and gameplay mechanics what make it stand out the most. The environments feel lacking though their big open areas with nothing really going on. It's a great game that succeeds in a lot of areas compared to most though.

[@isodoubIet]

There's really very few. The world is incredibly samey and the copy paste shrines... ugh. They couldn't even come up with a few different art styles, all 120 of them literally look the same.

[@chaosvirus9749]

I personally really liked the the way gothic 1&2 let you explore. You start with no map until you buy one (or play the entire game without) and even then, nothing is marked and just shows some scribbled Locations that could be what you are looking for. Quests don't give you a waypoint either, you get a vague description from the npc and of you go, good luck finding that place. Some might say this is outdated but i still remember after years of not playing where to go and what to do just because i had to do everything myself and i wish we had more of that.

[@RobsRemixes]

Still to this day I simply do not understand how a game developer has not made a game where the map is relatively small but every single building is enterable and the map is fleshed out with deep and diverse things to do. It’s crazy to say a small map could be revolutionary because over the past 2 decades we’ve been conditioned to believe bigger is better when in actual fact less than 5% of games with massive maps are actually fun to traverse and enjoyable to simply be in. The simple fact is that the day a game developer finally realises that a small but incredibly detailed map that truly immerses us fully, is the day the game industry finally gets away from quantity and begins back on the path to quality.

[@hawkeyedsentinel4648]

Hence why I play Yakuza. It made me realise how pointless open world designs are when you can easily make the map small but have a lot of interactions with characters in the areas.

[@ThePhil-Osopher]

Isn’t that was Shenmue is like? I haven’t played it but I’ve heard they went all out on stuff like that.

[@OMTstudios]

You definitely play too many too often, though you sorta don't have a choice. That's the burden you chose with this occupation my friend. Same with me and music, at some point it's like I stopped enjoying people's work and it's just chores

[@jayveeeee]

That's definitely fair and true for me, but also I see the "open world games are bloated and endless and empty" comment a lot. Seems like a lot of folks are either playing them too often like me or these games make us exhausted. Going with the latter makes for a more interesting video, but the former would've been a lot shorter haha

[@noobbotgaming2173]

@@jayveeeee I think more recent open-world games are exhausting because they can be more linear games repackaged as open-world to simply pad the time. My time with AC Valhalla and Immortals Fenyx Rising has dwindled in months. I last played Valhalla for the first DLC and a bit for the new mastery stuff but I honestly don't have the energy to play them. But my favourite AC title is Unity. It has a mini map and eagle vision. It gives me information on what I need to know. Contrast this with recent open-world titles like Valhalla or Horizon Zero Dawn. They deliberately withhold information to pad the time you spend in game. And it's this reason why I think more recent titles feel so tiring and bland. Also sometimes I'll play Unity because it's so fun to free run around Paris.

[@funkykrunc6857]

@@noobbotgaming2173 in regard to AC Unity, I agree. I think that is why it is so fun to return to, not because I can run through a seemingly endless desert (Origins) or sail through/navigate my 50th generic island (Odyssey) but that you can instantly run through/over/under the city of Paris like it's a playground. The animations are the best of the entire franchise and each historical building and monument are placed so close to one another that you don't really need to fast travel (which breaks all open world games). It was a perfectly crafted and beautiful world

[@dodesskiy1]

@@jamesgratz4771 I think Odyssey will be seen that way in a few years. Those isles are not generic, they are smaller versions of the actual isles. Greeks from Greece testified to that. The temples that they say are copied and pasted are awesome replicas an archeologist loved seeing. They've done a great job on historical figures too compared to earlier games. I think this stupid need for robes and hoods and hidden blades need to die out, and people will love it.

[@dodesskiy1]

@@funkykrunc6857 Those isles are not generic, they are smaller versions of the actual isles. Greeks from Greece testified to that. The temples that they say are copied and pasted are awesome replicas an archeologist loved seeing. They've done a great job on historical figures too compared to earlier games. The story is finally of your own making. There's finally a deep satisfying combat system and gear to greatly boost it. IMO it's not just the best AC, it's one of the best games that came out lately. I do hate Valhalla though, it is brainless hack and slash. Bad RPG, bad action game. Bad stealth. I'm sure each British city was also recreated well, but as in Syndicate it's a plain wasted beautiful world. Unity now, I liked it. I liked a lot about it. It's too much hopping on those roofs for me, but there's enough not having to do with it that I liked. Nothing on either Origins or Odyssey. Bland streets, some well recreated buildings. Repetitive as heck. Overall fun if you ignore some things.

[@lunaticlooter4320]

I was So. Sick. Of AC: Valhalla. I have since had computer problems, and lost the save finishing the game, so there is absolutely no way I'm going to play the DLC's, because I'm not going through that again. I did, however, pick up Red Dead Redemption 2 after that, and I've not felt one tiny bit of exhaustion from that game, aside from the usual Console -> PC controls. RDR2 was just more detailed, the story was infinitely more interesting, and I wasn't vomiting at the end of it, like I was with AC: Valhalla. Like I mentioned on one of your other videos, I also didn't feel sick of Assassin's Creed: Odyssey. So yeah, it all depends how you fill out the open world with content, and the pacing of such.

[@jayveeeee]

Sounds like we had similar experiences! It's also weird how we can compare games that seem so similar (Odyssey and Valhalla) and yet one can feel more exhausting than the other. From the outside it probably sounds insane, but there's a lot of tiny ways these games end up feel different.

[@TNKHART]

Yep. I hit a wall with AC. I uninstalled it. I bought Red Dead Redemption 2 last month. Not sure why I took so long but I'm really enjoying it.

[@steff97official]

Really interesting because I feel totally opposite. I just couldn’t continue RDR2 after playing it for around 6-7 hours. It felt boring and controls and camera movement were sooo weird I just couldn’t get used to. On the other side, Valhalla’s story kept me interested in most of the time and I enjoyed it a lot and still do, except I have nothing left to do since I finished everything and the game isn’t replayable

[@steff97official]

@no info what? lmao that’s just my opinion of the game.. everything was feeling so slow, camera movement felt super weird like it was meant to be played with a controler, it was cinematic in a way.. idk how to explain.. and general movement of the character was also weird and slow.. i don’t like that so i couldn’t play

[@steff97official]

@no info yeah thought so, i can’t play on a controller any game, feels very limiting and boring so yeah 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@ryaquaza3offical]

I feel like Ark: Survival Evolved does open world maps pretty well. Sure the game is a buggy (but addicting) mess but the mixed biomes, varied threats, prehistoric creatures and resources within each of them and the sheer amount of unique creatures you can ride to get around, it doesn’t really get old. The game doesn’t really tell you much ether when it comes to the locations of certain creatures, caves, collectables and resources which really add to the exploration aspect while not feeling too overwhelming. After a few hours of going around the map you’ll quickly realise redwoods spawn microraptors and thylacoleos and swamps spawn sarcosuchus and Titanoboa for example and the unforgiving nature of the game as well as the ability to change pretty much everything in the game to your liking really helps it being memorable. There’s a reason why Ark is still popular and getting played to this day, and it ain’t because it’s a polished product but more so it’s just generally a fun time.

[@whocares9033]

I love Ark, but, like with all survival games, I find having to eat and drink to be tedious. I usually change the sliders up before I play.

[@chexmax2848]

my biggest issue with open world games is the constant fear of missing out on content that's actually worthwhile. i want to experience everything a game has to offer but i don’t want to slog through every single copy paste side mission or explore every crevice of a gargantuan map to find interesting content. I fucking hate it when a game locks me out of a quest because I didn't find a random npc in the middle of nowhere and listen to their entire backstory (looking at you, elden ring)

[@threestars2164]

Elden ring has possibly the worst sidequest design in gaming.

[@Safewoood]

Ac4 was a great use of open world, the naval combat was sick and I loved beeing able to just hop ashore wherever. I'd love to see a game do something similar with modern tech

[@littlestarshepherd]

The advantage with a game like Skyrim is that with the huge dedicated mod community, you can completely overhaul your game and tailor it to be exactly the experience you want to have. It is truly something wonderful and it even birthed masterpieces that became their own independent video games (like The Forgotten City for instance). Personally, I am a roleplayer, I LOVE realism, immersive and survival. My Skyrim (or Fallout 4) is A LOT MORE than the original game. They do not just add gameplay mechanics or nice new textures but new quests or fully-voiced characters sometimes with a quality even surpassing those from the original game. And they are all made by fans, accessible for free, you just need to learn how to tinker a bit or maybe you'll find the exact automated modlist of your dreams. I'm never getting bored of open-world games like this. Maybe more players should try it rather than getting stuck on the old ways and placing all their trust in an industry that will often fail to live up to their expectations... That said, from what you said in the video you like, you should DEFINITELY try out Kingdome Come: Deliverance and Outward. It doesn't hold your end, and in KCD you get a map without knowing where you are on it, and in Outward, the map is static too but you have a compass, so it makes it definitely challenging and realistic to navigate. When playing Skyrim I use similar mods, to have a static paper map and hide my Hud from all this unnecessary info I only need in battle, so I can actually enjoy the whole experience and beautiful scenery like I'm truly there (and without even needing VR haha). Also, funny one of your complaints with the last Assassin's Creed is one of my complaints with The Witcher 3 (with the person you have to find) or Oblivion/Skyrim (which are about an end of the world incoming). It makes no sense for Geralt (or the Champion/Dovakhiin) to go on all those side missions when we consider the emergency of the situation. That's also the big difference between Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age 2, which didn't give us too many side quests, and when they were they could be accomplished around where we had our main quest, the games were more linear, less "open world", and Dragon Age: Inquisition which gave us too many things to do that we shouldn't have been doing, realistically considering our position, or that made us go out of our way to finish (going in places far from where the main action was happening). I think that's why I'm not for a game being "open world" when the main story is about the end of the world or things like that should logically come with a time limit. For The Witcher, they could have allowed us to take on all those contracts and be free to roam the world AFTER the main quest was done. It would have made a lot more sense to me...

[@ArmandoReportes]

I think it's funny when Geralt goes: - I have to find Ciri. She might be dead, dying, cursed or worse. Show me your wares. A round or two of Gwent? Sure. Oh, so you also play Gwent? Ok

[@joemccormack9910]

I just finished Horizon, which for me has one of the most unique worlds and ideas I've seen in a video game. Definitely think it brings something fresh to the open world genre while also sticking faithfully to the core structure of these games

[@TheShicksinator]

Seconded. Horizon reminded me of what an open world should be. Like on paper it should kill me because it's every Ubisoft gameplay cliche, but it pulls off those tropes well enough that I remembered what made them popular to begin with.

[@TheShicksinator]

Like even the hunting grounds which I thought would be filler challenge BS were amazingly engaging.

[@DragaXZ]

Does it though? Typical Bandit camps, picking up flowers, hunting, collectables. Just like pretty much every open world game out there.

[@ellealine4159]

@@DragaXZ but what sets it apart is that you usually don't have to do anything. You want to. I find that I like open world games when it can take you forever to get to point b first, but when you go back it's actually not a really big area. You just spent a lot of time exploring

[@biofriik]

Anyone looking for an open world game that avoids the pitfalls mentioned in this video should try the first Prototype game. It has exhilarating movement without any fast travel, missions that can be approached in a variety of ways and varied side-content.

[@jayveeeee]

Oooooo I played those forever ago but I don't really remember them. Maybe it's time to give it another shot?

[@biofriik]

@@jayveeeee The first game is amazing and I consider it one of the most underrated open-world games released on the 7th gen consoles. The second game sadly committed many of the mistakes that you pointed out in the video. The missions became more linear and didn't allow much experimentation. The movement didn't have the same momentum that made the previous game so enjoyable. There was less side content and it managed to be less engaging and less rewarding. And don't even get me started on the story...

[@ernestisom5878]

Another good game is divinity original sin 2

[@thanatosor]

Ppl eventually realize they are still trapped inside a box with similar things

[@clockworkthoughts7830]

I love BOTW, but early in my play-through I realized that I would need to be really careful with how I played it to avoid getting burned out. I really strung out my exploration of the world and did the divine beasts one at a time, and very slowly. I also tried to bounce around different areas frequently to avoid my perfectionism taking over and feeling like I needed to explore every nook and cranny of one area before moving on to the next one. The feeling of exploring new areas is part of the joy of games to me, so I knew that if I didn't save some areas until late in the game, I would lose a lot of the joy early. After 100 hours of game play, I still had one divine beast left and some regions I hadn't downloaded the map for. This left me with something to look forward to.

[@CaptainsWilds]

There definitely are a lot where it can feel restrictive or like you're forced to follow certain things the game tells you to. Although for me I felt Death Stranding did a really good job at avoiding those. In it, the game allows for a lot of freedom in traversal and I found the mystery of the world really investing. So, that one I loved how it handled a lot of these things. Also, there's a cool little detail with fast travel where it hurts the character Fragile when you use it.

[@jayveeeee]

I'm kicking myself that I still haven't finished that game. I played the first few hours and then just didn't go back to it. I'm going to give it another shot with the director's cut!

[@CaptainsWilds]

@@jayveeeee Awesome! 👍

[@Freddie2k]

You're the guy from twitter. What a coincidence

[@dodesskiy1]

I'm hating RDR 2 right now for that. Even though they gave me some rope by now. You start a quest, any quest, you are on their leash. I'm trying to get through it since I bought the danged thing. I wish I never did. Flashy, fancy, bad gameplay to me.

[@cjmars822]

I would like to say that Ghost of Tsushima wind mechanic was a stroke of genius. It’s better than on screen markers. I do understand your point though

[@roe__jogan]

I don’t understand the praise for Ghost. The combat is good, and the gameplay loop is semi-rewarding. But their open world has as much character and life and a Ubisoft title, and feels like a chore half way through. How many foxes do I need to follow?

[@cjmars822]

@@roe__jogan To each their own. I play the game slowly, exploring as much as possible with many of the HUD features disabled. Depending on your definition of an empty world, I find Ghost to be full of birds and beasts, refugees from the war, and of course Mongols. The concept of letting the wind guide me is a bonus in my style of play because I don’t need to rely on a map. That said, I do understand that people play differently and will take away from their experiences what they will. And you can follow as many foxes as you choose to 😁

[@frankreynolds4413]

I get this…I recommended red dead 2 to my good friend who just got a PS4 and his response was “I’m just tired of open world I want something more linear”

[@dodesskiy1]

Did he ever play L.A. Noire? Did you? It's incredible, and it is a bit more linear, but at the same time more realistic and for the brain than any game I've played.

[@frankreynolds4413]

@@dodesskiy1 so I haven’t played LA Noire but I know that he did on ps3 and has recommended it to me on occasions. I plan on playing it if I ever see it go on a good sale. I’m a little short on funds atm but will def check it out one day :)

[@Lucas-wj8kl]

Divinity Original Sin 2 is good.

[@RandomGirl119]

Although Genshin Impact can be quite the resource grind for building your characters, I feel like it handles its open world pretty well. Every time they release a new region to explore, I end up using the map pins to mark notable things because I know I'm going to end up sidetracked by something else and wander far away from the other stuff I was going to do. New areas bring new styles of puzzles and even new mechanics. Inazuma introduced boats, while Sumeru introduced special plants that you interact with by using certain elemental abilities on them, and I don't even know what Fontaine is going to introduce later this year. Sumeru even improved upon a mechanic in Inazuma that gave us things to "grapple" to, to aid us in vertical traversal. They do their best to keep the map from feeling empty by not just sprinkling settlements, puzzles, chests, and enemy camps around the regions, but also caves, ruins, and other notable locations. It also helps that everything has lore. - The Thousand Winds Temple ruins east of Mondstadt is shaped like an arena because it was once a theater where people performed mock battles that they believed would entertain the gods. - The islet of Sal Terrae in the northeast of Liyue has piles of salt on it because it is where the Goddess of Salt and her followers took shelter during a massive war between the gods. - The ruins beneath Tsurumi Island of Inazuma have ancient murals from a previous era, showing how the people there used to worship the moon and a god named Trivia. - Sumeru has three enormous robots that have fallen to ruin, all of which you can explore inside of. These machines, known to modern people as Ruin Golems, came from a civilization called Khaenri'ah, which was destroyed by gods a mere 500 years ago. Khaenri'ah is actually a pretty important part of the overarching story in Genshin. Those are just singular examples for the four nations we have so far, without even mentioning the current sub-regions Dragonspine, the Chasm, and Enkanomiya. A lot of people skip through dialogue in the side quests in Genshin, expecting them to be fetch quests or clear the area quests, but Genshin actually has a lot of side quests that tell their own stories and even provide lore, whether it's a singular side quest or an entire quest line. In Inazuma's Sacred Sakura Cleansing side quest line, players got so attached to the NPC Hanachirusato (formerly known as Kazari) that a lot of us got upset when the mask she left behind disappeared from our inventory when we used it to learn a weapon forging blueprint. To make up for it, the developers added a furniture item of her mask, so we can put it in our house to remember her by. Some side quests also change aspects of the environment in the game permanently, causing your actions to have an effect on the world. And don't get me started on "Hidden Exploration Objectives", which you stumble upon and pursue yourself due to the fact that they don't show up in your Quest menu. There's even one in Inazuma that you have to continue doing for a few days to _unlock_ a secret side quest. There are things that Genshin does that annoy players, but there are also things that it does right for those of us who love exploring, investigating, and looking into the lore and stories that it has to tell us. I've seen it said that Hoyoverse is in the business of telling stories, and adding a gacha system is just how they fund the production of those stories.

[@sirfanatical8763]

I never fast travel in Skyrim. Idk why but I just like walking around there.

[@HowBigistheMap]

I don't do all these missions in these open world games. Too exhausting!! I just walk across the maps and enjoy the scenery :)

[@aaronmcintosh8981]

I have to disagree with you on the part about games “holding you hand” feeling exhausting. I hated that about Valhalla because it didn’t have that. If there was a side quest or an objective that you had to do, you had no way of knowing where to go and where look (most not all). Then you’re left wondering around for 30 minutes, and ultimately having to look up a tutorial on the quest. THAT is exhausting, and overall just lazy on behalf of the developers. At least GOT made it creative with the wind.

[@jordiejenkins6175]

I LOVE open world games. I feel very restricted by a strict quest-line. In non open-world games I often find myself enjoying the side quests more than the main story. I like how the choice is given to me about not only when I get to do the quest but also how I get to do it

[@Alejosales]

I never thought that much about fast travel until you pointed it out. Now thinking back it does feel sometimes like a chore. There’s no effort. No reward. You’re just completing tasks like a food checklist you take to the the supermarket. It’s no fun. The struggle IS the fun.

[@adewan]

I too used to love the open world side of things, but as I grew up my patience grew thinner and I no longer can tolerate huge, empty worlds which barely add anything to the experience. Nowadays I'd argue that I actually would rather if everyone released games that have the souls style linear progression. Even though it's very linear and has a clear goal set for you on paper, you're still freer than you are in open world games.

[@erroldunn5947]

I agree. There has to be a balance between linear and open. The sweet spot. I'm the same as well. I prefer to play linear open world like platformers(one game that comes in mind is super Mario 3d world)...or even the TR reboot series. If I do play an open world game, it has to captivate me immensely

[@awsome182]

My issue with Zelda BotW was that the map was so big but there were huge areas in which there was nothing to be found. I played 100% of the game, so ja, I've been everywhere and looked in every little nook and cranny. And there were barren areas. And with barren I mean: no secrets, no collectables, nothing.

[@natesamadhi33]

Also, the thing that irritated me about BOTW was that very few items were worth the trek. Some missions put you through so much over a long span, just for you to run into a generic shrine & a weak ass item. It was like the game was too stupid to know how to respect my time. The only parts of BOTW that I really liked were the Master Sword Trials & the Champion's Ballad (but even those felt just a little bloated)

[@MsYunaFires]

"If I drop an apple in front of my horse, he'll eat it" today I learned something new. BotW is the gift that keeps on giving, long after someone has finished playing it

[@boglurker2043]

As a kid I loved open world games because I could spend most of my day exploring them. As an adult I audibly groan when seeing a game I'm interested in is open world; I simply just don't have the time to fully explore these games anymore. I think the last one I actually enjoyed and throughly explored was witcher 3. I tend to gravitate to more linear games now because they generally have less explorative content and are more story focused.

[@Juju-co8ys]

I think the key thing about making the open world Exhaustion has to do with how good the story is. If the story is super good it’ll make me explore the open world because I don’t wanna finish the story just yet. I’m trying hold off as long as I can. So when the story is average and you start to realize it the world becomes boring. Making me just wanna beat the story to beat it making me wanna fast travel every chance I get.

[@chrisnewton2325]

No game has wasted my time more then assassin's Creed Valhalla. I've never felt so drained from a open world game in my life

[@BeatmasterAC]

* Laughs in Elder Scrolls Daggerfall *

[@lukemitchell5962]

This was great, thank you. Sometimes open world games feel so large and overwhelming that I just give up and stop playing. Fallout 4 is an example of this.

[@MMoer]

Fall put 4 was great for me but a game like just cause 4... Sjeez

[@dodesskiy1]

To me it's always is it fun doing what's there? If it's Odyssey's sneaking around using skills clearing out fort after fort with stealth better than all earlier games why not? If it's mindless right shoulder button plus square, or a changed layout to still do the same... Yeah that got to me and quick. The stuff you do in those big worlds needs to be fun, it won't be a chore then. Like Elite Sniper 4 I played not long ago. Yeah he does the same things basically. But it's so much fun to stealth. The enemies do think and react well. It wasn't a chore clearing out each area. I tried finding all collectibles too. Thinking of replaying it's so good.

[@outphase78]

This concept is what turned me off to Ghost of Tsushima. As much as I want to love the game like others, it was so open with the same small side objectives and felt bland to explore because of just large masses of grassland. It's a shame because I was invested in the story but was bored of traversal back and forth on the map.

[@adambenini1022]

Couldn’t agree more. I recall Shenmue. When there was a mystery or something to find or find out I actually had to do it on my own. Not like most current games where there’s a mystery or something to find and it’s automatically marked on the map. No fun.

[@BlobBlobkins]

Gothic 1 and 2 is the best example of open world, period. Every corner is important, world is not huge, you have whole map in your head. You know every direction where you go abd where are you.

[@pranabthomas9857]

So true. I used to savor each moment when playing AC, but now its getting quite boring as many of the quests are just too easy. Also God of War 4 is one of the open world games i never feel exhausted in. You need to locate the chests on ur own(without the help of the marking system) and the enemies basically come to u. They arent just standing around waiting to get killed. Also u have to navigate to ur (on ur own)destination through so many areas. Whenever im trying to go to a specific place i come across a new challenge or even a hidden chest. Amazing Loot can be right next to u but u dont even notice.

[@burstlight7]

I still love open world games! There are comparatively few of them compared to others.

[@osamabashir5646]

Me too i am currently playing far cry 4 and fallout new vegas. I know i am pretty late but both games are phenomenal.

[@SirForwyn]

I personally believe that The Witcher 3 and Red Dead Redemption 2 have the best open world experiences; I never played Breath of The Wild, but I'm sure it would have been in the top 3 for me.

[@mandatrev2992]

I agree with you

[@shanestephens1456]

Man I totally agree on being able to "touch" things, as in skyrim or oblivion. I hate when a RPG game has rooms and items that look as though they're painted on a movie backdrop.

[@poohwithtimbs7027]

I think what makes it exhausting is the thought of needing to grind just to even get a cool weapon or armor set really turns me off. I like to play games to immediately get some enjoyment and action from a game after a long day I have irl. So needing to work up for my stuff in a video game can turn me off because of it.