After watching the recent Watch Dogs story trailer, I’m reminded of how that game is aiming to deliver a strong narrative alongside its promise of a vast, dynamic open world. What’s exciting about this prospect is that it presents the possibility of having not only a strong story to follow from start to finish, but also genuinely fun side objectives and experiences. Ubisoft is already responsible for some of my personal favorite open world games, including Assassin’s Creed II and Far Cry 3 (Blood Dragon was also good fun). With the next gen already here, it’s becoming more apparent that the possibilities for open world games are becoming more and more appealing.
When we’re not getting arguing about resolutions and which next gen system are better, gamers are on the keen lookout for more news regarding upcoming big titles. The Division is one such title which is highly anticipated, though recent reports suggested that it won’t release this year. Fans are very eager for games like Destiny which will be coming out much later this year and inFAMOUS: Second Son which is coming out very soon. What all these games share of course is that they’re all open world games. I should note that I don’t think that all next gen games will end up being open world and there’s still a place for strong linear experiences and other genres. Some of the best stories of last year have come from linear storytelling, such as Bioshock Infinite. But what makes the open world games of this new gen so interesting is how the narrative focus has caught up to the level of freedom within the game world. Last year’s GTAV was a good indication of how a strong story can be told alongside an open world full of fun activities and side adventures. What makes this good for gamers as a whole is that it’ll allow them to experience the amazing cinematic experiences of a linear story campaign with the more organic and dynamic experiences of an open world.
Not everyone is fond of games where you’re meant to make your own fun and the thought of being placed in a sandbox with nothing to do is overwhelming for them. Many gamers, myself included, enjoy it more when we have a clear objective and destination to aspire for, as opposed to not being given a set purpose. It’s what separates those who enjoy open world games to linear games, with few exceptions of certain games in the past hat have bridged the gap well. Games like Minecraft are more fun for players who have the imagination and drive to create their own experiences, build their own structures and have genuinely fun moments. Whereas, a game like Max Payne 3 is for those who enjoy following a strong plot with characters, objectives and a goal. Neither is the ‘right’ type of game since each experience is unique to the individual, but where the newer open world games excel is in taking these two and combining them. If Destiny is as comprehensive as promised, you’ll be able to either follow the narrative directly and seek answers to the lore or you can ignore it entirely and seek your own journey. One of the biggest positives of games like Skyrim is how they give you the choice to do either of these things, chasing the plot or maybe just fighting dragons. Player choice is a big part of what makes a game appealing to many, so if a game has conquered this aspect, it’s sure to do well overall.
Technology has advanced to the point where we can have enough memory space, processing and graphical power to not only make a game look good, but play good as well. In the past, open world games were limited by the current hardware they were on and sandboxes were often filled with buildings that can’t be entered and NPCs that are carbon copies with scripted responses. Part of what delayed Watch Dogs was how the dev team felt that the game wasn’t fun and there weren’t enough dynamic experiences created by the AI. Open world games now have the ability to not just show you a world that looks interesting but also one that can be interacted with at will, one that can be changed and influenced. Cinematic set pieces are no longer reserved for linear games anymore and I’ve been very impressed by games like Far Cry 3 that tell a convincing story within a big open world, with convincing characters. We’re just at the beginning of the new gen and in the near future, we may have the technology to create experiences where every building and NPC can be interacted with. It works well to make the world in the game more believable and make you feel like you’re actually there. Deus Ex: Human Revolution had one of the most believable settings, where you walk through the orange neon-tinted streets of a futuristic Detroit, seeing all the citizens and fighting through warehouses and factories. The more the next gen can push the limits of what we can do with an authentic experience, the closer open world games can get to making us feel like we’re really in that world.
Online capabilities will also be a big part of next-gen open world experiences. Destiny and The Division will have a MMO style co-op focus, allowing players to team up to explore the world, whilst Watch Dogs will have a 8 player free roam multiplayer. Integrating online functionality with a singleplayer experience will further the pursuit of having an almost indistinguishable multiplayer and singleplayer experience. While games like GTAV have a separate online portion to the singleplayer campaign, Destiny will allow you to play the game like you’re playing a singleplayer game but will allow for players to join you in real time and be a part of your adventure. Drop in play isn’t something particularly new, since games like Borderlands allow you to play with up to 3 friends at any time. How seamless the transition is, however, varies from game to game, with some being more successful than others. Also, it’s important to remember that not everyone enjoys multiplayer gaming, so a lot of these features will be lost on those who prefer playing on their own to interacting with online players. It’s the job of the game developers to make the system work well and market the multiplayer component as worthwhile for players, since multiplayer gaming carries its own stigmatism.
Open world games aren’t perfect and some of the best ones suffer from strange problems. Glitches, game breaking bugs, corrupted saves and death loops are some of the very real problems that plague a lot of open world games. Some of these are hilarious and interesting to watch, while others are enough to ruin a game for someone or take them out of the experience. Without the immersion caused by a believable world, a game experience becomes fragmented and gamers will lose interest. Also, for all the potentially dynamic events that can occur in an open world, organic experiences aren’t something that everyone can witness and often real time events go unnoticed. So it’s not at all smooth sailing for open world games and they have a lot to live up to if they want to be successful. With more and more open world games being announced as time goes on, gamers have a lot to look forward to regardless, including the surprise announcement of Batman: Arkham Knight. Whether or not open world games succeed in delivering the authentic experience they strive for is yet to be seen, but I for one am very excited to see how far gaming can go with the next gen and open world games.
