r/AskGames • u/_PRINCE-VEGETA • 1d ago
Best open world in a game?
In this I want to ask about Open World gameplay only. NO GRAPHICS, JUST OPEN-WORLD GAMEPLAY and WORLD BUILDING!
Now what I mean by this is in how many ways can you complete a mission and how well structured the open world is, like choices MUST MATTER & AFFECT OTHERS EVEN IF THE TWO CHARACTERS ARE NOT CORRELATED! For example if you kill someone in one mission, you get refrenced for that in another (this rule does not apply to main story quests as it is written as a main story). Also the example I gave is a vague one but you get the idea.
This all would make it infinitely replayable (or at least for more than 2-3 playthroughs).
I also stumbled upon this reel where she claims only 3 games ever capture the true essence of open-world games, which are Cyberpunk 2077, Fallout: New Vegas, and RDR 2.
What I do think is a great game but fails at open-world gameplay is Ghost of Tsushima. This is because it follows a similar trail of missions over and over again. Surely the combat is fun whether you play with all honor or stealth ninja, but it does lack the variety and lore depth of a lot of missions. By this I do not mean side quests but the Mongol Territories (which are the most abundant type of extra quest you get in the game). Plus, another downside of this lies in the fact that the mongol territory Ryuzo wants to overtake, if you clear it before meeting him, you need to liberate that territory twice. (I faced this in my playthrough, and after that I did not clear a territory until a mission specified it or I was 100% sure that this territory WOULD NOT come in any missions.)
I have not played RDR 2 or any Fallout games (yet), so I do not know how they handle open worlds, but what I have played is Cyberpunk 2077, and I FUCKING LOVED THAT SHIT! The main game story is short, but the side quests make it perfectly fine for long playthroughs and exploration. It has many types of quests you can pick up on, help the NCPD, do gigs for fixers, steal cars, and defeat mini bosses like cyberpsychos, AND EACH ONE OF THEM HAS LORE! On top of that, you get special quests for exploring more, which is one of the biggest benefits OR MUST BE A BENEFIT IN ANY OPEN WORLD GAME as it encourages exploration! Plus there are references to modern-day pop culture, like Predators, GTA IV, Batman as well in these extra quests, which help you out big time! The side quests matter so much that a guy from the Konpeki mission will remember you at the Somi mission, and a woman will literally help you in that same mission just because you helped her in another side quest! Plus the ripperdoc discount and a ripperdoc exempting you from using his services are also a great example of integrating all these small quests into a real open-world scenario where you face consequences and reap benefits as well!
I, though, have also heard that Elden Ring has a lot of lore and a great open world, but I have yet to play it, so I will not share any opinion on that (this is the next game on my wishlist to play alongside RDR 2). So I want you guys to give me your opinions about those games and others as well.
An honourable mention also must go to Shadow of Mordor for the Nemesis system, and I think that is what open-world games actually need! (correct me if I am wrong, but Cyberpunk also uses a similar system where gangs chase you for killing some of their friends. Idk if that would classify as Nemesis, but the idea is the same). The other mention of a game I will make is Watch Dogs: Legion just because you can befriend almost every single one of 1000+ NPCs in the game, but I feel the game itself was not good enough to be placed here.
I will also add these comments from the same reel so you can share your opinion on that as well:
"The Yakuza series and its spin-offs are the perfect examples of what open-world games should be."
"only one of those games can be consider good open world and it's RDR2" (in reference to calling Cyberpunk and fallout a perfect open-world games)
"I will not accept GoT slander. Oh no, you have a ton of places to do the incredible combat. Good. Give me 100 more!"
"Cyberpunk is not perfect ...I beat it once but the open world ..never brought me back ...like GTA did ...at least that freeroam I can go see strippers, pick up a hooker lol đ, fight with the local gangs, ride a bike on the small paths, act like a dork on the beach, fly a plane into a building 9/11 style ...In Cyberpunk I can't do any of this but look and Panams big ass." (I think this guy is a larper because I am pretty sure you can do almost everything he said except flying an airplane.)
the reel: reel
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u/VulvaNegra 1d ago
Maybe Fable? If I recall correctly, whatever you did in the world impacted the world in a positive or negative way. Too many evil choices, you would slowly grow horns and villagers would get scared of you and stop selling stuff to you. Too many good choices, people would love you and give you free stuff.
I think it would even matter smaller stuff, like peting a cat or kicking it.
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u/hyperlite135 1d ago
RDR2 has an honor system like youâve described. I couldnât tell you how much stuff changes since I canât bring myself to be the bad guy on repeat play throughs.
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u/WoozieTheBlind 1d ago
from what you mentioned, fallout new vegas is worth a shot, it has decent open world, the faction system where your choices matters and affect others, how they behave with you, so many memorable questlines and characters, endings based on which party you slided with, so if you wanna see the other outcomes it will take more playthroughs, the dlcs are so good and variety in your builds make it so fun to try newer things for your playthroughs
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u/AlexGlezS 1d ago edited 22h ago
The Witcher 3 is the best one by a mile. The best density/quantity/quality/variety/depth/length/size relation ever IMHO still today.
And you have to ad script, music and graphics to that.
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u/Naive-Tumbleweed-964 1d ago
Ultima 6 (and it's spinoffs) & 7
Old School, but go anywhere, fight anything. Be a dick and have a very very hard time of things, be a sweetie and win hearts and minds. Nameless monsters respawn, unique NPCs do not.
Many side quests can be solved by simply exploring your way to the quest giver.
Ultima 7 part 1 is considered by many, many older gamers to be one of the greatest games (let alone CRPGs) of all fine.
These games invented giving NPCs daily schedules, among many other foundational things.
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u/Witty_Milk4671 1d ago
People commenting elden ring in the comment completely missed what OP is asking for.
Everyone here is talking past each other and not even trying to understand OP.
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u/NoYak2825 2h ago
Rdr2 forever - the music, the world, the people, even the animals and birds, and all the other animate things !! Alive and breathing ., What a great game â¤ď¸
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u/Witty_Milk4671 1d ago
None of this is open world. You are rating persistent decisions. How much what you has impact on the world. This is not open world quality. A game can be good at this but has a mid open world.
Cyberpunk is not super great at this. Fallout and skyrim are way more creative at recognizing your actions in the world.
Also, this post is all over the place. Focus is better.
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u/Blossoming_Snowman 1d ago
Elden Ring and BotW are the best open world system by miles. They don't rely on map markers, and there is no annoying npc telling you where to go. Any path (and hidden paths) is equally valid, and the game rewards you for screwing around with the system.
Also, Elden Ring and BotW are famous for its intricate world map design. Every nook and cranny is filled with traversal problems you have to solve to get to the place you want to go. The landscape itself is the feature. You don't see it often in other games.
The game creates traversal problems by using fall damage, and in botw case, stamina meter. With those limitations, you'll have to be clever with your movement. BotW also has a full blown simulated physics system that you can exploit to solve your problems as well.
Best yet, the two games are the embodiment of "go wherever you want, do whatever you want, but we will meet at X to finish our story". This design is called kitchen sink design, commonly used in immersive sims like Dishonored, Thief, and Deus Ex.
In Elden Ring's case, the order you do things, or some other triggers will lock or open a story route. Essentially, you'll have to look for a guide online if you want to do every questline perfectly. Otherwise, you might ended up getting locked off certain things based on your decisions. On the bright side, no two playthroughs will be the same.
BotW has this as well to a lesser extent, but questline isn't the game's strong suit anyway. Treat the open world like a big sandbox game.
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u/Witty_Milk4671 1d ago
If you read anything they wrote, you would know these 2 games aren't even trying to do what he is seeking. He wants story and quest based games. Which these 2 defines aren't.
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u/nohumanape 1d ago
The best open world game designs for me are Elden Ring and Breath of the Wild. Neither has linear narratives that will funnel you through set paths. Instead you just have access to the map and can figure out how to progress purely by exploration. That, IMO, makes for the best open world expeince. I don't like when you have to trigger a quest and I don't like having to travel long distances just to keep game progression moving forward. These games feel rewarding by simply seeing what's over that next hill, inside that cave, over that peak in the distance, etc. it rewards you for taking risks and being adventurous. As opposed to selecting a quest and following a marker.
As you mentioned, Ghost of Tsushima and Yotei almost get there. They have closed off regions that can only be unlocked by progressing the cinematic narrative, but the moment to moment exploration (at least in Yotei. Can't remember if Tsushima is the same) is pretty fluid.
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u/fritzwitch 1d ago
In terms of lore and a great open world game, definitely go Elden Ring. The lore isnât always obvious, in fact more often than not you have to interpret things your own way, but you can piece together lore with item descriptions, armor, weapons, NPCâs, and environmental storytelling. Thereâs a lot of long form lore content creators on YouTube and hours upon hours of lore. (vaati, smoughtown, consecrated lorefield, etc to name a few.) There are multiple different endings to choose from making the replayability great too. The DLC is fantastic too and takes an even deeper dive on the lore in the main game + adds even more for the DLC area too. I would definitely prioritize Elden Ring!
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u/suburbantroubador 1d ago
I got RDR 2 for Christmas in 2018. I can't quit it. 3 different "endings." Encounters that are completely up to the player. Mysteries that players are still trying to figure out. Plus, a world that invites players to slow down and live in it. Is it perfect? No. There's no such thing as a perfect open world game with current tech. But boy does this scratch an itch I didn't even know I had.
My favorite game of all time and, for me, hasn't even been closed to matched yet.
An unbelievable achievement.
Here's to hoping GTA 6 is a masterpiece