120°

Why Open World Games Don’t Work

In this article we take a look at: Why Open-world Games don't work.

steve30x4131d ago

Rubbish. Sandbox games almost always sell very well. Skyrim and GTA games sell huge ammounts and people love the ga,es This news article is just somebodys opinion on why they dont like sandbox games

nzk04131d ago

Read the article, the author is a huge Open World fan, it's just a critique :)

steve30x4131d ago

I did read the article before I commented.

Baka-akaB4131d ago (Edited 4131d ago )

It's a poor article taking a single example and the worst one at that , a game that isnt even trying to offer a real narrative but just set you free in a lego world where your actions dont even matter , you can just do whatever you want , it doesnt even pretend it has an impact .

Where are the parts where he'd make the same points and critiques with games like Infamous , Yakuza , GTA , Red Dead redemption , Assassin Creed , Sleeping dogs and many others

DOMination-4130d ago

I like sandbox games but sometimes they can be a bit distracting if they are fully open from the start.

Skyrim for instance.. I love it, played for nearly 100 hours but honestly i look back on the first 20 and think what a waste of time. Because i could do anything, go anywhere i ended up just messing around and not really doing anything.

I like a bit of structure to it. Like on gta they always have some bs reason why you can't cross a bridge until later but it means you get to learn each islands layouts and appreciate them more.

4131d ago
lovegames7184131d ago

Most open world games to me are large worlds filled with emptiness. Repetitive and monotonous affairs that bores me to death. I own Farcry3, Assn Creed and other open world games and the feeling was the same across all those games. The only one that was open world that didnt give me that repetitious and empty feeling was Infamous 2.

Rainstorm814131d ago (Edited 4131d ago )

Buy a Rockstar open world game (not LA Noire) or try Sleeping Dogs.......Also the thing with open world games is they are virtual sandboxes, you have to use what they give you to craft a fun time in the world (just Cause2) ....it just takes imagination

But hey open world games aren't for everyone some people need much more linear games, it's easy to get overwhelmed by some open worlds variety, where its so much to do that you easily lose sight of what to do (AC3/NFS:MW)

Coach_McGuirk4131d ago

I've always felt that open-world games were for people with vibrant imaginations, who don't need a storyline to tie everything together.

Hydralysk4131d ago (Edited 4131d ago )

So I'm paying $60 for simply a set of game mechanics? Imagination is free, I shouldn't have to do the writer's job for them if I'm paying them.

The majority (not all mind you) of open world games side-quests or exploration just result in killing X number of the game's standard mooks, or driving from point A to point B in under X seconds. Good luck imagining compelling reasons for all of those.

Coach_McGuirk4131d ago

If that's how you feel then you probably shouldn't spend $60 on it.. My point was that certain people enjoy this type of open-ended gameplay. You're obviously not one of those people.

bluetoto4130d ago

It's simple really, some gamers like to be told how they should enjoy their gaming experience and others like to do as they please.

Most open world games allow unlimited freedom while linear games offer a straight focused story.

"The majority (not all mind you) of open world games side-quests or exploration just result in killing X number of the game's standard mooks, or driving from point A to point B in under X seconds"

The same can be said for linear games as well, even more so. The entire game consists of clearing one area after another, usually behind cover. Even worse most of the "driving" sections of linear games are on rails.

Not putting down linear games at all though, UC series has some of the best experiences, but leaves little desire to replay the same straight line SP unless you're going for trophies.

A2X_4131d ago

Red Dead Redemption is a fine exemple of storytelling in a sandbox game.

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370°

Anyone else not blown away with graphics these days? Me neither

Talal writes: "I'm talking about having that rush of excitement - that feeling you get when you know you've just made a memory for a lifetime."

Read Full Story >>
videogamer.com
OptimusDK19h ago

There are different games. Some have gamplay at it highest priority, some have the story, some have the replay value and choices... There are a lot of different game experiences.

It is laughable that just now graphics does not have anything to do with that experiene. We have had many games of that type over time. This is just the one that have come closest to feel like playing an actual movie. Just look the the Digital foundry walkthrough it is a masterpiece in that perspective and hence wrth trying. But yes do not do it for the gameplay - but that was never the goal of this experience.

GamerRN12h ago

It's because it's on Xbox. When Xbox has amazing graphics, they don't matter. When PlayStation does, it's a game changer!

Lightning7711h ago

Pretty much my thoughts. They were technical marvel's on PS and still are. The moment Xbox puts out a graphically intense game is doesn't matter suddenly.

4 years ago this month would the UE5 tech demo debut with the girl flying (tech demo said it was only possible on PS5 because of the SSD. Glad to finally see it in its glory.

fr0sty10h ago

FFS, gaming journalism has really gone downhill. At least hire people with a basic grasp of grammar... "Me neither" means the exact opposite of what the "author" is trying to say. That's like saying "I could care less"... lol.

S2Killinit10h ago

Maybe because the gameplay being dull allowed it to have the amazing graphics and people are not as impressed by graphics alone anymore? I mean there is a lot of sites saying the story and the gameplay are lackluster. So what are we supposed to enjoy then? Cgi graphics are beautiful but since they arent interactive, they dont impress me as much as they used to. Thats an extreme example, but you get my drift.

Terry_B5h ago

When Playstation (Sony) does it..its usually a great game and not a cinematic experience..or at least something new at the time..like Until Dawn back in 2015.

1Victor3h ago

@gamer:” It's because it's on Xbox. When Xbox has amazing graphics, they don't matter. When PlayStation does, it's a game changer!”

The game looks as good as any other PlayStation game in my eyes why can’t you and the other hardcore Xbox be happy about it and drag PlayStation into every conversation and force PlayStation hardcore to look into the game and find flaw that most games have in one way or another.
@light: “ 4 years ago this month would the UE5 tech demo debut with the girl flying (tech demo said it was only possible on PS5 because of the SSD. ”
Yes at that time it was only possible on PlayStation SSD how ignorant of you to think that after 4 years the technology wouldn’t evolved and move to a industry standard 🤦🏿I wish your mentality wasn’t so naive and narrow to post stuff like that 😩 in a year or 2 a new game will come out that might look better, it’s the nature of the industry.

Now that the distraction is gone I feel that is a good thing that the graphics in games are starting to hit the rooftop and hopefully the developers will put more thoughts into story and gameplay mechanics than just the next shiny oily skin of old.

Reaper22_3h ago

So true. Not surprised by all the negativity. It's a really good game and looks better than any game I've ever seen. GOTY nominee for sure. Like I said before, sony screwed up big time by not purchasing Ninja Theory.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 3h ago
MajorLazer2h ago(Edited 2h ago)

We've had graphical gamechangers before, such as Crysis but those games still had gameplay to compliment it. Hellblade pretty much has none, and only achieved such graphics through being incredibly linear and having very small, closed off environments where very little is happening.

19h agoReplies(7)
Kneetos18h ago

Mario kart 8 ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Sonic188118h ago

Horizon forbidden West has great graphics and great gameplay

GamerRN12h ago

Yeah but graphics don't matter, remember?

VincentVanBro13h ago

I agree and I actually think Forbidden West looks better than Hellblade 2. I easily prefer looking at it at least.

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90°

Two Decades Later, the Original Splinter Cell is Still a Masterpiece

They don't make games like this anymore.

Read Full Story >>
gamingbolt.com
vgvill9d ago

Too dated in my book. The AI is way too unpredictable to be acceptable today. It's definitely a game of its time.

Jingsing9d ago (Edited 9d ago )

Agreed with those sentiments. The quality of the CPU controlled characters make or break a stealth game and they are pretty poor in all the Splinter Cell games by today's standard. This is what led me to playing Spies vs Mercs all the time in later games just to get a better stealth experience from a real person. Arguably Sony are making better stealth games albeit not Tom Clancy stuff.

TheProfessional8d ago (Edited 8d ago )

You should stick with fortnite or one of the countless bloodborne style games then. What a joke.

rlow18d ago

I had a good time with the game. It is a product of its time. But when it came out it was a must have game for a lot of people. I wish Ubisoft would make another game in the series or at least a reboot.

vgvill8d ago

They are making a remake, I think. I loved the original game when it was released, but I tried to play it again in recent years and just couldn't get on with it. The same with the older Hitman games.

PrecursorOrb8d ago

Yeah chaos theory still holds up though I gotta say. If you’re a fan of the series I highly suggest you go back to that one. Ubi has said they are remaking sc for “modern audiences”. I don’t have a lot of faith for the future of that company

Chocoburger8d ago (Edited 8d ago )

Due to the lack of modern stealth games, and me constantly playing the MGS series, I've been looking for alternative stealth games to play, and went back and re-played the SC series recently. I wouldn't call SC1 or SC:PT masterpieces, there are AI issues, they're very much trial-and-error games, and that can lead to a lot of frustration. I also found the stories in this series to be boring, uninteresting, and just sloppily told. Cinematics are also of poor quality for both in-game scenes and CG cut-scenes, the soundtrack didn't leave any impression on me either.

Chaos Theory is better, but there was still a lot of room for improvement, and Double Agent (old gen ver.) was a sloppy mess that ended up a regression from CT. But still, at least they tried back then, these days Ubi-junk doesn't even try to make good games!

HvNzSoul7h ago

Everyone needs to quit with all of the unnessacery Ubi-hate. SC Conviction and Blacklist are both still good games.

HvNzSoul6h ago

Everyone needs to quit with all of the unnecessary Ubi-hate. SC Conviction and Blacklist are both still good games, they just weren't 100% focused on stealth with Conviction and they remedied that in Blacklist. The only thing they have released recently that I was disappointed with was Watch Dogs Legion, and Skull & Bones. Everyone seems to be salty about the misleading trailer for the original Watch Dogs and The Division. Which are also, both good games, and actually Watch Dogs seems like it was ahead of its time even with all the trailer drama (having gone back and played recently, can say the game didnt deserve all the flak). Yeah the misleading E3 trailer that had better graphics than release is understandable to a very small degree, when most Teaser Trailers, or Game Demo's only have that portion of the game developed so they use the highest quality assets of w/e they have being showed, or what they are showing was made purely for the showing, allowing for extra polish . As to the gripes about minor game design changes, or cut features upon a games release just goes to show how unknowledgeable most gamers are in terms of how game development works or to even understand what what the hell a WIP, let alone titles still in early development.

Good games from Ubi since 2014 (Year that SC Blacklist Released) include:

Watch Dogs 1 & 2
The Division 1 & 2 (Although I had a hard time getting into The Division 2 at first)
R6 Siege
Ghost Recon Wildlands & Breakpoint
Immortals Fenyx Rising
AC Origins, Odyssey, MIrage (Haven't finished Valhalla games too damn long)
Far Cry Primal, and 5 (6 also has a length issue)
Avatar Frontiers of Pandora
Prince Of Persia The Lost Crown

Haven't played a couple of titles those being For Honor (played at launch but didn't honestly give it an actual go), The Crew, R6 Extraction and at the time of writing this xDefiant.

Even if you absolutely hated any of the above titles, they aren't inherently bad games, they're just good, but not always top quality either.

I say give Ubi credit where credit is due, they at least fix games post launch if they start out rough, Breakpoint is an excellent example this and is such an enjoyable experience now compared to it's launch.

70°

A Matter Of Trust: What The Game Industry Should Do To Win Gamers Back

Skewed and Reviewed have written an Opinion Piece covering issues in the gaming industry, how current issues were issues years ago, and what can be done to help restore consumer trust.

anast14d ago

Nothing. It's up to the gamers to stop consuming content from companies that they don't agree with.

Garethvk14d ago

How do you know if you agree with it or not unless you play it? Which without conventions forces gamers to rely on trailers. Perhaps Demos should be made more frequently. But companies need to do better as well.

anast14d ago

Wait until release. Watch Gameplay. Exercise patience.

Garethvk14d ago

But is that not what they have now? Tons of gameplay or are you talking about watching actual gamers play it versus the trailers and streams? The big issue is that some companies pay streamers and influencers and they create content but for me; that is hardly a fair, unbiased, and factual look at a game.

1nsomniac14d ago

Get rid of the suits in the industry and job done!!

Garethvk14d ago

They usually are attached to the money sadly. It would be nice to have gamers in charge but you have so much money invested that business people are needed. Hence the issue; you need people who know business but are also gamers who know have an eye to the community. It sounds simple in theory that if you give gamers quality games that they want to play; money will be made. But that is not always so.