Have you ever thought about what the best, most complete and flawless open-world game would look like? and how to make it?
All of us gamers, especially those of us who pay a lot more attention to this industry and are always following it, after experiencing an enjoyable and high-quality game, have definitely thought about how that game could be improved and ideally transformed into the best game in that genre.
Today, in a different format, we delve into this idealistic thinking, exploring how, despite the current limitations and the fact that how almost impossible this task is, we could create the most complete and perfect open-world game in history.
But keep in mind that naturally, some features might be contradictory to each other, and it’s almost impossible for an open-world game to implement all the mentioned features without sacrificing others. Regardless, you should not look at our idealistic and perfectionist approach to this open-world game from a logical and critical standpoint.
Which games can we draw inspiration from? and how?
World-building, lore, and rich history of The Elder Scrolls and Warhammer
One of the most important elements that can contribute to shaping the identity and depth of a game world is the concept of world-building, lore, and the creation of the game’s universe. In this aspect, The best games to draw inspiration from are the The Elder Scrolls and Warhammer series.
Among fantasy titles, The Elder Scrolls offers one of the richest game worlds in video games. The races, creatures, factions, and political relationships in the world of The Elder Scrolls and Tamriel are unlike anything else. Despite more than a decade passing since the release of Skyrim and almost two decades since Oblivion, people are still discovering and exploring a lot of information, details, and secrets from The Elder Scrolls series because its individual elements are so deep, detailed, and interconnected. This phenomenon is proof that the world-building and lore of this franchise are incredibly rich.
On the other hand, Warhammer is one of the most expansive and massive fantasy worlds created in the world of literature and art, with millions of fans all over the world. It has appeared in different mediums, from novels to video games, and it stands as one of the largest fantasy franchises. Thousands upon thousands of pages could be filled by writing about the world and events of the Warhammer series because it is so deep and extensive.
Our dream open-world game, can take inspiration from both The Elder Scrolls and Warhammer series in terms of depth, scope, world-building, setting up in-game events, and narrative elements.
The interactive environment, NPCs and realistic elements of Red Dead Redemption 2
First of all, we should point out that if a game, especially in a complex and deep way, has excessive realism, it can significantly overshadow other aspects of the game and potentially compromise its core enjoyment. However, the element of interactivity can strongly contribute to making an open-world game engaging and entertaining.
The more interactive and realistic the world, characters, events, and accidents in a game are, the deeper the immersion of the audience in the game world becomes. This results in players forming stronger bonds with the game world, postponing the onset of monotony and repetition. Our ideal fantasy open-world game can take Red Dead Redemption 2 as a model in terms of world and NPC interactivity, presenting a world where its NPCs, events, and related incidents are not only interactive but also realistic, captivating the player in the process.
The freedom and sandbox of The Legend of Zelda
When discussing freedom of action in activities and maximizing the use of different methods and approaches, the name The Legend of Zelda, especially its recent releases, shines brightly. In terms of sandbox gameplay, The Legend of Zelda not only performs exceptionally by regularly providing several options for achieving objectives in the environment but also serves as an outstanding model for many other great games such as Horizon Forbidden West and Elden Ring.
One of the major aspects that definitely enhances the enjoyment of players is stepping away from pre-determined scenarios and scripted events as much as possible, which results in a free approach to in-game events and exploration of different locations. The sense of not being constrained by imposed tasks adds significantly to the joy of engaging in activities and following objectives. Our ideal open-world game can certainly take the sandbox nature of The Legend of Zelda as a benchmark, where the freedom to explore and interact with the game world is prioritized.
The appeal of side quests from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
When it comes to side quests, most open-world games tend to struggle, with very few game successful in this aspect. However, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has truly set the bar high, surpassing its competitors. The Witcher 3 excelled in creating and presenting amazing side quests, crafting memorable and engaging stories and characters. Many players found themselves spending hours immersed in these side quests and Witcher Contracts, often forgetting about the main storyline. This showcases how incredibly talented the developers are in creating captivating side quests.
A truly perfectionist open-world title must offer really great side quests. Unlike many open-world games, especially those made by Ubisoft, it should not view and present side quests merely as a means of earning money and XP but should present rich and engaging stories. Perhaps a game with amazing side quests, such as The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, can be easily considered the pinnacle of art in this regard. Naturally, we can take inspiration from this masterpiece when pursuing the best side quests within our ideal open-world game.
Side characters and different story choices from Baldur’s Gate 3 and Dragon Age
Usually, most open-world games, especially role-playing ones that lack companions or a party, don’t focus a lot on exploring the personalities of side and supporting characters. In most cases, they touch on the background of some characters by presenting certain side quests. However, some games like Baldur’s Gate 3 and, notably, the Dragon Age series, especially Inquisition and Origins, have excelled in developing and maturing companion characters. The attention to detail in these titles regarding side and companion characters is so spot on and deep that, in many instances, side characters end up being more compelling than the main characters.
Our perfect open-world game should definitely look at Dragon Age: Inquisition and Baldur’s Gate 3 and try to deeply explore the side characters of the game and their personalities. On the other hand, it should be noted that if our fictional game offers meaningful choices, once again, the above titles can be considered as great sources of inspiration.
The rewarding exploration of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
One of the biggest flaws evident in open-world games, especially in role-playing, is a significant weakness in the rewarding system for activities and achievements. Side activities, side quests, and various challenges within the game world may not be as engaging or rewarding as they should be and often, may not be worth the effort.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a notable example that struggles in this aspect. However, a game like Skyrim has without a doubt excelled in rewarding different activities. Every cave, location, level, and activity in Skyrim ultimately gives a substantial reward to the player, strongly encouraging them to explore more of its content.
If you recall the quests related to the Daedric Princes, you certainly understand this point. Each of those quests was exceptionally rewarding, providing players with extraordinary items. Our perfect open-world game must undoubtedly differentiate itself in this regard and fully prioritize the value of the rewards. The lack of adequate or worthy rewards for activities can undermine the players’ sense of curiosity.
The visual and graphical fidelity of Horizon Forbidden West
While there are conflicting opinions about this game, which i enjoyed personally, there is no doubt that, as an open-world title, the visual and graphical elements of this game were stunning and breathtaking. If our perfect open-world game, can provide a similar visual and graphical experience to Horizon Forbidden West while maintaining the other mentioned aspects, will not only be exceptional in terms of structure and design but will also please the eyes in terms of visuals and aesthetics.
The cinematic combat and gameplay of???
Perhaps the only aspect I personally struggled to find a suitable example for inspiration is the section of gameplay and combat. Considering the subgenre and setting of the game, the combat in our fantasy title can encompass every factor and element. From close combat to shooting features. Since the combat and gameplay are very extensive, this section is somewhat open-ended, allowing us to witness the best type of combat and gameplay depending on the game’s style.
Personally, the only thing i believe and am confident about is that the game’s gameplay and combat, regardless of the genre and relevant details, should be cinematic and similar to titles such as God of War or The Last of Us Part II.
The balance between quantity and quality of content of Elden Ring
Aside from its numerous and extensive achievements, Elden Ring has set new standards in the field of world-building and the scope of action role-playing games. One of the most significant strengths of the game was its exceptional content, which, despite the repeated boss fights and events, was so systematically and accurately placed and planned that it never gave a sense of monotony to the players.
On the other hand, the game had many secrets, mysteries, and hidden details, each of which transformed the quality of the game’s content. Perhaps if we are looking for a title that has achieved a good enough balance between the quantity and quality of content, Elden Ring might be the best possible example.
Creativity, creativity and creativity
Finally, it must be emphasized that the element of creativity and innovation should undoubtedly have a prominent and clear presence in developing such an ambitious game. Whether in the form of new elements and mechanisms or through innovation in storytelling, design, or world-building.
In your opinion, what features should the perfect open-world game have?
By Mostafa Zahedi
Comments