Hyperbole is rife in life with ANYTHING - but, gosh nabbit, sometimes I feel like gaming is where it’s taken to the extreme!
That being said - the preview footage does seem to be promising….my two cents is games have gotten close, but not there yet….looking at how big the map of Elden Ring is shaping up to be, that’s a task. And, let’s be straight with ourselves here, what you’re going to be doing is riding around exploring and fighting. That is, simply put, all the game is going to offer you. When you dig in on what exploration gives you and what fighting gives you, that’s where the return on your investment will really be shown.
Your exploration is only going to feel worthwhile If you feel like you are discovering unique places which will lead to unique fights and unique loot. If you feel like you’re finding another dungeon underground that looks a lot like the last 47 dungeons you’ve come across… and Oh, LOOKIE HERE… you’re fighting another mini boss that may look a little different, but it’s really just a re-skin…and then oh, boy golly gee willikers….some super great crafting materials that maybe I don’t need for my specific build….blah blah. Games have gotten better at this is small ways.
Look at - and JESUS fucking Christ calm down - Far Cry 5/6 with their “Treasure Hunt” side objectives. That’s what I’m aiming at. Making THAT feeling occur at almost every turn in a massive open-world game…spank my ass and call me Rashida; that shits an undertaking.
Examples:
God of War 2018 had a great quasi-Metroidvania / open worldy design that felt curated and rewarding to explore…
Control - similar in design to God of War. Not perfect, but side content and exploration felt meaningful and bespoke.
Those two listed above are certainly NOT huge open world games…but, that level of curation, reward and mechanics is a big ass to KEEP fresh in an open-world setting.
Let’s hope From can pull it all together.