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For someone who has never been into "open world" games, whats a good way to start?

RoadHazard

Gold Member
You realize Spider-man is just a bunch of linear Uncharted style levels in a big hub world right?

Many open world games are just hub + levels. Some just hide it better by using larger spaces or other trickery.

Spider-Man has linear MISSIONS in an open world. Like most open world games. Very different.
 
Final Fantasy 12 one of the best games it has open world parts and half open world.Amazing battle system very addicting tons of fun and an great story.But it’s not truly open world like fallout or so.
I wouldn't say FFXII is open world.

It's essentially a bunch of interconnected rooms with transitions. It has some troupes that influenced and became the norm afterwards, like the fetch quests but yeah... repercussor not open world.

Xenoblade would be a good starting point, it basically evolved everything FFXII.
Witcher 3 controls feel bad. Even after they patched it.
Yes, quite floaty.

But the game doesn't require more than that. Hell, it's quite an easy game.
Uhm, Spider-man is an open world game. Are you high?
It has been considered, I reckon it's basically sandbox. But I digress.
 
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K2D

Banned
Breath of the Wild or Fallout 3 with lore friendly graphics.

You'll need a switch or a half decent pc respectively. Don't know of anything to recommend on PS or Xbox currently.

Edit: Death Stranding
 
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TintoConCasera

I bought a sex doll, but I keep it inflated 100% of the time and use it like a regular wife
Don't go with The Witcher 3. It's open world is basically "follow this GPS until you reach destination". No exploration, no fun.

Go with a game that lets you do whatever you want to do. Something like GTA or any modern Bethesda game will feel quite different than any other thing you've ever played.

Zelda BOTW might be a very good entry point too, since that game gives you tons of freedom while also not being very complicated.
 
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Bojji

Member
Witcher 3, elden ring and GTA5/RDR2 are the best games made in open world formula and each one is fucusing on different aspects.

I didn't play Zelda so i don't know if it's up there...
 
Death Stranding.
Dennis Reynolds Reaction GIF by It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
 

TintoConCasera

I bought a sex doll, but I keep it inflated 100% of the time and use it like a regular wife
Big open space… various things you can do (or not do)…
God of War has big spaces and optional content, just like Ocarina of Time, and you won't see anyone calling that an open world.

It doesn't matter how open or big the world is. If the progression is still linear, then it's a linear game.
 

Kssio_Aug

Member
First of all I just want to mention that i played a lot of Oblivion and World of Warcraft. Never got into Skyrim. So im not sure where that puts me in the totem pole of "open world gaming experience".

I have never played a GTA game.
Nor Zelda botw.
Nor RDR2, Horizon, Elden Ring, Fallout, etc.

So whats a good way to start? I mean i dont want to jump into something super hardcore right away, but neither do i want to waste my time with "fake" open world experiences. I want the real thing.
Well, if you never played a GTA game I think you really should. They're not my favorites anymore, as they used to be when I was younger, but they're still super influential: give GTA V a try.

Other than GTA, I would recommend you start with either RDR2 or Breath of The Wild.

Red Dead Redemption 2 because the amount of details and things that happen in it's open world is something quite incredible, even if it can become tiring before you finish the game.

Breath of the Wild because it has a different approach than most open world games out there. It doesn't have many quests for you to follow, neither an specific order to beat the game, and the open world environment can affect a lot your play style. Your combat can be affected by elements such as wind, fire, rain and thunder, either in your favor or against you; you can use trees and boulders to help you either traverse or in combat; etc. You can interact a lot with the environment and that's pretty much what makes the game so good.

And I think that Fallout 3/NV/4, Skyrim and The Witcher 3 are also excellent options. But I think gameplay wise Skyrim and The Witcher 3 kinda lacks, although the world of them both is really fun and interesting to explore. And I am particuarly a big fan of the Fallout games since 3, but I also know many people doesn't like the gameplay too much (I love using VATS though); imo they're even better than Skyrim.
 
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kyliethicc

Member
God of War has big spaces and optional content, just like Ocarina of Time, and you won't see anyone calling that an open world.

It doesn't matter how open or big the world is. If the progression is still linear, then it's a linear game.
The progression isn’t linear.
 

kyliethicc

Member
In God of War, the game has large areas with non-linear level and mission design. You can stop and leave a level, go do something else, then come back later, or not. The player can do things in various orders as you desire. Every person’s play through of the game can vary significantly. There’s no need or order to doing many things in the world. It’s purely up to the player to decide when / if to go to Muspelheim, fight the Valkyries, etc. Non linear progression.

Unlike Uncharted 4, a fully linear game. Play a level, move onto to the next, start to finish. No returning to level 4 after playing level 5. Linear progression.
 

Alpha Male

Member
I sorta organized this so you can start out more "simple" and move to more "complex" if you will:

Early open(ish) world greats:

Skyrim
Assassin's Creed Ezio Trilogy
Mass Effect Legendary Trilogy
Red Dead Redemption
Fallout New Vegas
Darksiders 2
Far Cry 3/Blood Dragon
Borderlands 2/Pre Sequel



Here are some of the recent best open worlds I can recommend:

Assassin's Creed Origins
Far Cry 4
GTA V
Red Dead 2
God of War
Elden Ring
Immortals Fenix Rising
Forza Horizon 3 & 5
Ghost of Tsushima
Breath of the Wild
Death Stranding
Spiderman/Mile's Morales
Fallout 4
Halo Infinite
Witcher 3
Horizon Zero Dawn/Forbidden West
Dying Light
Wasteland 3
Rise/Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Borderlands 3
 
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Lupin25

Member
Like others mentioned, if you have an aversion for a specific level of agency or a specific type of setting (historic, futuristic, modern, fantasy, etc.)
I’d avoid some of these, but these are my personal favorites:

Historic - RDR2, Ghost of Tsushima, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Modern - GTA V
Futuristic - Fallout 3 or 4, Horizon Forbidden West
Fantasy - Elden Ring, The Witcher 3, BOTW, Spider-Man (OG/MM), Immortals: Fenyx Rising, Batman: Arkham City
 
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TintoConCasera

I bought a sex doll, but I keep it inflated 100% of the time and use it like a regular wife
In God of War, the game has large areas with non-linear level and mission design. You can stop and leave a level, go do something else, then come back later, or not. The player can do things in various orders as you desire. Every person’s play through of the game can vary significantly. There’s no need or order to doing many things in the world. It’s purely up to the player to decide when / if to go to Muspelheim, fight the Valkyries, etc. Non linear progression.

Unlike Uncharted 4, a fully linear game. Play a level, move onto to the next, start to finish. No returning to level 4 after playing level 5. Linear progression.
By those terms then Mario 64 would also be an open world game.
 

Kssio_Aug

Member
Do play: Witcher 3, Breath of the Wild, RDR 2
Don't play: Any Ubisoft game, Fallout 4, Horizon
I think the biggest problem with Ubisoft games is the burnout of a formula being used again and again for so many years. If the OP is new to them (which I'm not sure if it's the case) I think these games can definitely offer a good time as a fresh experience.
 

kraspkibble

Permabanned.
if BOTW doesn't do it for you then forget it. imo, it's the best open world game. it's been out over 5 years now and still hasn't been topped. it raised and set the bar for what open world games should be. there have been some games that are obviously inspired by it, and rightly so, but they don't capture the same magic that BOTW has.

other games worth mentioning are The Witcher 3, Elden Ring, Halo Infinite, Genshin Impact, Skyrim, RDR2, GTA V.
 
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Lupin25

Member
There’s also varying types of open-worlds which suit you differently.

Elden Ring, Skyrim, or BOTW feel like their open-worlds are centred around exploration and player agency with narrative/side quests taking more of a backseat.

Horizon Forbidden West, Spider-Man, or RDR2 feel like their open-worlds were crafted around the stories they wanted tell. Simulated historic venues and explosive set pieces for you to run wild in.
 
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Northeastmonk

Gold Member
Don't go with The Witcher 3. It's open world is basically "follow this GPS until you reach destination". No exploration, no fun.

Go with a game that lets you do whatever you want to do. Something like GTA or any modern Bethesda game will feel quite different than any other thing you've ever played.

Zelda BOTW might be a very good entry point too, since that game gives you tons of freedom while also not being very complicated.
Horizon and AC are kinda like that. It’s a GPS system with climbing. Horizon has that yellow line, most of them have that whole “set your marker on the map” type of quest design. The Witcher has job boards and you can find those all over. That’s what you get with open world, thus the burn out people get with these. I’d recommend something like Infamous Second Son or Ghost of Tsushima.

I remember the burnout when AC Revelations was out. AC Unity went over my head. Syndicate was pretty good. The burnout is real when it happens.
 
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