Most people associate open-world gaming with a ton of freedom,allowing players to do whatever tasks they want in any orderwithout feeling chained down into following a pre-defined path. Of course, as sandbox gaming has evolved, most people would feel that this sense of freedom would only expand in this genre, but this isn’t necessarily the case.
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In fact,there are several open-world titlesthat don’t live up to the promise of being non-linear in the slightest. More often than not, this world is just a backdrop for players to explore and carry out missions in an unchanging sequence, with the many other activities in these games feeling like nothing more than filler. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but players can’t deny that the following titles feel more like glorified linear experiences than actual open-world games.
7Mafia
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Mafiais a great open-world game that hammers home what life in the Italian mob would be like. The story in this game is excellent and told in a pretty cinematic manner, but the open world itself feels like set dressing at best. There’s not really anything interesting to accomplish inthe city of Lost Heavenand players have no reason to explore except for going to the next mission or objective.
This may seem disappointing, butMafia’s atmosphere and narrative more than make up for its drab open world. In fact,Mafia 3’s attempts to integrate a more sandbox vibe in the world backfired after players were left frustrated by just how monotonous the gameplay became after a certain point.
6Final Fantasy 15
Final Fantasy 15is a game that witnessed a ton of developmental issues that pushed back its launch quite a bit. Keeping this in mind, Hajime Tabata did a great job of collecting the pieces and forming a solid game that is genuinely fun to play, despite its problems. The characters andgameplay ofFinal Fantasy 15are pretty engaging, but the open world arguably holds it back.
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The story’s tone and the events that follow genuinely make it feel like the open world wasn’t even a necessary part of the entire package. It’s a shame, really, since the world definitely looks beautiful, but it lacks the interactivity that most people expect from a modern open-world game.
5God Of War
God of Warmay not be a traditional open-world title, but the game’s world can be accessed at any time and backtracking is actively encouraged. In many ways, this title feels like a 3D metroidvania, even if the path to the story is pretty linear and doesn’t feature many diversions.
Even with its side quests,God of Warfeels like a one-stop journey from start to end, but that isn’t necessarily bad. After all, the story of this title is incredible, painting Kratos in a more sympathetic light as opposed to his rage-fueled adventures across the annals of Greek mythology.
4Shadow Of The Colossus
Shadow of the Colossusisone of the more unique open-world games out therethat fans of the genre should definitely check out. The game weaves an aura of mystery that makes its story seem less complex than it actually is. The act of hunting down colossi feels pretty engaging and satisfying, at least until the truth of the protagonist’s actions comes to light, that is.
Shadow of the Colossus' open world is hauntingly beautiful yet oddly empty, which serves as a hint to the true purpose of this area. Players can grab apples and hunt down lizards to improve their health and stamina, but that’s about the only reason why they would even bother to explore this world in the first place.
3Metro Exodus
TheMetroseries started off with two tightly-woven linear experiences that were a blast to play through. With this in mind, the shift to an open world worried many fans, but people were glad to know that the identity of theMetroseries remained intact despite this shift.
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Metro Exodusis a brilliant title where fans will feel compelled to explore the many vast areas of this game and uncover all its secrets. That being said, the main story has little to no diversions and leads to players exploring several linear levels along the way too.
2Borderlands 2
Borderlands 2is the game that put this co-op shooter on the map, with its wonderful cel-shaded art style and fun combat making for a great time. It’s a perfect sequel in every way, and it’s a shame that players didn’t attain the same level of enjoyment with the third game in the series.
Borderlands 2features a pretty big world where players can mess aboutand tackle enemies, but there’s not a ton of freedom in terms of how the story progresses in this title. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and players will be too busy having fun with their friends to care about the lack of a true open-world experience.
1Rise Of The Tomb Raider
TheTomb Raiderreboot trilogy did a great job of bringing Lara Croft back into the mainstream, even if the sequels never quite reached the heights of 2013’sTomb Raider. The next two games ended up going for an open-world approach that had fairly mixed results.
Many argue that this shift wasn’t even required, withRise of the Tomb Raiderfeeling pretty linear despite having more secrets to explore. This design ethos is carried over toShadow of the Tomb Raideras well, whichalso suffers as a result and feels pretty datedcompared to other modern open-world games.
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