Summary
Open-world gamesusually follow a template and tend to play it safe to attract as much mainstream interest as possible. This leads to situations where players get bored of the same gameplay loop, with the setting doing little to change their minds about the grating nature of the monotony they’re experiencing.
Thebest open-world gaming franchisesknow how to change things up from time to time to keep their audience engaged. Thesen open-world sequels usually change the franchise story’s tone, the gameplay loop, or anything else that needs to be switched up to keep fans interested in what they have to offer.
Watch Dogswas a game hyped to the moon and back, so fans were disappointed to see that Aiden Pierce was a boring main character and the story was a bit too dark for their liking.Watch Dogs 2aimed to change this perceptionand let players enjoy the game they wanted all along.
The dark and brooding vibes of the first game were replaced with a relatively lighthearted tale about DedSec agents, in particular Marcus Holloway, causing anarchy and rebelling against the system. It helped that the hacking options were improved to give players more options in combat, stealth, and traversal.
While the first twoGTAgames are fun titles in their own right, they pale in comparison to the broadened scope and cultural impact of the third game.Grand Theft Auto 3was a huge step forward for open-world gaming, establishing a sandbox formula that many titles continue to be inspired by to this day.
The impact this title had can’t be overstated, with the sheer suite of improvements and changes propelling Rockstar to the very top of the video game industry. It also attracted its fair share of controversy, as one would expect from a mature open-world title that gamifies criminal activities.
Many gamers considerSaints Row 2to be a great series entry and a personal favorite for some. People felt like this title struck a deft balance between serious and comedic elements. However, theshift of tone inSaints Row: The Thirdwas unprecedented and moved the franchise in a new direction.
This game turned theSaints Rowfranchise into one of the goofiest and most engaging open-world series around by leaning heavily towards the goofy side of things, forsaking realism to let players enjoy some over-the-top action. It attracted a ton of fans and led to the sequel,Saint’s Row 4,being even more bombastic, which felt right at home for fans who enjoyed whatSaints Row: The Thirdbrings to the table.
Yakuza: Like a Dragonis one of the greatest open-world JRPGs players can get their hands on. The best part about this game is how it took a massive risk and removed the tried-and-tested real-time combat of theYakuzaseries, and replaced it with a turn-based system instead.
This was an excellent choice, withLike a Dragonquickly becoming one of the most popular and beloved entries in the series. This gameplay shift was justified in the title, as it was Ichiban’s obsession withDragon Questthat led to him viewing every battle like a JRPG fight.
After the poor sales ofAssassin’s Creed Syndicate, Ubisoft realized that they needed to do something drastic to reinvigorate fan interest in their flagship series. This was achieved with a one-year hiatus where the developer decided to try making an open-worldAssassin’s CreedRPG that was inspired byThe Witcher 3.
Assassin’s Creed Originswas a breath of fresh air when it launched, with fans enjoying the story of how the Assassin Order came into being. However, withOdysseyandValhallafeeling like copy-paste games once again, fans implored Ubisoft to bring the series back to its roots, which the developer addressed withthe release ofAssassin’s Creed Mirage.
TheFallen Londonuniverse is interesting and lets players enjoy a world where London has receded to the underground where horrors run amok. No one expected the sequel to move to the skies instead, but that’s precisely what Failbetter Games aimed for withSunless Skies.
The sheer number of improvements made toSunless Skies' UI and combat, coupled with a refreshing setting change, makes it one of the best open-world indie games that players can get their hands on. The captain can uncover a new story at every dock as they slowly make progress and eventually become competent enough to tackle the various horrors of the skies spread across the game’s four open-world hubs.
Fallout 4is one of the most divisive entries in the series. Fans seeking a deep role-playing experience were left disappointed with the sheer bredth of changes implemented here, sacrificing the in-depth role-playing of this series for a perk system that simplified things considerably.
This, coupled with the improved gameplay,did makeFallout 4more engagingfor new players who were introduced to theFalloutseries in its fourth entry. However, other aspects of this game made it unappealing for a lot of people, such as some poor writing and mishandling of the series' lore, which didn’t sit right with many long-time fans.
