Fromsoft have literally made the best open world game on their first try, change my mind.

[Haribokart]

This screenshot should aptly demonstrate how much I disagree with the thread title 

 

[Captain Kelsten]

I’d love to get into gta online but it just seems to impenetrable to new players these days. 

[Haribokart]

15 minutes ago, Doctor Shark said:

I’d love to get into gta online but it just seems to impenetrable to new players these days. 

 

The new version out on Tuesday (free on PS5!) apparently has a new introduction system that from the get go lets you choose your own business, weapons, vehicles, gives you a cool million and some other shit along with redesigned simpler menus. Game will still be totally impenetrable without someone to show you the ropes of course, but it will certainly help. Once you're 'in' and have got your head around it, the game is absolutely unbeatable despite being heavily flawed.

[Flub]

8 minutes ago, Haribokart said:

 

The new version out on Tuesday (free on PS5!) apparently has a new introduction system that from the get go lets you choose your own business, weapons, vehicles, a cool million and some other shit along with redesigned simpler menus. Game will still be totally impenetrable without someone to show you the ropes, but it will certainly help.

 

I've had the same issue as Dr Shark. I've tried to start it in the past but ended up very quickly not having a clue what to do next and then seconds later getting murdered by a racist teenager in a flying motorbike.

 

Is there even much you can do by yourself?

[Benny]

Last time i tried to play GTA Online it was a broken mess. Matchmaking that refused to work, constantly being kicked offline and hackers all over the place.

[the_debaser]

Lego City Undercover hasn’t got enough love in this thread. Top 5 open worlds for sure. 

 

[Hello Goaty ♥]

Elden Ring is excellent in every way -  But it is a fantasy game  and a bit Wizardy 

 

Red Dead Redemption is still my favourite game ever. That just kept going and going..and going... and going.

Not specifically open world as such. But still my masterpiece.

 

The end section of Red Dead Redemption is amazing.

 

Elden Ring is very close behind it.  Maybe as i play through it it may take over?  (  about 30 hours in ) 

 

 

[Paulando]

10 minutes ago, the_debaser said:

Lego City Undercover hasn’t got enough love in this thread. Top 5 open worlds for sure. 

 

The loading screen music has never been bettered imo

[Mystacon]

I always assumed I didn’t like open-world games, but it turns out I love them. Death Stranding, Ghost of Tsushima, Subnautica, RDR2, Immortals: Fenyx Rising, Satisfactory,  BotW and now Elden Ring. All incredible.

 

Halo Infinite can get fucked though. Sad excuse of an open-world game.

[joemul]

1 hour ago, Hello Goaty ♥ said:

Elden Ring is excellent in every way -  But it is a fantasy game  and a bit Wizardy 

 

Red Dead Redemption is still my favourite game ever. That just kept going and going..and going... and going.

Not specifically open world as such. But still my masterpiece.

 

The end section of Red Dead Redemption is amazing.

 

Elden Ring is very close behind it.  Maybe as i play through it it may take over?  (  about 30 hours in ) 

 

 

 

I think gaming context matters hugely here too. For me, Red Dead Redemption was affected by the fact that i'd completed Fallout 3 just before it releasing. This meant i was underwhelmed at the interactivity of the world - most buildings be eye candy rather than mini dungeons, few sidequests etc. I did compelte and really enjoy it though.

 

Same with The Witcher 3 - i played that after compelting Dark Souls (finally) and the combat was constantly annoying. I still meant o go back to this though - i just got sidetracked by IRL after about 30 hours.

[Keyboard Koala]

Initially I thought it'd be very hard to pick one over the other, but then I realized Hyrule isn't full of graffiti saying "try finger, but hole". So I reckon Elden Ring wins out albeit by by the narrowest (ho-hum) of margins.

[Bacon Horsemeat]

12 hours ago, pledge said:

Don't worry, IGN have the definitive list of 'Top 10 open world games' to clear this up.

 

 

 

 

[Minion]

2 hours ago, Hello Goaty ♥ said:

Elden Ring is excellent in every way -  But it is a fantasy game  and a bit Wizardy 

 

Red Dead Redemption is still my favourite game ever. That just kept going and going..and going... and going.

Not specifically open world as such. But still my masterpiece.

 

The end section of Red Dead Redemption is amazing.

 

Elden Ring is very close behind it.  Maybe as i play through it it may take over?  (  about 30 hours in ) 

 

 

 

Hahah this is brilliant. My boomer Tory mother visited me once whilst  I was cooping chalice dungeons in the witch style gear and she mentioned wizards and what am I doing playing wizards all day on a beautiful summer day. 

[Minion]

1 hour ago, Mystacon said:

Halo Infinite can get fucked though. Sad excuse of an open-world game.

 

Sadly this is very true. Even Halo 3 online gave a better imergmant  gameplay than the dreadful infinite. I'm in France and have drunk a very good bottle of Saint emelion so please forgive the spelling 

[MNFRMTMRRW]

Breath of the Wild suffers from exactly the same things as all open-world games before it. I would give it a solid 8/10, as it was a charming first effort. I personally find almost all modern Zelda games overrated: I absolutely don't get this Stockholm Zelda syndrome that the gaming world has developed. I bet Freud would have something to say about it were he alive. I haven't completed Elden Ring, but it already feels like one of the biggest games since I started gaming in the early 80s, for the sheer amount of freedom it hands to the player. It is a testament to learning by doing, with barely any handholding. Most games in the last 20+ years are an insult to an individual's intellect, full of meaningless busywork (also looking at you BotW). Elden Ring isn't, at least so far. Also, I have a hard time telling what Elden Ring borrows from its peers... besides From's own legacy, that is.

 

It is a thrilling and liberating experience. Already one of the defining games of the 21st century for me. All I wish for now is some performance fixes. 

 

[Mystacon]

20 minutes ago, Minion said:

 

Sadly this is very true. Even Halo 3 online gave a better imergmant  gameplay than the dreadful infinite. I'm in France and have drunk a very good bottle of Saint emelion so please forgive the spelling 

It’s all good, I’m in London and have had far too much gin.

[JoeK]

I have no intention of convincing anyone that their chosen 'best of' isn't worth spit to me.

 

All I can say is that any game From make will automatically never be my best, is down to the fact I suck at gaming, have absolutely no patience and thus will never progress much beyond whacking the odd enemy a couple of times before I die.  

 

Also, until they work out how to actually program a game that doesn't feature frame pacing issues, they'll remain in the 'big back of suck' forever and ever.

 

I have no programming experience, and never intend to learn any, but I am absolutely the most experienced person in the world to tell them to get it sorted. 

[Not Thread Owner]

8 hours ago, robdood said:

I genuinely don't get why skyrim is so popular, it's the driest, most mundane adventure I've ever played. And man I was obsessed with it, but I didn't do any story really, I just crept around killing stuff in identical looking dungeons with my bow for about 80hrs. The actual 'game' parts are weak as fuck man. Awful combat, magic is pathetic, etc. 

 

I loved that cool underground place with the glowy mushrooms though! That was the single most imaginative thing in the whole game. 

 

Oblivion is ten times the game Skyrim was.

[Mystacon]

12 minutes ago, JoeK said:

All I can say is that any game From make will automatically never be my best, is down to the fact I suck at gaming, have absolutely no patience and thus will never progress much beyond whacking the odd enemy a couple of times before I die.  

This was me. And then I decided to persevere with Dark Souls. And it became my favourite game of all time. 

[Kirby]

I cannot believe a game this side and this gorgeous runs like a dream on the PS4. It is simply incredible.

 

The bad - my PS4 sounds like it's about to go into orbit,  while spontaneously combusting. 

[the_debaser]

1 hour ago, JoeK said:

I have no intention of convincing anyone that their chosen 'best of' isn't worth spit to me.

 

All I can say is that any game From make will automatically never be my best, is down to the fact I suck at gaming, have absolutely no patience and thus will never progress much beyond whacking the odd enemy a couple of times before I die.  

 

Also, until they work out how to actually program a game that doesn't feature frame pacing issues, they'll remain in the 'big back of suck' forever and ever.

 

I have no programming experience, and never intend to learn any, but I am absolutely the most experienced person in the world to tell them to get it sorted. 

True. Until they develop a game that isn’t the domain of gatekeepers they can do one. 

[dizogg]

1 hour ago, Minion said:

 

Hahah this is brilliant. My boomer Tory mother visited me once whilst  I was cooping chalice dungeons in the witch style gear and she mentioned wizards and what am I doing playing wizards all day on a beautiful summer day. 

Why were you playing video games whilst your mum was visiting? She’ll be gone one day you know.

[rafaqat]

2 minutes ago, dizogg said:

Why were you playing video games whilst your mum was visiting? She’ll be gone one day you know.

 

Hopefully she drops some good loot

[partious]

I know this is just the usual post release "latest From game is best ____ ever!!" topic, but From fans really are quite awful at putting the appeal of these games into words to explain the hyperbole to people who aren't already fans of the From template.  I will however accept that if your previous favorite game was the last From release, and before that the one they released before that, this probably is the greatest open world game because why wouldn't it be?

 

I've read this entire thread and have no idea what people think makes this the best open world ever. Best I can gather is that it's the latest game with Souls mechanics and happens to be open world and therefore it must be the best open world game. Is that about it, or is there anything more to it? What does this game do in terms of the open world that elevates it above other open worlds and might help explain the appeal to people who aren't already sold on From games, other than be a From game set in a large/open world?

 

I don't think BOTW is the perfect game but even in this Elden Ring thread its fans are certainly far better at articulating what they feel it added to the open world genre, beyond just " it's a Zelda game and it's open world therefore best open world".

[kensei]

First up, Souls combat is painfully better than jank like Skyrim and Zelda's toolbox is fun but it's not the focus of the game the way it is here and placing it in an open world is a revelation. Souls always strategically used gaps in combat to build tension bit here it comes out organically.

 

There's huge enemy variety, not just in bog standard enemies but also in bosses. There's an imagination and variety most games miss and the environments are used cleverly too.

 

The scale of it is something else. You have expectations at the start and it just keeps surpassing them. I am only half way through and it's already bigger than I thought. Some new areas open and it's a shock. The environments themselves are varied and imaginative. I thought they'd drunk the Souls style well dry. I was very wrong.

 

The risk / reward is meaningful. Every dungeon, ruin or catacomb brings something potentially useful. It's worth running into harder areas of the map to see what you can find.

 

All the clutter and cruft of open world games have been stripped away, even more so than Breath of the Wilds. It's done to just what's necessary. The traditional Souls NPC side quests fit really well. The open world adds to the mystery of it.

 

It has giant enemy crabs.

[Dark Soldier]

15 minutes ago, partious said:

I know this is just the usual post release "latest From game is best ____ ever!!" topic, but From fans really are quite awful at putting the appeal of these games into words to explain the hyperbole to people who aren't already fans of the From template.  I will however accept that if your previous favorite game was the last From release, and before that the one they released before that, this probably is the greatest open world game because why wouldn't it be?

 

I've read this entire thread and have no idea what people think makes this the best open world ever. Best I can gather is that it's the latest game with Souls mechanics and happens to be open world and therefore it must be the best open world game. Is that about it, or is there anything more to it? What does this game do in terms of the open world that elevates it above other open worlds and might help explain the appeal to people who aren't already sold on From games, other than be a From game set in a large/open world?

 

I don't think BOTW is the perfect game but even in this Elden Ring thread its fans are certainly far better at articulating what they feel it added to the open world genre, beyond just " it's a Zelda game and it's open world therefore best open world".

Dude its got lobsters and these lobsters will fuck you up what else do you want 

[Gabe]

10 minutes ago, kensei said:

First up, Souls combat is painfully better than jank like Skyrim and Zelda's toolbox is fun but it's not the focus of the game the way it is here and placing it in an open world is a revelation. Souls always strategically used gaps in combat to build tension bit here it comes out organically.

 

There's huge enemy variety, not just in bog standard enemies but also in bosses. There's an imagination and variety most games miss and the environments are used cleverly too.

 

The scale of it is something else. You have expectations at the start and it just keeps surpassing them. I am only half way through and it's already bigger than I thought. Some new areas open and it's a shock. The environments themselves are varied and imaginative. I thought they'd drunk the Souls style well dry. I was very wrong.

 

The risk / reward is meaningful. Every dungeon, ruin or catacomb brings something potentially useful. It's worth running into harder areas of the map to see what you can find.

 

All the clutter and cruft of open world games have been stripped away, even more so than Breath of the Wilds. It's done to just what's necessary. The traditional Souls NPC side quests fit really well. The open world adds to the mystery of it.

 

It has giant enemy crabs.

Like @partiousI have no idea what makes this so good and whilst the above describes some stuff, I'm not seeing anything in what you've described that really sounds all that different than normal From games (as in, it doesn't need the open world structure for any of that). I presume I missing something here?

[kensei]

1 minute ago, Gabe said:

Like @partiousI have no idea what makes this so good and whilst the above describes some stuff, I'm not seeing anything in what you've described that really sounds all that different than normal From games (as in, it doesn't need the open world structure for any of that). I presume I missing something here?

 

It's the open world enhances all of that. Dark Souls has a beautiful, diaroma interlocking world. But in many cases you'll hit a roadblock and you have no choice to go through it. Here you'll have about 10 different places you can go. It reduces frustration greatly. Until you do what I did tonight and die everywhere.

 

Getting through Undead Burg in Dark Souls took me endless hours first time round. Here, you can nope out of a lot of stuff just by bombing past on your horse.

 

Crafting stops you being stuck places with no resources and a difficult boss or encounter ahead.

 

The open world meshes really really well with the gameplay. I don't think this was obvious before the game came out.

 

[SuperCapes]

@partious yikes. 

 

The level design is excellent both in dungeons, and the world. The world is broken into sections, that whilst connected, allow you to get a sense of danger. Wander too far? Don't worry, you will be excited knowing you can come back later and explore, or crikey, just do it now anyway. 

 

Everything is tucked and placed with such finesse that it feels thoughtful. The distance views knowing you can go there, and in-between you and there is going to have rewards that can actually assist in combat, or make you think about changing to something else. 

 

But most importantly, it has variety. Sure, it has repeating mines, or catacombs, but the overall variety is above anything else. It hits every colour palette, and no matter where you look, there will be something to explore. Variety doesn't stop at environments either, but enemies and bosses too. Many of both which you can find scattered throughout the world. 

 

It does fall into the trap of you knowing there will be flask upgrades in the environments, and other typical RPG sprinklings, but the sense of discovery through difficulty is truly special. You are rewarded for exploring, and through combat. It also is the most, and least difficult From game yet. It is hard to run point to point but possible, but if you hit a wall, exploring will allow you to progress.

 

Did FS need to make an open world? No, not really. But the balance on display here is real. 

 

If that's not explained well enough, then oh well. I tried. 

 

Edit: Just read @kenseis comment before mine, and aye, nailed it! 

 

[Anne Summers]

14 hours ago, RubberJohnny said:

Open world is a structure, not a genre - you can have open world RPGs, shooters, racing games, platformers, etc. It's like trying to compare apples and er... cars.

Oh yeah? So what genre are the Horizon games?

(Don't say racing).