The Possibilities with Open World

Going through the chronological timeline of open world concept games we can evaluate how game play has changed to what it is today. Grand Theft Auto 3 spring boarded the sandbox/ open world element. It made games fun through arcade styled violence, while presenting the game in a new way. Rather than being violent for violence sake, things like story and characters are more elaborate and less like after thoughts to a game.

With the generation of Xbox 360’s and Playstation 3’s more open world games flooded the virtual gaming world circuit. Fallout 3 was one of the first true 3d open world games. Rather than feeling giddy by doing violent acts in the game that were not necessary to the game plot players find more joy in improving their character through weapon, armor, and stats. Gamers now enjoy games through living in another’s shoes and making life choices. Becoming lost in a virtual world and investing into a character has become equally as fun as becoming a merciless killer.  

That is not to say that we all don’t push the limits and go on random homicidal streaks to see how many guards or cops we can get chasing us. Occasionally in Skyrim I enjoy saving my game then pillaging through the town to see how many innocent citizens I can kill before the guards catch me or someone else kills me.

Gordon Calleja from University of Copenhagen and I believe it is the feeling of escapism, the tendency to seek distraction and relief from unpleasant realities, by becoming another person and entering a different world for a short period of time we find release.

Skyrim was the first game to make the open world concept truly beautiful. The whole game was surrounded by the concept rather than adding as an afterthought to the story. The player must truly explore the land to discover the secrets it holds.  The player never feels stuck or forced to complete a task within the game, not even during the main quest.

In Skyrim you have many choices that can describe who “you” are as your character. There are many different paths a player can take. Simple ones like choosing to help a female citizen who is secretly running from foreign government officials or turning her in to them because technically she committed treason. To difficult choices that can change the governmental workings of a nation, like siding with the Imperials or Stormcloaks. The player is never forced into being one type of person or preset character they can mold the game to be what they desire to be and express themselves through their character.