Unpopular take: I like more linear/not big areas

[White Knuckle]

I am on Gamepass, but just wondering if anyone else feels this way? I think big, open world games have their place, but I just can't seem to enjoy them much anymore. Despite its flaws, I do like how Avowed has sort of more "zoned" areas that aren't that big. It reminds me a bit of Fable 2.

Anyone else feel that way?

[Janthis]

Definitely. I'm also tired of huge areas especially if they are mostly empty and/or populated with filler content. Give me a more condensed, hand-crafted experience any day, and I think Avowed delivers in that regard.

[stax]

Both have their charm. Open world, you get this sense of freedom. Smaller areas on the other hand feel more hand-crafted, without meaningless filler.

[SaD-82]

Depends on the game and what it tries to achieve.
Dragon Age 2, for example, was situated inside a city - I liked it. It was thematically and a really fresh take. Dragon Age 1 were zones, as well - worked very well for the narative driven story.
The Elder Scrolls titles aim for a sandbox approach, almost like a simulation. While also having a narrative, the incentive in player interaction lies in a living, breathing world. Instances wouldn't fit that premisse.

If games are doing it well, I have no problems with both.

[White Knuckle]

Glad I’m not alone in this! For most open world games, I just feel like it’s very empty. It’s cool with games like Elden Ring where you’ll always find something new, but that’s an exception to the rule.

As I get older I like semi-linear/zones the best!

[Martoq]

I disagree. I like open worlds and having that sense of exploration. Can it be done badly, of course it can. Any genre can have a bad game. My personal favorite open world game was Assassin's Creed Odyssey. I loved exploring ancient Greece. Where as Valhalla fell flat for me, so much so that I never even finished it.

[Xeirus]

White Knuckle původně napsal:

I am on Gamepass, but just wondering if anyone else feels this way? I think big, open world games have their place, but I just can't seem to enjoy them much anymore. Despite its flaws, I do like how Avowed has sort of more "zoned" areas that aren't that big. It reminds me a bit of Fable 2.

Anyone else feel that way?

I think Avowed zones are damn near perfect.

The areas are smaller than other games, but they also have a ton of verticallity that others dont have.

Going from a deep dark cave all the way up to the top of a lighthouse overlooking the whole area is awesome.

[White Knuckle]

Martoq původně napsal:

I disagree. I like open worlds and having that sense of exploration. Can it be done badly, of course it can. Any genre can have a bad game. My personal favorite open world game was Assassin's Creed Odyssey. I loved exploring ancient Greece. Where as Valhalla fell flat for me, so much so that I never even finished it.

I see what you're saying and respect your opinion! I like Odyssey for a while, but I guess I just feel like a lot of it was padded/copy-pasted if that makes sense.

Xeirus původně napsal:

White Knuckle původně napsal:

I am on Gamepass, but just wondering if anyone else feels this way? I think big, open world games have their place, but I just can't seem to enjoy them much anymore. Despite its flaws, I do like how Avowed has sort of more "zoned" areas that aren't that big. It reminds me a bit of Fable 2.

Anyone else feel that way?

I think Avowed zones are damn near perfect.

The areas are smaller than other games, but they also have a ton of verticallity that others dont have.

Going from a deep dark cave all the way up to the top of a lighthouse overlooking the whole area is awesome.

I feel this exact same way!

[Ackranome]

Castelvania games were great.

[edVo]

Exactly how I feel. Avowed is a breath of fresh air for me. I missed these kinds of games - Fable is a good comparison zone-wise. (Outer Worlds tried to do something similar but unfortunately I just couldn't get into it - Avowed is much more interesting to me)

[Halcyform]

Either one works. In end, it's not so much whether it's linear or open but how good the overall gaming experience is.

Personally, I prefer as much exploration as a game is able to offer and that usually means big open worlds without invisible [death] walls pissing me off.

[Qoojo]

I do like linear games quite often because of FOMO. I have OCD. I have to explore every inch of the map, and i have to take and complete every side quest i find.

- "Hey, I know you are saving the world and all, but can you grab me a loaf of sour dough bread from this one baker 100 miles away because it will really make my grandma happy"

- "Sure"

[Sewer Cover]

One interesting thing about the linear zone structure is that it allows reactivity to go forward much more confidently. Actions in Dawnshore can have effects and reactions all thoughout the game because devs know you will be hitting each area one after another. Older zone games like Mass Effect, KOTOR, or Dragon Age would let you choose which to tackle (which has its own benefits) but this restricts how many resources you can dedicate to inter-zone reactivity because the complexity goes up. It can also have scaling issues where some zones are more difficult than others and new players choosing the hardest worlds first have a gruelling challenge they are unprepared for, and then cakewalks for the rest of the zones.

[brisket]

White Knuckle původně napsal:

I am on Gamepass, but just wondering if anyone else feels this way? I think big, open world games have their place, but I just can't seem to enjoy them much anymore. Despite its flaws, I do like how Avowed has sort of more "zoned" areas that aren't that big. It reminds me a bit of Fable 2.

Anyone else feel that way?

no that's an entirely valid take. dishonored, for example. it's a linear game, yet also is not. it's short, but allows for a ton of replay ability.

[Diomed]

Nope. I prefer big open world games like Skyrim and Fallout. This game comes close to that model and as such, I enjoy it.

[Blackcompany]

SaD-82 původně napsal:

Depends on the game and what it tries to achieve.
Dragon Age 2, for example, was situated inside a city - I liked it. It was thematically and a really fresh take. Dragon Age 1 were zones, as well - worked very well for the narative driven story.
The Elder Scrolls titles aim for a sandbox approach, almost like a simulation. While also having a narrative, the incentive in player interaction lies in a living, breathing world. Instances wouldn't fit that premisse.

If games are doing it well, I have no problems with both.

I actually think Elder Scrolls could benefit from instanced zones like Avowed.

Each zone could be larger, with a LOT more NPCs and populated locations. Each zone could be more detailed, with a larger number of interactable objects and items. As long as you could still freely travel between zones at any point, and as long as the crossing points made logical sense, I think it might actually improve Elder Scrolls to use this setup.