In recent years, the AAA space has seen an influx of games that utilize anopen-world for players to explore. Side quests, scenery decorations, and interesting NPC interactions litter the lands of many new releases, and with franchises building their stories around a larger space, it means there’s more likelihood that two unrelated titles present a similar feel. Paris-based developerUbisofthas made a name for itself thanks to its modern approach to open-ended level design, becoming synonymous with the idea.
A litany of quest markers, seemingly endless side content, and points of interest covering the landscape can be overwhelming for players wanting to take in the sights at a leisurely pace. To others, it’s a host of interesting activities in a fleshed-out virtual checklist. In manyUbisoftfranchises fromAssassin’s CreedtoWatch_Dogs,players are never short of things to do. Though many of the franchises that fall under the company’s banner have comparable design, it’s a philosophy that has revolutionized open-world games for the better, both for Ubisoft and other developers, too.
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An Assassin’s-Eye View of Ubisoft’s Open World Design
At its core, the Ubisoft open-world formula sees one big, non-linear level with pockets of content littered throughout, making up much of the title’s meta game. Much of the fun is had not through the main story, but distractions that can be found across a sprawling space. With theAssassin’s Creedfranchise submerging itself in the genrefar more withOrigins, Odyssey,andValhalla, Ubisoft’s crowning franchise has become increasingly polarizing. Gone are the methodical eavesdropping and tailing missions in favor of new mechanics that make traversal more fluid. Fans of earlier titles have found little that reminds them of previous entries, but each of the aforementioned games were critically praised and commercially successful. Much of the credit goes to each game’s respective open-world.
Synchronizing atop one ofAssassin’s Creed Origins' peaks quickly becomes one of the game’s true delights, revealing more of the map uncovering new secrets to find. Taking this mechanic andimplementing it intoFar Cryby way of radio towersmade many feel it was a product of lazy level design. However, it allows for an experience to develop at a suitable pace, giving players the freedom to tackle later areas early on if they prefer while still offering a scaling progression. Descending from a peak, only to stumble upon yet another “?” icon, may feel cluttered to some. Yet it’s another example of engaging, unpredictable content that a layered landscape can offer.
Imitation Is The Best Form of Flattery For Ubisoft
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildis one of the most revered open-world titles in decades, and its physics-based exploration is a unique experience in a genre that is often rigid. However, with its Sheikah Towers, Ubisoft’s footprints are obvious.Horizon Zero Dawnand its sequel,Horizon Forbidden West,are more in keeping with what many expect from the AAA open-world genre, withTallnecks clearly inspired by Ubsoft’s philosophybut being far more refined, and interesting to ascend. TheHorizonseries has many side activities, marking points of interests on the map in an identical way to howAssassin’s Creed Odysseyentices its players. With the former’s overwhelming critical acclaim, its similarity to Ubisoft’s well-worn open-world formula doesn’t detract from the game’s overall quality.
Ubisoft’s model has been reliable for many companies for a long time. It simply works, and facilitates progression in a more efficient (if unmemorable) way than many other games in the genre that dare to do something different. A case could be made that it has been overused in recent years, but popularity is often born from quality. The tried-and-tested formula thatUbisoftfashioned allows room for innovation, while maintaining a progression loop that is vital to any game inthe ever-increasing open-world genre.
