Summary
A lot of series jump into the open-world genre as a way to evolve. TheBatman Arkhamgames,Metal Gear Solid,andGhost Reconall did it to varying degrees of success. It is a logical leap, since open-world games are generally longer and offer the opportunity for engaging side content.
What about when the opposite happens? It is rarer, but a few series have gone into a linear structure for a sequel or a notable spin-off. It goes to show that not every game needs to be open-world, and that a linear game can provide a unique thrill that an unfocused structure cannot.
WhenFallout 4was announced, Bethesda alsoshadow-droppedFallout Shelter.This game does away with open-world exploration and replaces dialogue trees with different types of decisions. Players manage a vault, which includes deciding how to develop it and sending people out to scavenge for resources.
This is not the firstFalloutspin-off that did away with the open-world concept.Fallout: Brotherhood of Steelis a completely linear role-playing game and was also the first time the series came to consoles. However, that game received lackluster reviews and was generally ignored by the fanbase.
The Witcherworked its way up to anopen-world epic withThe Witcher 3.The card game found in the third entry, Gwent, was so popular it spawned a spin-off. A single-player mode of this spin-off came out in 2018.Thronebreaker: The Witcher Talesstill has players moving on a map, but the story moves along in a linear fashion.
Still, the campaign will take close to 30 hours to complete, so nobody should think the game does not offer value in terms of length. It just trades awayThe Witcher 3’sexploration for a more focused experience.
The first twoElder Scrollsgames featuresome of the largest maps ever put in an open-world RPG.A lot of it is procedurally generated and lacks the detail of future entries. A couple of spin-offs then came out early in the series' life.Redguardis a third-person action game where exploration is still a big part of the gameplay.
Battlespire,on the other hand,is a lot smaller in scope, and focuses more on plot and combat. Unfortunately, reviews were not kind to it upon release.The focus on dungeon crawling inBattlespireis something Bethesda would lean into more in the future with games likeFallout 4andFallout 76.
The level of freedomMinecraftgives players sparked a young generation’s imagination. Several spin-offs have taken theMinecraftaesthetic and put them into new genres.Minecraft Dungeons,for example,is a dungeon crawlerthat could best be compared toDiabloorPath of Exile.
The game received fairly good reviews and is a shorter adventure compared to its contemporaries, making it a great introduction to the genre. Being set in theMinecraftuniverse, it is also great for younger gamers who might not be old enough to dive into Diablo’s grimdark world just yet.
A lot of olderFinal Fantasyfans might yearn for the days of the series’traditional turn-based combat.The truth is,Final Fantasyhas never really stagnated in any era, and most people consider their trueFinal Fantasythe one they grew up with. Besides, spin-offs have helped fill the void.
IfFinal Fantasy 15’sopen world and graphical fidelity were a turn-off for any gamer, they can always playPocket Edition. The game goes throughFF15’sstory, but takes out the open world and instead features more straightforward gameplay and a cutesy, chibi art style. It started life as a mobile game, but eventually made its way to consoles.
3Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong
A Condensed RPG Focused On Story
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlinesis a highly influential RPG whose sequel has been through severe development problems. Fortunately, some spin-offs have come out in the meantime to help satiate fans.Bloodhuntis a battle royale, whileSwansongis a narrative-focused RPG that follows three distinct characters.
It lacks the free-roaming and exploration thatBloodlinesoffers, but it more than makes up for it with the narrative choices players are allowed to make during the story. Despite being a more compact adventure, it still features most of the elements players love aboutVampire: The Masquerade.
PSVR 2 has several exclusives,but it doesn’t have the killer app to make the device worth owning. The first iteration hadAstrobot: Rescue Mission, and the closest Sony’s second VR headset has isHorizon Call of the Mountain, a side story set in theHorizoncanon. There is a focus on climbing, which is thrilling in VR.
The game does a great job showing the sense of scale and making players feel like they are genuinely hanging high up in the air. Just don’t expect to do it for long, since the campaign is about eight hours.
Some consider the debutLegend of Zeldaas an open-world game, and there is a strong argument for it. Players are dropped into the middle of nowhere and encouraged to explore until they unlock all the secrets and beat all of the dungeons. If one believes this, then every otherZeldagame that isn’t open-world makes it to this list.
Even if one considersBreath of the Wildthe first true open-world adventure, that still leavesHyrule Warriors: Age of Calamityas a spin-off that takes a distinctly non-open-world approach. The Musou game retains the same art and feel asBreath of the Wild, which thankfully saves it from feeling too repetitive or too much like aDynasty Warriorsgame, yet its gameplay stands in stark contrast to the typicalZeldadesign.
