Welcome back to Cursors And Crosshairs
once again, fellow gamers! In this post, I shall introduce one of my favourite
game genres – Open World game genre. Similar to the previous post, I will be
introducing some of my favourite game titles from this genre for your
information and enjoyment in hopes that it may become one of your favourite
game titles too!
Open World
Generally, games that employ the gaming
concept of open world environments often fall into the category of Open World
genre. A major difference between Open World genre games and the average linear
progression games is that players are required to stick on a scripted path
throughout the gameplay of a linear progression game, often coming across
levels in the same order. On the contrary, Open World genre games consist of large
environments alongside the option for players to visit various areas and
structures whenever they want in-game. Furthermore, the sense of control given
to players in Open World genre games allows the player to relate to their
character on a different level, which contributes to the popularity of Open
World genre games among gamers.
Despite the meaning that the name “Open
World” conveys, there are still barriers that exist at the edge of the game
map. As an example provided Legendiaries.com, the game of Skyrim has barriers
put up around the end of its game world. Should a player approach the edge of
the Skyrim game map, a message will appear on-screen which inform the players
that they are unable to proceed over the border of Cyrodill, which is presumed
to be the edge of the map that the game of Skyrim offers to its players.
Open World Terms
- Free Roaming: Free roaming is not a game genre variation of Open World genre, but a gameplay term used in the Open World genre game design. Open World genre games with the element of free roaming does not limit the player to accomplish missions or quests in order to unlock certain areas of the game map for exploration, but allows the player to travel to all the areas of the game map regardless of the progression of the player in-game.
- Sandbox: Sandbox is another term commonly found in Open World game genre. Games with the element of sandbox in its game design permits the players to create their own story in-game and to have the freedom to play any character that they favour. However, considering the varying gameplay and game design of sandbox games, sandbox games can also be categorized as different game genre that bears little resemblances to the Open World genre.
Recommended Open World Games
- Fallout New Vegas (2010)
Image Source
Fallout New Vegas is the fourth major
installment in the Fallout game series, released its iconic predecessor –
Fallout 3. Fallout New Vegas takes place in the year of 2281 which equates to a
3 year gap after the events of Fallout 3. The post-apocalyptic game map of
Fallout New Vegas is inspired by the Southwest region of United States where a
wide array of fictional locations (in which some are based on real life
locations) are situated in and available for the players to explore and
uncover.
In Fallout: New Vegas, players take
control of a character named Courier 6 who works for a delivery service called
Mojave Express. Courier 6 was given the task to travel across the Mojave Desert
to deliver a package to the city of New Vegas. Unfortunately, Courier 6 was
ambushed by a third party in the midst of his/her journey, in which the
ambusher robbed the delivery package and left him/her to die with a gunshot
wound in his/her head. However, Courier 6 miraculously survives the gunshot and
proceeds to embark on a journey to track down the ambushers and to recover
his/her robbed package.
Flexibility:
However, the flexibility of Fallout: New
Vegas is what makes it popular and loved by gamers all around the world. Aside
from traditional features such as freely travelling across the game map and
equipping weapons of the player’s choice, the flexibility factor of the game
players new array of control over the main character. As an example, players
can:
- customize the main character's gender, ethnicity and appearance at the start of the game
- customize the main character's skills, referred to as S.P.E.C.I.A.L (Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and Luck) at the beginning of the game
- choose between the rivaling faction of Legion or New Republic California to side with and carry out missions for
- determine the reputation of the protagonist, which can evoke varying reactions from in-game characters based on actions carried out by the player onto the in-game characters
- complete a mission with different methods, in which the outcome may differ depending on options chosen by the player themselves
- recruit a series of interesting companions with their unique personalities throughout their journey in-game
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| The player's reputation can be affected by attacking other characters. Image Source |
The gaming community has given Fallout:
New Vegas high ratings – the rating of 9.0 out of 10 on IGN as well as the
rating of 8.5 out of 10 on Gamespot for its versatility in gameplay and its
interesting storyline. Should you have an interest in computer games with a
generous amount of Sci-Fi incorporated within, don’t miss out on Fallout: New
Vegas and the rest of the game in the Fallout series!
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2005)
Image Source
Despite the fact that it was released 12
years ago, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas’ nostalgic storyline and gameplay is
still loved by Grand Theft Auto fans worldwide. The game of Grand Theft Auto:
San Andreas takes place in the fictional state of San Andreas in the early
1990’s whereby the player takes control of the main character – Carl “CJ”
Johnson, commonly known as CJ by in-game characters and gamers alike –
throughout the gameplay.
Storyline:
Carl Johnson originally hails from the
gang of Grove Street Families lead by his brother Sean “Sweet” Johnson in Los
Santos, a city run amok with gangs, drugs and corruption. He eventually left
Los Santos for Liberty City to escape the pressures of life, but had to return
to his hometown five years later due to the death of his mother. Upon returning
to the neighbourhood, a few corrupt police of Los Santos, who recognises him,
proceeds to frame Carl for homicide, presumably in hopes of throwing him in
jail. From that point onward, Carl forcibly embarks on a journey to protect his
family and to take control of the streets of Los Santos.
In-game world:
The in-game map of Grand Theft Auto: San
Andreas include three different cities which is situated in the state of San
Andres, which is based on real life locations of Nevada and California. The
three cities included in-game are Los Santos, based on the city of Los Angeles;
Las Venturas, inspired by Las Vegas and lastly, San Fierro which is based on
real-life San Francisco. Players are able to visit and explore all three cities
whenever they wish to in-game.
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| The player can use a bicycle as a method of exploring the cities. Image Source |
The game of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
also has flexibility incorporated in its gameplay, thus setting it apart from
other games in the same genre. Its flexibility can be evident in its features
of:
- customizable hairstyles
- customizable character outfit
- unique player statistics such as stamina, fat (fat percentage), muscle (muscle percentage), lung capacity (affected while underwater), cycling skill, bike skill, driving skill, flying skill, weapon skill, sex appeal and lastly, respect (level of respect gained)
- wide array of vehicles to utilize in-game, from riding a simple bicycle to flying an aeroplane (vehicles can be legally obtained or through hijacking in-game character’s vehicles, otherwise known as carjacking in terms of car stealing)
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| The player can train their skills by working out at the in-game gym. Image Source. |
The non-linear, action-packed gameplay
of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas has earned a rating of 9.3 out of 10 on IGN
and a high rating of 9.6 out of 10 on Gamespot, thus proving its popularity and
excellence among gamers worldwide. If you have an interest in action-packed
stories and do not mind the aspect of violence in game, Grand Theft Auto: San
Andreas your must-try Open World genre game.
You can purchase a digital copy of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
on Steam here.
___________________________________________________________________________
Thank you for reading! That concludes my
introduction of game genres on Cursors And Crosshairs! Never fear if the Open
World game genre or the previously mentioned First Person Shooter game genre
does not suit your personal tastes - these two genres are merely my personal
favorite in terms of game genres.
In fact, there are a wide
array of game genres in the gaming community that may pique your interest like
Open World game genre and First Person Shooter game genre did for me. As a
parting note for this post, always remember to not let the other gamers put you
down because of your differences in game genre preferences in comparison with
their game genre preferences.
Anyways, stay tuned for the seventh and
last entry of Cursors And Crosshairs - Upcoming Computer Games for 2017.
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