Support NeoGAF

[fireflame]

I am among the people who cannot play a game if there is not a story or background setting clear goals. I enjoy the ability to have freedom about how to achieve these goals, and choices to make to get different results.

But i have noticed that when i experience games that are praised for giving total freedom, i quickly end up being lost and anxious. Mount and Blade games for example, confuse me because of the lack of a story path-not mentioning fire and sword because i stopped it for different reasons-. A game like No man Sky is something that would make me run away, and i can say the same about Minecraft.

Some gamers havestated that people unable to enjoy that kind of games have just been brainwashed by the industry, and are people who lack creativity. I feel i just have different expectations. A game like Crusader Kings 2, for example, has no canon story, but for some reason, i got caught into it because my actions were rewarding and the story i wrote really felt credible. The amount of work of historical context and the way the game was handled made it easier for me to get in, and it almost felt like i was playing a story driven game with lot of freedom. When i conquered the world, i felt as happy as if i had won a Game with a plot.

Do you have problems getting interested and invested in games which promote that kind of freedom and have no story or clear goals, relying on the "do what you want"? No man's Sky PR relied a lot on that approach when players asked what they would do in game.
Open world games with a main story, as small as it can be(Skyrim)seem to be a compromise and picks the good parts of both philosophies. But a complete "you are on your own, no goals" generates a feeling of emptiness.

 

[PedroRVD]

I absolutely agree. I feel these games don't respect my time, I finished Zelda last night, it was an absolute incredible experience but I felt sometimes that I played for an hour or two and was achieving literally nothing... sense of progress was non-existent and I had the sensation that my gaming sessions were not worth it. When I started marking up shrines in the map with a guide I started to enjoy it much more.

The same happens with other open world games.

I need clear objectives in games and to feel like I achieve something every time I play.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

I feel the complete opposite.

For example, Breath Of The Wild. In previous Zeldas, if I didn't play for a while and came back to it, I'd be totally lost, forgetting what I was doing and where I was supposed to go.

With BOTW, there was so much to do and so many places to go, I never felt like I was spinning my wheels. Combine that with the number of different ways you could complete shrines/dungeons and get to places using the runes...it was just such a pleasure to play.

 

[Jawmuncher]

Usually OP I just get lost and bored. I know some people enjoy exploring and seeing new things on their own but I really don't. Give me my way point and let me just go where I need to. If I deem the expiring worthy enough I'll go and do it. Thus why I can't really give BOTW props. Hell I went and looked up where all the Towers were so I could get a compete map.

 

[KDR_11k]

For me that's only if there's lasting consequences to every action and the game just gives me a ton of choices before I can judge what any of them will do and I might end up screwing myself over permanently. In a low consequence game I don't worry much because if anything goes wrong it can be fixed easily.

 

[RPGam3r]

I need some story to maintain interest. I don't become anxious, I become bored as there is no true endgame I'm targeting. I prefer my games to have a tangible plot and clear end.

 

[RPGam3r]

I feel the complete opposite.

For example, Breath Of The Wild. In previous Zeldas, if I didn't play for a while and came back to it, I'd be totally lost, forgetting what I was doing and where I was supposed to go.

With BOTW, there was so much to do and so many places to go, I never felt like I was spinning my wheels. Combine that with the number of different ways you could complete shrines/dungeons and get to places using the runes...it was just such a pleasure to play.

BotW has a story and end if you needed guidance. It has freedom sure, but it is all in context of something.

 

[Spudnik Sweetheart]

I need a goal. If you give me too many options I take none of them. Minecraft doesn't work for me because I have no real end goal except ones I set. I don't trust me to set smart goals.

Assuming that says more about me than it does games but oh well.

 

[Aru]

Same, I need a goal. For story based games as well as puzzle games.
I usually don't like "write your own story" or "build whatever you like, go wherever you want" types of games.

 

[hardcastlemccormick]

For me that's only if there's lasting consequences to every action and the game just gives me a ton of choices before I can judge what any of them will do and I might end up screwing myself over permanently. In a low consequence game I don't worry much because if anything goes wrong it can be fixed easily.

This applies to me. Freedom doesn't bother me, but complex systems and consequences definitely do.

 

[Lashley]

I'm the same way. I need a goal, otherwise I just wander and get bored attempting everything.

 

[illamap]

For me this only happens if game has poor tutorials and lots of mechanics that are complex but that dont really provide anything meaningful.

 

[FZW]

I had the same problem but the funny thing is solved it with achievements. Every time I feel like im lost, I look at the list and think "which one of these activities I can knock out right now?"

Once that list is complete, The game is basically finished for me.

 

[Jawbreaker]

Hm, there's a bit of truth to that for me. It's why I can't get into Minecraft yet adore Dragon Quest Builders. I wouldn't say I get stressed or lost, but it's difficult for the game to hold my attention for long.

 

[Ushay]

I can kind of understand this with open world games that have too much bloat, like Dragon Age Inquisition. Witcher 3 on the other hand, makes the exploration very much worthwhile.

 

[Enigmatic Rainbow]

I don't get stressed and lost, I just get bored. I think only Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen and BotW held my interest to finish them out of the all the open world games I've played.

 

[Melchiah]

Agreed. When I started Witcher 3, it felt like going to work and having a huge pile of things to do on the table. It just felt exhausting, and that's why I quitted playing the game very early on. I can cope with more confined open worlds, like in Horizon and Infamous, but I always prefer a more linear approach.

 

[NotLiquid]

It wholly depends on the game's structure.

Breath of the Wild is probably one of the biggest games to stress "freedom" but what makes that game palatable is the fact that everything you do is in service of one major objective. Even if you were in the middle of a task after coming back to a while the game is perfectly okay with you abandoning said task for the sake of whatever else comes to your mind. You can set your own microgoals with the game easily.

In contrast I do think that something like GTA or Skyrim which are massive games, yet have a very quest-based approach, can be incredibly overwhelming.

 

[ZeroX03]

I've mentioned this in another thread, but I was around at a friend's place and he was playing Far Cry 4. He just wandered around for a few hours doing nothing in particular. He didn't care about story missions or objectives, just interacted with whatever crossed his path. Same with GTAV. That's all he played the games for.

It frustrated me to watch. Not a fan. Need goals. Need direction. Need a destination. Doesn't need to be a story, but if it's not narrative driven it's at least completionist driven. Can't do games that are designed to be played in perpetuity either. Sorry MMOs and many mobile titles.

I like Breath of the Wild, but it's my least favorite 3D Zelda after playing for something like 60 hours. It's just busy work at this point. It doesn't help that the game's reward structure was pretty flat.


He also played DOOM and was super upright about doing optional objectives and exploring for stuff, that was much better to watch.

 

[NoKisum]

I get that in some games. In games like Persona and Monster Hunter, they tell you after the tutorial stuff that all your options from here are open ended and you can do whatever. But the way the games are structured, it just makes me think that after 200+ hours, it's gonna come to light that I made the wrong choice back in hour 2 and have to start all over to properly complete the games.

 

[Fisty]

I feel the opposite, but I have a friend that is the exact same way OP. Back in the day I was hyping up Fallout 3 and he was excited to play. As soon as he left the Vault, looked around, opened the map and saw the size... he immediately said nope and quit the game.

 

[MTC100]

I absolutely agree. I feel these games don't respect my time, I finished Zelda last night, it was an absolute incredible experience but I felt sometimes that I played for an hour or two and was achieving literally nothing... sense of progress was non-existent and I had the sensation that my gaming sessions were not worth it. When I started marking up shrines in the map with a guide I started to enjoy it much more.

The same happens with other open world games.

I need clear objectives in games and to feel like I achieve something every time I play.

I also like to have clear objectives and if possible a waypoint and almost GPS-like navigation map too. I have played Breath of the Wild exclusively with the pro hud though, this game is different, I'd let the wind blow me to different locations, I had a blast, totaled 105 hours of playtime over a few weeks in my first playthrough. I didn't get all the shrines, didn't use a guide but still it was a fulfilling experience, I'll revisit the game at some later time. I've played a few dozen hours since I've started the master mode and will probably use a guide to catch every shrine at some point, Heroes Mode really helps to track down where I was and where not, maybe it will be enough to find all the shrines, we'll see.

 

[Melchiah]

I feel the opposite, but I have a friend that is the exact same way OP. Back in the day I was hyping up Fallout 3 and he was excited to play. As soon as he left the Vault, looked around, opened the map and saw the size... he immediately said nope and quit the game.

Haha! Sounds like your friend and I have something in common.

 

[Spring-Loaded]

Haha! Sounds like your friend and I have something in common.

Agoraphobia?

 

[Dr. Buni]

I agree. On the other hand, not enough freedom can completely ruin the experience. I think a lot of freedom with hints to where to go and what to do is the ideal, if done right.

 

[Melchiah]

Agoraphobia?

See my previous post. When I see a huge map laid out before me, I feel like I don't even want to bother. It just feels like work.

 

[Alcotholic]

I felt that exact way playing Minecraft. There is no objective or goal, so I feel lost and board. But Dragon quest Builders had an excellent amount of goal vs. Creation.

 

[Weiss]

I feel the exact same way and it's why I can't get into open world games. I tried Horizon and it was such a bland experience for me.

 

[Glass Shark]

Depends on the game, really. Minecraft never really clicked with me, I completely lose interest on a new survival world after an hour or so. Breath of the Wild, on the other hand, I thought was amazing. It gave me just enough sense of purpose to propel me through the world.

 

[Fahzgoolin]

Kinda the same OP. Making complex and free form decisions is real life and I like gaming to be simpler.

Zelda BOTW struck a great balance imo. There weren't a ton of decisions to be made. The core was exceedingly simple and it provided a main direction that kept me going.

 

[Van Bur3n]

I am not like that at all and are the exact opposite. I enjoy games giving me freedom to do what I please and discover on my own. I less prefer games holding my hand and telling me to go from point A to B to C to D.

I especially like Bethesda games for the amount of sandbox freedom they have to offer in creating your own character and creating your own story with that character. One thing they get right that few do.

 

[Coolluck]

I worry how some of y'all handle big projects at school or work where there's not a clear outline to follow.

 

[travisbickle]

I love wandering around open worlds with no direction. The annoying thing in gta is that people call the cops on you when you're just minding your own business waiting at the bus stop.

 

[boiled goose]

It depends.

Open world games with linear objectives are horrible in this respect.
For example wind waker.

On the other hand open world games where you can do meaningful shit no matter where you go are great.
For example botw

 

[geordiemp]

Make me bored and many worlds so damn empty, oh look 5 things have spawned in, how interesting.

Not seen many well enemy populated open world games on console....

so ....damn....empty

 

[DESTROYA]

Stressed....No, but I agree OP open world games can be great but give me a objective.

 

[Nerix]

I just started Elite: Dangerous, and it's exactly the game you described - no goal, a huge universe, indefinitely freedom and complex mechanics. I love it, but can understand how one can feel stressed about that. You have to set your own pace and story.

 

[Fisty]

I worry how some of y'all handle big projects at school or work where there's not a clear outline to follow.

Check the GameFAQs Work section for "Proposal Generation Walkthrough" and "How to min/max your career"

 

[Demoskinos]

This is one of the reasons I actually really enjoy FFXIII. People complain about the linearity but to me that is a good thing. I almost always prefer a tighter more linear experience. I can play open world games sometimes but create your own fun games like Mine craft are a 100% no go for me.

 

[ChronotriggerJM]

I think there's a good middle ground. Games with too much freedom typically leave me not caring about any characters in it's universe (Skyrim/Mount and blade are good examples), a bit more push on narrative can get you something like Witcher 3, with many characters you'll have strong opinions of, while still feeling open.

I think the goal should be to make it as "linear" as you can while still retaining that open world freedom. Strong character driven quests, with fully animated story sequences are a great middle ground imo.

 

[Humdinger]

Almost all games, even open-world, have built-in goals and objectives. It's part of what defines a game.

In open world games, though, you usually have to put in some time exploring, before you discover the goals. That's why the quality of exploration is so important. Exploration has to be enjoyable in and of itself. Otherwise, people just won't continue far enough to feel the pull of the goals that are there (but sort of buried under the surface).

 

[Moose Biscuits]

I worry how some of y'all handle big projects at school or work where there's not a clear outline to follow.

Funnily enough, I hate those kinds of things in real life but I enjoy the kind of thing that OP dislikes. I can really get into a big objective-less world: over 1000 hours in GTA Online and I'm getting stuck into Elite Dangerous now.

The reason is that the penalties/consequences for failure in videogames are almost infinitely lighter than in real life. In real life I prefer work to be structured and unchallenging, otherwise I get stressed out and worry about making mistakes/failing to meet expectations.

 

[fredrancour]

Sometimes I do get paralyzed with indecision in a game with tons of options or freedom. Didn't happen in breath of the wild though. Being left the hell alone felt amazing after most recent Zelda games.

 

[Plum]

I don't feel like this about open worlds but more about open stat systems. It's why I can't get too much into long RPGs with multiple classes, skill trees, etc. I just keep thinking about whether I'm going to make the "wrong" choice and whether I'll be enjoying the playstyle I've locked myself into come hour 50. Persona 5 had a whole heap of this which is why I just played on Easy; I really couldn't be thinking about what Personas to fuse, what confidants to level up, stuff like that. The original Deus Ex was the same way despite me managing to complete it.

EDIT: To put it simply: I'm fine with games that don't have clear objectives, I'm not fine with games that have clear objectives with lots of different ways to achieve them.

 

[Melchiah]

I worry how some of y'all handle big projects at school or work where there's not a clear outline to follow.

The difference is, that no-one's paying you for playing those games.

 

[RoninChaos]

For me the exploration has to yield something. There has to be a reward otherwise I feel like I'm wasting my time. I don't need a world to run around in just so I can exist there. That's what real life is. If I set aside the small time I have to game then I want to be able to accomplish something in the time that I have. That's why BotW was so frustrating for me. The exploration was nice but the inventory system and weapon breaking systems completely threw water on the reward system because EVERYTHING is temporary. Even the master sword takes time outs. It's ridiculous.

 

[Nekster]

imo BotW has the perfect balance.

I don't like the kind of far cry or horizon where you have icons pointing out absolutely everything. I enjoyed these games, a lot, but not for their open world design. I don't like open worlds where you're directed all the way without any incentive to explore. I like to discover, to be surprised, to feel that the exploration is a real adventure. I don't have that kind of feelings in open worls like AC, Far Cry, Horizon, etc...

But i also understand that absolute freedom in a big world can be overwhelming so... botw for me is perfect because the game itself does not estress you to complete a task list.

 

[Desi]

I normally am pretty fine when given a high amount of flexibility and freedom. The problem with me is when I get hit with quests/activities that I have to complete before a certain time clock or event. Remember in GTA4 after they burn down your cousin's taxi place you could no longer complete those taxi rides for the bonus. At least that is how I remember it.

 

[kubev]

This isn't so much true of open-world games for me as it is with Metroidvania-style games with a lot of extra paths, some of which lead to dead ends. My problem isn't so much in hitting the dead ends, though; my problem is that I want to hit the dead ends first so I'm not progressing too far and risking a lot of backtracking. I can handle maybe two or three paths, but there are times when I'll just stop playing entirely if I feel like there are too many instances in which I have to risk progressing too far without covering all dead ends first.

 

[ChronotriggerJM]

imo BotW has the perfect balance.

I don't like the kind of far cry or horizon where you have icons pointing out absolutely everything. I enjoyed these games, a lot, but not for their open world design. I don't like open worlds where you're directed all the way without any incentive to explore. I like to discover, to be surprised, to feel that the exploration is a real adventure. I don't have that kind of feelings in open worls like AC, Far Cry, Horizon, etc...

But i also understand that absolute freedom in a big world can be overwhelming so... botw for me is perfect because the game itself does not estress you to complete a task list.

Agreed about icons on a map, I'm not into stuff like that at all, I like the way Witcher 3 handled it, by having posted notes on the job board open up points of interest. Someone complaining about bandits on a ridge, strange noises in a cave, etc etc. You can still find them on your own, but there's assistance if you want it.