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Elden Ring Succeeds by Ignoring 20 Years of Open-World Design

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Re: Elden Ring Succeeds by Ignoring 20 Years of Open-World Design

#91

Post by madrox »

sk1pper wrote: post #44

The commentary around organic learning reminds me of The Outer Wilds. Imho it’s an even more extreme case of what the author is getting at here: (very mild spoilers follow) there are no stats or levels in The Outer Wilds; there are no upgrades (mild spoiler because I spent like 75% of the game thinking I’d get some sort of item to help me deal with various obstacles eventually, but nope). The game randomly picks a pl…

Outer Wilds is probably in my top 5 games of all time, but I feel like it’s a category of its own. It has more in common with Myst or Lucasarts adventure games than Skyrim and other open world games.

Or maybe it’s a distinction without a difference. I know I’d rather see more Outer Wilds games out there than more Skyrims.

Re: Elden Ring Succeeds by Ignoring 20 Years of Open-World Design

#92

Post by NotCamelCase »

0F wrote: post #64

I used to love video games in 2010. I loved Skyrim and counterstrike. And in the last 4 years or so I have just stopped liking them. It just seems so boring. Online games are just a contest of who’s willing to sink the most time or money into oblivion. Single player games boil down to the story/writing so why not just read a book or watch a movie? And even then, why bother with a fictional story when I can read some…

I am in the same boat. Save for a few games, modern games bore me to death and completely pass by me. I play maybe ~2h a month, if any. Actually, this is true for me when it comes to modern movies and music as well.

Is there more to it other than the fact that as one gets older, one has higher expectations? I keep wondering about it...

Re: Elden Ring Succeeds by Ignoring 20 Years of Open-World Design

#93

Post by katbyte »

ChildOfChaos wrote: post #85
linkdd wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Zelda BOTW is just the first NES Zelda for the modern era. Nintendo's open-world is the only open-world I liked. I can't get immersed in GTA's open world because I'm just a random going on a killing spree for 15 minutes then shut the game down. I hated Skyrim, the world is big but empty. There is nothing particular about the landscape that makes me want to "go there". Most of the time, I discovered areas because I wa…

Quoted post unavailable.

People are going to hate on you for being sexist. You could have said little kids but nope, you went with little girls.

Re: Elden Ring Succeeds by Ignoring 20 Years of Open-World Design

#94

Post by kinghtown »

ChildOfChaos wrote: post #85
linkdd wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Zelda BOTW is just the first NES Zelda for the modern era. Nintendo's open-world is the only open-world I liked. I can't get immersed in GTA's open world because I'm just a random going on a killing spree for 15 minutes then shut the game down. I hated Skyrim, the world is big but empty. There is nothing particular about the landscape that makes me want to "go there". Most of the time, I discovered areas because I wa…

Quoted post unavailable.

I loved both. I think BotW is the greatest open world for immersion and gameplay. It only lacks in the story department and the ending is weak. I think it’s a great game but I wouldn’t want every open world game to copy it. Like I’m playing and really enjoying Cyberpunk 2077 right now and it isn’t doing anything really that’s been inspired by BotW. It has more in common with Bethesda games and Farcry.

BotW manages to always be fun and interesting to explore. A quality worth taking inspiration from for sure. Getting around the map in games like Assassins Creed often feels like a chore.

Re: Elden Ring Succeeds by Ignoring 20 Years of Open-World Design

#95

Post by prometheon1 »

gernb wrote: post #90

Plea for tips... I tried to play Elden Ring, no knowledge, lover of BotW, and ... I first picked Wretch. I didn't know that it matter and maybe it doesn't but it seemed more cool to start with wimpy looking character and see it get built up. But, AFAICT after getting to the first hard character in the training pit, Wretch is meant for a hard challenge So I started over with whatever the first character is (already fo…

Tips:

- Watch YouTube videos, there are beginners guides, tips and tricks, etc.

- Try to see each death as a challenge, what can you try next time to potentially not die? Dying and improving is “the process” in these games.

Re: Elden Ring Succeeds by Ignoring 20 Years of Open-World Design

#96

Post by linkdd »

katbyte wrote: post #93
ChildOfChaos wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Quoted post unavailable.

People are going to hate on you for being sexist. You could have said little kids but nope, you went with little girls.

How is "little kids" better?

Games are for every one (well some games are for mature audience but that's not the point).

I like easy games because I don't want to be punished for not being good enough after a job week.

I like thinking/strategy games like chess because I like to challenge myself.

I like a lot of other genre for different reasons.

But not a single one of them should be depicted as "for little kids", not even sokoban, tictactoe, etc... because that's just not true.

Games are for entertainment. You're either entertained, or not when playing the game. It's completely subjective. It does not depend on the fact you're a kid or an adult.

Re: Elden Ring Succeeds by Ignoring 20 Years of Open-World Design

#97

Post by mjevans »

ehsankia wrote: post #77
fer wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I read the article and ctrl+f'd Outer Wilds straight away. It's an extreme case indeed, the game does very little hand-holding, while being tremendously complex and interconnected. The only thing that unlocks parts of the game is what you learn from it, and those details and mechanics are what enable to progress. The downside is that it has very little replay value (you can beat the game within 5min if you already di…

I highly recommend both Tunic and The Witness if you enjoyed Outer Wilds. But yes, the concept of "knowledge" being the power ups you gain throughout the game is truly done fantastically in Outer Wilds, and few other games come close to replicating it.

Tunic does a lot of things well for a modern game. There are secrets to discover, an interesting map, accessibility options that open the game to audiences that don't do as well with keyboards or console controllers.

There's a unique in game language (and a good, and then really good hint in the game on how to crack into it); but it is _not_ required to even get the good ending. Just enough of the lore's surface is there and a player still has a good chance of reaching the good ending. All the more so after seeing the bad and then reloading the save file (standard game mechanics).

Some fans have even put together decoder tables to assist translation of the game language to English; as well as a version of the manual that's completely translated if you don't have the time or desire to do that.

Re: Elden Ring Succeeds by Ignoring 20 Years of Open-World Design

#98

Post by Epskampie »

k8sToGo wrote: post #71

I personally found the Open World of Red Dead Redemtpion 2 much better.

Really? I loved RD2 for it’s story and characters, but the world itself was quite bland to me. There is very little highlights, once you’ve seen one town you’ve seen them all. Also most missions are tied to the story and very linear, so it’s hardly “open” to begin with. Not to say the game isn’t a masterpiece, but one in storytelling.

Re: Elden Ring Succeeds by Ignoring 20 Years of Open-World Design

#99

Post by eddiewithzato »

0F wrote: post #64

I used to love video games in 2010. I loved Skyrim and counterstrike. And in the last 4 years or so I have just stopped liking them. It just seems so boring. Online games are just a contest of who’s willing to sink the most time or money into oblivion. Single player games boil down to the story/writing so why not just read a book or watch a movie? And even then, why bother with a fictional story when I can read some…

That’s why Elden Ring is good to me. I actually explore within the immersive world and discover NPCs, items, etc. If I get stuck in a boss, I can take a break and explore some other part of the game.

I can even ignore, and did miss whole areas on my first play through. I did end up finishing my first play through in 80 hours.

I then decided to wait for the DLC to begin my second play through.

Re: Elden Ring Succeeds by Ignoring 20 Years of Open-World Design

#100

Post by ChildOfChaos »

katbyte wrote: post #93
ChildOfChaos wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Quoted post unavailable.

People are going to hate on you for being sexist. You could have said little kids but nope, you went with little girls.

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