Playing Several Massive Open World Games at Once

I'm sure many of you have played games like The Witcher 3, Grand Theft Auto V, Fallout 4, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and the list goes on. The question is, have you played these massive open world games at the same time. I don't mean that in a literal sense but more in terms of jumping between these worlds in an aim to get to the end game, where the credits finally roll. I haven't and don't think I'd put myself in that kind of hell.

Why is it hell? Let's get into that. Open World games these days are MASSIVE, usually taking up an entire real-world city or small country. Take The Witcher 3 for example. The game world is so expansive it takes you some time to travel from one end of the map to the other and that's one reason these games can be hell; their sheer size. Moreso if they don't have any type of fast travel system, traveling can be a task in itself. Can you image trying to play Skyrim without any sort of Fast Travel. It would take a player ages to get to the next town or desired destination. What many open-world games do is give players a vehicle [and I say that to include horses, mounts, etc.] to get around if Fast Travel isn't their thing. Thus making traveling that much easier.

In addition to the size, much like all the games in this category, is the sheer number plethora of things you can DO into between two points on the map. It can be so overwhelming to open a map and see all the side activities available to you. Many games encourage you to go off the beaten path. Doing so nets you extra items, Quests, Collective (which are an entirely different kind of beast) and lets you uncover the secrets of the game. This can lead players away from the main story and that can be a double-edge sword. If you're like me you want to check every corner and love when you find those hidden gems going exploring is great but others won't feel the same way. Often times players just want to get to the endgame and experience the story and that's fine too. There are those who aren't really interested in the side quests and activities as they are the main story. I love a game that gives you the option to choose a difficulty just for story. Or one that doesn't make you grind to keep up with the story progression. It makes it more accessible to gamers who aren't familiar with an open-world game and don't want be overwhelmed.

The final point I want to touch on that's big when it comes to playing an open world games is the time is takes to reach the endgame when trying to tackle each and every aspect of the game. When it comes to taking on side quest and objective in an open world game it can take what seems like a lifetime before you even get to the next story related mission. Some games lock additional side quests behind story mission which is a good way to let players experience the story without getting too lost in the game. Games like the Witcher 3 continue to give you more side quests to do the more you explore the world. You can go hours without touching the main story. Batman: Arkham Knight does it a bit different. It weaves story and side quests together making it feel different from the norm. What makes this okay with players is that most of these side quests are their own enclosed stories and at times are quite entertaining.

With so much to do these games can eat away at the time you have during the day. Time that some seldom have. For individuals who work all day and have a family there's hardly any time. What can happen in this case is the side quests would most likely get ignore with more focus placed on the story and doing so may mean missing out on some of the finer aspect of the game.

In all, playing an open world game however you want is up to the player. Personally, I'm still playing The Witcher 3, Arkham Knight and most recently Infamous: Second Son only because The Witcher 3 is taking so much out of me. I need a break from an open world with another smaller open world. Oh well, exploring I go.

---
Courtesy of Games News Network