Most devs don't know how to fill that world with meaningful content and opt for busy work with icon vomit. Aka the Ubisoft way. Usually, it's just an empty backdrop with no life in it. Often, linear gameplay in a huge open area creates monotony. Again, Ubisoft which other devs adapted, even Spider-Man. This is why BoTW shines. It's a nonlinear game in a nonlinear world, and you can approach any problem whenever and however you want. TBH even GTA has struggled with this since the PS2 era. Sure, the world is large, but a mission has to be done in a specific linear fashion the game wants. It's dated and needs to change.Daggerfall in 1996 understood this. Original Zelda and Ultima understood this. But this concept has mostly been abandoned since the PS2 era.
The world. NPCs. Needs to feel alive and encourage exploration. BoTW designed the world in a specific way to trick the player into wanting to explore. It has environmental storytelling. Not every game needs to be BoTW, but they could learn some lessons.
Last edited by Leynos - on 01 March 2025Bite my shiny metal cockpit!
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