Why future open world video games on PS5 should emulate Spider-Man
The open world format offers so much potential for players to enjoy a truly free-form experience, but too often the opportunity that’s presented is lacklustre. What we’re saying is we want more games like Marvel’s Spider-Man
We’ve been thinking a lot about open worlds lately, and with the arrival of PlayStation 5 set to encourage a fresh wave of titles, it’s likely we’re going to be seeing plenty more of them.
Open worlds have become such an inevitable and unavoidable aspect of video games these days, we wonder how this staple of game design could be shaken up to offer a more compelling experience.
A good place to start would be to get rid of all the problems we discussed over here, but rather than dwell on the negatives, we’d rather focus on what makes these games work.
Marvel’s Spider-Man is perhaps the best example of how we feel an open world should be presented, it’s fast-paced and enjoyable from a variety of angles regardless of what you’re doing in the game.
There’s nothing to dislike, whether you’re travelling between points of interest, beating up bad guys, or chasing pigeons. So why can’t all open worlds be as moreish as this one?
IF YOU NEED TO TRAVEL, IT NEEDS TO BE FUN
The variety of options available to you during combat alone can make each encounter feel fresh, with several strategic choices on the table.
Our biggest issue with open world games is the hours you’re forced to spend travelling around vast spaces to reach the next area of action.
In most cases, that period of travel is either completely pointless or needlessly elongated. Often you’ll be forced to traverse an empty wasteland, but occasionally it will be dotted with meaningless encounters with a band of bad guys that offer no meaningful challenge or benefit and serve only to further lengthen your journey.
But then there are games such as Spider-Man, which manages to make exploring an open world that spans the entirety of Manhattan its main attraction. The effortlessness with which swinging between buildings blends seamlessly into rooftop parkour and wall running is immensely satisfying and genuinely enjoyable. It feels like a game all by itself.
Compare that to the more common usage of horse riding, which is often clunky and difficult control, we know what we’d rather be doing.
At the most basic level, this enjoyment comes down to the fundamentals of the design process. It’s clear the developers of Spider-Man had a clear goal that taking control of this agile superhero ought to be the most spectacular and enjoyable experience possible — there’s no room for getting stuck in an awkwardly positioned hedge.
IN A WORLD SO VAST, THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE VARIETY
One of the more common characteristics of open world games is that the story tends to be the most exciting part. We tend to find ourselves focussing on the main plotline instead of spending much time on the peripherals.
Side quests have become a scourge of modern video games, born out of a relentless endeavour to make games longer that rarely adds anything to the overall experience. Rarely are games remembered for the quality of their side quests.
There are of course a handful of exceptions, The Witcher 3 is a game that rewards players who explore its depth, although we’ve never got round to finishing it due to the sheer amount of content. We would add Spider-Man to that list, but perhaps not for the same reasons.
While Spider-Man doesn’t offer that much depth in terms of storytelling, each additional task you’re set is more like an opportunity to enjoy the game’s full repertoire, the story can very easily become secondary as playing the game becomes the highlight.
We talk about sandboxes in video games these days, here the entire city of Manhattan has been re-imagined as a playground for us to use in whatever way we see fit.
Again, this comes down to the fact the developers seem to have honed the level of challenge — just enough to require some skill, but not so far as to become frustrating. It surfs the crest of the wave consistently to the point where progress comes easily and addictively. ‘One more mission’ syndrome at its absolute best.
At the end of the day, we consider Marvel’s Spider-Man to be one of the easiest games to play through of the entire PlayStation 4 generation. Nothing felt like a chore, we didn’t need to force ourselves to collect 300 flags, in fact we found ourselves eager for more come the end. Thank the lord for Miles Morales.