Horizon Forbidden West, Elden Ring Emphasize Two Unique Open-World Designs

gamerant.com:

For a long time, open-world games were often being designed in one way: the Grand Theft Auto way. In this, players are given missions tied to the overarching story, head to where the mission starts without a linear path to follow, and complete the mission by demonstrating skill in one or more gameplay styles. In the meantime, the world was free to explore and find other tasks, often with no connection to the plot or technical skill. Since most open-world games followed this formula, they were often seen as Grand Theft Auto clones. Horizon Forbidden West and Elden Ring are the latest examples of how the formula has shifted in modern times.

Open-world games have grown exponentially since the early 3D Grand Theft Autos, becoming one of the most prominent genres in the industry. Many of the trends the GTA series created have been improved, altered, or cast aside for mechanics that diversified a specific title. Over the past several years, two distinct styles of games have redefined what open worlds can be. These are story-based open-world games, exemplified by Horizon Forbidden West; and skill-based open-world games, exemplified by Elden Ring.

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Horizon Forbidden West and Elden Ring are categorized in the same «open-world» genre, yet have very different design philosophies. They play like polar opposites to each other, but also both discard core tenants of the genre itself.

Assuming these games play like their predecessors, Horizon Forbidden West places heavy emphasis on story in order to engage the player. Missions are often in service to the plot, and optional tasks serve to enrich the world or add additional details and motivations. Exploration is rewarded with more information, meanwhile skill