Why Open-World Games Tend to Be So Popular

gamerant.com:

Open-world games have been trending for more than 10 years now, asThe Elder Scrolls: Skyrim's popularity set the course in 2011. While Elder Scrolls games were open-world before, Skyrim hit a new level of popularity for the series. Immediately, other game companies and developers took notice. Since then, a ton of games have been open world. While some fans may be tired of the trend, the open-world formula has kept bringing out bestsellers such as Elden Ring, The Witcher 3, Red Dead Redemption 2, Horizon Zero Dawn, Metal Gear Solid 5, Dragon Age: Inquisition, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. All of these games came out after Skyrim and were loved by the gaming community.

This has proven that Skyrim was far from a one-hit-wonder. There is something to open-world games that really work magic for players. It makes exploration a big part of the game and gives room for discovering something new in every playthrough, and it can greatly increase the hours a player can put into a game, giving more entertainment per dollar.

Final Fantasy 16’s Lack of an Open World is a Double-Edged Sword

With such a big world to explore, two players do not often experience an open world game the same way. One may discover something different from the other. They can go in different directions and do quests in an entirely different order. While this can also be achieved with RPG choices, the open world raises the experience up to a new level of freedom that also encourages the player to go about the game at their own pace.

Exploration is a big part of open-world popularity. Players can find new enemies, Easter eggs, quests, collectibles, and characters in various parts of the vast map. Some of these can be easily seen while others can be