Open worlds lose their allure: are players demanding less?

The sprawling, ambitious open worlds that once pushed gaming hardware to its limits are facing a quiet reckoning. What was once a hallmark of industry innovation – think Assassin’s Creed’s ever-expanding maps or the sheer scale of Crimson Desert – is now viewed by some as a potential pitfall, a recipe for player fatigue rather than boundless enjoyment.

The 'magic' fades fast

Nicholas Lives, founder of Night Signal Entertainment, has voiced a growing concern: the initial wonder of these vast landscapes often dissipates quickly. Players, he argues, are left with a feeling of emptiness, a sense that the “charm” has vanished. It's a sentiment that echoes a broader shift in player preferences, with many now gravitating towards smaller, more focused experiences that deliver satisfaction in a concise package.

The trend isn't entirely new. After a decade of increasingly bloated open worlds, a counter-movement has been brewing, with gamers actively seeking out titles that prioritize quality over sheer size. Lives succinctly puts it: “Either their magic captivates the player and they play until they drop, or the 'surprise' effect vanishes and what remains is tedium and exhaustion.”

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, notorious for its sprawling yet often-empty map, serves as a cautionary tale. The pursuit of scale, it seems, can come at the expense of meaningful content. “I think many enthusiasts are gradually getting used to the idea of unique, satisfying, and independent experiences that leave them with a good feeling,” Lives concluded.

Size isn't everything anymore

Yura Zhdanovich, founder of Sad Cat Studios and the creative force behind the upcoming Replaced, agrees. The sheer size of a game – a world spanning 500 square kilometers – has lost its novelty. “To capture attention,” Zhdanovich explains, “you have to do something exceptionally well.” The key, he insists, is to earn player attention with focused, polished gameplay rather than relying on expansive geography.

While expansive worlds still hold appeal, particularly for players who prioritize freedom and exploration – titles like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 and the more compact Resident Evil Requiem demonstrate this – the larger issue is how developers approach the design within those worlds. The challenge, as both creatives see it, lies in avoiding the pitfalls that transformed open worlds from a captivating innovation into a perceived problem. Balancing scale and quality isn’t just a goal; it’s becoming the expectation.

The industry is at a crossroads. The relentless pursuit of ever-larger worlds may have reached its limit. Whether developers can recalibrate their approach and rediscover the art of crafting compelling experiences within – or even without – vast landscapes remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: players are increasingly discerning, and sheer size is no longer a substitute for genuine engagement.