When evaluating open-world games, one of my key considerations is how "open" the world truly feels. However, the meaning of "open" can vary depending on the game's setting and objectives. This is a concern I've had with Cyberpunk 2077's Night City, particularly with its fake buildings, and it's something I'm hoping GTA 6 will address effectively. U4GM offers buy cheap 5 modded gta accounts xbox that allow players to level up and earn money effortlessly. Use coupon code "allen" to get 5% off at U4GM.
Urban vs. Rural Open-World Games
In open-world games set in rural environments, such as Breath of the Wild or The Witcher 3, the allure lies in the freedom to explore vast landscapes—forests, hills, mountains, and more. These games offer a chance to stumble upon quests or hidden secrets, encouraging exploration of nature’s wonders. However, in urban open-world games, the dynamics shift significantly. Instead of vast, climbable landscapes, the world is built on streets, buildings, and structures. In these settings, the central question becomes: can I enter the buildings I see?
The entry into buildings has become an increasingly critical feature in modern open-world games. Early GTA titles like Vice City were more limited in terms of accessible interiors. By GTA 5, however, Rockstar expanded the world to include numerous buildings for side quests, restaurants, stores, gyms, and underground tunnels, inviting deeper exploration. This focus on both scale and detail has been one of Rockstar’s strengths, and the trend was further developed with Red Dead Redemption 2. Despite the rural setting, RDR2 still packed in numerous saloons, theaters, and other interactive spaces that made the game world feel lived-in and immersive.
As GTA 6 approaches its long-awaited launch this year, the main feature I'm hoping for is even more accessible buildings to explore. It’s a delicate balance to design such a world, especially in urban settings, but if any studio can pull it off, it’s Rockstar.
The Rural Explorer
While rural open-world games are more common, titles like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Tears of the Kingdom, and Horizon Forbidden West do feature towns and cities, but the bulk of their worlds are composed of expansive fields, forests, mountains, and caves. These natural landscapes are relatively easier to design in comparison to the intricate details required for urban settings, where every building needs to be crafted down to the individual rooms and their contents.
Urban open-world games require a different level of engagement. When the city isn’t populated with accessible buildings, the experience falters significantly. This was my biggest issue with Cyberpunk 2077 at launch—despite its impressive world design, many buildings were locked off, making exploration feel flat and disconnected. Although Phantom Liberty addressed some of these issues, the core problem remained, and I found myself turning to the quests instead of enjoying the urban exploration.
For GTA 6, I’m hoping Rockstar takes the best elements from past titles and pushes the urban world further, offering players the chance to truly "unlock" the city. The recent GTA 6 trailer showcased a vibrant and dense Vice City, packed with activities, and I’m optimistic that this time, the open world will feel truly open.
In the end, both rural and urban open-world games have their challenges, but the key to success lies in making the world feel truly alive. With GTA 6, my hope is simple: give us the key to the city, and let us explore every corner of it. If Rockstar can deliver on this promise, it could set the standard for urban open-world games for years to come.
