I find it a bit strange that we classify a significant amount of games as “Open World Games.” This has come to mean that there is a large map which the player is free to roam and complete main and side quests in whatever order they choose. Many of these open world games have competing designs in how they approach their open worlds. Some choose to immerse the player in the in-game world through a clutter free UI and minimal direction while also making the towns you visit feel lived-in. Others choose a more guided approach, with more consistent direction toward quests and an open world built for quest completion efficiency. Horizon Zero Dawn is the epitome of the latter approach, a world that is beautiful to look at but feels much more like a series of obstacle courses for the player to complete.
That last statement may sound derisive but let me be clear about my time with Horizon; I am having a tremendous time with the game. After the opening few hours introduce you to the world and gameplay, you are let loose out of the opening zone to the wide-open world map. The gameplay feels great, incorporating hunting and trapping tactics against mechanized animals and dinosaurs provides a fun challenge. The story is engaging as well; Horizon provides many answers players have starting the game, but still leaves breadcrumbs along the way to keep it propulsive. There are dozens of beautiful locations to explore from more forested areas, Arizona-like deserts, to snowy mountain passes.
The quest structure and player map is where the aforementioned guided open world design comes in. Active quests are constantly highlighted at the top of screen providing a google maps like guidance system. The ticker updates with how many meters away the player is from the quest and constantly shifts to guide players down the most optimum route. The map can also become extremely cluttered, very quickly at the start of the game. The first merchant you meet (and every other thereafter) offers map that reveal where all collectibles and important objects are on map. Every wooden deer, old world technology and mug are available to the player for a very low price. Both of these options can be avoided though; the guiding indicator can be turned off and the player does not have to buy the maps.
Even without the options turned on, the world never becomes engrossing. Areas of the map are largely devoted to enemy camps. The bigger cities on the map are mainly just hubs to pick up quests and trade items. The AI in those cities never offer anything new, just the same dialog from before. That’s not to say the lore behind the world isn’t engaging, but the world itself never fully justifies itself as something worth exploring. It’s mainly just trying to ferry you on to the next quest location; finish that quickly and move on the next. This design reminds me of Metal Gear Solid V, a game that chose a similarly vacant open world. The battlefields were places to encounter enemy camps and soldiers, but never something to truly reside in. Once you finish your quests there is no reason for you to stick around. This is very different than the design of something like Skyrim or the other Elder Scrolls games, where the towns and AI are ripe with varying stories and unique experiences.
Horizon’s open world design choices aren’t necessarily a negative though. The experience of constantly checking of quests sets off a tremendous amount dopamine receptors. The design demonstrates how open world game design is delineated. Both choices turn off different types of players, but that’s ok. In the end it’s still their choice, to either derive meaning from the world on their own and hop right in to the joy of the jungle gym.
The Burger Discourse 