5 Reasons Why I Love Open World Games

1.) Customization
In most open world game, you have plenty of options to make the game your own. Such as Saints Row, you can dress your guy (or girl) up with a Bunny mascot head, a sharp vest and shirt combo, with green superhero tights and some basic kicks. Can't do that in Call of Duty. Or with vehicles, I'll use Saints Row as an example again. I stole a taxi, just a regular old taxi and impounded it in my "crib". What I did with it is what makes these games so fun. I changed the headpiece to say not only "TAXI" but also to advertise the "Saints Flow" energy drink. I colored it a glossy purple with gold metal trim. I added knee-cappers (little spears that extend out of the rims) and changed the rims to some crazy cool looking gold stuff. I also changed the interior to be dark red and changed the tires to have that classic white stripe look. Did I also mention I changed the under glow color to gold and added nitrous? I may have forgotten that.

2.) Versatile Combat
Games like Batman: Arkham City and Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag are known for their combat mechanics. To have a successful open world game, you need to implement some sort of entertaining combat system. Like Grand Theft Auto's lock-on explosive gunplay, or Sleeping Dogs' mix of martial arts and gunplay. And come one, everyone enjoys that jump-off-a-tall-building assassination found in the Assassin's Creed series. From jumping off buildings blowing up everything in sight in Crackdown, to stealthy inverted takedowns in the Batman Arkham games, combat is essential.

3.) Transportation

In open world games, quick transportation is necessary so that you don't bore your audience who has to walk for thirty minutes to get where they want to go (ahem, Skyrim?). While this is easier to implement in more modern time periods, fantasy lands and lands of history may be hard to traverse without a car. I find that Assassin's Creed does this particularly well with its astounding free-running/parkour system. Though dozens of fast, powerful, and unique land or air vehicles doesn't hurt either. Just Cause 2's fast vehicle drop system and wide range of fun cars made driving around Panau a blast. Or flying, with it's excellent flight system. Though I do desperately wish that one day I may drive the Batmobile around Gotham City. But until then, I can hop in to Saints Row the Third and ride a hover bike around for a while shooting dual cyber-SMG's. Yeah. I'm cool.

4.) Story Possibilities
Games like Skyrim, Mass Effect, and Fable are driven by player choices. I wish more games had this, though more are taking notice. Games like Call of Duty: Black Ops II have taken interest in multiple story branches, and I think they did a pretty successful job with it. One game that I love the story possibilities with is Fallout 3. It's already hailed as one of the greatest games ever, and it's story is partly why. The excellent writing mixed with so many choices that either effect everything in some way makes for a deadly combo. And then even games like Saints Row that give you unexpected options, both with distinct pros and cons. Such as gaining a permanent respect boost for blowing up a building, or a permanent cash bonus for keeping it. This happens quite a few times throughout the game. Fable III is another excellent example. You go throughout the game trying to become king and making promises to towns and people, though when you become king, you learn how difficult running a kingdom can be. Do you want to be moral and keep all your promises at the expense of getting everyone killed? Or do you want to be a jerk so you can raise money to keep everyone safe? Or somewhere in between? The possibilities for a great story with player choices are ever growing.

5.) FREEDOM
My main draw, as well as many other people's draw, to open world games is the freedom that comes with it. You can do whatever, whenever you want. Want to go sneak through a dungeon with only a bow and a knife? Go for it. Want to get a five star wanted level by enabling cheats and blowing people up with infinite rocket ammo? DO IT. Want to speed around the city listening to the hispanic radio station? Carpe diem dude. Want to hijack a car, ram it in to a bus, shoot out the cops tires, jump on the top of the car, pull out your grappling hook, hook on to the helicopter overhead, hijack that, and blow up everything in sight? Just a normal day in Just Cause 2. Freedom is the overarching thing that open world games have that most others don't. Now more and more games are becoming more open ended, and I'm very happy about that. Freedom is the way to play. Open world games rule.