Does anyone else think open-world maps are now too big?

mame

mame

mame

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Little more than a passing thought really but even now I could find my way around much of GTA 3's city. Because of its size it was pretty memorable and felt like you were there and that added to the open world feel to it for me that I would know where I wanted to go to next AND know the way there. With with newer games such as GTA 4, Saints Row the Third, Sleeping Dogs etc, The map is a size that my brain just chooses not to try and remember it and I just use the Satnav feature (another factor)

Not a big moan, just a thought :o
 
Yeah sometimes they can be too big. I'm playing GTA 4 now and short of a few landmarks its hard to drive around without the mini map.
 
Hostile17 said:
Yeah sometimes they can be too big. I'm playing GTA 4 now and short of a few landmarks its hard to drive around without the mini map.
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That's more a symptom of everything looking the same, I suspect GTA5's larger map will actually be easier to navigate from memory as it looks like there's far more variety.
 
Good if the world is detailed like Skyrim, GTA etc etc, but large maps with empty spaces or the same scenery over and over suck balls.
 
Didn't find GTA 4 too big tbh. I could navigate around really well and always knew where I was. Looking forward to seeing the size of GTA V.
 
GTA4 hardly looks the same, the world is superbly detailed and very easy to navigate based purely on your surroundings (and if you wanted to you could even navigate just on the road markings and signs in the game)
 
I am ok with GTAIV. Sure it's big but after prolonged play you get to know where you are more often than not. Imagine driving around a real city for the first time! All adds to the immersion I think.
 
Too big is when I don't associate a memory/event/personality to the area i'm in.

If the game hadn't made the place memorable for me (either by the story or free style play) then it's wasted creativity.
 
I don't think they're too big, but since I played GTA IV I've never really remembered much of the maps because of the GPS (IV was the first main game I played that had it), just no need to so it doesn't happen. So long as the quality keeps up, maps can continue increasing in size and I'll be happy.
 
Frxn said:
I don't think they're too big, but since I played GTA IV I've never really remembered much of the maps because of the GPS (IV was the first main game I played that had it), just no need to so it doesn't happen. So long as the quality keeps up, maps can continue increasing in size and I'll be happy.
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Well that's what I'm getting at. Now, when I accept a mission and the marker comes up at 3000 metres away, it just seems a separate chore that I drive and follow the markers. I don't really take much in and the driving is just something I have to do. It just seems, to me, a bit of a waste that I'm not taking in the open-world environment that I loved on smaller maps where I would know most of the streets and routes. I'm just blasting through the map as quick as I can to get to the next mission.
 
mame said:
Well that's what I'm getting at. Now, when I accept a mission and the marker comes up at 3000 metres away, it just seems a separate chore that I drive and follow the markers. I don't really take much in and the driving is just something I have to do. It just seems, to me, a bit of a waste that I'm not taking in the open-world environment that I loved on smaller maps where I would know most of the streets and routes. I'm just blasting through the map as quick as I can to get to the next mission.
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That's mainly down to using the ingame GPS though. If you turned it off, and had to learn your way yourself, you'd notice more landmarks and the world would become more memorable. As it stands, we tend to just follow the GPS blindly, watching the road to make sure we don't crash, as opposed to actually looking at the game world for various landmarks to remember.
 
I recently replayed San Andreas in preparation for GTA V and I was surprised by how small it felt. I'm so used to playing MMOs that most single player games feel a little claustrophobic to me now. I did find Skyrim a bit of a chore though as the world felt lifeless when not in a city or large town.
 
mame said:
Well that's what I'm getting at. Now, when I accept a mission and the marker comes up at 3000 metres away, it just seems a separate chore that I drive and follow the markers. I don't really take much in and the driving is just something I have to do. It just seems, to me, a bit of a waste that I'm not taking in the open-world environment that I loved on smaller maps where I would know most of the streets and routes. I'm just blasting through the map as quick as I can to get to the next mission.
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Now for me, I relish the thought of a long drive, I plan my route, stop off at the next ammu-nation to tool up and get some armour if needed, then a bite to eat at the local Cluckin' Bell.

I then 'find' a suitable vehicle for the mission ahead (I love turning up in a Huntley Sport for a kill them all mission), and I stick on a local radio station and drive on over there.

:D
 
the only problem I have with big maps is most of the time they don't give you enough to do in them, I have just finished assasins creed 3 and it seemed to me like they made the map so big to make the game last longer that's all, to much time running between missions and not much else to distract you at times. the last GTA game was similar for me, great missions but bore fest when not doing one. if the worlds had loads more stuff to do in them then yeah big maps will be amazing, maybe next gen they can fill the worlds a lot better
 
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