We need to talk. A game came out recently, Prince of Persia. It's a wonderful game, a little repetitive, and I have yet to "die" in the form of a game over, and I'm willing to bet that there's no such thing as a game over. It takes a little of the challenge out of the game, but it's still a well put together game and worth a rental or as a used game purchase.
But that's not what I'm here to talk about. I keep seeing reviewers use the term "Open World Gameplay" and similar things. Open world eh? You should really go back to school. An open world would be something like Fallout 3, Oblivion, Farcry, and countless others. Prince of Persia is most definitely not an open world.
The Prince of Persia world is a network of nodes. Each node is connected to one or more other nodes by way of various hallways and platforming sections. In general, there are two paths between each connected pair of nodes. One path leads one direction (usually) and the other path leads back. There is the occasional deviation from those paths for secret areas, but in general there are only two paths between two nodes.
Here's a simple diagram
A---B---C
If Prince of Persia was an open world, I would be able to travel from point A to point C while completely bypassing point B. An open world would allow me that much freedom. Prince of Persia requires that I travel path AB then BC in order to get to my destination, I can't go any other way. There is no AC path that skips B. How in the **** is that an open world?
So, dearest game reviewers, if you used any permutation of "Open World Gameplay" in your review of Prince of Persia, please resign from your critic's position and make way for a new reviewer who knows the difference between an open world and a network of nodes.
Thanks,
NixNot
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Maybe the reviewers are confusing an "Open world" (where you can go where ever you want) with an "Open game play" (where you can do what ever you want)?
I dunno how the new Prince of Persia game is, I haven't played it, but are you forced to always move forward, or can you go back when ever you want and ***** around?
I dunno how the new Prince of Persia game is, I haven't played it, but are you forced to always move forward, or can you go back when ever you want and ***** around?
Can't sleep, clown will eat me.
You can access the first four areas when you start the game, collect enough sparkling ***** and you get one of four new powers that open up other parts of the game.
You can, in a way, do whatever you want in terms of travel, you can use your abilities to search, but if you want to get anywhere, you're going to follow one of the paths laid out in front of you.
It's Open nothing. It's linear, regardless of how many nodes and paths there are, it's linear. The freedom to explore is only used to scout out elusive sparkling ***** to collect for new powers. Basically, you stand in a clear area of the level, look around and try to puzzle out what manner of acrobatic madness you have to perform in order to reach that little ledge way up on the cliff.
The only thing that keeps it from being as linear as Super Mario is the fact that you can kind of complete the four main areas in whichever order you want, as long as you have the proper power to access the level.
You can, in a way, do whatever you want in terms of travel, you can use your abilities to search, but if you want to get anywhere, you're going to follow one of the paths laid out in front of you.
It's Open nothing. It's linear, regardless of how many nodes and paths there are, it's linear. The freedom to explore is only used to scout out elusive sparkling ***** to collect for new powers. Basically, you stand in a clear area of the level, look around and try to puzzle out what manner of acrobatic madness you have to perform in order to reach that little ledge way up on the cliff.
The only thing that keeps it from being as linear as Super Mario is the fact that you can kind of complete the four main areas in whichever order you want, as long as you have the proper power to access the level.
Don't they mean open-world as in "no loading between zones"?
Maybe you're getting open world confused with 'sandbox' style games. GTA is sandbox. However, it still requires a very strict linear progression to complete the game.
Are the levels open? Can you complete the path from A->B, B->C in many different ways?
Are the levels open? Can you complete the path from A->B, B->C in many different ways?
Paskil wrote:
Maybe you're getting open world confused with 'sandbox' style games. GTA is sandbox. However, it still requires a very strict linear progression to complete the game.
Are the levels open? Can you complete the path from A->B, B->C in many different ways?
Are the levels open? Can you complete the path from A->B, B->C in many different ways?
At most, you can complete the path in two, maybe three ways. In most cases there is one path from A->B and an alternate path backward from B->A It is in no way shape or form an open world.
Hell, 99.9% of the time you don't even have to hold a direction! If you're traveling along an acrobatic path, say from a pole to pole, to a celing ring, into a wallrun, onto another pole, all you have to do is hit x,x,o,x,x at the right time, and he'll stick to the linear path like a slot car.
PoP is a meh game, with some stunning vistas, that could have been so much better that it pains me to think about how much better it could be.
I enjoyed the game, but it doesn't feel like PoP any more, it's different.
Also, the combat is annoying.
Also, the combat is annoying.
Meh, you should just read your reviews over at Game Revolution. They have the most honest and accurate reviews on the web. The specific issue you cited was actually mentioned in their review for PoP.
Edited, Jan 19th 2009 5:54am by TurinAlexander
Edited, Jan 19th 2009 5:54am by TurinAlexander
WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!
Not since Soul Reaver have I been this angry at the ending of a game.
If you've never played Soul Reaver, beware, another spoiler is coming.
Soul reaver has one of the ********* endings ever put in a game, because there isn't an ending. You beat the last boss, have a minute or so of plot continuation, then a giant ******* "To be continued," image. I was so absolutely pissed off when I saw that, I'd just paid 50 bucks for a game I'd been waiting for a long time, and I got cheated out of a conclusion. It made me swear off the entire Legacy of Kain series, which was a good series till then.
Anyway. WHAT THE ****!? You go through all the work of healing the land, and re-imprisoning Ahriman, only to completly undo everything you just did in order to save Elika. She gives you a sad "Why?" then you pick her up and carry her off through the desert while the shadow of Ahriman consumes the land again. Sometime during that, you unlock the trophy. "To be continued."
You know what Ubisoft? **** you, just **** yourself right in the over marketed ***.
Seriously, the credits were INSANELY long, somewhere around the 6-8 minute mark, and at least three minutes of that were for Marketing schlubs, and promoters.
Ubisoft, you've lost a LOT of respect with me. Rayman is in a lumless world, crying. For shame.
Not since Soul Reaver have I been this angry at the ending of a game.
If you've never played Soul Reaver, beware, another spoiler is coming.
Soul reaver has one of the ********* endings ever put in a game, because there isn't an ending. You beat the last boss, have a minute or so of plot continuation, then a giant ******* "To be continued," image. I was so absolutely pissed off when I saw that, I'd just paid 50 bucks for a game I'd been waiting for a long time, and I got cheated out of a conclusion. It made me swear off the entire Legacy of Kain series, which was a good series till then.
Anyway. WHAT THE ****!? You go through all the work of healing the land, and re-imprisoning Ahriman, only to completly undo everything you just did in order to save Elika. She gives you a sad "Why?" then you pick her up and carry her off through the desert while the shadow of Ahriman consumes the land again. Sometime during that, you unlock the trophy. "To be continued."
You know what Ubisoft? **** you, just **** yourself right in the over marketed ***.
Seriously, the credits were INSANELY long, somewhere around the 6-8 minute mark, and at least three minutes of that were for Marketing schlubs, and promoters.
Ubisoft, you've lost a LOT of respect with me. Rayman is in a lumless world, crying. For shame.
NixNot wrote:
How can you even say something like that after playing Fallout 3? One of the most disappointing endings in a game ever.
I'll take twenty games with Fallout 3 endings over "To be Continued," any ******* day.
Yeah, the ending to Soulreaver just sucked as hard as anything can possibly suck. I heard that the series really went downhill after that anyway, so you didn't miss much.
The ending to God of War 2 wasn't much better though.
Basically Kratos goes back in time after you defeat Zeus and pulls all the Titans to his time and they all go off and assault Mount Olympus. That's it, that's the end. The story just starts to get to the good bit and it just ends.
The sad bit, is that the gameplay is good enough that I'm considering buying a PS3 just to play GoW 3 when it comes out.
The ending to God of War 2 wasn't much better though.
Basically Kratos goes back in time after you defeat Zeus and pulls all the Titans to his time and they all go off and assault Mount Olympus. That's it, that's the end. The story just starts to get to the good bit and it just ends.
The sad bit, is that the gameplay is good enough that I'm considering buying a PS3 just to play GoW 3 when it comes out.
God of War 2 made up for it's ****** ending by the simple fact that the the rest of the game was an absolute joy to play.
TurinAlexander the Vile wrote:
Yeah, the ending to Soulreaver just sucked as hard as anything can possibly suck. I heard that the series really went downhill after that anyway, so you didn't miss much.
The ending to God of War 2 wasn't much better though.
Basically Kratos goes back in time after you defeat Zeus and pulls all the Titans to his time and they all go off and assault Mount Olympus. That's it, that's the end. The story just starts to get to the good bit and it just ends.
The sad bit, is that the gameplay is good enough that I'm considering buying a PS3 just to play GoW 3 when it comes out.
The ending to God of War 2 wasn't much better though.
Basically Kratos goes back in time after you defeat Zeus and pulls all the Titans to his time and they all go off and assault Mount Olympus. That's it, that's the end. The story just starts to get to the good bit and it just ends.
The sad bit, is that the gameplay is good enough that I'm considering buying a PS3 just to play GoW 3 when it comes out.
So, kinda like the ending to Halo 2.
Me and my roommate were Co-oping through it, and reached the end, and were caught by suprise. We were ready for another level! But no... we had to wait for Halo 3...
Can't sleep, clown will eat me.
I know Fable 2 was advertised as open world and I personally don't really see it as such. The whole game is on a set path. Granted at the end you can go to any area you want you can't jump off the path and climb a mountain etc because the actual play area is a small narrow path pretty much every place you go.
Hi
fronglo wrote:
I know Fable 2 was advertised as open world and I personally don't really see it as such. The whole game is on a set path. Granted at the end you can go to any area you want you can't jump off the path and climb a mountain etc because the actual play area is a small narrow path pretty much every place you go.
It sucked because I gave up my dog not realizing I had no recourse to ever get it back. Then I accidentally saved my game. I stopped playing shortly after.
The only point you should have had to give up your dog was after you beat it basically? I was let down by the choice where you get your sister back. I thought you would actually be able to go see her, interact with her, etc. Instead you just get a crappy letter saying im fine blah blah and that's it. Did get the dog back that way though.
Hi
fronglo wrote:
The only point you should have had to give up your dog was after you beat it basically? I was let down by the choice where you get your sister back. I thought you would actually be able to go see her, interact with her, etc. Instead you just get a crappy letter saying im fine blah blah and that's it. Did get the dog back that way though.
True I beat the game. However, I did want to discover some of the side secrets and level my skills. Giving up my dog totally ruined my will to play the game.
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