The best open world/sandbox PC games out there?

[IndeedPete 1038]

Have you seen his Apex review? It's so funny. That guy is brilliant.

Part 2 of his NMS review is out :)

Yes, I was very happy when Mack reviewed Apex. I'd have expected more criticism on the controls though. Still, his way of reviewing games is just brilliant.^^

[Rydygier 1317]

Video sums things up pretty well.

 

 

 

Yep. Hype is bad thing for a game, and for the players - those not hyped, as I can read, sometimes enjoy NMS pretty much. In fact, still seems, there is more enjoying it than disappointed. IMO in long term thinking it's always better to surprise positively with something, no one expected, than disappoint with easy-to-misinteprete vague but bold declarations. And in case of NMS, seems, it was a hype around as huge, as NMS universe. An iconic example of overhyped game, where dev was obviously reckless about what he was saying and declaring during the development. Frankly, not sure, what people was thinking, when they heard a statement like "you can do anything in NMS". Did they take this literally and then actually believed? Weird. Sometimes people want something that badly, they'll believe any promise. A hint for game dev studios by the way - what today gamers want so badly. Or what they actually expected after "tiny chance of seeing another player" - sounds like nothing worthy of having anyway, yet they made a big deal from such "MP" final absence. No idea, why. Plus, what devs/whoever decided was thinking releasing a game in this shape - from technical side, release was definitelly premature. Perhaps devs was overhyped as well. Or they had no choice - financially. At this point NMS seem to be a technology demo, really nifty and long-term promising technology, with some makeshift simplistic gameplay attached at the last minute.

 

https://youtu.be/RvAwB7ogkik

 

That said, not delivered features declared in interviews during development is one thing, quite another is/would be false statements on NMS page on Steam or wherever this game is sold - misleading a customer, listing supposed features of the sold game, that aren't provided.

 

This reddit analyze may be intersting too. 

[tortuosit 486]

NMS reminds me of what we have here with ArmA. They have their trillions of planets PRNG, ROTFL - we have trillions of possibilities and a game a trillion times more complex as NMS. Instead of grinding my way through NMS, I'd gladly crawl all around Altis in prone position. I mea, if I look at that teletubby console sh*** called NMS, I now love ArmA even more.

I think there are no excuses ("poor little indie devs") and Hello Games' reputation is likely at absolute zero.

[Rydygier 1317]

That guy is brilliant. click

 

 

Someties kinda tiring to me with that his ways of narration, but interesting anyway, thing is, what he said in some moment, is roughly - look at Tanoa, how marvelous island it is, procedurally generated terrain will never give that care for detail feeling etc. in this sense. So, if we're talking about Arma and NMS, both sandoboxes after all, together, I, as fan of procedural generation idea/concept, would say - it may be impossible now. But if I would deal with that stuff some day, my ambition would be to prove him wrong. It's most interesting kind of algorithms - able to generate something, that not only technically works anyhow, but also looks reasonable and convincing. It may be procedural behavior (dynamic AI), procedural model animations or landscapes/worlds/ecosystems/society/wheater, clouds etc - many things. Let's say you observe some landscape with towns, fields, roads etc. and you say "yep, that looks like a piece of a real world, it convinces me". But then you learn, it was generated procedurally. It looks like hand made, but no hand placed any house nor road nor a tree. That would be SOMETHING to me.   

[IndeedPete 1038]

That's true, a sort of Turing test, just for games.

I wonder though, instead of creating an algorithm that just combines different objects from a pool based on given rules, if anyone has ever tried simulating real wolrd landscaping - or some sort of terrain evolution in short. Genetic algorithms are a thing already in Operations Research. Creating partly random solutions through countless iterations while the most fitting ones get passed from generation to generation. It should be viable for terrain shaping - in theory.

[Rydygier 1317]

Exactly. I must admit, since I saw Space Engine, I dreamed (and still I am) about a procedural exploration game "from universe to single blade of grass". that's why NMS got my attention. But my thought was not just to randomize planet's ecosystem (not really NMS case, if we want to believe pre-release interviews, there ARE factors and realistic consequences of them supposedly), but basing on starting conditions and some initial randomization do kind of "fast forward rewind", instant evolutionary processes simulation leading to the present state. Simplified of course, but still. And not making organisms by sticking together some parts, but procedurally "growing" even model's shape/colors/animations itself. 

[chrisb 196]

I'm loving NMS, pre-ordered it (pc) and have around 30-40hrs in at the moment. I've not travelled very far yet, but exploration wise, its a dream. The fact I like the art style that they went for, '50's through early 70's' sci-fi mag/novel type artwork (why I bought it), it hooked me in. Pure sci-fi. ;)

 

Its amazing what PG can do, plus using that style, it seems to suit it very well. The planets, caves, lakes & seas are gloriously fantasy sci-fi. Underwater is great, especially swimming into a cave and coming up in a cavern. Planet cave systems are miles long, you can walk around and get quite lost.

It is a refreshing change to my usual gaming. Its probably a game I shall play, on and off, for many years.

 

Also there is a small modding community already trying to get things done. Not sure how far HG will support modding, they have said they would probably do that, but its likely to be limited, I think. Even so, that holds out many possibilities there too.

 

Yeah, NMS is good, albeit the haters love to hate, but who takes any notice. If they looked into the game prior to buying, many probably wouldn't have bought it. But we know players will buy, then blame the game when they can't run it. 

For those that are hating on the game but haven't actually bought it, or given it any time, then.. well...

If the game is good, which it is (imo), and your into that art style and pure fantasy sci-fi, then you'd be hard pressed to find something as eye opening as NMS.

 

Regards performance, it runs very well, other than the odd stutter entering a planets atmosphere, other than that, it runs at the setting I have in-game (60fps) most of the time. It looks very nice on high settings with 16 AF plus FXAA & 100fov, which is the highest it goes (fov settings seem a little odd in the game).

 

[tortuosit 486]

chrisb, you enjoy it in a meditative kind of way? I was thinking about buying the game one day when it is <15 EUR as some kind of relaxing software.

I know you from ArmAs AI side of life. How exactly is the creature AI in NMS? What I have seen so far is the prototype of really simple gaming, compliant for 5 year old kids who can hold a controller.

[dmarkwick 261]

you enjoy it in a meditative kind of way?

I think it's really the only way to enjoy it. The flight characteristics are horrible, the gameplay is grindy, but if you like the art style (it kind of reminds me of Chris Foss) it can be relaxing. I feel that once I stop playing it though, I'll never go back to it.

[chrisb 196]

chrisb, you enjoy it in a meditative kind of way? I was thinking about buying the game one day when it is <15 EUR as some kind of relaxing software.

I know you from ArmAs AI side of life. How exactly is the creature AI in NMS? What I have seen so far is the prototype of really simple gaming, compliant for 5 year old kids who can hold a controller.

It is relaxing. But the reason why I like it so much is the art style, it takes me back to those sci-fi mags of my childhood (going back a long time 60's). Vivid visuals in bright colours of worlds far away which, as a child, you want too exist. Well now as an adult, they do.. Kind of weird isn't it.

 

Its also a very good game, I'm not into crafting much, but this is easy, so that makes it more bearable I suppose.

The critters (ai) are basic, but you can feed some of them and they'll find you goodies/resources. Others will attack, but all are easy to either, kill or like. ;)

 

HG have put together a very nice game, much berated, but a game that will be looked back on, in years to come, completely differently, I feel. But you have to like the look of the game visually, it helps a lot. Keeps that feeling of wonder alive each time you land on a new planet, go inside a cave, dive underwater or just potter around looking at what PG can do. Which if I'm honest, is very good.

 

Players say its too samey, well all I can say is, they're not looking, its what gaming does to players, they just don't look at the game, instead they want it to be this or that and when it isn't what they wanted or thought it might be (hype), every excuse comes out and they start saying its bad. You've got to be looking at the game, to see the differences. ;)

 

I pre-ordered and have had my monies worth already, but that depends on how you view spending, doesn't it..

:)

[tortuosit 486]

I must say I was surprised you like the game. I feel now this product has your love and maybe revived your childhood in a way, which is often a magic and enviable thing if it happens (and it happens rarely, right? I'm 44 btw). So I wish you lots of good fun with it :)

[Rydygier 1317]

There are some interesting points about nature of hype and emotions around games like NMS in the marked part of this video:

 

https://youtu.be/JCG9YLeIB98?t=34m1s

[dmarkwick 261]

There are some interesting points about nature of hype and emotions around games like NMS in the marked part of this video:

 

https://youtu.be/JCG9YLeIB98?t=34m1s

I have seen that already, it's a pretty good summation, even if it's not quite summarized enough :) (i.e. it's too long).

 

For me NMS is pretty much what I thought it might be, except I was expecting less actual gameplay. I was wondering how they would tackle the problem of what to actually do, I'm a little disappointed that they turned to survival/crafting game style that seems to be everywhere recently.

 

The only thing I was actually disappointed with is the galaxy shape - I know a strange thing to be disappointed over :) - it seems to be just an endless void, equal in all directions? No classic double-spiral shape. I guess there must be some sort of shape because it's said there is a "center", unless that center is an arbitrary point in that void.

[Rydygier 1317]

Meanwhile, from the creators of This War of Mine seems to coming something, that smells like something, that may prove to be an open world survival game.

 

http://frostpunkgame.com/

 

Teaser:

 

 https://youtu.be/dHxTtSatvQM

 

I just hope, it'll be not another 2D side scroller. 

[Rydygier 1317]

Lately there was released a hunting game called theHunter: Call of the Wild - an open world game in own way. I'm really, really not into hunting, I can't care less, but these visuals! This forest! This environment! I expect no less from Arma 4 here. :) Just a small glimpse:

 

 

but I encourage to find more videos, it's stunning sometimes... most of the time.  

 

[EO 11277]

I'm not "into" hunting either, but this game has me hooked, a few bugs have plagued the initial release, this is to be expected these days, but overall a beautiful place to be.

[tpw 2315]

21 hours ago, Evil Organ said:

I'm not "into" hunting either, but this game has me hooked, a few bugs have plagued the initial release, this is to be expected these days, but overall a beautiful place to be.

 

I haven't hunted since I was 11 and shot a rat with my air rifle (and felt guilty at that!), but Hunter COTW has me absolutely hooked as well. Apparently the hard core hunters are decrying its more casual approach to hunting, but in comparison to the Far Cry games where you pretty much trip over an animal every 50m it's far more satisfying and the essential mechanics are great for this non-hunter.

 

I'd go one step further than Evil and say that for me COTW is hands down the most beautifully realised and immersive open game world I've ever had the pleasure of playing. Breathtakingly detailed and realistic and varied environments, with amazing lighting / shadowing / fog fx, incredibly immersive audio, unbelievable weather effects which affect the environment (refractive raindrops, wet foliage/trees/rocks, puddles etc) and not a trace of LOD flickering and popin, even for the dense ground clutter. I've done a bit of hiking in Germany and the Hirschfelden map just puts me right back there. All that's missing is the smell of the forest, and it wouldn't surprise me if the devs introduce that in a future patch. 

 

A lot of people scoff at "the "walking simulator" genre, but I'm the kind of person who has always liked walking around the environments that talented game devs and modders produce, getting a kick out of  the skill, artistry and hard work they put into an immersive world to inhabit. If they give you something interesting to do apart from walking then that's a bonus. COTW definitely has an interesting (if occasionally buggy) game mechanic, but for me at the moment it's secondary to the jaw dropping open world. I think I've played for 12+ hours and fired a rifle maybe 4 times (missing  3 times). 

 

[Rydygier 1317]

Actually I just bought it, just because what you said, tpw, not for hunting, that may prove to be fun after all by the way. That's interesting, I can pay some money to experience the top environment simulation in games, but in the same time I leave for years just at the real forest, where I can go anytime for free, and I for all these years didn't wanted really. :)

[tpw 2315]

3 hours ago, Rydygier said:

Actually I just bought it, just because what you said, tpw, not for hunting, that may prove to be fun after all by the way. That's interesting, I can pay some money to experience the top environment simulation in games, but in the same time I leave for years just at the real forest, where I can go anytime for free, and I for all these years didn't wanted really. :)

 

I would do more real hiking and bushwalking except that my knees are #$%ed. Now I can just hike in this game and all I get is a sore neck from slouching in front of the screen! 

 

I'd be very interested to know what you think of the game Rydygier.

[Greenfist 1863]

A few years ago the original free-to-play theHunter got me hooked for months, but I pretty soon grew disgusted with the endless microtransactions. There was very little you could really do for free.
Even back then the only selling points for me were the graphics and vast open maps. And since CotW looked even better, I bought it about 10 minutes after I found out about its release. Haven't played it yet, but if I understood correctly it's more casual than the original, they even removed the freelook apparently!

TheHunter might actually feel somewhat familiar to Arma players; requires lots of patience, sneaking around, and a keen eye for spotting prey. There's no CAS though to neutralize those damn CSAT pheasants hiding in the grass taunting you with their calls.
 

I can't wait to be back out there in the thick woods, fearing for my life when I hear a moose or a brown bear behind a bush while wielding only a .223 peashooter.

And for that glaring lack of forest smell I think I'll strap a Wunder-Baum to my headset when playing.

 

[Rydygier 1317]

For now had only few minutes, looks great at first glance, lacks some graphical settings though, to be precise : gamma, contrast, brightness (it's some minor hassle, used nvidia panel to alter these - by default on my monitor visuals was pretty pale) and abitity to choose anti-aliasing mode (used one seem kinda blurry to me). 

 

EDIT: seems, it's kind of a game, I like, despite hunting as theme. Fantastic forest. 

[EO 11277]

@tpw, it's a damn shame there is no modding support for CotW, we need your fireflies script!

[tpw 2315]

2 hours ago, Evil Organ said:

@tpw, it's a damn shame there is no modding support for CotW, we need your fireflies script!

 

Ha ha, cheers for that! Actually CotW natively implements so many of the environmental and ambience things from my mods, I think fireflies would be about the only contribution I would make.

[tpw 2315]

9 hours ago, Rydygier said:

For now had only few minutes, looks great at first glance, lacks some graphical settings though, to be precise : gamma, contrast, brightness (it's some minor hassle, used nvidia panel to alter these - by default on my monitor visuals was pretty pale) and abitity to choose anti-aliasing mode (used one seem kinda blurry to me). 

 

EDIT: seems, it's kind of a game, I like, despite hunting as theme. Fantastic forest. 

Ryd you can actually alter the AA in the settings.json. I tried turning it off altogether but it looked shit.

[Rydygier 1317]

After a longer session, I must admit, I immersed in that game deeply, even "into hunting" to the extend. It's dynamic, it's beautiful, it's relaxing and rewarding. Forest is superb, all enviromental effects, weather, leaves, particles, sounds - great, very authentic, very similar to Polish forests by the way (German map). Also liked tracking mechanics/tracking hints. The hunting aspect is, as I expected, as for me optimal balance between realism and fun. And also - I like the fact, theHunter gameplay indeed resembles kind of Arma gameplay, with lots of sneaking and considering, no rush, hard to avoid detection. Bah. In some way resembels even my own Pilgrimage. And it is true, being Arma veteran helps with patience, spotting and stuff. Finally killed my first prey, sadly it wasn't as clean death, I would like. Aimded in the head, shot, at first thought, I missed, roe fled, but I found it dead not far. Appeared, I actually hit the head, just not brain. Anyway, even got some "ethics bonus". Then tracked daniel, man, it took me on really long walk, even saw it once, but finally lost the track anyway. No problem, it was very nice looking place to contemplate my failure. 

 

So, I have this strange feeling, this game will stay with me for longer.