Linear or Open World?

"I was getting really bored of Open World because it seemed like every game was trying to be GTA but then I played Fallout 3 a few years ago and it felt refreshing. Ah, the fresh taste of brown. "

I picked open world. I remember playing Oblivion for the first time and when I came out of that tunnel, wow, I had found my new playground. I don't mind linear games, but I like creating my own story while traversing the open world.

" @Seppli said:

" @SeriouslyNow said:

" @Seppli said:

"  Then again - Mass Effect 2 and Uncharted 2 are the best singleplayer experiences thus far and they're both of the linear school of leveldesign. "

 Levels maybe but Mass Effect 2 is a prototypical open world game. Even when you're assembling your team there's no set order for that to be achieved.  You can find many side missions and explore many uncharted areas. "

Even if so, you go down a confined blocky path. The games structure is very open, as I can decide how to proceed and how to interact with the characters and choices the game presents, yet gameplay itself is strictly linear - especially when it comes down to leveldesign. A couple of optional corridors don't make an open world game. "

That's only true if you only exist and play in those corridors.  You don't, you exist and play in a ship which you can choose to populate, upgrade and navigate in any order and direction you see fit.  Many of the missions are entirely optional and some have almost no impact on the story or your character's progress as a whole often only affecting your wealth or slightly modifying your alignment.  Therefore Mass Effect 2 is very much the definition of an open world RPG, as is true for almost every Bioware game..  The way you define the game, you make it sound like a linear corridor shooter which ignores every other aspect of what makes it an open world (galaxy/universe) RPG. "

" Linear usually means better more cohesive stories. "

" @SeriouslyNow said:

" @Seppli said:

" @SeriouslyNow said:

" @Seppli said:

"  Then again - Mass Effect 2 and Uncharted 2 are the best singleplayer experiences thus far and they're both of the linear school of leveldesign. "

 Levels maybe but Mass Effect 2 is a prototypical open world game. Even when you're assembling your team there's no set order for that to be achieved.  You can find many side missions and explore many uncharted areas. "

Even if so, you go down a confined blocky path. The games structure is very open, as I can decide how to proceed and how to interact with the characters and choices the game presents, yet gameplay itself is strictly linear - especially when it comes down to leveldesign. A couple of optional corridors don't make an open world game. "

That's only true if you only exist and play in those corridors.  You don't, you exist and play in a ship which you can choose to populate, upgrade and navigate in any order and direction you see fit.  Many of the missions are entirely optional and some have almost no impact on the story or your character's progress as a whole often only affecting your wealth or slightly modifying your alignment.  Therefore Mass Effect 2 is very much the definition of an open world RPG, as is true for almost every Bioware game..  The way you define the game, you make it sound like a linear corridor shooter which ignores every other aspect of what makes it an open world (galaxy/universe) RPG. "

 On an overall, structural level, you are right. To my impression this poll and topic are strictly about leveldesign though, which is linear. As linear as blocky Unreal Engine 3 levels get. "

If a game can trick you to follow a linear path in an open world then they have succeeded.