I've been burned out on open world games for years. I pine for the old days when you can 100% an open game in under 20 hours, or just mainline it in half that time. Saints Row III and Shadow of Mordor era design. So stuff like Horizon, Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and many more are games I just avoid. I always chalked it up to too many icons, too much to do.

But I think I'm wrong. My open world fatigue is related to the story-telling.

I can think of 3 modern examples where open world games have taken over my life and I loved every minute of it. These are Elden Ring, Breath of the Wild, and Hollow Knight. What do these have in common? They have a history to their world, there's a main narrative to pursue, but there's no rush. I'm not sitting there thinking "I should be rushing to find out the fate of this guy that got stabbed in a cutscene, but there's a side quest to chase down first." There isn't a sense of urgency to these games, but there's generally a bunch of lore stuff to find in a wiki or art book (in the case of Breath of the Wild). If I want to go for an upgrade or see the edge of the map, I can, because there's no one waiting for me to help them storm a base.

I've heard players say they're 20 hours into Elden Ring without even beating the first boss. BotW and Hollow Knight reward you for taking completely different paths than your friends. Everyone can play their own way and play the game however they want. There's minimal worry about getting spoiled on a story beat, and conversations tend to be about seeing something cool rather than a character getting stabbed. I feel that this is the place open world games have in the marketplace. And these are the games that seem to have some of the most diehard fans. Even something small like Infernax had a ton of stuff for me to do at my pace, on a smaller scale.

Now thinking back to open world fatigue. Metal Gear Solid will be my example here. I loved the first 4 MGS games due to their storytelling. There'd be 15 minutes of gameplay, then some story, and that's how things would go for 10-15 hours. MGS V came along, and I was there purely to see where the story goes. But now it'd be hours of gameplay between anything happening. I quickly learned to just ignore what was happening and focus purely on the gameplay, which really helped me enjoy the game. The same goes for something like Halo 3 compared to Halo: Infinite. Once I dropped any interest in the next cutscene, I was able to enjoy the game more. Both games had strong narratives in the past, but the transition to open world just felt like they couldn't do everything at the same level. This tendency to be the All Game was jarring for those two, partially because the new stories were stretched thin and partially because they didn't seem like a priority anymore.

What's my point? My point is that designers have been approaching open world games wrong, at least in my eyes. The strength of a giant sandbox to screw around in isn't a well-placed narrative, so let's just put that in the background. Trying to have a good story in a 40 hour action game just doesn't work for someone with limited time. JRPG's are pretty good at that due to ensemble characters and a huge focus on narrative, and the gameplay loop fits that style of storytelling. The Witcher 3 is a standout where you're alone, too, but the game has a ton of great writing in the side quests and main narrative. Even Elder Scrolls and Fallout, games that weren't for me, seem to be more about living in a world rather than getting to the credits. But if I need to spend dozens of hours in a game like Horizon to see a few hours of cutscenes, the pacing is completely broken. And now I have to keep up to have a discussion about this game, since no one wants to hear about me completing checkboxes for 10 hours.

The future of open world games is Elden Ring, it's Breath of the Wild, it's Hollow Knight. That's the solution to open world fatigue. Games you can freely explore and take your time with, where the discussion is the experience and not the cutscenes. The future of narrative games has to bring back some sort of pacing, or at least scale back on endless open world activities (especially when they're required to overcome difficulty blocks). Resident Evil VIII and the recent Tomb Raider games were able to nail a nice mix of story and having space to breathe and explore.

Or does none of this make sense? Is a shorter narrative game that's worth replaying something people don't want anymore? Do we want 50 hour games we play once, that has to do everything, but you need to see the ending so the last third is a slog to finish it? I feel like for many years, it was all about value proposition. But with stuff like Game Pass, we can have shorter games that tell strong stories, and all we need to pay is the monthly subscription. And then we can have gigantic games that let you explore the world however you'd like, without having to balance seeing a propelling story with chasing a shiny thing.

Now that I think about it, Mario's had this figured out for years.

Recently, I went to the Xbox museum thing. My top 5 games were Halo 3, Halo 5, Halo: Reach, Rock Band, and Xbox Back Compat (featuring a bunch of Halo). I love the series. I'm a huge, huge fan of Halo. It's my favorite FPS series, and I'll routinely go back to an old campaign and play through some of my favorite levels. And yes, some of my favorite levels are from 343's games (Infinity, Composer, the whole sequence of missions on Sanghelios). This team is capable of some really amazing shit.

I hate to be negative on the internet, but I have so many thoughts on Infinite (pretty much spoiler free). And this post turned out to be a lovefest for 343's previous output, surprisingly. I kinda want to hear some updated opinions from folks that have had a chance to finish it by now. I was trudging through the final level, and it felt just like the corridors I saw in the other corridors in earlier levels. There were some cool combat encounters out in the open world, but shouldn't a climactic final level feel... important? I had mixed feelings up to this point, but this was when I threw my hands in the air and went "ok, what the hell is happening here?"

My issue from the start was expectations, I know this. I thought 343 did a fantastic job with the previous two games. Their take on the combat felt better than ever, their encounter design was surprisingly good, the mission pacing was some of the best Halo's ever seen, the art and music felt like their own take on the series, and I was super pumped to see how they'd wrap up this whole Guardians angle. And instead I got a game that feels like it went through development hell. Gears 5 did some similar stuff with open zones, but it still had the scripted sequences that made that series stand out. The final act in Gears 5? It felt important.

I know people seem to like this intimate sort of storytelling, but previous games have done intimate just as well as grandiose. Go replay Reach. There's stuff in that game that hits emotionally in a way I never would have expected from a sci fi shooter.

Even the multiplayer feels like a step back. Halo 5 had some of the best in the series. Warzone was such a cool idea, and they refined it over time into one of the best game modes in the series. The speed of the game made it feel modern, the maps were great, and eventually you got so many cards by just logging in that you always felt a little overpowered. It's a great feeling to have in a multiplayer mode. Breakout was neat, and the movement abilities gave it a little extra kick. Infinite plays well enough, but it feels sort of basic for now. I like that they're listening to feedback and I have high hopes that they'll build on a solid foundation over time. But as of now, it still feels quite limited. For a game with a bottomless budget, I was surprised to see how conservative it all felt at launch.

Again, this is all my opinion. But the reviews of this game were so positive, and it almost feels like people just like the grappling hook. Look, I get it, I've enjoyed grappling hooks since Tenchu. Doom: Eternal had a dope grappling hook. Speaking of which, Id put out The Ancient Gods part 2 this year. It's one of the best batches of single player FPS levels I've ever played.

So, Halo: Infinite. What the hell is happening here? I was so stoked for this game, because 343 was making the series their own. Instead, they scrapped a bunch of story threads, their mission design lost its magic, we decided that the Halo level is the only worthwhile level in the series, big set piece moments with riveting music became old news, and the writing took a turn for the... well, I hope you like the tone of that pilot dude. The fact that the original Halo had open fields AND open snowfields seems like an impossible dream at this point. Instead, I got a late game scenario that I will describe below. It made me feel like I was losing my mind.

Towards the end of the game, Pilot Man gets kidnapped. Master Chief drops everything to save this pilot. Nevermind that I've been sending marines to their death for a dozen hours as I jumped a full Warthog directly into a field of bad guys. I play through big open rooms where they throw waves of guys at you. I walk into a dark room. It starts playing the recording of his wife and daughter. Over and over, I stumble through this dark room as his child tells me about being "SO BIG" in a robotic voice, over and over again, as I stumble in the dark, and the darkness is rising in me, and my feelings about the game come to a head. I'm lost, this annoying, sappy recording keeps playing, and I have no idea what to do. I go to Youtube and find that there was a glowing thing at the entrance I had to press. At this point, I decided that this campaign sucks.

That's it, I've said everything I had to say. What are your thoughts on the game if you've completed it? Or did you quit? Or is this a masterpiece and I just don't understand why people like this and the combat in the new God of War?

Halo, 343, Microsoft... you are capable of some truly amazing work. Please choose a direction for this series and stick with it.

For my money, 2015 is one of the three best years of gaming ever (1998 and 2007 being the other two). Last year I struggled to find 10 games I wanted to put on here, and now I have more than enough. It seemed like every big AAA game I was excited for actually delivered, which means this is the first year where I haven't finished everything on my list. But that's ok! I can spread these games out to 2016, in between my daily Spelunky challenges (csl316 with two L's on the Vita, get on my leaderboards!) Honestly, a lot of these rankings don't even matter. All these games are fantastic.

10. Nuclear Throne

Vlambeer games have a very recognizable gameplay loop. Things start simple, things continue to be simple, but there's a ton of depth to the gameplay and unlocks that keeps you coming back. It just feels intense, the music sets a good vibe, and I still feel like I'm just scratching the surface despite seeing the throne a few times. The game is unbeatable for me right now so I can't place it higher (the Vita version crashes every time I get to one of the last areas). But despite the crashes, I don't get frustrated because it's so fun to play. Kind of like Spelunky, in a way, where it's more about the tight controls than beating Hell again and again. Other roguelikes I thought of adding were Galak-Z (which I finished after 6 hours and never played again) or Crypt of the Necrodancer (which my friend gifted me the other day and have only put a few hours into), but Nuclear Throne is the game I can't stop thinking about. And running around hitting dudes with wrenches brings back the best memories of Hotline Miami 1. And seeing some of the chaos after a battle brings back warm memories of Project: Overkill for whatever reason. So that's nice.

9. Ori and the Blind Forest

Ori is one of the reasons I bought an Xbox One. It looked nice, sure, and the trailers had good music. But once people starting making Super Meat Boy comparisons, I knew I had to play it. As I say year after year, I need a game to feel good to truly stick with me. Luckily, it felt superb and had some of the most impressive production values I've ever seen in a 2D sidescroller (outside of Dust: An Elysian Tail). I didn't feel it was difficult at all and some of the design choices were disappointing, but Ori made me glad I bought that Xbox. Can't wait to see what the studio does next.

8. Hotline Miami 2

This one took some time to click. Finished Hotline Miami twice and I expected another simple, straightforward action game. This one had a confusing narrative, they expanded on the gameplay in ways I didn't favor, the music wasn't making an impression, and I was ready to put it down. But then I hit a level with an ominous story build up, you get off an elevator, and (Roller Mobster) hits. It was fucking on from there. At that point the whole game came together and I cleared out all the negativity I was reading. I got better at it, realized they did some cool stuff with the gameplay, and started to really pay attention to the story. Hotline Miami 2 was lovingly crafted and became one of my favorites of the year.

7. Batman: Arkham Knight

This felt like the game I wanted Arkham City to be. It finally felt like I was driving around Gotham and this was my city that I had to defend. They nailed the gameplay and put together an engaging story. It looked absolutely stunning and ran great. The big secret to really get the most out of the game? Skip all the sidequests! The game had momentum and I couldn't wait to see how they would end things, so stopping to do side stuff probably would've colored someone's perception of that. Maybe one day I'll go back and do the side stuff, but as of right now my memories of Knight are extremely positive so maybe I shouldn't sully that. There were a few frustrating sections with the enemy mix and Batmobile fights on hard, but they did so much so well that I don't care. Should be noted that I played on the PS4 and had zero technical issues. Because apparently that was a thing.

6. Rise of the Tomb Raider

Tomb Raider was my game of the year a couple years ago. Rise has not made that same impression, mainly because I haven't had a chance to finish it (planned to this weekend, but I've had stupid electric problems!) Everything the last game did is present and improved upon. It sucks that I can't stop using the survival viewer to find resources, to be honest. But the combat continues to be tactical and well-done, the tombs are creative in the way only Crystal Dynamics can do, the set pieces are exhilarating, and Lara has grown as a character in some interesting ways. Yet another game that looks incredible, and one that I can't wait to finish once my power stops going out randomly. I hear it ends pretty well, so if I had a chance to finish it I can imagine it'd be a few spots higher.

5. Metal Gear Solid V

Oh my god, Metal Gear Solid V. There's so much to say about this game. It's not what I wanted Kojima's last Metal Gear to be. The story isn't what I wanted it to be. Venom Snake isn't as strong a character as I wanted. You don't get the varied environments and unforgettable narrative sequences you expect in MGS. So the game's biggest flaw is being called MGS V. But it also happens to be one of the best-playing stealth games ever made. Years ago, I decided to skip most side stuff in open-world games, but I couldn't stop playing this game and doing everything I could. I never got far into Peace Walker due to the base-building focus, and my worst fears of a big-budget Peace Walker were realized. But I couldn't stop sending dudes out on combat deployments and managing where to put my S-ranked soldiers. I beat the full game in under 40 hours and never got into the FOB side of things. So even though I felt I got deep into it, I know of other people that disappeared for months into the MGS V hole (ahem, @n7). As you can see, I'm somewhat torn on this game. But it's so good in so many ways! So spot number 5 seems like the right place for it.

4. Starcraft II: Legacy of the Void

Wings of Liberty, despite its crappy story, was one of my most-played games ever. I was unemployed in early 2011 and spent an unreasonable time enjoying the campaign's impressive mission design, playing multiplayer as people were still learning, and watching SO MUCH esports. Heart of the Swarm had more fun campaign design, but the story killed my interest after a few missions. I popped in HotS about a month before LotV and remembered just how much fun Starcraft II is. The story also improved drastically as they moved away from the horrible Raynor/Kerrigan love stuff. The prologue missions to Legacy did a great job of building to the main games, and the campaign itself makes this feel like the end of a decades-long story (although I'm only a third of the way through it). I haven't even touched the multiplayer, so I'm honestly not even that far into this game. Why's it so high on the list? Co-op missions!! They're so great! I've been playing Terran since the first game, and the co-op gives me an opportunity to turtle up and fight AI in more varied ways than just rushing match after match. My friends are too far gone in MOBA land to join me, but the matchmaking has kept me coming back and I'm enjoying this expansion as much as Brood War and my time with WoL. Happy to see they'll keep supporting this game, because the core gameplay is so strong that I always want a reason to have it around.

R.I.P./Long live Starcraft II.

3. Halo 5

Halo 5 is so good. After playing the beta, I knew they were on the right track with the multiplayer. Little did I know that Warzone would become the most fun I've had online with Halo since Reach. I could play Halo 5 all day, and as they keep adding stuff I'll keep turning it on. This was the first one where I played the campaign alone first, which means that I really got caught up in the mysterious tone they went for. This feels like a setup for Halo 6, sure, but the fast-paced action made the campaign feel fresh and exciting (though it could have used some Scarab battles). Still gotta go through it on Legendary, still gotta play dozens of hours of Slayer and BTB and Warzone, and still got lots of time til Halo 6 is out. But 343 knows what it's doing and I'm very excited to keep playing Halo for years to come.

2. The Witcher 3

I'm not even close to finishing this game. Hell, I haven't touched it since the first month of release. But what I played was astoundingly good. The narrative stuff makes me want to do every side mission. The combat's improved. The world feels truly alive. The characters are well-defined. Novigrad feels like I'm visiting my home city of Gdansk in Poland. It had one of the hypest trailers I've ever seen (sorry, no other way to describe it, as a fan of the lore). And apparently the patches have fixed most of the gripes people had at launch, so an even better game is waiting for me when I return? Hot damn. I'm honestly taking my time coming back to it because I want it to last. With one supposedly good expansion out and one more to come, this could last me til CD Projekt Red comes out with their next game. Witcher 3 is everything I wanted it to be, and I'm glad it found an audience and has gotten as much praise as it has. It's a nearly perfect game in the Western RPG style.

1. Bloodborne

I never finished a Souls game. I got 15 hours into DSII and that was the farthest I got. Bloodborne, however, is a game I couldn't stop playing til I saw the end and did all the side stuff I could find. I'm in the middle of the expansion, and it just reinforced that this is my game of the year. When I boot up Bloodborne, I'm in Yharnam. I have no worries except opening the next shortcut or taking out one of the horrifying bosses. It's one of the most immersive games I've ever been in. The art is top notch, and the OST is one of the best I've ever heard. Even the main menu gave me chills and makes it feel like there is no hope. (links with boss names ahead, if you consider that spoilers) Cleric Beast hits you early and lets you know how oppressive this place is, Blood Starved Beast is disturbing and makes you want to go home, Ebrietas feels like you're fighting the god damn universe, Ludwig welcomes you back with a reminder that you shouldn't have come back.

Maybe the soundtrack is the game of the year, I don't know. But I can say that Bloodborne makes every moment feel tense, every victory feel like the best accomplishment of your life, and the story goes places I couldn't have imagined. I don't care that it funnels you toward a certain playstyle, because some of these fights felt like something out of a character-action game. From has finally crafted a combat system that's the sort of dodge-heavy, fast-paced feel like I prefer in action games.

So the game's superbly crafted in every way I want it to be. Game of the year. No question. But fuck those snake piles forever.

can't say i'll be updating this.  but i'd do anything for some exp