Summary
EA has a lot of great linear games that have compelling stories attached to them. For example,It Takes Twois one of their highest-rated hits. It’s a co-op-focused game about two parents on the verge of divorce who get turned into dolls. The game then follows their therapeutic journey through marriage and understanding.
Another great example isDead Spacewhich is a horror game set on a spaceship that was taken over by aliens. Those are two great linear examples, but some players prefer their EA games to be more open. From seamless open-world environments to more open-city squares, these games should satiate that exploration itch.
Anthemdid not get the highest reviews compared toother BioWare gamesbut some of the criticism seems a bit unjust. It wasn’t a bad game so much as it lacked a proper road map as a live-service game. What was available on day one was engaging albeit short, so it deserves a shout-out amidst other open-world adjacent games from EA.
Players could hop into several mech-based suits and then fly around a huge planet teaming with life. The best part was zooming around with up to three other friends online, exploring and taking down waves of enemy soldiers and monsters. There are no NPCs to talk to in the world, or gathering quests. Players will choose a mission at home base and then fly out to complete it, with mobs of enemies to defeat along the way. It’s a big world to explore, but it isn’t that populated.
Mercenaries 2: World in Flameswas like theJust Causefranchise before it blew up in popularity. The goal ofMercenaries 2was to cause as much damage as possible as a group of mercenaries invading a new territory. There were plenty of bases and refineries to explode alone or with a friend in co-op.
The map wasn’t as diverse asother open-world gamesat the time but what it lacked in variety it more than made up for in mayhem. It was a big map, but another one without many key characters to interact with outside of mission zones. There were plans for a third, but the series died before that point; at least, it went out on a relatively high note.
Mirror’s Edge Catalystwas both a sequel and a reboot of the first game,Mirror’s Edgefrom 2008.Mirror’sEdge Catalystwas less linear and more open though. Players could explore a city, albeit from its rooftops, and take on extra missions. This made the game feel isolated and open at the same time. It gave the sense of an open world but was more or less linear.
The open-world sections were not what players enjoyed most about the game, though. It was speed-running through sections and gettingthe parkour actionmeticulously right so that it looked like an action movie upon playback. It was an exhilarating feeling to have a seamless transition from running to fighting, to running again.
One of the most unique shooters of 2023, this release garnered a fairly mixed reception. Instead of guns, characters armed themselves inImmortals of Aveumwith magical sigilsthat changed their powers. Some spells acted like machine guns or sniper rifles, for example. The story follows Jak who was a thief in training before getting shoehorned into a war against a race of supreme magic beings.
He was a quippy character, akin to Spider-Man, who made his jokes while exploring the larger environments comforting if not somewhat corny at times. It takes a while to open up the world, but once Jak gets initiated and gains access to portals, players can explore and backtrack to their heart’s content. While not a seamless open world,Immortals of Aveumis more like a Metroidvania, but not as confined, plentiful with loot and quests.
The Saboteurwas also a unique shooter because of the visual trick. It took place duringWorld War 2when the Nazis took over Paris. To emulate the sorrow of the French people, the game was played in black and white. When areas were liberated from Nazis, colors would progressively return.
A large portion of gameplay took place in the city, reminiscent of aGTAgame, although there were outskirts in the countryside as well. Players could attack Nazi camps, square off in main missions, help those in need, or take a ride to the country to participate in non-violent missions like races. Besides a few standout locations, most of the game takes place in Paris.
This game was like a combination ofThe Elder Scrollsseries andDevil May Crydue to a high-fantasy setting and intricate combat system. What made it stand out from other open-world RPGs at the time were theweapon choices inKingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. Each one changed the flow of combat from giant broadswords to more nimble chakrams.
The experimentation through weapons and skill trees is what attracted a lot of RPG fans. In all traditional senses of the genre,Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoningis the most open-world game on the list. Dozens of quests across multiple cities, tons of biomes from forests to deserts, dialogue trees that can affect the story, and so on. All of this can be accessed on foot save for some warping between certain areas.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivorwas a big upgradefrom the previous game in terms of size. It’s not one seamless open world, but the planets that Cal travels to are a lot more vast. There are even modes of transportation to get him around besides fast travel.
One of the coolest mounts is called a Relter which looks like a pterodactyl and can fly Cal around some canyon areas. LikeImmortals of Aveum,the structure ofStar Wars Jedi: Survivorsplanets are Metroidvania-like. Get a new ability, open up new paths, and so on. It’s a step in the right direction, and hopefully, the next game can be even more open.
Dragon Age: Inquisition may not be a true open-world likeKingdoms of Amalur: Reckoningas it instead has big, open hub areas akin toStar Wars Jedi: Survivor. However, in every sense of the word, this is an RPG that describes the word “epic” and is a testament to how one could make a good action RPG. Players can create their own character, who is voiced, and then imbue their essence into them through dialogue choices. Also, players get to recruit party members and bond with them through the story and through side quests. Iron Bull is one party member who looks like a beastly monster but he may be one of the cuddliest members of the crew.
There is a basecamp as well which players can help rebuild, giving them a better sense of belonging in this world. Does the player want to be a kind leader or a devious one, who plays mind games to get what they want? The aforementioned hub areas offer a great variety as well from deep forests to sandy deserts and beyond. Just when a player may wish to move on to the next area, they may discover an NPC or side quest that drags them further into the game’s lore.Dragon Age: Inquisitionis immersive and it stands tall as a BioWare RPG.
