Game Franchises you want to be given the "Open World Sandbox" Treatment

[Ldude893]

Not exactly a game franchise, but I'd pay to see a full-fledged open world game based on The Simpsons, even though the game rights had been scooped up by EA. They had similar concepts in The Simpsons Hit and Run (actually the first sandbox game I've ever played even before GTA) and The Simpsons Game, but there has never been a Simpsons themed games set in a complete, seamless replica of Springfield.

I could imagine the players being able to control every family member except Maggie, and the parents could be the only player-characters who could drive vehicles while the kids could only ride bikes or skateboards. The missions could almost be like individual episodes from the show.

 

[Racecarlock]

XGRA. The extreme G Racing Association.

It has an asteroid base, an underwater base, brazil, some rich people place, and antarctica.

Alternatively, any futuristic racer with a futuristic city level. When is the game where I can steal hovercars going to come out? I know we won't have real flying cars for a while, but at least let me fantasize, dammit!

 

[MrHide-Patten]

I'd kind of like a Sandbox Pokemon world. Beyond that I'm not really able to think of any worlds I'd like as a Sandbox.

Wasn't Pokemon the first game that practically was a Sandbox? aside from arbitrarily blocking your path with shit like a shrub or a pond.

 

[Dragonbums]

Sandbox doesn't automatically make it good. It's not a treatment. It's a genre, and while it would be cool to travel the world of a pretty good videogame (like Pokemon) at an objective core gameplay point of view, it will either completely destroy what the IP was all about in the first place (something that could happen to TESO) or be a completely cruddy game.

 

[RedLister]

Overlord.

Here is your hulking, heavily armored, magic-spewing (though ideally more mobile) evil Dark Lord-type.

Here is your varied swarm of small, easily-replaced, hyperactively destructive minions.

Here is a kingdom of unsuspecting innocent villagers.

Go forth!

THIS! you sir/madam deserve a cookie.

Whenever i played i always felt the 'playground' was a bit small, that wacky world screams for more exposure.

 

[Terramax]

Mirror's Edge.

I often don't like sandboxes because most of your time is spent commuting between the interesting bits. However, in a game where movement is the central mechanic, that could actually be fun.

Luckily, I think I'm actually getting my wish with this one.

Actually, I don't like the idea of open world for this one. Having larger levels with more routes and obstacles would be great, but I fear a lack of urgency if the game is open world.

Sandbox doesn't automatically make it good. It's not a treatment. It's a genre, and while it would be cool to travel the world of a pretty good videogame (like Pokemon) at an objective core gameplay point of view, it will either completely destroy what the IP was all about in the first place (something that could happen to TESO) or be a completely cruddy game.

I fully agree with this.

 

[Dragonbums]

Mirror's Edge.

I often don't like sandboxes because most of your time is spent commuting between the interesting bits. However, in a game where movement is the central mechanic, that could actually be fun.

Luckily, I think I'm actually getting my wish with this one.

Actually, I don't like the idea of open world for this one. Having larger levels with more routes and obstacles would be great, but I fear a lack of urgency if the game is open world.

It depends. If we are talking about in terms of Skyrim, then yeah it can get pretty bad.

However the only other alternative I can think of is just as bad where your travelling some place and you have "god voice" or some random NPC override your path of trajectory to tell you that you HAVE to do this quest/storyline and to quit goofing around or whatever it is they say when they force you to do something else.

Which would not only break immersion but totally negate the point of an open sandbox game.

 

[Terramax]

Mirror's Edge.

I often don't like sandboxes because most of your time is spent commuting between the interesting bits. However, in a game where movement is the central mechanic, that could actually be fun.

Luckily, I think I'm actually getting my wish with this one.

Actually, I don't like the idea of open world for this one. Having larger levels with more routes and obstacles would be great, but I fear a lack of urgency if the game is open world.

It depends. If we are talking about in terms of Skyrim, then yeah it can get pretty bad.

However the only other alternative I can think of is just as bad where your travelling some place and you have "god voice" or some random NPC override your path of trajectory to tell you that you HAVE to do this quest/storyline and to quit goofing around or whatever it is they say when they force you to do something else.

Which would not only break immersion but totally negate the point of an open sandbox game.

I'm not sure how this applies to Mirror's Edge though, seeing as it's a plot driven game, not a dick around driven game (for a lack of a better term).

Mirror's Edge is perfectly ok with a plot. In fact, without one, it's just mindless jumping around buildings, which is tiresome without any real purpose. It doesn't lend itself to the battles, grinding, customisation, etc, that open-world games usually have.

 

[Evonisia]

Mirror's Edge is perfectly ok with a plot. In fact, without one, it's just mindless jumping around buildings, which is tiresome without any real purpose. It doesn't lend itself to the battles, grinding, customisation, etc, that open-world games usually have.

Mirror's Edge had a plot? I spent most of the game jumping about doing nothing while characters spouted in my ear about something I had no idea was necessary or relevant to what I was doing.

Not exactly a game franchise, but I'd pay to see a full-fledged open world game based on The Simpsons, even though the game rights had been scooped up by EA. They had similar concepts in The Simpsons Hit and Run (actually the first sandbox game I've ever played even before GTA) and The Simpsons Game, but there has never been a Simpsons themed games set in a complete, seamless replica of Springfield.

I could imagine the players being able to control every family member except Maggie, and the parents could be the only player-characters who could drive vehicles while the kids could only ride bikes or skateboards. The missions could almost be like individual episodes from the show.

Wait, the kids can drive in the show itself so I don't see how they'd have to ride bikes and skateboards. Though it would be nice for bikes and skateboards to be ridable. Also the reason there's never been a proper copy-paste of Springfield is that the developers of the show haven't done a proper map, and buildings and scenery tend to appear where they want them to (such as the Nuclear Power Plant's car park being in the family's back garden one episode and on the other end of town in the next).

 

[Sarge034]

I would love an open world L4D or survival based Resident Evil. Open world, zombies, survival, co-op capable, RPG-esk character/gear customization, and an RPG leveling/stat system...
Just take my money and love me long tim.

 

[Terramax]

Mirror's Edge had a plot? I spent most of the game jumping about doing nothing while characters spouted in my ear about something I had no idea was necessary or relevant to what I was doing.

Yep, there was. It's just that it wasn't told via boring cutscenes of people standing around and droning for 10 minutes, as is the case with most open world games.

 

[Exterminas]

Bioshock.

The Cities have always been the star in that fanchise. The setting would be much better suited for an open world RPG, rather than a linear FPS.

 

[argon17]

I'm gonna say "Mass Effect". The first game in the series was sandbox-ish, admittedly - but I wouldn't call it a sandbox per se, with how much of the freedom actually was illusionary. Sure, you can go to every planet you want, but all there is to explore is a 30x30m area of incredibly hilly terrain. And the individual missions were mostly linear. The second and third ones were basically linear cover-based shooters. I'd like to see one with completely free exploration, and planets that are actually *worthwhile* to explore.

 

[Evonisia]

Mirror's Edge had a plot? I spent most of the game jumping about doing nothing while characters spouted in my ear about something I had no idea was necessary or relevant to what I was doing.

Yep, there was. It's just that it wasn't told via boring cutscenes of people standing around and droning for 10 minutes, as is the case with most open world games.

And it wasn't told much at all, it's rare to see anything to indicates the plot besides the 10 or so cutscenes in the game, and the fact that you're supporting characters says things like "Run, they've framed you". They could have at least done the Left4Dead thing and had graffiti or papers or posters everywhere telling you what's going on and what's happened.

 

[Terramax]

And it wasn't told much at all, it's rare to see anything to indicates the plot besides the 10 or so cutscenes in the game, and the fact that you're supporting characters says things like "Run, they've framed you". They could have at least done the Left4Dead thing and had graffiti or papers or posters everywhere telling you what's going on and what's happened.

The game benefit from minimal storytelling. I think developers (and gamers) really need to learn that games don't become more engaging if you throw extra dialog and plot at them.

I'm not saying Mirror's Edge is perfect, because it's not, neither from a gameplay perspective, or plot, but the plot was justice enough. The game was made to be a rollercoaster ride. This is ultimately why the game even feels almost like on rails at the time.

And this is why open-world is worrying. That rollercoaster ride feeling will likely be gone, as the pace is likely toned down.

Not only that, Mirror's Edge was the kind of game you played for repeated playthroughs, rather than an open-worlds 'completely it once, after 50hours of screwing around, and likely not play through it again' style of gameplay.

Of course, the sequel is said to be wider in scope, and it remains to be seen whether the concept will benefit from this.

 

[michael87cn]

Every game should be sandbox. Why not?

 

[Canadamus Prime]

The sandbox thing would actually be detrimental to most of the franchises I can think of.

 

[FrozenLaughs]

Megaman Legends was sort of sandbox-y, and my favorite Megaman ever. Would love to see another but we all know that's never gonna happen.

Of course, I'd love to see a Resident Evil 4 style remake of Megaman too, all dark and gritty... But that's for another topic someday