It’s funny how the season of your life can impact your gaming preferences.

I’ve found that lately, an open-world game is exactly what I need because it relaxes me and helps ground me in a way that a chaotic life doesn’t always allow.

There is something to be said for games that turn you loose in an open world, allowing you to explore and collect. I’ve found it as a virtual way to slow down and take in the scenery around me.

Whether it’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Final Fantasy XV, or Horizon Zero Dawn, each world offers exploration and relaxation.

Of course, not all open-worlds are created the same. Some feature better designs than others. That said, it’s not necessarily always about the best design.

Final Fantasy XV arguably has a very bland and generic world. Furthermore, you spend most of the time on rails or bumping up on invisible walls.

Sure, that does take away from the immersion going on but it doesn’t counter the relaxing immersion of the world.

To me, the best way to completely immerse myself in an open world is the collectables spread throughout. Again, a poorly-designed world can inhibit this but even then, there is a level of relaxation that still comes.

I found Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom and the Marvel’s Spider-Man games to be my personal favorites.

I found myself spending hours just wandering Hyrule looking for Korok seeds or swinging through New York City in search of backpacks. Both options provided a great way to explore and unwind.

And then there’s the final aspect that makes open-world games a joy to play: the aesthetic.

My first real experience with this was Breath of the Wild when Link leaves the Shrine of Resurrection for the first time and overlooks Hyrule. The way that scene was set up was breathtaking.

It’s what made wandering Hyrule for entire play sessions worth it. I could spend three hours just wandering a mountain range solely because the aesthetics made it easy to do so.

The game that really captured this for me was Horizon Zero Dawn. Part of this is I have a soft spot for the area portrayed in the game (Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and Wyoming).

Guerrilla Games did a fantastic job at making the aesthetic of the world serene yet foreboding. Sure, the game had moments of stress but it the vast world made up for it.

Now, for me, a gorgeous world is not enough for an open-world game to be considered relaxing. The moments of action need to be proportionate to the stress I’m experiencing in my real life.

That is why, for now, games like Elden Ring are not up my alley. At this time in my life, I play games for low-stress narratives and Soulslike games don’t fit that, for now.

For a moment there, open-world games inundated the market and many became bored with the concept. That is absolutely fair because I go through similar phases that leave me read to move on.

Furthermore, open-world games tend to be similar. It’s hard to be innovative when many games try, and fail in some aspects, to tweak the format instead of truly overhauling it.

At the end of the day, video games are meant as a place to recharge and boost your mental health. That looks different for everyone, meaning this topic will always be subjective.

Still, I found that even the worth open-world games provide a relaxing environment that I could spend hours in unwinding.

For me, it is necessary to help me find a balance between my everyday stresses and the quiet, still moments needed to counteract the chaos.

Featured Image: Guerrilla Games (via The Verge)

Boss Rush Podcast – A Podcast about Video Games

The Boss Rush Podcast – A Podcast about Video Games – is the flagship show of the Boss Rush Network and Boss Rush Media. Each week, hosts⁠ Corey Dirrig and LeRon Dawkins⁠ are joined by friends, fellow creators, indie developers, and industry veterans to discuss the latest in the world of video games, including news, rumors, new releases, and what they’ve been playing. They also answer listener questions, debate important industry topics and Boss Rush Banter discussion points, and feature a rotating weekly segment. New episodes post every Monday.

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