Although hardly a weekly event,open-world gameshave become seemingly inescapable, with nearly every month producing a new project. Consequently, the concept nowadays covers a wide spectrum of genres, tones, stories, and gameplay preferences. If somebody wants ahardcore RPG, they can check outKingdom Come: DeliveranceorOutward; conversely, people looking to mess around in a sandbox can turn to heavyweights likeMinecraftandGoat Simulator(orGTA, naturally).
Unsurprisingly, complexity varies considerably from release to release. As open-world titles are generally designed to last dozens upon dozens of hours, quite a few games tend to double down on mechanics, introducing new ideas or revolving around ones that take hours to master. However, that is not the case with everything, and there are quite a fewopen-world games with simple mechanics. These projects tend not to waste time before throwing players into the thick of the action, and their gameplay almost feels second nature.
Some criteria and things to keep in mind:
Although his backstory and characterization do not lack depth, The Hulk’s attack style is fairly straightforward: Smash. Fully understanding the character’s primal appeal,Ultimate Destructiondrops players in a surprisingly large open-world (for the era) and, well, tells them to start smashing. Not every single thing can be destroyed, but a lot of the city is at Hulk’s mercy, and he can even turn items like cars into weapons. After completing the tutorial and spending a few minutes in the sandbox, Hulk’s mechanics and controls will feel second nature, as they just make sense for the character.
Ultimate Destructionhas its share of mechanics that add flavor to the basic gameplay, including a meter that boosts attacks and unlockable weapons. However, they mostly just build on the fundamentals rather than adding new twists. The campaign primarily shakes things up by introducing new enemy types and ramping up the difficulty.
TheCat Questtrilogy is delightful. The Gentlebros crafted three campaigns that last between 10–15 hours, and they are all great in their own right. An isometric action RPG that takes place in a small but charming open-world,Cat Queststrips most role-playing staple mechanics down to their core, delivering simple but effective equipment and character progression systems. Thehack-and-slash combatis also immediately enjoyable and understandable, all the while still offering some variety through the different weapons and well-done boss fights.
The sequels expand on some of the first game’s ideas and, notably, introduce 2-player co-op. While they are slightly more complicated, they are still accessible by the standards of both RPGs and open-world projects. They are also fantastic.
Big Huge Games’Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoningwas a breath of fresh air when it launched in 2012, despite perhaps struggling to reach its commercial goals. After a period when the open-world RPG was not available to purchase, it was brought back in the form of a 2020 remaster. This version provides some improvements, but mostly sticks true to the original version.
Honestly, someone’s mileage withKingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoningwill likely come down to their appreciation for late PS3-era releases. The game’s hack-and-slash combat was well ahead of the curve in 2012, but it is not that unique when viewed from a modern lens. That said, the action is still plenty of fun and has a pick-up-and-play rhythm that sets it apart from most open-world games.
Look, sometimes, you just want to blow things up.Just Causeis therapeutic. Rarely taking themselves seriously, the games follow Rico Rodriguez, a special agent tasked with (usually) taking out dictators. He typically accomplishes that goal by destroying everything in his wake, and he is given a myriad of weapons, vehicles, and tools to get the job done.
While players are granted plenty of options on how to execute missions, the basic mechanics largely stay the same, and the games play like relatively straightforward third-person shooters. Every entry has its positives, butJust Cause 2andJust Cause 3are generally regarded as the franchise’s peak, and it is still a lot of fun to play despite being more than 15 years old by this point.
Honorable mention:Mad MaxandRage 2are also great open-world games with fairly simple mechanics.
Crackdown’s reputation is not all that great nowadays, largely thanks to two polarizing sequels that did not quite manage to capture the original title’s magic. However, Realtime Worlds' 2007 release is still an absolute blast to play, and its simplicity is its biggest strength. As a super agent, players are unleashed on a city that has a big crime problem, and they are tasked with clearing out three burrows by taking out different bosses.
Crackdownfocuses entirely on its core gameplay loop, removing any distractions. Rather than engaging with side quests or story beats, players spend all their time shooting, jumping, and demolishing enemies, repeating the same process without much variation. Even progression is tied directly to the basic combat and movement mechanics, with players getting stronger depending on their actions. So, if someone wants to get better at shooting, they just need to keep blasting as many enemies as possible.
Yakuza0has a lot going on. The game has two protagonists with multiple combat styles, all of which come with fairly impressive progression options. Players also have to take into account their armor and, to a lesser extent, weapon loadouts, and it is not often that easy to find the best options in either area. The world is also packed with side stories and mini-games, the latter of which incorporate mechanics that are unique to them. So,Yakuza 0is not lacking in variety, and that is before mentioning the brilliant main storyline.
However, when spotlighting specifically the combat,Yakuza 0is a conventional 3D beat ‘em up, and a relatively simple one at that. Yes, Kiryu and Majima unlock plenty of combos (at the player’s discretion), but they are paced well enough that they never feel overwhelming. Despite their styles being quite different, Kiryu and Majime mostly control the same, so it is easy to adapt when the story transitions between them.Yakuzagamesshine when analyzed as full packages rather than on the depth of their gameplay.
A proper sandbox that provides almost no direction beyond the absolute minimum,The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildpresents the player withso much freedomthat it can be straight-up overwhelming. Rather than constantly introducing new ideas,Breath of the Wildgives Link access to all his core tools in the first few minutes, with most of the gameplay revolving around four Runes presented by the Sheikah Slate.
While simple in execution, each ability is extremely flexible, andBOTWencourages players to think outside the box when tackling the many challenges presented by the open-world. This goes beyond just completing puzzles in Shrines, as the Runes can and should be used during combat scenarios as well.BOTWdoes a lot with very little.
