Open world games have become one of gaming’s most popular genres. The idea of exploring a seemingly never ending world is a special feeling that few other genres can replicate. I remember the first time loading into my favorite game of all time, Red Dead Redemption 2. The sheer vastness of that world and the feeling that there was always something new to discover is an experience I will never forget.
For years, bigger maps were viewed as a major selling point. Developers proudly advertised larger worlds, more side quests, and hundreds of hours of content. Every new release seemed determined to outdo the last. But as open-world games continue to grow, an important question has started to emerge have developers become too focused on size?
When Bigger Became Better
The open world genre has spent the last decade in an arms race.
Publishers know that players often associate larger worlds with greater value. If a game promises 100 hours of content, it can feel easier to justify a $70 price tag. As a result, many modern open world games have become enormous in scale.
Few examples illustrate this better than Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Ubisoft marketed the game as a massive Viking adventure packed with content. Main story completion estimates ranged anywhere from 30 to 60 hours, while completionist runs could easily exceed 100 hours. On paper, that sounds like incredible value.
In reality, it may simply be too much game for the average player.
Most people spend around one to two hours a day playing video games. At that pace, finishing a game like Valhalla could take well over a month. During that time, new releases arrive, interests change, and many players begin to experience burnout. No matter how enjoyable a combat system or story may be, repeating the same gameplay loop for dozens upon dozens of hours can start to feel exhausting.
This isn’t just a problem with Assassin’s Creed. Ubisoft’s Far Cry series has faced similar criticism in recent years. Massive maps filled with objectives, collectibles, outposts, and side activities can sometimes make exploration feel more like clearing a checklist than embarking on an adventure.
More content does not always create a better experience.
Elden Ring Changed the Conversation
This is where Elden Ring completely changes the discussion.
Elden Ring is widely regarded as one of the greatest open world games ever made, yet its success has very little to do with map size. What makes Elden Ring special is its discovery driven design. The game minimizes hand-holding and encourages curiosity. Hidden dungeons, secret bosses, and entire regions can be missed if players aren’t actively exploring the world around them.
That sense of mystery is what keeps players engaged.
You never know what you might find over the next hill or behind the next castle wall. Players discover things because they are curious, not because a map marker tells them where to go. Every new discovery feels earned.
Elden Ring proved something that many developers seem to have forgotten meaningful exploration may be more important than sheer scale.
The game is large, but it rarely feels bloated. There is a major difference between a world that is big and a world that feels alive.
Skyrim vs. Starfield
Bethesda provides another fascinating example of this debate.
Few games are praised more for exploration than Skyrim. More than a decade after its release, players can still recall specific towns, caves, guild questlines, and memorable encounters. Ask almost any Skyrim fan about their favorite moment, and they’ll likely have an answer ready immediately.
That is because Skyrim’s world felt handcrafted.
Every mountain path, cave system, and village seemed to exist for a reason. Exploration felt rewarding because there was always the possibility of finding something memorable.
The same praise has been much harder to find for Starfield.
Bethesda dramatically increased the scale of its newest RPG by offering more than 1,000 explorable planets. While that number sounds impressive, many players and critics pointed to procedural generation as one of the game’s biggest weaknesses. The sense of discovery that made Skyrim so memorable often felt diluted by the enormous scale of Starfield’s universe.
The problem is that procedural generation can create size, but it cannot automatically create meaningful experiences.
While Starfield’s universe is significantly larger than Skyrim’s world, it is difficult to argue that it is more memorable. Bigger does not always mean better.
Why Red Dead Redemption 2 Still Works
If massive open worlds are a problem, then why does Red Dead Redemption 2 continue to receive so much praise?
The answer is simple: purpose.
Red Dead Redemption 2 has an enormous map, but nearly every part of it feels intentional. Whether you’re hunting in the mountains, riding through Saint Denis, or stumbling across a random encounter in the wilderness, the world feels handcrafted and alive.
The size of the map is not what makes Red Dead Redemption 2 special.
What makes it special is that the world constantly rewards exploration. Players are encouraged to slow down, pay attention, and immerse themselves in the environment. The world feels less like a giant sandbox and more like a living place.
That distinction matters.
The Future of Open-World Games
The future of open-world games may not be bigger worlds. It may be better worlds.
Players do not remember games because they had 500 collectibles or thousands of map markers. They remember unforgettable quests, hidden locations, memorable characters, and moments of genuine discovery.
As gaming audiences continue to grow older and have less free time, developers may need to rethink how they approach open-world design. Instead of creating larger maps, the focus should be on creating denser worlds filled with meaningful content.
The success of games like Elden Ring and Red Dead Redemption 2 suggests that players are not necessarily asking for more content. They are asking for better reasons to explore.
Final Thoughts
Open world games are not becoming worse because they are bigger.
They become worse when developers prioritize quantity over quality.
The best open world games create a sense of curiosity that keeps players engaged long after the credits roll. They make players wonder what lies over the next hill, inside the next cave, or beyond the next city.
The future of the genre will not be determined by which developer can build the biggest map. It will be determined by which developer can build the most memorable world.
Because at the end of the day, players don’t fall in love with a map because it’s big.
They fall in love with it because they never want to leave.
