Titles such as Grand Theft Auto, Skyrim, Minecraft and the Fallout series can be considered as the godfathers of the open world gaming genre, where players have the freedom to explore immersive worlds and maps and shape their own journeys. Due to the previous successes of the beloved classic titles, there are signs of more releases in 2018 that will certainly make heads turn and take the open world gaming to the next level. Here are five games to definitely watch out for this year.
Red Dead Redemption 2
The prequel of the highly successful western-style open world by Rockstar is highly anticipated this year, with the potential of being the highest selling game of 2018. There is so much excitement that the game has been nominated on more than one occasion as the ‘Most Anticipated Game’ in 2016 and 2017 by the Game Awards and the Golden Joystick Awards, and for good reason too.
The new edition of the series has a new storyline following the adventures of the outlaw protagonist Arthur Morgan and will include new features such as an online mode (potentially a similar system to the massively popular GTA Online) and potentially a ‘battle royale’ style gameplay with other players, which is widely popular due to the widespread success of Fortnite and PUBG. This will make the game a lot more sustainable and, in my opinion, a lot more enjoyable.
I wonder if there will be any showdowns…
Red Dead Redemption 2 will be available on the PS4 and Xbox One on 26th October 2018. However, we have yet to hear about the release date for the PC, which appears to be potentially being released a bit later. The question is…how late?
Metro: Exodus
Despite Exodus not being strictly a full open world game, the addition of bigger and more open areas to explore (already confirmed by devs), makes this semi open world title to be featured on this article.
There are probably some who have not heard about the Metro series, however, it has earned respectable reviews and Metro: 2033 Redux (2014) was even scored an 8.6 on IGN. The series is based on the novel, Metro by Glukhovsky, which focuses on the aftermath of a nuclear war and the surviving human populating living in the underground tunnels of Moscow, the Metro tunnels.
It may be coincidental that Metro has a similar setting to Fallout, however, Metro: Exodus has made it clear with its trailer that it presents a unique, terrifying, and almost breath-taking experience for the player. With its almost lifelike graphics, and its blend of stealth and combat with survival horror, the developer, 4A Games claim that you will be in one of the most immersive worlds ever created.
I can’t wait to see if they can back up their claims.
Metro: Exodus will be available for PS4, Xbox One and PC hopefully in the autumn of 2018.
State of Decay 2
It isn’t long until the sequel of the zombie apocalyptic survival game, State of Decay will be released, and it’s going to better than ever. With an upgrade of the visuals as well as a larger map (three separate maps each roughly the size of the first game’s map), the goal is no different, finding survivors, building outposts, scavenging for supplies and weapons among the hordes of zombies that have taken over their world. The entire premise of State of Decay 2 is exactly what gamers dream for when it comes to a survival game in an apocalyptic setting. However, in this sequel, you can now play with up to three other players with the four-player co-op multiplayer. This appears to be a popular for the upcoming releases this year.
There are also new mechanics which will make the gameplay more immersive, for example, the characters and NPCs. Characters’ stats are affected by personality traits and conditions, such as health conditions, leadership skills or even having a high pain threshold. This makes the game a lot more realistic, however, it may appear to be an inconvenience at the same time.
State of Decay 2 will be released next month on 22nd May on the Xbox One and PC, which is slightly disappointing that PlayStation users will be missing this potentially epic and addictive game.
The Crew 2
This is another title that is fast approaching our screens. This popular, unique, stylish open-world title shows promise to stand out from its fast speed racing simulators such as Need for Speed. The sequel allows you to explore the landscapes of America, controlling a variety of vehicles which include cars, motorcycles, boats and even aeroplanes. The game will place emphasis on multiplayer co-operative mode (which is understandable), however, there is also a solo mode, which would be likely the only option for lone gamers such as myself.
The map is impressive as you can drive through famous American cities and landscapes such as New York City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and many more. While some may compare The Crew 2 to GTA V, however, I doubt we will have any run-ins with the police…I hope.
The Crew 2 will be available for PS4, Xbox One and PC on 29th June 2018.
Biomutant
At first glance, one may think of the game is an edgy version of Kung Fu Panda, but there is a lot more to this series, which has been described as a ‘Fung Fu fable’ by its developer, Experiment 101. Biomutant is an open world action RPG, which is set in a post-apocalyptic universe inhabited by humanoid animals.
The game certainly stands out from the previous mentions, as the game incorporates martial arts combat and stealth, along with an in-depth character customisation which allows robotic attachments, mutations that can aid your stats and can equip weapons such as katanas. You can still use guns if you miss them too much.
Biomutant looks like a promising game with its picturesque visuals and world map, partly reminiscent of Jak and Daxter. It will certainly give us an interesting journey of exploration and equipping epic weapons and mutation abilities in this quirky world.
Biomutant will come out later in 2018 and will be available on the PS4, Xbox One and PC.
