#BEST OPEN MAP GAMES FULL#

Instead, they merely let you know that something is in a particular area, without spoiling what it is. These are drawn onto the map itself and cannot be interacted with like a traditional Site of Grace icon.

You can then explore the inverted version of this area to find even more secrets.Īnother interesting thing about the Elden Ring map is that its map contains numerous subtle symbols that are easy to overlook. For instance, there’s an area called the Carian Study Hall that seemingly leads to a dead end, but there’s an item you can find that flips the entire building upside down (a la Castlevania: Symphony of the Night). Even Souls veterans are caught off guard when playing Elden Ring, with most areas featuring plenty of surprises. The thing is, it’s more common to have no idea what you’re stumbling into, and that’s the beauty of Elden Ring.

#BEST OPEN MAP GAMES FULL#

You might encounter a maze-like courtyard full of gigantic severed hands that shoot magic at you, or even a seemingly friendly festival full of NPCs. In Elden Ring, even if you know you’ll soon be entering a castle or dungeon, there’s no telling what to expect within those walls. And even when you get to a specific point of interest, you usually know what to expect since the map icon spoils what kind of objective awaits. You know the most noteworthy encounters will only appear at points of interest, while the land between feels empty. The checklist-style maps found in Ubisoft games often undermine the journey between two points. Subverting expectationsĮven traditional castles are littered with secrets that will almost certainly surprise you. For instance, a hidden city of pot men called Jarburg is found off the east side of a cliff in Liurnia, an area you’ve likely visited countless times. The Souls games are famous for hiding secrets in plain sight, which is amplified in Elden Ring. Likewise, the lack of the checklist-style map makes it so that you never really know if you’ve fully explored an area, keeping you on your toes. That means you could stumble upon a dark cave full of enemies, an abandoned church with useful items, or even a behemoth enemy that can take you out in one fell swoop.

Even if you open your map to try and figure out what lies ahead, there’s no telling what awaits in any given area. In Elden Ring, few icons appear on the map, preserving the sense of mystery of nearly every area you encounter. Though Elden Ring’s map does feature icons for Sites of Grace and other buildings, most of its contents remain mysterious, which is part of the allure. The checkmark also tells you there isn’t anything left to discover. That doesn’t mean completing each objective is dull - but the sense of mystery is completely stripped away since the icon tells you exactly what to expect from any given area. Once you visit a particular area and complete whatever objective awaits, you get a little checkmark, telling you it’s finished. But when you open up the map, what do you see? Dozens of icons, each telling you exactly what to expect. In fact, the recent installments are some of the best in the series, with interesting environments to explore. Show, don’t tellįranchises like Assassin’s Creed aren’t bad. Given its success, we hope to see fewer open-world games packed with icons going forward, with a greater emphasis on mystery and wonder instead. That’s one reason Elden Ring is so remarkable, as it completely bucks this trend while still offering a detailed map to help you on your way. While it’s satisfying to check things off a to-do list, the sense of wonder and organic discovery is often compromised by a busy map and UI. Is this immersion? Or is this a chore simulator? Think Assassin’s Creed or Far Cry. A lot of games present vast open worlds littered with icons and an endless to-do list. For the past 15 years or so, the “map game” has been popular.

Best open map games