Open World Games are Born

The first real open world game came out in 1984—Elite, created by David Braben and Ian Bell. Elite put players into a believable open world made from a wire frame. The universe consisted of planets, politics, economies, trade, and space stations to explore. You as the player had the choice of what to do with your main character; you could be a trader or end up on the other side as a pirate. The trade encompassed space combat and a transport system to sell goods. From the sale of these goods players could purchase ship upgrades to make their unique spaceship. Back when Elite came out it was considered a technical innovation, although now gamers have come to expect more from their open world games.

Enter The Elder Scrolls

Jumping ahead to 1994, a groundbreaking release for open world games comes to the PC. The Elder Scrolls series’ beautiful 3D world sets high standards for other games to come. The series began with Arena and Daggerfall (both now are free downloads from Bethesda’s site), then Morrowind, Oblivion, and now recently Skyrim. Elder Scrolls creates a believable fantasy world where players can “live another life in another world” according to Todd Howard, executive producer for Bethesda. This quote became a motto for some, with people putting hundreds if not thousands of hours into the Elder Scrolls series. Players were able to choose from one of many races to play as and many classes that they felt suit them and their play style. Elder Scrolls has always had an amazing narrative to accompany its gameplay, but the main story wasn’t always the star of the show. As you immerse yourself into the world you feel as if you are a citizen of Tamriel, the vast continent on which the Elder Scrolls series takes place. There is no need to follow the main storyline, instead you can do anything you like–hunt bandits, forage plants, help locals from the bar. The world is yours to play with and do as you like.

Another notable series, known for its wide open cities to play around in are the Grand Theft Auto games. Cast in the role of a gangster or criminal throughout the series, players are thrown into a fictional city that looks as real as one you could walk around in the real world. GTA has always had players doing missions and side missions for mafia contacts and other shady people, while trying to achieve a personal goal of some kind. With loads of weapons and cars thrown in to the giant cities and hundreds of NPCs walking around at one time, the world is the definition of sandbox gaming. The addition of multiplayer later in the series has given even more life to this open world title. Creative players have come up with their own game mods and even created their own gangs and societies across the multiplayer platform. Despite Grand Theft Auto’s amazing gameplay and features, it has been widely accused of being the cause for many problems with kids and violence around the world.

Online Realms: Infinite Exploration

The worlds of Massively-Multiplayer Online games may be the biggest and most immerse of all open world games nowadays, however, with World of Warcraft being the largest among them. WoW currently has a total player count of over nine million, more than New York City’s population. MMO worlds (also referred to as Persistent Online Worlds) are already massive, but the developers devote a lot of time to the game and keep on adding well after release for some titles. Expansion packs and new in-game items add even more playability to the games and along with them bring more new players in all the time. Hundreds of side quests and main story lines abound, along with crafting and cooking and a host of other diversions keep gamers happy and busy within their chosen worlds of play. These games almost always have ways to promote social interaction as well, leading to a lot of friendships and even some marriages in real life with fellow gamers. MMOs create their own cultures and are quite dedicated to their games and lifestyle that has been brought about by it.

The Evolution of Open World Games

The open world game sub-genre continues to expand and bring about new features for loving fans. New releases are becoming more and more frequent, instead of the rare gem being produced every now and then. Some notable open world games to keep an eye on are Far Cry 3, Borderlands 2, and Assassins Creed 3. Each one should bring something new to the table, but all of them will have the opportunity of creating a new world for gamers to lose themselves in. Far Cry 3 is adding hunting to the series, Borderlands 2 has billions of different weapons, and Assassins Creed 3 is bringing vast wilderness and ship combat to the series.

Open world games can only go up from here, with new features and larger worlds waiting for those looking to “live another life, in another world”. Just don’t forget about all those other beautiful games coming out as well, and your real life–can’t forget about that either.

How about you? What do you think of open world gaming and which are your favourite games? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Written by

Brandon Morgan

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The Hitman series has always been about killing your target in creative and silent ways, and doing so has become a test for some gamers, as the slightest mess up could cause a restart of the whole level. Absolution will be much more forgiving–if you mess up there are checkpoints throughout the level to give you a chance to try something new to achieve your goals. Along with a mixture of an old and new health system, players will regenerate some of their health but will need to hunt down health stations to fully heal Agent 47. This is to retain the feeling of the Hitman series while not losing the challenge gamers have come to know from series’ difficult levels. These new features will be extremely welcomed, as the new levels of Absolution are much bigger than its previous counterparts.

Bigger levels mean more choices of how to get your objectives fulfilled. So far only a couple of maps have been shown off; one portion of the game will be set in Chicago, and a Chinatown-like level has been displayed in screenshots released so far. Another revealed map has been a place called Streets of Hope. This small town looks like it was ripped straight from the fifties, complete with old cars, barbershop hangouts, and Fonzie-esque gangsters abound. The map shows a lot of different paths for players to take. You can be ruthless and take out anyone in your way, or take your time and use your head to find a way around innocents. You can trigger objects within the environment to distract NPCs to get around them, making your life a little easier. You can spend hours in these levels, doing recon, learning enemy paths, or finding new ways to kill your target. And now with the checkpoint system you don’t have to lose your hard-earned game-time you’ve put into the level.

Video: Tools of the Trade Trailer

As in previous games in the series there are many ways to take out your target, however there are even more than before in Absolution. You can go old fashioned and use your custom made weapons to charge with guns blazing, or find a more stealthy way around guards and civilians to get to your target. Absolution is adding a lot more weapons to play around with, giving you the option to find a personal favorite among the many varieties–from melee to sniper rifles and everything in between. Most of the time you don’t even need to have a weapon on you. The environment can be the biggest weapon you have. Special points around the world can be used against the enemies, along with finding weapons in even the most random of places, such as a plunger from the bathroom.

Some of Agent 47’s new skills are quite useful to make your way through a map. While using pistols or sub-machine guns you can dual wield them to gain more firepower but lose precision. A single handgun will give you more accuracy but will lose the rate of fire coming from wielding two weapons. Taking inspiration from Splinter Cell: Conviction, Agent 47 can now stop time and choose a varied amount of targets around him to take out. Time will slow and each enemy will be taken out with precision in slow motion. IO Interactive is bringing the art of sniping to a whole new level this time around as well. Now while using a sniper rifle, players can make use of controlling Agent 47’s breathing to allow for more accurate shots.

IO Interactive is trying to make this Hitman one of the best yet by throwing in some well-tested new features. Instinct Mode is replacing the Map this time around. This is reminiscent of Detective Mode from Batman: Arkham City. Instinct allows Agent 47 to see the position and paths of enemies within his general area. This new feature could be a little overkill for some players, but to counteract this IO has thrown in a Purist Mode that disables Instinct and the HUD. The HUD will show the status of 47’s targets, whether they are alive, dead, or unconscious. Another great feature coming to Absolution is the option to fake surrender. When a guard moves close to Agent 47 he can take them as a human shield. This will make for some epic moments during gameplay.

Along with all these amazing gameplay changes coming to Absolution, the story will receive a big overhaul as well. IO is trying to create a realistic and dramatic world while not sacrificing the fun that comes from playing a Hitman game. This time around there will be more cutscenes to move the story along, as well as the ability to stop and listen to characters to get hints about where the story is going. A bigger and better story will make a lot of people happy while playing Absolution, as the story of Agent 47 has always been a much loved one. Now it will get even deeper and bring out a whole new side of the deadly assassin.

Video: Saints Trailer

Absolution has drawn a lot of controversy since its announcement. Specifically the Saints trailer, which showcases a group of female assassins coming to take out Agent 47. Critics and fans alike have called it a display of misogyny and sadism. However much criticism the trailer has brought, though, it has also done a great job of marketing Hitman: Absolution. The trailer did a good job of showing off Hitman, making it a game to watch among many. Hopefully these are the types of cinematics we can expect from the final game.

For those interested in pre-ordering the game some great bonuses await. The Sniper Challenge will be unlocked when you pre-order any version of the game, letting players test out some gameplay and try out the new sniping features in a small level. Some other great things include a sniper rifle in-game if you pre-order from GameStop, from Steam you will receive three new weapons, a 72 page art-book and a Making Of video if you spring for the Professional Edition.

Hitman: Absolution will be out on November 20th, just in time for the holiday season. We will have to see if Hitman can contend with the big releases that always come out around the holidays. Keep an eye on the game as it gets closer to its release date.

Written by

Brandon Morgan

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Black Ops 2 is the sequel to the 2010 hit Call of Duty: Black Ops, developed by Treyarch Studios. Players will take on the role of David Mason, the son of Alex Mason, during the cyber-attack against the Chinese economy in the year 2025. The game will follow a story arc through the 1980s where players will play as Alex Mason, as well as 2025 as his son. Some of the known places players will fight their way through so far include Los Angeles, The Vault, Singapore, Yemen, and the Cayman Trench.

Black Ops 2 will take a new turn in the series by following a less linear story than the other games. Treyarch has decided to take a non-linear and sandbox approach to the game, a la Skyrim. The campaign will rely on player choices heavily, giving significant decisions to make throughout the campaign that will change the course of the game in various ways. The choices will be expansive and not just your ordinary “A,B, or C”. In Black Ops 2, you won’t need to protect certain important characters as closely as you did in other games. If a character dies, their death can change how the future story comes out.

Along with these new story-telling changes, gamers can expect a large variety of new weapons, including futuristic takes on some old favorites and some completely new guns. A player favorite, the Tomahawk, will be making a return as well, albeit with a futuristic look to it. There will no more quick knifing, and now you will have to physically draw the knife as if it were any other weapon in the game to be able to use it. Some people won’t be happy about this change I am sure, but there will always be others ready to accept it and move on. Hopefully this change will bring along some extra balancing to the competitive world of Call of Duty multiplayer. Unmanned vehicles will also take a big part in this new game. This will allow players to take control of vehicles, jets, and robot cars.

Treyarch is throwing in a special set of missions as a side to the campaign, called Strike Force. The missions will also have a sandbox-feel, and will play out like a Real Time Strategy game. The RTS elements have you playing as the commander, commanding the ground forces. You can also opt for the traditional FPS experience and fight in the battles yourself. If the player dies in Strike Force the game will not end or bring you back to a previous checkpoint, instead the game will go on and a record will be kept of all of your deaths. The player will take on the role of another soldier on the battlefield, keeping the flow of the game going.

One of the features a lot of fans are excited about is the return of Nuketown, this time dubbed Nuketown 2025. The player favorite from the original Black Ops will return, updated to be even better than the original. It will offer a multiplayer experience for those addicted to the fast paced run and gun gameplay for which the small map is famous for.

Aside from the return of Nuketown, another fan favorite will be making a highly anticipated return–Zombies. Treyarch hasn’t released a whole lot of detail concerning its Zombies game mode yet, but a teaser of a welcome sign has been released, the sign reads Welcome to Nuketown Zombies, with bloody handprints and blood smears across it. This could be something to look forward to, as zombies on such a small map could make for some interesting scenarios. I am sure a lot of screaming and swearing are likely to ensue.

What is known about Zombies so far is that players will be able to enjoy larger maps to play around on. Treyarch is going to run Zombies on the same engine they use to run multiplayer, allowing them to use larger maps. Along with the larger maps being introduced, the player limit has been doubled to eight, allowing you and seven of your friends to team up and fight zombie hordes. You will need these extra teammates this time around as the number of zombies has been doubled as well, bringing more carnage and flesh-eating monsters to the table.

Perks will be returning in the multiplayer mode again, but Pro perks will no longer be available in Black Ops 2. There are three tiers of perks to choose out of.

Perk Tier One:

• Flak Jacket- allows the player to take less damage from explosives.
• Ghost- making a return to the series, Ghost allows you to be invisible to UAVs but only if you are moving this time around.
• Blind Eye- makes players invisible to AI controlled killstreaks such as helicopters.
• Lightweight- no more falling damage and you can move faster, but only to a small degree.
• Hardline- makes it easier for you to get those killstreaks.

Perk Tier Two:

• Scavenger- allows you to pick up ammo and grenades from dead enemies.
• Hard-Wired- a new perk, working like Assassin Pro did, you will be immune to Counter UAV and EMPs.
• Toughness- another new perk, players will flinch less when they get shot.
• Cold Blooded- immunity to target finders, player controlled killstreaks, and Sensor Grenades.
• Fast Hands- allows the player to use equipment faster, and safely throw back grenades.

Perk Tier Three:

• Engineer- allows the player to see enemy equipment through walls, highlighting them in red.
• Extreme Conditioning- the ability to spring longer distances.
• Dead Silence- your footsteps are silent, good against those annoying players with amazing headsets.
• Dexterity- Climbing like a monkey, faster latter and obstacle maneuvering.
• Tactical Mask- reduced effect of stun and flash grenades, as well as shock charges.
• Awareness- Allow you to hear enemy footsteps a lot louder and clearer than normal.

Some of these are returning favorites, and some not so much. New perks will give players something fun to try out and see what they like best.

Killstreaks are also going to play another big part in the Black Ops 2 multiplayer experience. This time around, kills are no longer the big currency of these fancy war machines. Now players will need to acquire points to buy different killstreaks. Some favorites are returning such as the care package, UAV, and sentry guns. Some new ones just for Black Ops 2 include the War Machine, a semi automatic grenade launcher; and the AGR, a bi-pedal robot that has machine guns and cannons attached to it. Killstreaks will require more and more points for the better ones in the game.

Reveal Trailer – Official Call of Duty: Black Ops 2

From the trailers released so far Black Ops 2 looks to be running on the same engine as Modern Warfare 3 did. Not to say that is a bad thing however, as Modern Warfare 3 was a beautiful game. Call of Duty has always tried to make an effort to keep as realistic as possible without sacrificing the fun gameplay the series has been known for. Black Ops 2 is no different, and the assortment of new features being added all look quite good. The cinematic experiences shown so far in videos have certainly caught a lot of people’s attention, throwing flaming vehicles into the players’ face nonchalantly. Graphically the game looks good enough–it doesn’t need to be improved to make it look any better than it already does.

For those addicted Call of Duty fans who want more out of their game purchase, a Hardened Edition will be available alongside the normal $59.99 version. Hardened will cost gamers $79.99 and feature a limited edition two sided steelbook, two collectible challenge coins, exclusive content for your system of choice, Nuketown zombies, Nuketown 2012 multiplayer map, exclusive weapon camo, and exclusive multiplayer and zombie player card backgrounds. That’s quite a bit of content for your money from the Hardened Edition. But for those wanting even more there is the Care Package edition for a whopping $179.99. This version comes with everything the Hardened Edition does as well as a remote controlled quadrotor drone and stand, official soundtrack, and a care package themed case to hold it all.

Black Ops 2 is shaping up to be a Game of the Year-worthy title for 2012, with tons of features already known and more new content promised. Treyarch is going to give Modern Warfare 3 a run for its money and break some records of its own along the way. Make sure you pre-order Black Ops 2 as the game will be out November 13,2012. Make sure to get there early, as I am sure you will end up in a long line if you don’t.

Written by

Brandon Morgan

PS: If you enjoyed this article, help spread the word by clicking the “Like”, “Tweet”, “+1” buttons, or sharing it using the share icons below. Want to read more articles like this? Subscribe to iMG, and get our articles and reviews directly to your inbox or RSS reader.