Which game has the "best" world?

[Tweak155]

Here's a related question. What is the best looking city or specific geographic feature inside a game world? I actually like Rabanastre in Final Fantasy XII...for PC, there are some great places in Everquest, but I actually love Alderaan in TOR. Disclaimer: This is not praise for TOR overall.

And while they don't have anything specific that's quite awesome yet I think Planetside 2 may just have something nice when Searhus (lava continent) comes.

I liked Stratholm in WoW and that dark city place in HL2. I like those settings.

Max Payne's theatre boss was well done, but not really all that detailed / complex.

 

[Craig234]

I still have nostalgia for Asheron's Call and Anarchy Online.

I played AC for like an hour when it came out, and just didn't like the game world.

All running through places that were empty of anyone, a few monsters with strange names.

I hear almost nothing but good thing about it though from players who played it, I just gave up on it though. I tried AC 2 when it was closing, lot of nice people felt bad for them.

 

[Tweak155]

Whats more fun was in FFXI, high level players could spawn a boss monster in a area that was 40 levels higher than the average player level in that area. It would roam around the destroy the entire area of players in one hit, and unless a high level player stopped laughing his ass off and actually killed, it, no one could do anything about it. Dozens of level downs everywhere.

There is also the Jeuno run in FFXI. Takes a few hours to do. You have to run across the entire world dodging tons of high level monsters along the way. Insanely stressful cause a death would set you back an hour or two. Great scenery though. Running from high level monsters was scary as shit.

Can you be more specific? IIRC, you could be banned (temporarily) for doing such things - and I never heard of the Jeuno run... are you talking like from a base city to Jeuno? If so, I agree. That was exciting and disappointing at the same time.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

Can you be more specific? IIRC, you could be banned (temporarily) for doing such things - and I never heard of the Jeuno run... are you talking like from a base city to Jeuno? If so, I agree. That was exciting and disappointing at the same time.

Marchelute in Valkrum Dunes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ms97odGnNtY

And yeah, thats the Jeuno run. I actually really enjoyed it. Got to see tons of the world I had never seen before, even if running from Gobbues was scary as all hell.

 

[JamesV]

My vote goes to Prototype.

While big worlds like Skyrim are nice, they are always the same; simply large static set pieces. The way the city changed in Prototype - how a regular intersection could turn into an infested disaster with hundreds of enemies running around and battling human forces in tanks and helicopters... the most we get in games like Skyrim are unusual encounters where a group of 10 may be fighting, in the same exact looking area.

Hate on the graphics all you will, but it looked amazing with all that going on, onscreen at one time.

 

[obidamnkenobi]

Civilization. An infinite number of worlds so is obviously the winner.
Also: Nukes.

 

[Craig234]

Whats more fun was in FFXI, high level players could spawn a boss monster in a area that was 40 levels higher than the average player level in that area. It would roam around the destroy the entire area of players in one hit, and unless a high level player stopped laughing his ass off and actually killed, it, no one could do anything about it. Dozens of level downs everywhere.

There is also the Jeuno run in FFXI. Takes a few hours to do. You have to run across the entire world dodging tons of high level monsters along the way. Insanely stressful cause a death would set you back an hour or two. Great scenery though. Running from high level monsters was scary as shit.

That's not fun, it's griefing - but there were some similar things that could be done in Everquest at times, that tended to get fixed. Desert of Ro, pull the big croc...

 

[NikolaeVarius]

That's not fun, it's griefing - but there were some similar things that could be done in Everquest at times, that tended to get fixed. Desert of Ro, pull the big croc...

You call in griefing, I call it hilarious fun.

Then again, I play Eve. This sort of stuff happens every day.

 

[crunkzilla]

For me it would be World of Warcraft back in late 2004. After the initial loading of the game continent going from the starting zone of Durotar, the city of Oggrimar, barrens and to Ashenvale forest all without a single loading screen in between the zones was pure awesome. Wow is the reason I could never get into Dead Rising. Every single door you opened in that game had a loading screen.

 

[Childs]

Fable 2 on the 360 was pretty cool. It was pretty awesome exploring the kingdom with your dog.

 

[Red Storm]

You call in griefing, I call it hilarious fun.

Then again, I play Eve. This sort of stuff happens every day.

Yeah, EVE is a griefer's game. Nothing wrong with that as that is the way it's designed and encouraged to be, but for many people that's not what they're looking for in a game.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

Yeah, EVE is a griefer's game. Nothing wrong with that as that is the way it's designed and encouraged to be, but for many people that's not what they're looking for in a game.

The topic is about the best world, and that is why Eve is awesome. No restrictions on what you can do. The world is truly open and beautiful.

 

[dougp]

Just Cause 2 is such a great environment - I wish there was skiing in there, somehow.

Dark Age of Camelot - I don't know why it felt so immersive but going in to the frontier was always a harrowing experience, never knowing if a stealther was going to gank you.

Skyrim - Eh, can't describe it!

 

[Jodell88]

Runescape world was really fun to explore, Dangerous at times also.

 

[SunnyD]

The topic is about the best world, and that is why Eve is awesome. No restrictions on what you can do. The world is truly open and beautiful.

And on the other hand I would disagree with you vehemently. There are ample restrictions on what you can do in EVE. These restrictions are placed on you directly by other players (See: Your FFXI griefing example).

Having the game mechanics limiting what I can and can't do is fine. Having some random asshat limiting what I can and can't do in a game is not, which is why EVE (in my opinion) is a horrible game and basically a barren game world (it's nothing without the players, and as such the bulk of the player base makes the game worthless).

 

[SphinxnihpS]

As far back as I can recall when it comes to "explorable" game world, even if it was mostly linear, has to be Super Metroid.

Metriod 3 is at the top of my list as well. Easily the best use of hardware resources across all platforms, genres, and time. That game used every ounce of the SNES.

 

[cmdrdredd]

FFXI, easy.

The world is the users in that game and the users all were incredible dicks and elitist e-peen worshipers in the 7 years I played it.

 

[Craig234]

For me it would be World of Warcraft back in late 2004. After the initial loading of the game continent going from the starting zone of Durotar, the city of Oggrimar, barrens and to Ashenvale forest all without a single loading screen in between the zones was pure awesome. Wow is the reason I could never get into Dead Rising. Every single door you opened in that game had a loading screen.

Yes - but the purple valleys of the Night elves was magical.

 

[Yreka]

Add another to the EQ Guild Ill even add Eq2 in as well, I think they did a fantastic job of building onto EQ1 up until 3-4 years ago.

No game has come close for me..

I remember camping up on Orc Hill, or the first time in Crushbone, on the boats trading languages, the vastness of it all.

Sometimes I think back on those virtual places or times with the fondness of memories from childhood.

I can't really say that for any other game.

 

[Attic]

I remember my first time making that trip. I was by myself, I had patched together all the info I could from people on how to get there. I remember running through the West Karana and just seeing lots of farm land all over following the road. Got off track because of agro and ran like a bitch, by this time it was about night time (and for those who didn't play EQ, nighttime meant it was pitch black pretty much if you didn't have an item/spell to see in the dark or you were a race with night vision). Thankfully I was a half elf so I could see in the dark . I find the river and follow it figuring I'll hit a bridge and hopefully see others. 10-15 mins later come across the bridge that does connect the Karana's. Watch 2 people kill a giant not far from the bridge in awe. Ask them if this is the road to follow for freeport and they confirm and give me some other tips. Make it up the long cliff into Canyon area. It was a freaking maze damn it! After being lost for like 20 mins I figured it out (and never once got lost there ever again in my many other travels lol!). Once you left the canyon area you hit up a Kithcore (sp?) woods iirc and you were home free just going through east/west commons (this was before the update that made Kithicore Woods a death trap at night).

That trip took like an hour and a half 2 hours the first thing and had my heart racing the entire time. Being in a new areas, ones that for the most part that were higher level than you and the whole not knowing what is there with the death penalty makes for an experience gamers today will never be able to have again (Internet takes away so much of it now, google a video/guide and you never have to worry, that stuff was non existent back in EQ, you found player made maps on forums and database sites that gave you a rough idea on where to go for one zone to the next and what the level ranges were, but that was it)

Awsome. I want more of that in my games.


Personally i'm taken back to Baldurs Gate 2: Shadows of Amn. That game had such a strong allure for me because I felt close to the world/characters and achievements. Back when achievments weren't some Microsoft Execs idea of pointless crap, but rather something you implicitly felt as you progressed in a well crafted game.

Since that time I'd say Dark Age of Camelot was a meaningful world. Newer games i'm feeling are a bit more cardboardish in that whereas in the games I mentioned I felt a deep dimension to the game (mainly due to the thought behind it) intodays games a lot of stuff feels thin and light.

 

[JDNIGHT]

Yet another one for the EQ1 group here. Many people went on from EQ to play many other games. I have looked through dozens of threads, just like this one. Never have I found a player that had played EQ back in the begining that said,"I made the run from Queynos to Freeport also, but I think so-and-so is a better game." Everyone I have seen that played back in those days agrees: that run and EQ1 in general was close to, if not an actual, life changing experience.

EQ1 (pre-Moon) for the win on this one!

 

[NikolaeVarius]

And on the other hand I would disagree with you vehemently. There are ample restrictions on what you can do in EVE. These restrictions are placed on you directly by other players (See: Your FFXI griefing example).

Having the game mechanics limiting what I can and can't do is fine. Having some random asshat limiting what I can and can't do in a game is not, which is why EVE (in my opinion) is a horrible game and basically a barren game world (it's nothing without the players, and as such the bulk of the player base makes the game worthless).

The restrictions placed on you is a simple function of skill/ability to make friends in Eve.

You can go at it alone, but if you're not good enough to survive alone, sure you're going to not be able to do anything. That is the beauty of the game.

 

[Throckmorton]

probably everquest for me. exploring that world may have been the pinnacle of my gaming life. every zone was large and most had severe consequences for going to the wrong places. making my first trip from Qeynos to Freeport was exhilirating. it was known to be difficult, you went through some crazy places where you could easily die to high level monsters. you had to prepare yourself mentally for it, and then you had to finally make the plunge and start off your journey.

I'll probably never have quite the same experience again.

Yep, I agree. Everquest had world that gave you a true sense of place everywhere you went. Qeynos felt very different from Freeport, etc. The design, the music, and the NPC names all contributed. A lot of designers don't seem to understand geography and place. I think the only MMO that has come close was WoW... but not really because travel was so easy with the gryphons.

You also got a real sense of danger when you explored in Everquest. Unlike modern MMOs, you could lose all your items and you lost experience when you died.

Oh and unlike modern MMOs, there was no instancing in EQ. It really was an MMO. And no real quests, which aren't consistent with any game world. Really, an NPC gives thousands of players the same quest?

 

[CottonRabbit]

DCUO. Loved just cruising around Metropolis as a super hero on a PvP server. Only time I've ever felt like I was actually role-playing in an MMO.

 

[Craig234]

Yep, I agree. Everquest had world that gave you a true sense of place everywhere you went. Qeynos felt very different from Freeport, etc. The design, the music, and the NPC names all contributed. A lot of designers don't seem to understand geography and place. I think the only MMO that has come close was WoW... but not really because travel was so easy with the gryphons.

You also got a real sense of danger when you explored in Everquest. Unlike modern MMOs, you could lose all your items and you lost experience when you died.

Oh and unlike modern MMOs, there was no instancing in EQ. It really was an MMO. And no real quests, which aren't consistent with any game world. Really, an NPC gives thousands of players the same quest?

The history I understand is that they had separate teams design different zones, helping them each have a 'different feel', that added something.

Instancing was created for a reason. EQ had big problems with the conflict between players fighting for the few dungeons - and some big guild in Australia who woke up before everyone else would regularly dominate them and 'cock block' all other players from advancing to keep their advantage. There'd be nothing for most guilds to do.