Games like Watchdogs show how detailed a world can be, not only graphically but in the sheer amount of content. There are so many individual NPC profiles Ubisoft hope to make the city feel like it is populated by thousands of living people.
Open world games are now at a point where we can feel completely immersed in the surroundings and they have a sense of infinite possibility.
This opportunity to get lost in a world is what I am looking for most in the Next-Gen games.
The List:
1. Spiderman- Spiderman games work well in an open world. Spiderman 2 on Ps2 was an incredible game that really gave you that feeling of being Spiderman. The Amazing Spiderman on PS3 and Xbox was also a great game but the game suffered, in my opinion, from a lack of content.
After the story was finished the world felt kind of empty and the dynamic side missions such as stopping a mugging got old even before the end of the story.
What we need is a Next-Gen New York filled with unique and fun missions aside from the story so that even after the main narrative has ended we can continue to feel needed by the denizens of NYC.
The previous Spiderman games lacked any DLC as well so an incredible opportunity was missed. The possibilities, within this style of game, for narrative lead DLC are limitless, especially with the Marvel Universe behind it. Just imagine instead of cramming as many villains into the main game as they can they focus on one or two and maybe after the game is finished start dropping small hint's and single missions into the world pointing toward a new villain on the up rise.
The DLC would then be released and drop a brand new campaign into the city giving you an organic flow into a new story.
Next-Gen Spidey could be a very exciting prospect if it is done right and, judging from the previous open world efforts, it is promising.
2. Tomb Raider- Now the reboot of Tomb Raider had me worried before release. Sure I was happy Lara was returning but sometimes reboots can go wrong and with Tomb Raider being my favourite game franchise there was a lot hanging on this release. Fortunately Tomb Raider was a very well made game and introduced a fresh yet recognisable Lara into a new world.
My excitement for a new Tomb Raider stems from a similar branch as my excitement for the next generation, content
Tomb Raider did an excellent job of delivering a strong narrative campaign with an open island. The next gen Tomb Raider needs to build on this same formula. Even if they return to the globe hopping days of the original games having a open area full of fun content while still pushing a strong narrative is what I would like to see more of.
3. Uncharted 4- Uncharted, a series known for it's technically ground breaking visuals is something to be excited about. I am hoping it will be be announced at Gamescom 2013 but with the release of The Last of Us (Naughty Dogs other Game) literally just behind us it seems unlikely. Uncharted 3 pushed the PS3 very far graphically with some of the best looking characters and environments shown on consoles so the prospect of a team that talented being let loose on brand new tech that has been described as "easy to work with" brings some pretty incredible exceptions.
Although not as critically acclaimed as Uncharted 2, Uncharted 3 had a solid story which along with The Last of Us showcased Naughty Dogs incredible writing skills. Not many other games this generation had me that emotionally involved and I expect Naughty Dog to continue this trend going into Uncharted 4.
4. Syndicate- Syndicate needs to return to its roots. This does not necessarily mean returning to an RTS style game like the original or Syndicate Wars but at least returning to an open environment with RTS elements such as perma-death, tactics and researching etc.
My perfect Syndicate game would be a squad based third person game with similar mechanics to Watch Dogs or Grand Theft Auto V, yet set in the Cyber Punk universe made famous by the original game.
An open City with side missions, opportunities beyond the story to immerse your self in the world and upgrade your characters like in the original games. Much of the fun I had with Syndicate Wars was spent planning how to rob banks or infiltrate the enemy bases while not actually following the missions. There was also no comparable feeling to "persuading" loads of civilians to join your cause and storm your enemies base. These features need to be returned to the series. Syndicate is a franchise full of possibility that is wasted on a linear corridor FPS.
5. Far Cry 4- FarCry has become one of my favourite franchises EVER. Again pushing open world gaming to insane levels the next game surely will blow my mind. I guess the PC version of Farcry3 could be considered "Next-Gen" but there is a possibility the PS3 and XBox360 were holding back the developers content wise. I mean the game is identical in terms of features and content so maybe now the new consoles will have that 8GB RAM we will see an increase in overall variety and features.
Along with a massive open world filled with missions I would like to see a longer and more indepth progression system. Something closer to say Skyrim would be pleasing. I would like to see the best AI I have ever seen so that each time I take an "outpost" I am going to be surprised by what I see.
A system dedicated to the impact you are having on the environment might also be interesting. Similar to Skyrim every action you make should have an impact on the NPCs and enemy AI.
I would also like to see a return of injuries to AI. In FarCry2 you could injure an enemy and flush out his cowering comrade.
For now these five games sit at the top of my wishlist. The next generation of gaming is starting off with possibilities beyond pretty graphics and I am excited.
