There is no denying how much it is Alden Ring Everything changed for From Software and Soullike in general, given its massive success and unwavering popularity. It is, without a doubt, one of the most famous Soulslike games ever made, but much of that fame is due to its open world. In fact, it managed to execute such a flawless open-world design that it is widely considered one of the best open-world games ever made, right next to the genre's greats. Zelda: Breath of the Wild And now, perhaps, Crimson Desert. Although, in spite of Alden RingWhile the open world has played an important role in earning its former reputation, this does not necessarily mean that all or even most Soulslike games should be open-world games.
Alden Ring The open-world formula may have proven how well it can work in a Soulslike context, but there's still room for more linear experiences similar to the original. Dark spirits Like games or other FromSoftware titles blood borne. Those games ultimately pioneered the sub-genre anyway, so stripped of its foundations because a rather fanatic would be embarrassed to see it achieve critical acclaim. That's because Soulslikes have historically been defined by how their worlds turn on themselves, how their encounters are paced, and how much tension they can squeeze out of each path rather than how much space they give players to traverse. In light of that, there's the rumored FromSoftware pirate game to consider, which, if it's real, would risk the void as an open-world game.
Rumor: More Leaked From Software Pirate Game Details
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Alden Ring worked because it had an open-world purpose
When open-world games first began to enter the mainstream, the goal seemed to be the same across the board: give players a big map, even if most of the space inside is useless. Before anyone knew better, it wasn't really a problem. Stepping into a world that felt large was enough to feel lonely, and players needed no reason for the resulting negative space. That perspective changed over time, however, as open-world games in particular began to increase the size of their maps to fit more content within their confines. The end result was worlds that looked large on the surface but felt empty, repetitive, and lifeless at their core.
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That's why Alden Ring The open-world genre has become something of a standard, as it manages to strike a balance between scale and substance, quantity and quality. For one thing, it didn't rely on boatloads of extra material to give its world purpose. There is certainly more to do between lands, however Alden RingAccording to director Hidetaka Miyazaki's comments on 2022 PlayStation, an open-world open world. The blog interview, specifically, was designed around “freedom of progress” and “agency”.
before Alden RingAt the release, Soulslike games were challenging because they centered their progress around a certain obstacle. They were not entirely free of freedom and agency, but those qualities were still very limited. in Dark spirits, blood borneAnd similar games, if players arrive at a boss they're unable to defeat, usually, their only option is to find a way to get past it, whether that's grinding previous areas for more souls or scouring each side path in hopes of finding stronger equipment. Alden RingOn the other hand, with its open world, it gave players a chance to focus on other goals if they ever felt stuck.
Alden Ring The open-world genre has become something of a standard, as it manages to strike a balance between scale and substance, quantity and quality.
FromSoftware did not intend to make Alden Ring Easier than its predecessors, but the game's emphasis on freedom and agency naturally led to increased accessibility and a lower difficulty threshold. In the same PlayStation.Blog interview, Hidetaka Miyazaki admitted that he expects more players to finish the game because they can return to challenges later, progress more freely, use more approaches against area bosses, use stealth, and access multiplayer with fewer obstacles. Still, making it Alden Ring Easier was never the goal – just a symptom of a much broader objective focused on giving players more freedom in how they proceed.
Soulslikes don't need open worlds to give players agency
However, while Alden RingWhile the open world served the purpose of increasing player freedom and agency, Soulslike games didn't actually need to be open world to provide this. Of course, more space can equate to more freedom, but player agency can still be present in linear Soulslikes, just in a different form.
As in Soulslike games before Dark spiritsPlayer agency revolves around buildcraft, route choice, shortcuts, alternate bosses, risk management, exploration in tightly designed spaces, and deciding how to prepare for the next big obstacle. This may have made those games more challenging than they should have been Alden RingBut only from a certain point of view. Their agency was narrow, but it was no less intentional. A player may not be able to ride in a different area when the boss is multiple, but they can still decide how to build their character, what risks are worth taking, what shortcuts are most important, and how well they want to understand the space in front of them. In that sense, linear Soulslikes often feel more focused on agency, where each decision carries more pressure because the game gives players fewer ways to avoid the consequences of that decision.
This linearity has an added bonus, though open-world structure can't replicate. In a more linear Soulslike, the developer has more control over the player's experience. They can decide which enemy players face before the boss, how far they have to go before reaching safety, and when a shortcut finally opens to a familiar place. That might seem limiting at first, but it's a big part of why the best Soulslike games work. A long walk to a boss, an enemy waiting around the corner, an elevator that suddenly returns to a familiar room—these all become more difficult as the game learns where the player has been and what they've had to overcome to get there.
Software's rumored pirate game doesn't need to be open world
In the end, it's all about the experience of what services. A Soulslike game doesn't necessarily have to be linear Dark spiritsBut it doesn't have to be open world like that either Alden Ring. And FromSoftware's rumored pirate Soulslike game is a great example of this tension, especially in light of how it could have been a much better linear game. A pirate's dream ultimately revolves around sailing the high seas, but pirate games that rely heavily on that openness have been notorious for feeling empty. And if there's one thing FromSoftware games aren't known for, it's feeling empty. Just like in an open world game Alden RingFromSoftware understands that empty space needs to mean something, and it can't just exist to make the map bigger.
If the rumored pirate game is real, maybe the developer will make it an open-world game. Even then, that structure needs to be justified as such Alden Ring did, by making its openness feel like a natural extension of the game's purpose rather than a demand of the genre. But if it ends up being more linear, that should probably be a mark against it. Software games from have already been proven, long ago Alden RingThat agency can exist in tight spaces, and a Pirate Soulslike can benefit from that kind of focus. The real question isn't whether it gives players an ocean to cross, but whether each inch of progress players ultimately make fits the game's vision.
- issued
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February 25, 2022
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood and gore, language, suggestive themes, violence
