Games that are fun to explore
May 9, 2006 8:41:59 GMT -5
Post by kyouki on May 9, 2006 8:41:59 GMT -5
Hello everyone! I enjoy reading the articles on HG101 and thought I'd join the community.
I really enjoy games that are fun to explore ("digital hiking"), and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions.
What do I like about exploring in games? I like being rewarded for exploration with one of two things: optional items/quests/story/etc, or interesting places to see (for example, a ruin that serves no purpose other than to look interesting). Typically this requires the game to be somewhat nonlinear, if not completely nonlinear.
Here are some games that I am enjoying/have enjoyed that reward exploration:
-King's Field series
These games have a neat gloomy atmosphere and they usually reward your exploration through hidden treasures, etc. The level layouts are also pretty interesting and there are very many memorable areas that sort of stay with you.
-Metal Saga
I am currently playing this. It seems like there was a lot of thought that went into putting the world together as it's a lot of fun to explore.
-Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song (to an extent)
This game isn't as "explorable" as Metal Saga, because the overworld map is more similar to FFX-2 where you select a location to go to and the game brings you there. Still, there are plenty of interesting towns and caves to explore.
-Shadow of the Colossus
I like how nice the world looks, and it's put together very well. There are plenty of interesting landmarks, and there's even a reward for exploring- white lizards and fruit trees.
-Morrowind/Oblivion (sort of)
Both these games are nonlinear and reward you for exploring. However, after playing both for a short time (maybe 5-10 hours each), I got bored of exploring because the worlds are pretty dull. Oblivion looks gorgeous, but it's basically a bunch of fields with trees all over them and caves here and there. It just seemed like I was doing the same thing over and over. Ultimately I did not like these games very much.
-Ultima series (primarily parts 5-7)
Ultima 7 is probably my favorite game of all time. The world is beautiful and there's tons of stuff to do. You can take up quests for people in towns, explore the countryside for interesting landmarks, or go dungeon crawling.
-Way of the Samurai
Too bad the world is so small... however, it's very detailed and fun to wander around in.
-Shenmue I & II/Kenka Bancho
I put these together because they all model small cities/towns pretty well, and are chock full of interesting things to do. It would be cool if there were some wilderness areas to explore though.
-Zelda series
The first game is my favorite, followed by Windwaker (though the ocean was a little dull). I think I spent about a year playing Zelda when it first came out. Me and my friends would take turns exploring and it was always exciting when someone found a new secret or the next dungeon.
Any other suggestions? I only have a PC, Dreamcast, and PS2, but would be interested in hearing about games for other systems as well.
I really enjoy games that are fun to explore ("digital hiking"), and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions.
What do I like about exploring in games? I like being rewarded for exploration with one of two things: optional items/quests/story/etc, or interesting places to see (for example, a ruin that serves no purpose other than to look interesting). Typically this requires the game to be somewhat nonlinear, if not completely nonlinear.
Here are some games that I am enjoying/have enjoyed that reward exploration:
-King's Field series
These games have a neat gloomy atmosphere and they usually reward your exploration through hidden treasures, etc. The level layouts are also pretty interesting and there are very many memorable areas that sort of stay with you.
-Metal Saga
I am currently playing this. It seems like there was a lot of thought that went into putting the world together as it's a lot of fun to explore.
-Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song (to an extent)
This game isn't as "explorable" as Metal Saga, because the overworld map is more similar to FFX-2 where you select a location to go to and the game brings you there. Still, there are plenty of interesting towns and caves to explore.
-Shadow of the Colossus
I like how nice the world looks, and it's put together very well. There are plenty of interesting landmarks, and there's even a reward for exploring- white lizards and fruit trees.
-Morrowind/Oblivion (sort of)
Both these games are nonlinear and reward you for exploring. However, after playing both for a short time (maybe 5-10 hours each), I got bored of exploring because the worlds are pretty dull. Oblivion looks gorgeous, but it's basically a bunch of fields with trees all over them and caves here and there. It just seemed like I was doing the same thing over and over. Ultimately I did not like these games very much.
-Ultima series (primarily parts 5-7)
Ultima 7 is probably my favorite game of all time. The world is beautiful and there's tons of stuff to do. You can take up quests for people in towns, explore the countryside for interesting landmarks, or go dungeon crawling.
-Way of the Samurai
Too bad the world is so small... however, it's very detailed and fun to wander around in.
-Shenmue I & II/Kenka Bancho
I put these together because they all model small cities/towns pretty well, and are chock full of interesting things to do. It would be cool if there were some wilderness areas to explore though.
-Zelda series
The first game is my favorite, followed by Windwaker (though the ocean was a little dull). I think I spent about a year playing Zelda when it first came out. Me and my friends would take turns exploring and it was always exciting when someone found a new secret or the next dungeon.
Any other suggestions? I only have a PC, Dreamcast, and PS2, but would be interested in hearing about games for other systems as well.