From Software future souls: open-world or not?

[Silva]

No matter If a sequel (Dark Souls 4 or Bloodborne 2?) or a new IP in the souls formula, should future entries be open-world or not? Is the formula better with or without it? Or maybe some middle ground, assuming it's possible?

 

[luj1]

without imo

 

[Spike]

Would prefer that no, it is not needed. I would like an expanded version of Demon's Souls, honestly. Give me big wide (maybe interconnected) expanses, not a fully open world. The game design overall suffers. Mile wide but an inch deep sort of thing. A focused, carefully designed experience is much better than open world slop.

 

[Viata]

Fuck open world. This shit is another stuff that killed modern games. The only thing worse than this is procedural level generation.

 

[gabel]

It's irrelevant what we want. Elden Ring pretty much sealed that deal.
What I loved about the games is called Legacy Dungeons now. lel

 

[Spike]

It's irrelevant what we want. Elden Ring pretty much sealed that deal.
What I loved about the games is called Legacy Dungeons now. lel

That actually might not make another one open world. They said they just wanted to do that with this one.

 

[Machocruz]

Labyrinthes with some open environments > open world. Just finished up The Gutter in DS2 and navigation is a game in itself. I don't know what the consensus is on that level, but it's fresh on my mind.

 

[El Presidente]

What I loved about the games is called Legacy Dungeons now. lel

Old Zelda fan reading this:

 

[HoboForEternity]

open world, but denser than elden ring and more layered and interconnected.

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

No matter If a sequel (Dark Souls 4 or Bloodborne 2?) or a new IP in the souls formula, should future entries be open-world or not? Is the formula better with or without it? Or maybe some middle ground, assuming it's possible?

It's been observed many times that the best content of Elden Ring resides in the "legacy dungeons" and the underground areas, which are quite similar to Demon's/Dark Souls levels, so there won't be much controversy among Codexers over asserting that From Software's next Souls-like will be better if not Open World. However, Elden Ring handled the integration of the Open World poorly by having an extreme amount of content (I think it's about the length of all 3 Dark Souls games combined) and filling it with far too many micro-dungeons, even to the point of reusing bosses and having some micro-dungeons nearly indistinguishable from others. A Souls-like could be Open World while having fewer but larger dungeon-equivalent areas, which would greatly improve the overall level design while reducing the amount of trash mobs and re-used boss monsters.

 

[gabel]

The stuff and the number of times they reused it is disgusting in ER.
Compiling a comprehensive list would take forever; caves, catacombs, tunnels, graves, ruins, churches, towers, evergaols, dragons, erdtrees, bosses(!).
The whole game is like 6 gigantic Demon Ruins/Lost Izaliths with different colour palettes with about 10 or so half-decent to good "legacy dungeons" sprinkled in, none of which reach the quality of the Dark Souls series' highlights.
And most bosses are awful.
It's a fucking shame this game was so successful.

 

[Silverfish]

I could do without. It'd never happen, but I'd actually like to see From take the linear, mission-based structure from Nioh.

 

[kalash19]

open world is fine but it needs big towns, cities which include brothel and no dying women.

 

[Tyranicon]

On one hand, Japanese studios aren't as beholden to the almighty dollar as certain others, so they could actually say no to the bajillion dollars from Elden Ring and hypermainstream success.

Part of that is just from the gradual audience building From has been doing for decades anyways, not entirely because it's open world.

On the other hand,

Money.

 

[Cheesedragon117]

Like Tyranicon said, there's no real way to predict what From Software will make next. Miyazaki is as Miyazaki does. So I see this as a bit of a moot discussion.

 

[Spike]

It's irrelevant what we want. Elden Ring pretty much sealed that deal.
What I loved about the games is called Legacy Dungeons now. lel

That actually might not make another one open world. They said they just wanted to do that with this one.

Here: https://gamingbolt.com/elden-rings-success-doesnt-affect-studios-plans-for-future-projects-director

 

[Damned Registrations]

What I loved about the games is called Legacy Dungeons now. lel

Old Zelda fan reading this:

On the bright side, fans of old zelda games have spinoffs in new settings they can play instead. Dark Souls is the same deal. It's taken a while but some decent takes on the genre seem to have emerged, though I haven't played them yet myself.

 

[REhorror]

Elden Ring is still pretty much Souls with the open world.

I'd say it should follow Armored Core's idea, mission-based level design with mission-ranking.
Fuck muh immershun.

 

[DJOGamer PT]

It has been open world since Dark Souls

Zelda

Literally open world since the very first game back in '86

 

[gabel]

It has been open world since Dark Souls

Yeah, Demon's Souls was totally open world.
And Dark Souls "open world" is totally like Elden Ring's.

Zelda

Literally open world since the very first game back in '86

retard

 

[DJOGamer PT]

Dark Souls

Demon's Souls

retard

Bitch you're the one that can't even do basic reading here

 

[gabel]

Yeah, ignore the relevant part then, faggot.
Besides, DeS is also way better than ER's boring open world, many even think of it as the best Souls game.
retard.

 

[cvv]

Elden Ring is still pretty much Souls with the open world.

I'd say it should follow Armored Core's idea, mission-based level design with mission-ranking.
Fuck muh immershun.

I'd actually love to see that, it'd bring a fresh new take on the formula.

Unfortunately sales-wise AC6 has been FS' least successful game since DS2. And given the differences in the size of the market and the studio's renown....maybe since Demon's Souls. Plus it didn't win any major awards or GOTYs. Wasn't even nominated for most of them. While Elden Ring is the exact opposite in all those respects.

So I guess we'll get another boring open world in a genre that absolutely doesn't fucking need it.

 

[REhorror]

Elden Ring is still pretty much Souls with the open world.

I'd say it should follow Armored Core's idea, mission-based level design with mission-ranking.
Fuck muh immershun.

I'd actually love to see that, it'd bring a fresh new take on the formula.

Unfortunately sales-wise AC6 has been FS' least successful game since DS2. And given the differences in the size of the market and the studio's renown....maybe since Demon's Souls. Plus it didn't win any major awards or GOTYs. Wasn't even nominated for most of them. While Elden Ring is the exact opposite in all those respects.

So I guess we'll get another boring open world in a genre that absolutely doesn't fucking need it.

AC6 sold like 3 millions and generate huge revenues on Steam alone tho.

And it won the TGA's Action Game of the Year.

Anyway, let's hope I guess. I really hope From takes a page from AC and Capcom's game design with self-challenge, ranking mode.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

I liked the labyrinthesques of Sekiro's level design.