For the last few years, I've been a big fan of open-world games, particularly the ability to mess around in a sandbox and explore a beautiful world without feeling forced down a particular route. Whilst I have a strong love of narrative, I admire the freedom that these titles give you, and I was willing to sacrifice a strong story for the ability to explore and find creative solutions to problems. I was fortunate enough to work closely with Avalanche Studios on Just Cause, one of the largest open-world games ever created (in terms of square kilometres), and it was a great experience.

But you know what? Several hours into Far Cry 2 and Fallout 3, the open-world bug is starting to fade rapidly. The main reason for this is EA's superb Dead Space. After the first hour, I was ready to sacrifice sandbox games forever. Why? It reminded me just how powerful the emotional response can be in a linear, scripted game. I adored Bioshock, and Dead Space is the first game since then which has utterly gripped me. The tension, the shocks, the story - it makes such a difference to the gameplay experience.

Don't get me wrong. Fallout 3 was a great achievement (particularly the first 20 minutes!), but I think it's almost impossible to create an open-world game that has a real emotional impact. Maybe that will come in time....

Deep down, I suspect that after a few great scripted titles, I'll be yearning for some freedom again. Can we come up with a game which truly combines both elements? Now that would be a title worth waiting for....
Patrick

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