Threads
- Ubisoft’s open worlds have all been a victim of constant criticism.
- The developer’s formulaic approach to worlds and “checklist” design choices are to blame.
- Since it’s consistently failing at open worlds, why not try something else? The Lost Crown and Rayman Legends show it can indeed do so.
Evolution is a constant in this world, and gaming is no exception. What essentially started as a pixelated approach to table tennis now has uncountable genres and complex mechanics under its belt, which are still evolving. It’s only natural that a medium this diverse gathers some conventions over time.
Sticking to a convention everyone likes is all good, but sometimes breaking it to try something new is important. Change is good to keep things fresh. Even more so if you have to modify a bad convention, where it becomes necessary; this is what I’ve been telling Ubisoft for quite some time now regarding its open worlds.
Why it matters: Ubisoft has faced nothing but failure regarding open worlds. It’s time the developer tried something different, perhaps a past IP?
Ubisoft Isn’t Doing Too Good These Days
Even a good thing starts becoming boring when oversaturated, let alone a flawed concept like Ubisoft’s take on open worlds. And the masses agree with me. All of Ubisoft’s purely open-world games have been criticized one after the other. Watch Dogs Legion, Far Cry 6, Assassin’s Creed’s last few entries, the list goes on.
Things haven’t been going quite well for the tech giant lately. It was just recovering from the extreme backlash regarding Assassin’s Creed Shadows when Star Wars Outlaws happened.
Star wars outlaws is a joke to modern gaming
byu/Ran_dom_boi inubisoft
Star Wars Outlaws was supposed to be the next big space exploration thing. It was expressed long ago that this game would not be your conventional Ubisoft open world and will try a new, interesting approach. Couple that with the intense marketing, and even I was fooled.
It turns out that marketing was the only thing Ubisoft went all out in. Star Wars Outlaws is nothing but the same Ubisoft world full of the same flaws and then some more. After the backlash, even the stakeholders aren’t happy with Ubisoft right now. Things are truly looking grim for the company; even a sell-out is being considered.
The Formulaic Worlds Of Ubisoft
I can’t remember the last time I genuinely enjoyed a Ubisoft open world; that’s how troublesome this formula is. The developer has had nothing but consistent misses regarding this genre. Let’s look at some of the reasons.
First, it’s how Ubisoft’s design choices haven’t evolved in quite some time now. Ubisoft designs worlds with a formulaic checklist approach. You’re given a big list of objectives to create a false sense of “rich content” when it’s all just the same old base liberation or gathering XYZ items.
You go through objectives, checking the list, until you complete the world. Between these highlighted checkpoints, there’s little noteworthy to see. All this makes Ubisoft’s worlds seem extremely robotic and artificial, devoid of what you can call life.
It won’t be wrong to say, “Play one Ubisoft open world; you’ve played them all.” That’s how monotonous and exhausting this formula has become.
The Ubisoft Formula: once you've played one Ubisoft game, you've played them all
byu/tokki32 inpatientgamers
Ubisoft Has Some Solid Non-Open-World Hits
All of this makes me wonder, if Ubisoft knows its open worlds have consistently been criticized and ridiculed, why doesn’t it try something different? What good is the open-world obsession if the titles aren’t gaining popularity?
Let me ask you this: what’s the last Ubisoft game everyone enjoyed and praised unanimously? Yes, it’s Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. Was it an open world? No, it was an extremely creative, side-scrolling, action-packed platformer full of engaging combat and impressive puzzles.
That’s not all. The greatest Ubisoft game of all time for me, and a title that embodies just how great Ubisoft can be at its best, is Rayman Legends. The Rayman series is Ubisoft’s imaginative goodness at its peak and a stark reminder of how impressive the developer was back in the olden days.
A Break From Open Worlds Is Needed
Take any past Ubisoft game, and you’ll see. Things weren’t always this monotonous. Assassin’s Creed, Prince of Persia, Rayman, there was so much variety and creativity, which is exactly what Ubisoft needs now.
If something’s not working, you need some time away to rethink your approach. History has proved that Ubisoft can do a lot of good in non-open-world games. So, while the company ponders over where it went wrong with its world design formula, focusing on varied titles like The Lost Crown or Rayman is the way to go.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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