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- The Ubisoft open-world formula, once revolutionary, is now criticized by gamers for making Ubisoft games bland and repetitive.
- Ironically, players praise games like Ghost of Tsushima and Horizon Forbidden West, which follow the same formula.
- The problem isn’t the formula itself but the fact that Ubisoft’s every-running franchise is an open-world franchise, which causes genre fatigue in general.
The Ubisoft open-world formula was once hailed as revolutionary for adding depth to games aside from the main story content. Games like Far Cry 3 and earlier Assassin’s Creed, which are so famous and good, were the exact result of utilizing the Ubisoft open-world format.
A vast open world with outposts, landscapes, and side activities that would open another area in the map as you progress is what the Ubisoft open-world formula basically is. Over time, gamers have started calling out the French publisher for overusing this format, which had little to no improvement and started getting outdated in recent titles.
However, these same gamers love and appreciate other open-world titles such as Ghost of Tsushima and Horizon games. These games utilize the same Ubisoft open-world formula and are praised by gamers, which is hypocrisy, but the real problem lies beyond that.
Why It Matters: Ubisoft has faced a lot of backlash in recent years for declining game quality, and while that is true, their open-world formula isn’t that outdated and cannot be replaced but improved.
Games That Utilize The Ubisoft Open-World Formula
Just like FromSoftware has inspired a whole new sub-genre of Souls-Like games with Soulsborne titles, Ubisoft indirectly gave us many open-world bangers built on their open-world blueprint.
The first game that comes to my mind is Ghost of Tsushima. I love the game’s art style and the theme of Feudal Japan, but as I’ve discussed before, it is a bit underwhelming.
Aside from the Stand-Off feature, the game is nothing original. It copies the exact same Ubisoft open-world formula: all those outposts, enemies wandering in the open world, map area exploration, and home bases.
Horizon Forbidden is another game based on the Ubisoft open-world blueprint. The game even has a feature where players climb the neck of giant machine dinosaurs to view more of the map, a feature quite similar to synchronization in Assassin’s Creed games.
The game also gets repetitive in terms of side quests, just like Ubisoft games. I can name several more titles, such as Marvel’s Spider-Man or Metal Gear Solid 5: Phantom Pain.
However, these games aren’t called out for using Ubisoft’s open-world formula but are, in fact, appreciated for being great open-world games. Many new games are even using Ghost of Tsushima as a reference for their open-world video games, which indirectly means that they’re getting inspiration from Ubisoft games.
Ubisoft’s Open-World Formula Isn’t Really Outdated
As I mentioned before, I completely agree with the fact that Ubisoft has become a shell of its former self, but people give Ubisoft more negativity than it deserves. They were on a comeback path with Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, which was halted by Star Wars: Outlaw, an unfinished game with much potential.
When people say that Ubisoft’s open-world formula has become repetitive and its games are bland, there isn’t an alternative to the formula. The formula itself can work, given the new features being added, but the problem is something else.
Almost every running franchise from Ubisoft in the last decade has been open-world titles, and some of them are based on the same engine. I can’t help but notice the similarities.
Surely, if this were just Assassin’s Creed, things would’ve been a lot different. Assassin’s Creed franchise has done nothing but evolve, regardless of whether you take it in a good or bad way.
However, things will surely change in the future. According to leaks, the next Far Cry game will introduce much innovation and feature a more linear approach since it has a real-time countdown.
Watch Dogs has also been reportedly shelved, taking one more open-world franchise out of the equation. With Splinter Cell remake and more titles in the future, maybe they can prevent fatigue for the formula.
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[News Reporter]
Shaheer is currently pursuing a Business degree while also working as a part-time Content Writer. With his deep passion for both writing and video games, he has seamlessly transitioned into a role as a Journalist. Over the past two years, Shaheer has contributed as a freelancer to various websites and landed positions on acclaimed platforms like Gamerant. Currently, his role at Tech4gamers is as a Features Writer, but he also covers News occasionally. Shaheer’s favorite gaming franchises are Assassin’s Creed and the God of War series.
Get In Touch: shaheer@tech4gamers.com
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