Nintendo redefined a genre in 2017 with the release of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, with the game ushering in a whole new category for open-worlds. However, while the original Legend of Zelda is one of the first open-world titles in the history of the genre, with many of the more recent titles like the Wii's Skyward Sword having taken more linear approaches to design.
So, if Breath of the Wild could jump back to the series' roots with such success, then there may be other legendary franchises that could use a refresher in the form of a new open-world. These would be games that might work with the completely open style that runs by the rule of, if it's on the screen then players can get there, even if it's only appearing as a low-poly blur in the background.
Castlevania
Some of the most recent Castlevania games haven’t been able to capture the same magic that the original and other sequels like Symphony of the Night had in the past. While the first Lord of Shadows didn’t exactly disappoint for its time, the title had delved more into the God of War style and left behind some of the series’ roots. So, a return to form with a more open world that can be explored in any direction, but has a clear path of soft-locks and key abilities would be a great way to reapproach the franchise.
On the other side of the Castlevania coin might also be Metroid, which is similarly known for lots of 2D platforming with abilities that unlock progression in a fluid pattern. The style is still difficult to nail down in the 3D style, with Soulslikes being the closest approximation in terms of traversal and exploration. However, an open world with locks, keys, and quests to find new abilities could enhance the simple design of Breath of the Wild’s map and expand to make traversal feel like as much a steady progression as levels or weapons.
God of War
One of the biggest draws to the 2018 God of War was the promise that the game would be taking a turn towards an Open-World RPG style. This really comes down to giving players an open field to explore, along with some optional side areas, that slowly opens up further throughout the course of the game. However, giving players a completely open experience more in line with Breath of the Wild could make the journey across the Nine Realms even more immersive and personal while traveling with Atreus.
Of course, there is a significant issue when it comes to trying to make any game as open as Breath of the Wild, and that would be the narrative. The story in the latest Legend of Zelda is told almost entirely though flashbacks, journals, and environmental elements, something that God of War can’t really do at this point. It’s the epic fights between gods that drives the game and gets people invested in the impressive set pieces and brutal combat, which makes complete freedom of movement difficult.
Mega Man
Now, when it comes to having the freedom to move around the game in any order and explore uniquely designed levels at the player’s control, there are few that top Mega Man. One of the key features of Mega Man is the ability to reorder levels, with some bosses giving players advantages over others. So, there is a set path to make the game as easy as possible, but players are free to take an alternate route if there’s a boss they would prefer to face out of order.
This is a hugely shared concept with Breath of the Wild, where players can choose which Divine Beast to reclaim first, even though the game nudges players towards one initially. It’s the freedom of choice that the open-world genre has always promised that Nintendo delivered so well and keeps players coming back to the game. In that case, building an open world, possibly in the vein of Mega Man Legends, might be exactly what the series needs to elevate itself outside of the retro-style Mega Man 11 reverted to.
Warcraft
The idea of an open-world Warcraft is either strange, or familiar, based on how fans interpret the landscape of World of Warcraft within the open-world genre. However, aside from the relative openness of Blizzard’s MMO, there is another side to the series that hasn’t quite been explored as thoroughly, especially in recent years. Instead of expanding the online game, or approaching the series’ RTS roots, the developer should combine the two to make a sprawling narrative that expands across Azaroth.
It’s been a long time since the Warcraft series dipped into a single-player experience, choosing instead to expand the lore and story of the game through expansions and new cinematics. One result of this has been that the series has continued to isolate itself to longtime fans, where approaching World of Warcraft for newcomers in particular feels like a daunting task. A narrative-driven open-world might be a good way to reverse some of this and make the series more inviting to new players that need a broader introduction before delving into the deeper series.
Pokemon
If the success of last year’s launch of Temtem into Early Access proves anything, it’s that Pokemon fans are hungry for radical innovation within the franchise. Players want to explore an open world that allows them to catch new Pokemon at their leisure, or explore new areas that aren’t on a set path. It still remains one of the biggest complaints of the series, that the games feel identical to each other from release to release, with few changes coming to enhance the experience.
The most recent titles in the series Pokemon Sword and Shield introduced the Wild Area, but still chooses to railroad players down a set path to follow the story of becoming the next champion. It may be best for the next game to give up on these plotted out routes with a linear narrative and allow players to take whatever path they want in order to reach the top. This would mean a completely new outlook on level progression and the plotted narrative, but the unique experience that players get to themselves would absolutely be worth it.