This 2025 RPG Fixed Open Worlds, And I’m Worried Developers Won’t Learn From It

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I love open world games, but the genre definitely has issues. Even the best ones often have flaws built into how they’re designed. While Ubisoft gets a lot of criticism for its approach, the problems go beyond just one company. Games like The Witcher 3 and newer titles like Ghost of Yotei can be frustrating to explore, despite having beautiful worlds – sometimes exploration feels like work instead of fun.

Occasionally, a game truly tries something new and different. While these games aren’t always flawless, they often present unique ways to solve familiar issues, and if adopted by others, could significantly improve gaming experiences. A prime example is the 2025 RPG, Hell Is Us, which is surprisingly overlooked. Its fresh take on open-world design made exploring its stunning, yet eerie, environments feel genuinely new. It might just be the innovation the industry needs, but I doubt many developers will take the risk and copy its approach.

Hell Is Us Takes A Hands-Off Approach To Open World Design

It’s worth noting that Hell Is Us isn’t the first open-world game to let players explore without constant guidance. However, it stands out as one of the few that truly revitalizes the genre with this approach, and it does so in a particularly creative way. Instead of overwhelming you with quest markers and constant directions, Hell Is Us trusts you to figure things out by using environmental details, recognizable locations, and hints from conversations.

From the beginning, the game feels more realistic and engaging. Players are tasked with finding their way through a forest using directions from a local villager. This design choice really benefits the game, as it loves giving players freedom to explore and discover hidden secrets. If the game constantly showed you exactly where to go, you’d lose the sense of discovery in its open world, and the spooky atmosphere wouldn’t be as effective.

The open-world design of Hell Is Us feels reminiscent of classic games like Morrowind. These older games didn’t rely on modern conveniences like minimaps to guide players. Instead, they expected players to navigate using the environment and interactions with characters. This meant developers focused on creating memorable locations and helpful NPCs who gave directions naturally, just as they would in real life. This approach allowed players to truly learn and connect with the game world in a way that’s difficult to achieve when constantly guided by on-screen displays.

The game Hell Is Us clearly values thoughtful world design, and it creates a truly memorable environment that players will naturally want to explore and map out in their minds. I felt a stronger connection to the unsettling and often frightening world of Hell Is Us than I have with most recent open-world games. This is similar to how Breath of the Wild’s Hyrule or Elden Ring’s The Lands Between demand players deeply understand their spaces to avoid getting lost. While Hell Is Us executes this approach exceptionally well, it’s probably unlikely to become a widespread trend, which is disappointing for those of us who appreciate it.

The Gaming Industry Isn’t Ready For Hell Is Us’ Approach To Open-World Design

I’m not sure gamers are fully prepared for the unusual open-world style of Hell Is Us. Ideally, I’d love to see games trust players more and let them explore without constant hand-holding. It’s becoming rare to truly feel lost in a game world, and many players seem afraid of that feeling, either because they don’t want to waste time or worry about getting stuck. But given how common traditional open-world designs are, I doubt major game studios would risk a more challenging and unforgiving approach.

Many open-world games are too easy, and players have gotten used to being constantly guided. We now expect things like quest markers and minimaps, even though they can be distracting. Some players try to simplify the interface, but most still prefer having clear directions to quests – that’s why so many games continue to include those features. Even a hugely popular and innovative game like Breath of the Wild hasn’t changed this trend; very few open-world games since its release have embraced its more free-form, player-driven exploration.

It’s not surprising that even a hidden gem like the open-world RPG Hell Is Us isn’t enough to truly shake things up. What the genre needs is a gradual shift towards more natural guidance – things like characters giving directions or the environment itself subtly leading the way – alongside the familiar options players already enjoy. This would cater to everyone while also allowing for real innovation and more immersive experiences. Hell Is Us does a good job with these ideas, but they could be even better. Ultimately, the industry needs to move beyond simply making quest markers less annoying; we need a fundamental change to truly unlock the potential of open-world games, and I hope we see that happen.

I’ve been thinking about the game Hell Is Us, and it got me wondering if we should see more games taking risks like that one does. What do you guys think? Let’s chat about it over on the ComicBook Forum – I’d love to hear your opinions!

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2026-05-04 02:40