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Does Size Really Matter?

Does Size Really Matter?

Another open-world game is upon us! Ubisoft is putting out Tom Clancy’s The Division , people have gotten ahold of map information, and you know what that means. They’re comparing it to both Grand Theft Auto and Fallout 4 , because of course they are (spoiler: GTA V is bigger). While that’s fine, and can help people put things in perspective, we have to realize something.

Map size doesn’t matter. It’s how you use it. Yes, The Division ‘s map isn’t as big as GTA V , and pales in comparison to Xenoblade Chronicles X , but that means nothing until the game is released and we can actually roam around in it.

Take GTA V . It has a pretty perfect map-to-adventure ration. The map is huge, but there’s tons to see and do there. You can enter quite a few buildings, lots of stores are scattered around, and there are tons of activities. It’s big, but isn’t big just for the sake of Rockstar being able to say it has a gigantic map. There are actually things to do there.

Similarly, games like Batman: Arkham Knight , Dragon Age: Inquisition , and The Witcher 3 all have maps that are appropriate for the kind of game we’re playing. They may not be the biggest or have some minor flaws, but there’s enough to do in each area to make each one feel appropriate and exciting. You want to keep moving forward, meet every objective, and enjoy the battles and activities ahead.

Besides, going overkill on maps can have some unpleasant reprocussions. While Fallout 4 and Xenoblade Chronicles X are great games with adequate to amazing amounts of surface area, their maps leave something to be desired. With Fallout 4 , there isn’t as much to do, compared to previous Fallout or The Elder Scrolls games, and most buildings can’t be entered. They’re there for ambiance. Xenoblade Chronicles X is huge, but it’s easy to get lost, have no idea how to properly reach a new objective, and takes too much time to traverse.

Does Size Really Matter?

Think about the games you loved in the past. Did you map out all of the levels from Super Mario 3 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and compare them, using that as a basis for determining which you might love more? Did you compare The Legend of Zelda , Final Fantasy , and Dragon Quest ‘s world maps? No, because you couldn’t tell anything about content from them.

Which is as true today as it was then. Comparing map sizes is inevitable in open world games today. There’s nothing really wrong with it, unless you start using that to determine whether or not a game is worth playing. Because really, you can’t determine much from a map alone. It’s what’s there that really matters. Balance is key.

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