Gaming will never be better than when you were a kid. OK, that might not be true for every single person out there, but games played during somebody’s formative years stick in the mind for seemingly ever. As the decades pass and new adventures become harder to discover, you might find yourself longing for that bygone feeling of wonder and excitement that used to come so easily. At least, I’m always searching for agame that can take me back to the PS1 era.
Open-world gamesare arguably overexposed by this point, but the freedom and wanderlust they provide can be intoxicating. When done right, they are completely immersive, encouraging players to leave themselves behind and become someone new in a fresh world. Let’s go through some of thebest games that make you feel like a kid again.
Recency bias aside,Mario Kart Worldis just delightful. Did the franchise need to go open-world? Of course not! The formula has worked splendidly for more than two decades, and nobody was craving an overworld map that connects all the tracks. Yet,Mario Kart Worldadded this feature seamlessly, all the while still retaining everything positive associated with the kart racer IP. This could be the best game in the series, a statement that I am almost hesitant to make.
While the gameplay has evolved a lot over the last twenty years,Mario Karthas this way of always feeling consistent with its history. Sure, it is bigger and prettier than ever, butMario Kart Worldis ultimately just moreMario Kart.
A child protagonist is not enough for a game to qualify for this discussion, butTchiadoes an admirable job ofpresenting its world from the perspective of its young lead. While fictional, the project brings to life an archipelago that is based on New Caledonia, a setting that not only feels fresh but is also simply gorgeous.
The world has a well-defined and fascinating culture, all of which is viewed through the lens of a capable girl who just wants to save her father. Tchia also picks up an ability to take over the bodies of different animals and objects, a phenomenon that greatly opens up the gameplay and encourages creativity and experimentation. While not perfect,Tchiais unlike anything else out there.
In the mid-90s, the thought of an open-world game that covers thousands of planets would have been treated as little more than a pipe dream. In 2016,No Man’s Skyreached for the stars and, admittedly, fell short, coming out to a very mixed response. Now, roughly a decade later, Hello Games' title is one of the best on the market, particularly if you are craving an exploration-first open-world that incorporates elements of survival.
Although its minute-to-minute gameplay might not conjure up child-like awe,No Man’s Sky’s scope and sense of endlessness certainly do.Similar toMinecraft,No Man’s Skytaps into that natural desire to create your own stories, free of the confines of linear adventures. It is a game that I enjoy feeling lost in.
Cat Questoozes charm. Seriously, it is relentless. All three games have simple but enjoyable real-time combat, simple but effective customization options, and simple but cute stories. The sequels even have co-op, allowing two players to enjoy these silly adventures together. Set in vibrant worlds and dripping in whimsy,Cat Questhas the same spirit as a picture book or a Saturday Morning Cartoon, albeit done in a way that does not come at the expense of the RPG elements.
Also, just to be clear, this series is not stripped-down and designed for kids. Children will probably have a blast playing through them (and laughing along with the cat puns), butCat Questis very much an all-ages trilogy. Some of the bosses are even quite difficult.
Admittedly, this one might be mainly for me. As somebody who grew up withDigimon Worldon the PlayStation 1,Digimon World: Next Orderscratched an itch that had been left unattended for decades. A monster-raising RPG with slow pacing and a few frustrating elements, B.B. Studio’s game is far from perfect, although it is still decent enough to warrant a playthrough even without an element of nostalgia.
Next Orderis endearingly weird and janky, in a way that only games from the ’90s tend to be. After picking a starter, players raise their Digimon, slowly working their way through a story while unlocking new evolutions, a process that can often lead to dead ends or restarts. Although not particularly big or stunning, the open-world is visually pleasant and offers at least some sense of discovery.
Criticisms aside, the newPokemongames are good options for die-hard fans who remember the days of Red and Blue. Heck, even stuff likeDragon Ball Z: KakarotorOne Piece Odysseycould scratch the same itch, at least for anime fans.
At times, nothing hits the spot like a bit of messing about.Sea of Thievesis like a whole game dedicated to just that. Form a crew, jump on a ship, and head out onto the open waters, singing songs, catching fish, and fighting skeletons along the way. Maybe take on another pirate ship, or face off against a kraken! Ultimately, the goal is just to spend an afternoon with a few friends and have fun. Gaming can be simple.
That’s not to say there is a complete lack of depth, as the game has grown quite nicely over the last few years; however,Sea of Thieveshas never lost sight of what it is trying to be. Rare has a long history of creating timeless romps, and this open-world game serves as a culmination of decades of triumphs.
While not the most consistent theme ever,superhero gamesare fairly easy to come by nowadays, and most modern releases are enjoyable enough. TheArhamtrilogy is the definitive “you are Batman” experience, but those games are very much designed for an older audience and might spark a different feeling rather than child-like excitement. Conversely,Marvel’s Spider-Mandelivers something similar while being a touch more whimsical.
The mere act of swinging across New York is electric and satisfying, especially for players who have been craving this type of evolution and freedom since the days ofSpider-Man 2or evenUltimate Spider-Man. Insomniac’s trilogy goes to some fairly real places, story-wise, but the gameplay is 100% grounded in comic book extravaganza, in the best possible way.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildis probably the most recommended open-world game of all time, to the point that I was almost tempted to leave it out of this discussion. However, Nintendo created something special here, and they did it by essentially stripping the sandbox concept to its basics.
After being dropped into a vast and stunning version of Hyrule, players are effectively left to their own devices. Want to face the final boss? Sure, go ahead. Want to gradually take on the four Divine Beasts? That makes sense, but it is not required. Want to trek across the map and climb that mountain in the distance that barely seems real? Do it.
In an era when some open-world games started to feel like checklist simulators,BOTWwas addictively liberating. Despite the genre being incredibly oversaturated nowadays, the 2017 game still feels fresh, and it rewards players who embrace their desire to explore the unknown.
