How does World Design Impacts A Game's Quality?
With so many genres in video games, it's hard to frame world design into one box. Each game niche has its laws and expectations, but there is a common ground. Even if the gameplay is excellent, poor world design can damage the game's reputation.
A game like Mortal Kombat doesn't require much world design, but the backgrounds for gory fights should vary and be interesting. On the other side of the spectrum, we have open-world games, the pinnacle of world design.
Most important World design features
Visual quality is paramount. How the world renders texture quality and overall appeal are how games get bragging rights. It will leave you breathless if you look at Elden Ring or Horizon Forbidden West in 4K and maximum quality at least until your character dies in the first couple of minutes.
Variety is another essential factor in world design. It can look stunning, but the game experience will suffer significantly if the environments are repetitive.
Legends of Zelda - Breath of the Wild came out in 2017 and reminded everyone why world design is so important. Each environment functions by itself with its own set of rules and is thought through. So when you move from one part of the world to another, it is a clear sign of progress, and you will be rewarded with a different environment.
As a game designer, you will want the interactive world with no dead ends. While platformers and FPS games often have strict paths to follow, open-world games face a much bigger challenge to provide varied environments with interactive elements and no dead-ends.
Design in the iGaming niche
While classic video games compete on computers and consoles, iGaming games are kings of browser gaming. Thousands of games come out each year, and there is a wide variety. Games differ through themes where modern titles have high-end graphics and sound effects, but the active gaming area still dominates. Popular slot machine symbols and icons play a more significant role in design. Games that connect great themes with seamlessly blended symbols will attract more players.
Examples of excellent game world design
If we think about world design, role playing games take the top spot because they are essential to their success. While you can go by with poor stadium design in Fifa or arena in Rocket League, traveling through the open-world in RPG relies heavily on the world.
Bethesda is the name behind some of the most iconic RPG franchises like Elder Scrolls and Fallout. While many of their games can be set as a world-building example, ES 5 Skyrim is the game that made the most impact and is still extremely popular 12 years after its release. Skyrim's world is enormous, filled with content and diversity. And while there are some repetitive dungeons, you will not be bored traversing through the dragon-riddled vastness.
Genres and approaches
The GTA franchise has a somewhat different approach. Grand Theft Auto 5 is an open-world game situated in Los Santos, an imaginary city based in Los Angeles. Developers copied the street layout, included some notable landmarks, and scaled down it. However, the game is still huge, and you will have that LA feel when finishing missions around an incredibly detailed city.
Witcher 3 Wild Hunt is an open-world RPG game that is massive with countless places to discover. The game balances a variety of open-world with the main storyline and many side quests. However, it's still one of the most fulfilling world designs, and the sheer scale is impressive yet rarely repetitive or boring.
Minecraft is among the most popular games that don't rely on graphics. Instead, pixelated visuals are the base for the innovative concept of building your own game world. The game allows you to make maps, worlds, and incredible structures. In theory, Minecraft is the blank canvas that lets you create worlds, which could lead to innovative solutions. However, on the flip side, it will never produce the vau effect of modern graphically advanced games.
The Assassins Creed franchise has great world designs from medieval Venice through Ancient Greece or Egypt. Visuals are stunning and detailed, and while some AC games rely on stealth and innovative gameplay concepts, for titles like Assassins Creed Origins and Odyssey, the world design is what will keep you in the game.
The Lands Between is a world AAA game Elden Ring is set in. Unlike other popular RPG open-world games, it is a huge and incredibly diverse world with numerous surprises. Some dungeons won't reward you, and you can encounter a demanding boss. The best part, you can flee the battle and return later.
A game like Mortal Kombat doesn't require much world design, but the backgrounds for gory fights should vary and be interesting. On the other side of the spectrum, we have open-world games, the pinnacle of world design.
Most important World design features
Visual quality is paramount. How the world renders texture quality and overall appeal are how games get bragging rights. It will leave you breathless if you look at Elden Ring or Horizon Forbidden West in 4K and maximum quality at least until your character dies in the first couple of minutes.
Variety is another essential factor in world design. It can look stunning, but the game experience will suffer significantly if the environments are repetitive.
Legends of Zelda - Breath of the Wild came out in 2017 and reminded everyone why world design is so important. Each environment functions by itself with its own set of rules and is thought through. So when you move from one part of the world to another, it is a clear sign of progress, and you will be rewarded with a different environment.
As a game designer, you will want the interactive world with no dead ends. While platformers and FPS games often have strict paths to follow, open-world games face a much bigger challenge to provide varied environments with interactive elements and no dead-ends.
Design in the iGaming niche
While classic video games compete on computers and consoles, iGaming games are kings of browser gaming. Thousands of games come out each year, and there is a wide variety. Games differ through themes where modern titles have high-end graphics and sound effects, but the active gaming area still dominates. Popular slot machine symbols and icons play a more significant role in design. Games that connect great themes with seamlessly blended symbols will attract more players.
Examples of excellent game world design
If we think about world design, role playing games take the top spot because they are essential to their success. While you can go by with poor stadium design in Fifa or arena in Rocket League, traveling through the open-world in RPG relies heavily on the world.
Bethesda is the name behind some of the most iconic RPG franchises like Elder Scrolls and Fallout. While many of their games can be set as a world-building example, ES 5 Skyrim is the game that made the most impact and is still extremely popular 12 years after its release. Skyrim's world is enormous, filled with content and diversity. And while there are some repetitive dungeons, you will not be bored traversing through the dragon-riddled vastness.
Genres and approaches
The GTA franchise has a somewhat different approach. Grand Theft Auto 5 is an open-world game situated in Los Santos, an imaginary city based in Los Angeles. Developers copied the street layout, included some notable landmarks, and scaled down it. However, the game is still huge, and you will have that LA feel when finishing missions around an incredibly detailed city.
Witcher 3 Wild Hunt is an open-world RPG game that is massive with countless places to discover. The game balances a variety of open-world with the main storyline and many side quests. However, it's still one of the most fulfilling world designs, and the sheer scale is impressive yet rarely repetitive or boring.
Minecraft is among the most popular games that don't rely on graphics. Instead, pixelated visuals are the base for the innovative concept of building your own game world. The game allows you to make maps, worlds, and incredible structures. In theory, Minecraft is the blank canvas that lets you create worlds, which could lead to innovative solutions. However, on the flip side, it will never produce the vau effect of modern graphically advanced games.
The Assassins Creed franchise has great world designs from medieval Venice through Ancient Greece or Egypt. Visuals are stunning and detailed, and while some AC games rely on stealth and innovative gameplay concepts, for titles like Assassins Creed Origins and Odyssey, the world design is what will keep you in the game.
The Lands Between is a world AAA game Elden Ring is set in. Unlike other popular RPG open-world games, it is a huge and incredibly diverse world with numerous surprises. Some dungeons won't reward you, and you can encounter a demanding boss. The best part, you can flee the battle and return later.
