Capcom may have made a name for themselves with theirinnovative arcade beat em ‘up titlesand spooky survival horror games, but over the years, they’ve also experimented with a few other genres too, including the ever popular open-world.
These types of games have become so widespread over the last few years that it means it can be hard for them to stand out among their competition, but when it comes to Capcom, they always know how to make their games unique in one way or another, and that also applies to the handful of open-world titles that they’ve developed.
Whether it’s through the enemy designs, progression system, or just the world itself, Capcom have made genuine attempts with these games to help separate them from other popular titles in the genre, and although sometimes this is met with mixed reception, on other occasions, theymanaged to absolutely nail the open world formula. With all that being said, it’s time to reflect on the small catalog of Capcom’s open-world titles to understand what makes them unique, and in what ways they distinguish themselves in a genre as immensely popular as this one.
AlthoughLost Planet 2had very light open-world elements to its gameplay, the third game took this a step further by packing the world of E.D.N III full of extra side activities and optional missions in an attempt to encourage players to explore more of their environment in order to earn special stat buffs and weapons. Thermal Energy, which had previously been tied to the player’s health bar, is now used as a form of currency inLost Planet 3, allowing the player to have a much easier time while exploring without having the constant fear of dying due to the unpredictable climate like in the previous games.
The core gameplay of gunning down hordes ofotherworldy monsterscan start to feel a little repetitive considering how long the game is, but the large arsenal of unique energy weapons does at least keep the gunfights feeling fresh and fun throughout. Pair this with a very emotional and focused storyline, and it results in a decent sci-fi open-world experience that a lot of people have started to look back on more fondly in recent years.
Street Fighterhas always first and foremost been a fighting series, but as a way to try and entice players outside the fandom to pick up the latest release, Capcom made the bold decision to include an entirely new open-world mode in the form of World Tour. Once players get done making their character and going throughLuke’s training segment, they’ll be free to explore the world at their leisure while also having the ability to pick a fight with literally anyone they come across to hone their skills, and maybe even pick up some new moves in the process.
Scattered across the world are numerous iconic combatants such as Ryu, Chun Li, and Cammy, who are all able to teach the player a few of their own techniques and special abilities, so long as they carry out a few specific requests, that is. The only real downside to World Tour is how easy it is to become wildly overpowered, but considering just how well the mode manages to mergeStreet Fighter’sclassic arcade fighting gameplay with an open-world setting, it’s still an absolute blast to play through nonetheless.
Dead Risingmight not be open-world in the traditional sense, considering that it’s more or less self-contained within a shopping mall for most of the story, but the game still grants players the freedom to explore literally any part of this gigantic area that they want, without trying to steer them in any specific direction. As a result, it means that everyone’s experience is entirely different, since it’s totally up to the player which enemies they face first, and how they go about dedicating their precious time, whether it be through saving survivors, knocking zombie heads off with a golf club, or just skating around trying to seek out a new weapon to try out.
BecauseDead Rising’senvironmental setting is on a smaller scale than most open world games, it means that almost everything within the mall itself can be interacted with, and most importantly, used as weapons against the massive horde of zombies who are all looking for their latest snack. Despite there being a very goofy and comical tone toDead Rising, thebuilt-in time limit mechanicdoes add a lot of tension to the experience, reminding players that they can’t relax for too long considering that they are literally surrounded by a gigantic horde of flesh-hungry zombies.
ThoughMonster Hunter Hunter Worldis technically split up into different areas, each of these environments are so grand in their scale and full of things to do that they all manage to feel like their own open-world, giving the player plenty to explore, and a ton of monsters to hunt. Despite this fairly big change from the previous games, the core gameplay mechanic of hunting down fearsome monsters and upgrading tools and equipment to prepare for each battle has remained intact, though there’s a plethora of new weapons, resources, and a much more streamlined Skill system which isn’t quite as complicated as those featured in previous installments.
On the surface, the gameplay loop can seem pretty basic and straightforward, but the thrill of acquiring enough gear needed to pursue a dangerous dragon or behemoth is always so exciting that it ensures that the game never stops being fun to play,especially since there’s always a bigger and badder monster on the horizon. The multiplayer also works perfectly for this sort of open-world hunting experience, and considering that the game is still wildly popular to this day, it’s never a bad idea to jump intoMonster Hunter Worldto see what all the fuss is about.
Dragon’s Dogmadrops players into the massive fantasy open world of Gransys, which features a plethora of different environments to explore. Fromhigh and mighty castles, to murky swamps crawling with dangerous creatures, it’s really quite astonishing just how well realized this world really is. As players progress through their journey to defeat the fearsome dragon known as Grigori, they’ll be able to call on the help of their squadmates, known as ‘Pawns’ in the game, who are able to carry out certain commands both in and outside of battle.
For example, if the player were to tell one of their Pawns to run on ahead and scout out an area with the “Go” command, then they will automatically engage into battle upon encountering an enemy and will even call out advice to help the player spot the opponent’s weaknesses. The AI of the game was also far ahead of its time, with NPCs all having their own schedules, and the weather changing at random, making the whole experience incredibly realistic as a result and a true showcase of just how advanced open-world games could really become. Combine all of this with a gripping main storyline, a flexible class system to suit different playstyles, and a ton of extra side-quests, and it results in what many consider to be Capcom’s greatest attempt at the open world genre to date.
