This article may include affiliate links that earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you, and some content was created with the help of AI tools but reviewed and approved by a human before publishing.
Why Open World Games Feel Boring Now
Back in the day, open-world games used to feel exciting. You’d get dropped into a huge map and just explore. It felt new. It felt like freedom. But now? There are dozens of open-world games, and they’re starting to feel the same. At least, that’s how I feel. In my opinion, they’re getting kinda boring.
You open the map and get hit with a wall of icons. It’s too much. I don’t want to spend 20 minutes just deciding what to do. And when I finally do something, it feels pointless, just another checkbox. It starts to feel more like I’m managing a to-do list than playing a game. I get that some people enjoy that structure, but I find it exhausting. It takes away the fun. I want the game to guide me with purpose, not bury me in tasks that don’t feel important. That’s one of the reasons open-world games are starting to lose me; they demand so much time and give back so little in return.
Games Got Too Big
Not every game needs to be 100+ hours. Studios seem to think longer means better, but I disagree. If I’m spending 40 hours on side quests that feel like errands, it kills my motivation. I play games for the story and the experience, not to manage a 3rd job (I’m not even getting paid for). And honestly, when a game stretches on just to hit a certain hour count, it starts to feel disrespectful of my precious God given time. I get frustrated when I’m pulled away from the main story just to do the same side activity again and again. I’d rather have a game that’s 40–60 hours long but packed with great moments than one that’s 90+ hours of filler. At some point, the game stops being fun and starts to feel like something I have to get through. Then I just stop playing altogether. Waste of money.
Everything Feels the Same
A lot of games recycle the same formula. Go here, kill that, collect this. Clear a camp. Follow a trail. Chat with this Villager/Traveler. Open a chest. It’s like they’re all using the same template with different skins and character franchises. I know it’s familiar and easy to build, and some players enjoy the structure, but it’s also boring to me. I want to feel like I’m doing something new, not the same mission I did in three other games last year. It makes the world feel less alive and more like a checklist of recycled tasks. I want open-world games to surprise me, to challenge how I think or play, not just drop me into another system I’ve already mastered. If I can guess what the next mission will be before I even start it, that’s a problem. Games need to shake things up more if they want to stay fresh.
Story Takes a Back Seat
I care about the main story. If it’s strong, I’m in. But when you stretch a story across a massive world with tons of distractions, I lose track of what’s going on. That’s when I start to lose interest. Not every open-world game does this, though. Some titles manage to keep the story front and center, even in a big world. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a great example. The world is huge and open, but the story is still strong and memorable. It pulls you in and keeps you interested, without getting buried under too many side quests or random tasks. I wish more open-world games could strike that same balance, because when the story works, the whole experience feels more meaningful.
Better When It’s Smaller
Great examples of open-world games are GTA V, Breath of the Wild, and Tears of the Kingdom because they respected my time. The maps were big, but not bloated. And every moment felt like it mattered. Whether I was chasing down a mission or just goofing off, I felt like I was doing something meaningful. These games found a way to be open and free without overwhelming me with fluff. That’s what makes them stand out.
In GTA V, you can literally do anything: race cars, play tennis, plan heists, or just drive around and enjoy the chaos. The freedom feels earned, not forced. It’s fun to play because there’s always something wild or interesting to do, and none of it feels like filler. It keeps you in the game by constantly giving you fresh ways to interact with the world.
In Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, you always know what you’re supposed to do and where to go, but you’re never pressured. The game lets you choose how to approach it. That kind of direction, while still giving players freedom, is rare in modern open-world design. I never felt lost or stuck; I felt like I had control over the pace without being drowned in meaningless tasks. Even the downtime in these games had purpose. That’s rare.
Most open-world games stretch themselves too thin trying to be massive, but GTA V and Breath of the Wild keep things tight and intentional. I didn’t feel burnt out playing them, I felt pulled in. That’s what more open-world games need to aim for: not just more space, but better use of space.
It’s Not All Bad
There are still open-world games I enjoy. Tears of the Kingdom gave me freedom in a good way. It felt like the world was built for me to mess around in, not just follow a checklist. I could climb anything, solve puzzles however I wanted, and approach battles in my own style. It didn’t feel like the game was telling me what to do every second, it felt like I was figuring things out for myself, and that was fun.
That kind of design makes the world feel like it’s truly yours to explore, not just a set of objectives someone else laid out. I never felt boxed in or overwhelmed, even though the world was huge. The creativity and player choice kept things fresh. More games should take that approach, let players think, experiment, and have real control over how they play. It’s not just about having a big map. It’s about making that map interesting, personal, and rewarding to interact with.
What Needs to Change
- Fewer, better side quests
- Smaller, tighter worlds
- Stronger main stories
- More unique ideas and mechanics
- Less copy-paste design
Open-world games aren’t done. I’m not saying stop making them. But they need to evolve. Because if they keep doing the same thing, they’re going to lose players like me.
What do you think makes an open-world game worth finishing?