7 Best Open-World Games With Empty Maps
The sparse maps in these open-world games are actually a strength, not a problem.
There are many different kinds of open-world games, and each creator has their own ideas about what makes games fun and interesting. One difference between open-world games is not only how big their map is, but also how full it is of places, people, and, most importantly, things to do.
Many games try to find a mix where the map is interesting but not too full, but some open-world games have maps that are purposely sparse or even empty for a number of reasons. For example, games that focus on survival and exploring the natural world tend to have more empty maps. Similarly, historical games that are all about realism often feel more real when the maps are sparse and set in the countryside.
Minecraft
Minecraft is an open-world sandbox game, and the fact that it is so empty is exactly why so many people love it and spend hours and hours playing it. The whole point of the game is for players to make their own worlds and games, which they can then share with their friends or the whole world.
The fact that the game starts with a blank slate gives players a lot of room for imagination, and they will soon find that there are so many things to do in Minecraft that they will never be bored. Almost anything is possible, so it’s no surprise that players can turn their empty world into a huge fantasy city.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Kingdom Come: Deliverance is one of the best games about history ever made. It takes place in a small part of war-torn Bohemia in the year 1403. It is a gritty, real-life gem from the Middle Ages. Since the game is set in a rural area, it makes sense that the map of KCD is not very crowded outside of the small towns.
This doesn’t hurt the game at all, since players can now enjoy the rolling hills and bright fields of springtime Bohemia even more. Also, when people or events are waiting to happen, it feels more like a pleasant surprise than like crossing off points on a map.
The Forest
In some situations, vast stretches of nothingness can be very scary, and this is definitely true of the first-person horror survival game The Forest. Players are the only survivors of a plane crash and must find food, shelter, and tools for themselves on an island where cannibals live. They can do this alone or with their friends.
Most of the map is empty, except for a big pit in the middle of the island and a few cannibal villages here and there. This gives players a choice of where to build their base. Even though most of the map is empty, every step you take in The Forest is scary because it is one of the best horror games of the last few years.
Medieval Dynasty
Medieval Dynasty is a survival game set in the Middle Ages. Once players get past the early stages, the game quickly changes into a first-person town management game.
Since Drive Mad lets and encourages players to make their own towns, it makes sense that the map is mostly empty and has a lot of great places to build them. Other settlements have NPCs who sell important things or can be hired, but the map as a whole can be thought of as a rural playground.
The Crew 2
In life and games, sometimes the trip is more important than the end goal, and The Crew 2 is no different. This open-world racing game lets players fight online in races all over the United States. Because of this, the map is very big but mostly empty, which keeps the focus on racing.
The huge map is much bigger than maps in games like Forza, and it has jaw-dropping environments that are on par with the best graphics games ever made.
Valheim
Valheim, a cute survival and adventure game based on Norse mythology, is an open-world game with a map that is purposely empty. The map is made up of different biomes that get harder as you move from one to the next.
Aside from dungeons that appear at random and a few bosses that players can call forth, the world is mostly empty, with only the remains of abandoned towns dotted around. Instead, there is a great building system that lets people make the map their own.
Shadow Of The Colossus
Shadow of the Colossus is a PlayStation classic that was remade for the PS4 in 2018. It is widely thought of as a work of art in the video game business. This open-world game is both very dark and very beautiful. It also has a map that is purposely empty, which went against the trend of crammed open-world games at the time.
In the barren and seemingly unfriendly Forbidden Land, players can instead focus on the Colossi they must beat to get their love back. With only a sword and a bow, the game is simple but beautiful.
