One of the things that’s always stuck with me from a chat I had with Myst creator Rand Miller was that game developers don’t just make games, they make worlds. The environment is often just as important as the characters, gameplay, and narrative, being the container for everything that is taking place. The game’s world doesn’t just need to be believable, it needs to be engaging to be a part of. It needs to intertwine with the rest of the elements in the game. A lot of games gave us open worlds to play in this year, but only one can be the best. Here are the PlayStation LifeStyle nominations for Best Open World in 2019.
Best Open-World Game 2019 Winner
Death Stranding
Open worlds are often about much more than just the location and design, but about how the world itself fits into the game’s narrative, themes, gameplay, and generally intertwines with what a developer is trying to do. Death Stranding’s open-world is expansive and haunting, perfectly capturing the loneliness of those long treks across the beautiful wastes of a post-apocalyptic America. Powered by the Decima engine, Death Stranding’s world is a crucial part of the game, from the narrative to the gameplay, it’s central to empowering the message of connection and challenging players as they make their way across it.
Reader’s Choice Winner
Days Gone
It was extremely close on the reader’s choice, but Days Gone just barely managed to edge out Death Stranding by a few votes. This is another game where the world itself is a major part of the narrative and gameplay. The expansive wilderness of the Pacific Northwest lends itself to an incredible and emotional adventure. The world is detailed and varied, a worthy winner of our reader’s choice for best open-world this year.
Don’t miss our full lineup of nominees for the PlayStation LifeStyle Game of the Year awards. We’re just getting started with the winners and we’ll be revealing more all throughout the week, leading up to the Game of the Year on Friday December 20.
