Topic: Not-so-open world: games with semi-large, interconnected maps

With the release of Pokemon Legends Arceus, Horizon: Forbidden West, and Elden Ring, and with more like Breath of the Wild Sequel, Sonic Frontiers, and Pokemon Scarlet/Violet on the way, I've been thinking a lot about open world games recently.

While I enjoy open world games as much as anyone else, I'm getting a little tired of having a completely open space to explore in every direction. I have a real longing for games with open-ish worlds which are moreso a number of interconnected areas with more distinct paths that allow exploration, but also restrict you in some ways.

Something like the first few generations of Pokemon (where distinct routes exist, connecting every city to each other, and there's some openness with regards to which route you take to travel in which direction), or the Metroidvania genre in general (where nothing is truly "open" but the map(s) are massively interconnected encouraging exploration).

Is this a distinct approach to world design that has gone underlooked these days? Is the move towards more "open" worlds just a fad or the natural evolution of this type of world design?

Are there any games that have such maps that you'd particularly recommend?

First thing to pop into my mind would be Halo 3: ODST, which had an open-worldish hub area that would progressively get larger the further you progressed. You'd also delve into the individual missions from there, so it was a kind of mix of open-world and linear.
To me, it seems like open-world games are just a big fad right now. And while they are pretty great, I hope we get just a little bit less of them going forward. Linearity isn't always a bad thing.

Well in that case games that pop into my mind would be Xenoblade 2, sure the areas are really big and theres a lot of emphasis on exploration, the world is still linear progression wise.
It goes like "Heres a nice huge area for you to play around with in the meantime, when you're ready to continue with the story we have more waiting for you" which I honestly prefer nowadays, the content is more condensed instead of just being an open world with no substance.

Monster Hunter Stories 2 is another good one that fits the criteria, though you get lots of reasons to come back to areas for different reasons than XC2, as you progressive through the story you get field skills which let you access areas you couldn't before, for example you will eventually obtain a monster with Swim so you can traverse the first area and reach some new places.

XC1 and Torna also fit this criteria for mostly the same reasons as XC2.

Well, although Witcher 3 was praised for it's 'open-world', it's really more like areas ..... That might count?

Something that comes to mind immediately for me in that regard is Link to the Past. The entire world is open to you once you get through Hyrule Castle and, whilst dungeons are kind of done in sequential order, this is completely out the window once you get to the Dark World where you can do all of the dungeons in whatever order you want. Couple that with charming overworld details and secrets and it's what I always think of when it comes to 'games that aren't open world that feel open world'.

@MusicalFeline Interesting recommendation: tbh the only Halo game I have significant experience with is the first one (which I remember to be level-based with a lot of repeated sections), so it surprises me to hear that ODST follows that kinda map structure. I might check it out sometime! (although I'm keen to play the Halo games in order)

I feel like more than anything there's a divergence between sprawling, wide open worlds with numerous quest markers and linear games that are either based around levels or a tightly-knit narrative. I do like both but it's nice to get some games that fall inbetween (or have a different kind of "openness" to them.

@iLikeUrAttitude The Xenoblade games are great. Now that you mention it, I suppose some of the main areas are quite large and open, but the games also have some more tightly-designed dungeons in there as well.

@BruceCM Nice recommendation - tbh that was never my impression of the game based on the little I've seen and played of it, but maybe I can look into it further. My problem with The Witcher is that it's both massively hyped and apparently a massive time sink...so it's very difficult to get myself mentally prepared for such a venture!

Discounting the 1st area, since that could be considered a tutorial, you then goto another area via a map, @Buizel .... While the next after that is connected directly, you can't really go there straight away! Then, you have to get a boat to the last area, which is only possible through a quest, as well
They're large areas but it's not what I'd call fully open-world! As for being a time-sink, that depends how much you want to do, as usual

The 2018 God of War was basically an open-ish world. The main story follows a set path, but there are all kinds of neat little areas/side quests you can discover if you chose to explore around a bit.

@Buizel

Something less wide open, but more like daisy-chained open world?

Vampyr
Borderlands
Dragon's Dogma
Dragon Quest Builder series
CrossCode

Games like those perhaps?

Twilight princess would be my pick.

@Buizel
Semi Open World :
Go Vacation
FF XII TZA

Open World :
Yonder the Cloud Catcher Chronicles

The first few 3D Zeldas and various games inspired by it immediately come to mind. They still have proper, sometimes large open areas to explore, but they often lead to different open areas or various dungeons or towns or whatnot. Those are usually the games that come to mind for this sort of thing (at least in 3D games).

Also weirdly Banjo Tooie. Banjo Kazooie is already about going through different, largely open ended levels, but then Tooie added various ways the levels connect to each other instead of the only entrance/exit being to the overworld.

Some great suggestions here - and it seems this design philosophy maybe applies to more games than I was expecting.

@Fizza Funny you mention this - for the longest time I saw ALTTP as the template for what an "open" game could be (I never grew up with the original Zelda and this was before "open world" games really became a thing).

@kkslider5552000 I've heard this about Banjo Tooie. TBH I've tried Kazooie a few times and it hasn't quite clicked with me (I like some of the stages, but find others a bit tedious). I have Rare Replay so maybe this one's worth a shot.

Ys VIII for Switch is excellent!