I have spent the past half decade claiming that I no longer enjoy open world games. I must have aged out of them. I prefer linear, guided experiences. Something worth my time.
It wasn’t until I started playing Dragon’s Dogma 2, 6 years after playing the first one, that I realized: holy shit. If you give me a reason to explore, I will jump at the opportunity.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 feels a lot like Death Stranding to me. It’s not about the destination, it’s not really about the quest, it’s about the journey.
The memorable parts of DD2 have been encountered on the road. Beset by a pack of goblins. Picked up by a griffon. Attacked by an Ogre who was then attack by a Cyclops.
Without fast travel, these moments are possible! The limitations of the Oxcarts, the possibility of the Oxcart being raided and destroyed and the high cost of ferrystones completely change the way interact with the world map.
I plan for trips. I make sure I have enough materials and potions to get from where I’m at to my destination. I come up with contingencies in case shit goes very bad.
Fast travel is to easy for my brain. I could dedicate to not using the mechanic, but the problem is that most games nowadays account for fast travel. The worlds are boring and empty. Meaningless.
I want more games like Dragon’s Dogma 2. Like Death Stranding. Like Morrowind.
I want the journey to matter, not just the destination.
