7 Creative Ways Games Keep Players In Bounds
Now that most games are turning to more open-world settings, developers have worked hard to try to make the boundaries work seamlessly with the story. Instead of just invisible walls, there are several creative ways games keep players in bounds that are enjoyable and sometimes even scary. Check out the top seven examples of these creative boundaries.
7. Assassin’s Creed
With such a massive franchise like Assassin’s Creed, there are bound to be creative ways that the developers have created to ensure players stick to the story and don’t wander off. And the best way they’ve come up with, and quickly became one of the best ways games keep players in bounds, it by desychronization.
The game is focused on individuals going back in time and controlling assassins, so the idea that they essentially get kicked out of that flashback is unique and creative, and works seamlessly with the story.
6. Motocross Madness 2
Going from realistic to outrageous, we have Motocross Madness 2, which has a hilarious, yet effective way to keep players from going too far away. In this game, players compete in races in numerous expansive locations, like stadiums and woodland areas. And if a player tries to veer too far from the map, they recieve a type of jumpscare response.
When their bikes hit the invisible wall, their bike explodes backwards, sending them flyin gin to the air back where they came. It’s hilarious, and while not fitting for the story, memorable nonetheless.
5. Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint
Going back to ways games keep players in bounds in a seamless way, we have Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint. The open-world game has large bodies of water that players can explore, with many inevitbaly leading to the border.
And in a way fitting to the game, players will come across a mob of large drones that swarm them, which begins to circle in the distance before eventually attacking. The visual is terrifying, yet it’s made to feel like part of the real world, yet, prevents players from trying to leave.
4. Far Cry 6
Far Cry is another amazing franchise that is known for it’s impressive open-world and combat style. And in the sixth installment, the game featured an amazing hidden achievement for those that venture too far off map. The game takes a different approach to wandering players, and instead of giving death or wacky explosions, the game simply unlocks a secret achievement.
The Hidden in Plain Sight achievement is actually something that can be done to unlock a secret ending to the Far Cry 6 game. The achievement must be unlocked before the main story line completion to get the ending. After you earn the achievement, you’re simply sent back to where you were before and the game resumes.
3. Grand Theft Auto 5
Along with swimming out in the ocean, like so many other games on the list of creative ways games keep players in bounds, we have Grand Theft Auto 5. In this installment to the popular open-world game, if players decide to take a swim out into the ocean to see what happens, they end up as a tasty snack.
As players get closer to the border, they’ll quickly start to notice the deadly sharks that live off the coast of Los Santos. While sharks are pretty rare in Los Angeles, the city the game is based around, they do show up from time to time, making this a pretty believing situation. These sharks will attack players, and will also cause boats to sink, or even plants to crash into the water to get attacked, ending in a grisly scene.
2. Subnautica
Speaking of terrifying creatures in the water, the next two entries are focused around creative ways games keep players in bounds using the scary ocean. Subnautica is up first, with it’s stunning open-world mechanics in a fully immersed game setting. And while there are tons of frightening creatures in this planet, nothing is as terrifying as the Leviathans, large, serpent like creatures that attack players unprovoked.
But as players creep towards the edge of the map, they’re met with the largest creature in the game, the Ghost Leviathans. The out of bounds area is like a void, with no ocean floor and endless black. When players end up there, they can see up to three Leviathans spawaning at once to either kill the players, or push them away from the boundary.
1. Sea of Thieves
Last on the list of creative ways games keep players in bound is Sea of Thieves, the open-world online game. In this game, players can take on quests, start campaings, or just wander the seas looking for other players to battle. You can go solo, or round up a crew of pirates with friends to explore the open waters.
But as players start traveling deeper into the map, they start to notice that the waters shift and music turns daunting. This is called the Blood sea or Devil’s Shroud. The name is exactly as it says. Along with the rocky waves that puts holes in your ship, a deadly shark will constantly be attacking the ship, ensuring that it damages your boat beyond repiar until your sunk.
