Assassin's Creed has taught me yet something else: The more open-world you are creating, the greater need you have for varied and interesting systems gameplay.
I don't have a definition handy, but if I had to define systems gameplay on the spot, I would call it "the set of rules and actions that the player interacts with in a game".
Let's quickly sift through a few examples, and rate them at Low, Medium, and High for "Openness" and "Systems Density"
GTA 3 Series
It really doesn't get more open than any of the GTA titles. The systems include an elaborate and varied vehicle system, a varied combat system, dozens of mission types, an economy, and an escalating warrant star system, with underlying systems like stunt scores, and even gang territories to create positive feedback loops that all tie the game together.
Openness: High
Systems Density: High
Assassin's Creed
There's an awesome openness to this world, and it's probably the best game that features a player who is primarily on foot in an open world. Most of the systems work is visible in the movement of Altair, while impressive, doesn't offer much meaningful choice to the player. Additional systems include a great combat system that sadly creates a negative feedback loop, and a few mission types.
Openness: High
Systems Density: Low
Bioshock
Bioshock is not as linear as a side-scroller, but as for level
progression and layout, it falls into the low category for me. The
underlying systems are not too numerous, but they offer a lot of
diversity of choice, and they all feedback into each other. Main
systems include a deep combat system, tonics, plasmids, camera
research, and hacking.
Openness: Low
Systems Density: Medium
Tony Hawk's Pro-Skater Series
Openness: Medium
Systems Density: Low
THPS has open levels, but the size of them keeps me from placing this in the high category. Systems used are limited to about 4 trick types, a good scoring system, and a skill-development system.
All in all, it's really the 'bad' example of Assassin's Creed that ends up helping my argument the most. I strongly believe that the addition of an economy, and a positive feedback loop to combat (or hiding) could have harvested a metacritic score of 90 or more for Assassin's Creed as opposed 81 (metacritic.com).
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