Except that's not what's happening. They aren't increasing their FTE headcount, just screwing over their contractors to save a quick buck. Nothing to celebrate here except corporate greed.

The implementation makes all the difference and if the world is just a boring empty place the novelty has already worn off from all the other games in the open world genre that have already done it. That said, games like Minecraft, Valheim, and the latest Legend of Zelda's leave me with hope that open world games can still be fun.

Minecraft, especially when modded makes for a really fun experience exploring a vast world. I could see a game that leans into the adventuring and finding new dungeons and ruins to explore succeeding provided they make the experience of stumbling across them fun.

bonk
Okay now let's hear more about this.. plot.