Poll: Linear Vs Sandbox

[Skorpyo]

It all depends on what kind of story the Dev's are trying to portray. The Elder Scroll's series and the GTA series both work well because they are tailor-made for sandbox.

Most games with a tight story arc would be F****d if they weren't linear, but they tell their stories extremely well anyway, like the Half-life series or System Shock 2.

 

[Wolfram23]

It really depends on the game IMO. I mean, STALKER is a fantastic game with a fun story going on and it would be sandbox. On the other hand I don't much like Oblivion because I just got side tracked, and then bored. Linear is fine too tho, most games are/have been linear and we've had some fantastic games that way... So I like both but I think if I had the option I'd pick a sandbox game, hopefully with some story. (Is Assassin's Creed sandbox? Yes? Sweet)

 

[SimuLord]

I have no love for linearity. The more wide-open and ADD-friendly a game is, the more I like it. Games like Oblivion, Fallout 3, the Grand Theft Auto series, Mount&Blade (which is really the ultimate sandbox---there IS no main quest!), umm...yeah. All my favorite games are sandboxes. None of them are linear (you have to go all the way to #25 and Final Fantasy 6 to find a linear game anywhere on even the extended version of my favorites list.)

 

[Hiphophippo]

In the end, whichever provides the better narrative is what I want.

 

[The Night Shade]

Depends on the game but i prefer Sandbox

 

[Furious Styles]

I like them both the same. Sandboxes are fun, but sometimes you just can't beat a good old-fashioned linear narrative.

its strange that my fave game ever (Shadow of the Colossus) is a mixture of the two: a big, open world with a very linear story.

 

[CatsAttackAgain]

i like them both but id have to say that i prefer sandbox. there is just something funny about heading over to something on the map then finding yourself 10 - 20 minuets later doing something completely different and stupid

 

[Captain Epic]

wtf is none?

 

[scnj]

Depends on the game. Sandbox games like Far Cry 2 would have benefitted from linearity, whereas linear games like Metro 2033 could have been improved with more openness.

 

[Jezzascmezza]

I like both in equal doses.
Sandbox games used to be my favourite by a longshot, but I started to grow tired of them a little, and started to plat some more linear games, which I still enjoyed.

 

[Jack_Uzi]

Sandbox games. If they are made correctly and still know how to reach your (main) goal if you want to. I don't like restrictions in games very much, most of the time they are too predictable.

 

[Mr. Google]

I think this would be a versus thread but either way i like linear sandbox annoys me

 

[Flames66]

I'm a sandbox man myself. I like to make my own decisions rather than ones that have been picked for me.

 

[MikailCaboose]

I like both, but sometimes sandbox becomes an excuse for total lack of story, and that becomes...bad. Although, I generally find that "Open-ended" better substitutes for "sandbox".