The open-world genre of gaming has sky-rocketed to the top of the gaming industry in recent years. Not only doesthe genre offer players great value for money, but the games also tend to offer an excellent sense of adventure, thanks to players being ableto make their own choices, interact with numerous NPCs, and ultimately choose their own path. That’s not to say that linear games don’t have a place in modern gaming as they still have numerous upsides, though it’s hard to deny that a great open-world game is one of the best things the gaming industry has to offer today.
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Consequently, many fans have begun daydreaming about their favorite linear games from the past being given the open-world treatment. Although the ten entries on this list were all fantastic linear games, they would almost certainly sell tons of copies if they were remade with a modern open-world.
10The Simpsons: Hit & Run
Requesting a remake forThe Simpsons: Hit & Runis far from being an outlandish opinion, as fans have been asking for it since the seventh generation of home console. The game offered players the chance to explore a wonderful rendition of Springfield while competing in tough but enjoyable street races.
Unfortunately, the game’s multiple areas had to be split into individual levels due to hardware constraints at the time. A studio getting the green light to remake the game won’t be easy due to licensing issues, though it’s almost guaranteed to be a commercial success, so there’s always a possibility.
9Bioshock
The opening of 2K’sBioshockremains one of the greatest introductions to a game of all time. After being involved in a devastating plane crash, players need to swim to a nearby lighthouse, where they will descend into the underwater city of Rapture.
The city of Rapture is one of gaming’s most memorable and most immersive locations. Therefore, an open-world game set in the originalBioshock’s rapture would be a dream come true for many fans, who feel that the city still has many stories to tell.
8The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Like most games on this list, many people believe thatOcarina of Timeis still fantastic to play today and consequently doesn’t need a remake. However, the recent release ofBreath of the Wild, which many fans believe is the bestLegend of Zeldagame since the N64 classic, has provided an idea for a remake.
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The game could use the same map asBreath of the Wildbut show what the game’s version of Hyrule looked like when it was thriving. This would also make an interesting dynamic when Link turns into an adult, changing the world’s setting once more.
7Tomb Raider (1996)
The recent rebootedTomb Raidertrilogy did a fantastic job of bringing the iconic franchise into the modern-day. It was clear that the games took inspiration from the critically acclaimedUnchartedseries, which is ironic asUnchartedwas presumably inspired by theTomb Raiderfranchise along withIndiana Jones.
The recent threeTomb Raidergames allowed players to free roam, though none of them made the extra step to implement a fully open world. Now thatShadow of the Tomb Raiderhas concluded Lara’s origin story, there is an opportunity for a new direction in the series, and an open-world remake of the original game could be a great place to start.
6The Lord of the Rings - Movie Tie-In Games
Lord of the Ringsfans had been crying out for an open-world game set in J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth since the genre of gaming was popularised. Thankfully, fans got their wish in 2014 withShadow of Mordor, followed byShadow of War.
Although the games have been well received by fans and critics, many people still want to see an open-world game that ties into the three films, letting them follow the journey of Frodo and Sam, possibly as well as the other leading characters. Electronic Arts’The Lord of the Ring: The Two TowersandReturn of the Kinggames were bothexcellent hack and slash titlesthat people remember fondly, though a tie-in open-world game is far too tantalizing to ignore.
5Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Considered by some to be the bestMetal Gear Solidgame of all time,Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eaterwas released in 2004 and amazed gamers with its ingenious survival mechanics and action-pact set pieces such asthe memorable motorbike chase.
The rainforest where most of the game is set was incredibly well designed, though its limited space leaves a lot to be desired. The stealth franchise has been proven to be compatible with an open-world thanks to the award-winningMetal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain,so aSnake Eaterremake with similar mechanics would almost certainly be a hit.
4Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4is on this list for slightly different reasons than the entries before it, asa remake is allegedly in the works already. However, some fans haven’t taken too kindly to the news, believing that the iconic game still holds up today and doesn’t need changing.
With many believing the linear game is fine how it is, implementing an open-world would be a good way to reinvent the game, as it would change enough it to make any fan of theResident Evilfranchise interested.
3The Last of Us
The Last of Usis on this list for a very similar reason toResident Evil 4,as there istalk of a remake being released in the future, much to some fans' dismay. Much likeResident Evil 4,an open-world may be a great way to remake the game in a way that fans will be genuinely interested in.
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Creating anopen world inThe Last of Uswould be tricky, as the game’s story has very meticulous pacing. On the other hand, an open-world could answer the criticisms that the gameplay was too action-heavy in relation to its story by focusing more on the post-apocalyptic world’s survival aspects.
2Crash Twinsanity
ACrash Bandicootgame may seem like an odd choice for this list, as the platforming genre tends to be better suited to a contained level design rather than an open-world.
However, in hopes of reinventing theCrashseries and responding to criticisms thatWrath of Cortexwas too similar toWarped, Traveller’s Tales decided to create a more open game with free-roaming opportunities back in 2004 withCrash Twinsanity. The idea was extremely well-received by fans, though the execution was lacking due to Traveller’s Tales being constrained to a tight development schedule. Therefore, aCrash Twinsanityremake with a small but well-crafted open-world that connects all of the game’s areas could see comparable commercial success to theN. Sane Trilogy.
1Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: Arkham Asylumwas flooded with praise upon release for its free-flowing combat, immersive setting, and range of memorable moments.However, the game was somewhat overshadowed by its successor, asArkham Citytook theAsylumformula and improved upon it by implementing an open world. Remaking the firstArkhamgame with an enormous asylum spanning multiple areas would be hugely appealing to most superhero fans, and the concept wouldn’t be too hard to believe given thewide range of villains in theBatmanuniverse.
