In the constantly changing and fast-paced landscape of video game development, the creation ofimmersive open-world experiencesis a colossal undertaking, often requiring years of meticulous planning, execution, and refinement. However, a select few titles have defied conventional wisdom, delivering breathtaking open-world adventures within remarkably short developmental cycles. Games like this have achieved a certain reputation for shattering expectations with their lightning-fast production times. The dark reality, unfortunately, is that sometimes it may also speak to games that haveundergone developmental hell.
Of course, it should be noted that mostgames with shorter developmental cyclesare almost always sequels to successful titles, with existing engines and well-established lore. This helps developers make games quickly that would have otherwise taken three or four years to develop. Obviously, older games were also easier to develop than games today, purely because of the differences in file sizes and assets required to craft models and textures. Regardless, open-world games that were made in a short amount of time should still be lauded as works of art, mainly because they are so good despite the pressure to publish within a certain deadline.
Despite being first handed from one developer to another, and then from one publisher to another,Sleeping Dogshasgarnered a lot of praisesince its release more than a decade ago. Heavily inspired byGrand Theft Autoand set in modern Hong Kong, the game feels rich and full of detail. The combat flows smoothly and is amazing for its time, heavily inspired by theBatman Arkhamgames. The story feels like a quality crime drama, and the map is quite big, with a lot of content to keep the player engaged.
Originally pitched by Treyarch as a story led by a female assassin modeled after Lucy Liu, Activision halted the project before it even began production in 2007 because they believed a game with a female protagonist would not sell well. In 2008, production resumed in full swing, and development was handed over to United Front Games, under theTrue Crimefranchise. Disappointingly, the project was canceled again in early 2011, with a producer from United Front Games claiming that the game was ‘playable from start to finish and virtually complete.’ Square Enix acquired the publishing rights to the game six months later, and the game was released asSleeping Dogs.The team worked on the final development stages, and the rest is history. From the humble beginnings with the United Front Games team, which originally consisted of just ten people, who were pressured into making a game with the scope and size of titles likeGrand Theft AutoandRed Dead Redemption,Sleeping Dogsultimately delivered on its promise.
The only game in the franchise not developed by Black Isle Studios or Bethesda Softworks,Fallout: New Vegasis, astonishingly, probably the best overall game in the franchise. Obsidian Entertainment crafted anamazingly deep story, the choices within which are impactful, and missions that are wacky, funny, and highly addictive. Exploration inFallout: New Vegasfeels less like a chore than it does in the other mainline entries in the series, and the game allows for a huge degree of immersion and roleplaying, where the player can truly empathize with their character and with the consequences of each decision they make.
Originally intended to be an expansion pack toFallout 3(much like the development ofGTA: Vice Cityafter the success ofGTA 3), the project was eventually conceptualized to become a full game when Obsidian was recommended to take over the project. Eighteen months is still a ridiculously short amount of time to develop a full-fledgedFallouttitle, and there are a lot of original concepts and designs that did not make it to the final game, which could be explained by the deadline Obsidian were given by Bethesda. Despite the short development window, it makes sense that the game did well, considering that it has the same graphics, engine, gameplay, and models from the smash-hitFallout 3.
The first and only game in theUnchartedseries not to feature Nathan Drake,Uncharted: The Lost Legacyisa surprisingly great game on its own. While die-hard fans of the franchise might think of it as a lesserUnchartedexperience when comparing it to Drake’s adventures, it is a great, condensed spin-off that only released a year afterUncharted 4came out. Chloe Frazer is a great protagonist, and she has a lot of chemistry with Nadine Ross, both returning characters from previousUnchartedtitles. Naughty Dog’s trademark action sequences and witty dialogue keep the player entertained as they solve puzzles and fight off bad guys in the forests of India. It can also be considered the most ‘open-world’ title of the series, with a map that players can freely explore.
Due to the short development cycle, the Naughty Dog team focused on the region of the Western Ghats, and the surrounding philosophy, culture and religion of Hinduism, to guide the story. While previous games relied on historical figures such as pirates or leaders to build their narrative fiction around,The Lost Legacyinstead relied on a slightly more ‘fantastical feel’ for the story, with mythological elements and gods making a return to the series after the grounded approach taken inUncharted 4. Considering that the first gameplay video released less than a year after development began, this game is nothing short of a technical achievement by Naughty Dog, even if assets were reused from the previous title.
The exact development time ofAssasin’s Creed Rogueis not known, but it should be noted that there were multiple Ubisoft teams collaborating with Ubisoft Sofia to develop the title and release it shortly afterAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag. Regardless of the number of people and resources that a large company like Ubisoft has, 12 months is a ridiculously short amount of time to complete a game like this.
The first details aboutAssassin’s CreedRoguecame out in March 2014, when news leaked that a game with the codename ‘Comet’ was set to be released that year. Another leak indicated that Comet would bridge the gap betweenAssasin’s Creed 3(2012) andAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag(2013), and would include important characters from both games. It is also tied toAssassin’s Creed Unity, which was released on the same day asRogue. The title was leaked in August 2014, forcing the developers to come out and officially announce the game. Ultimately, it was released in November of that same year. It is anunconventional game in the series, with the player controlling a templar rather than an assassin for the first time.
Hailed as one of the greatest video games of all time, and one of the best in the franchise,Grand Theft Auto: Vice Cityhit all the right notes. The Rockstar development team was hard-pressed to create a great game as a follow-up toGrand Theft Auto 3, but they delivered a quality product at a time when other games were taking over two years to make (such asTom Clancy’s Splinter Cell). Considering the scale and scope ofGTA: Vice City,and the critical acclaim it received, 9 months is a startlingly short amount of time to make a game like this.
What’s even more surprising is thatVice Cityoriginally began development as a mission pack forGTA 3, but upon further debate, the team decided to make it a stand-alone game. It became Rockstar’s most expensive game at the time, costing $5 million US to make. Set in a vibrant and meticulously crafted recreation of 1980s Miami,Vice Cityoffers players a sprawling urban playground filled with unforgettable characters, high-octane action, and a perfect soundtrack. It stands as a true landmark in gaming history, andGTA 6is set to make a return to Vice City, bringing fans back to the setting after twenty-plus years.
