In an open-world, it simply wouldn’t be Left 4 Dead. We’ve got enough of them, frankly, and it wouldn’t play to the series’ strengths, like its tight level design and curated encounters. This is not an argument for an open-world Left 4 Dead game, however. And there’s also Dying Light, which used its open-world to create a parkour playground, where every single street and building represented a multitude of paths, both horizontal and vertical. DayZ is undoubtedly the king of this in the realm of the undead, turning every open space and every derelict barn into a potential grave site. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with linearity – something a few developers and publishers could do with remembering.īut there’s a terrifying dread that comes with the options of an open-world. Despite funnelling players through streets, alleys, the narrow corridors of buildings and water-logged swamps, the game space was well thought out, maximising intensity and the emergent gameplay the series inspires.