DO YOU WANT TO ENJOY THE HISTORY OF VIDEO GAMES THAT ALLOWED US TO FREELY EXPLORE WONDERFUL OPEN WORLDS?

Video games have always promised an escape. As such, open-world video games represent both a technological and cultural ideal. Unlike linear games that guide the player through a tightly controlled sequence of events, open-world titles present an environment with far fewer restrictions. Whether it's the crime-ridden streets of San Andreas, the vast fantasy realms of Tamriel or the wilds of Hyrule, these games allow players to choose their own path, and sometimes even their own story. The open world is not so much a genre as a philosophy, rooted in freedom, immersion and player autonomy.

But this freedom is not born overnight. The idea of open-world design is much older than the games we usually associate with it. Its roots can be found in text adventures like Zork, and even in the imaginary worlds of tabletop role-playing games. These early formats introduced the essential philosophy of exploration: the notion that a player could determine not only how a story unfolded, but also where it happened and in what order.

As technology advanced, so did the ambition of game developers. The 1980s saw pioneering attempts at scale and openness, from the procedurally generated galaxy of Elite to the relatively non-linear Hyrule of The Legend of Zelda. The 1990s were a pivotal decade. Games like Daggerfall offered huge, almost absurdly large maps filled with towns, dungeons, and pop-up systems. Meanwhile, Grand Theft Auto introduced an urban open world where chaos and mission merged seamlessly. Players could follow the main story or deviate completely.

This immersion reached new heights in the 2000s. With GTA III, Rockstar Games redefined the open-world formula by harmonizing cinematic narrative with non-linear gameplay. Soon after, games like Morrowind and Far Cry expanded the formula, each bringing their own style to a constantly expanding genre.

Today, open-world games are at the center of the video game universe. They are showcases for hardware, benchmarks for gamers and playgrounds for designers. They dominate the sales charts and Game of the Year awards. This book is a chronicle of developers chasing their dreams, of gamers losing themselves in virtual spaces, of cultures expressing themselves through code. It is a love letter to the power of play, to the enduring human desire to explore. And, above all, it's a testament to the worlds we enter to enjoy infinite freedom.

Take a look at the history of open-world games!