>>714573113
bottom provides a sense of scale that really benefits some (but not all) games. you don't need a hundred mini objectives in a stretch of land for it to be meaningful, sometimes the atmosphere it adds is enough.
perfect example: Shadow of the Colossus, its "empty" map that gas no dungeons or regular enemies added an immense sense of isolation and wonder as you journeyed between colossi. The game would be infinitely worse from a storytelling and atmospheric perspective if it was just a boss rush of colossi without the map. everyone who's played it can understand this.
just because open world has been beaten to death by AAA slop producers doesn't mean it's inherently bad, and that includes even when there's little conventional content in it. it's about how it serves the purpose of the game, and that purpose will be different for each game
