I’ve been playing this new open-world RPG for a couple weeks now, and I keep finding myself just wandering off the main quest to hunt for hidden lore notes and environmental stories instead. I’m not even sure if the main plot is any good because I keep getting distracted by the worldbuilding crumbs. Does anyone else get completely sidetracked by the environmental storytelling in games like this?
I totally get that pull I end up following environmental storytelling breadcrumbs and before I know it the main quest is a distant memory the world feels alive and I want to see every clue
The world building crumbs reward curiosity but they also knock you off pacing and it can kill momentum if you chase every note
Maybe the game is not failing the main plot because its aim is to make you feel part of a living world not to push you through a single story arc
Environmental storytelling works as a guide for place and mood rather than a substitute for plot
I love the vibe when you find a hidden page and the line hints at a bigger secret but I hate when it makes you stray from the big battles
From a writerly angle the world is a character and its memory is told in ruins you end up savoring texture more than resolution
Some players might want a tight line others want a sprawling map and both are valid ways to read the same game