A game I really enjoy is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The game utilizes an open map which supports many styles of play, while providing structural support for main quests, side quests, and completion of ‘shrines’ — which are puzzle based structured located across the map. Parallel arcs exist with music coupled with the gameplay, as different music is played based on region, time of day, or even during fights with guardians (enemies). The game also includes cutscenes that may take place upon unlocking a new region, completing/unlocking a new quest, or uncovering some information that is supplemented by the scene. These cutscenes often tie the narrative aspects of the story to the gameplay, or sometimes, provide the player with background information that supports their understanding of the narrative lore. These scenes tend to be very evocative visually and emotionally, complimenting player experience. Additionally, much of the gameplay provides guidance to the player in terms of allowed mechanics, but sometimes information must be gathered through discovery (e.g. talking to townspeople, completing quests, etc.) or completing a puzzle to unlock a new ability. Interaction loops range in use and frequency, as the player running, jumping, or gliding through the map happens for most of the gameplay, where guardian or boss battles are less frequent but seem to provide more ‘feedback’ to the player, aiding their abilities to develop combat skills for later use.
