Bethesda Vs. Rockstar: Which Studio Has the Better Open World Games?

Open-world sandboxes have been one of the defining tropes of mainstream gaming in the 21st century. The massive scale and historic success of Grand Theft Auto 3 set off plenty of races to bring open-world vibes to plenty of franchises, with all sorts of developers striving to push the boundaries of their settings to the absolute limit. Rockstar has remained one of the best examples of that trend, with many of their games utilizing an open-world setting to give the players plenty of freedom. GTA and Red Dead have both thrived with that approach, giving players a sense that they could really do anything they want.

Few other companies have been able to match that level of ambition – but Bethesda isn’t most other developers. The developers behind the Elder Scrolls and modern Fallout games have similarly focused on creating an adaptable setting where each player’s approach to the established stories can allow for singular experiences. It’s an interesting contrast to the open-world game design. Both developers create immersive worlds where players’ decisions can shape the story, even as the underlying plot serves as guardrails to prevent dwindling momentum in the narrative. Both games take different approaches to the same underlying idea and clearly have opinions about the matter.

Former Bethesda Exec Thinks Rockstar’s Open Worlds Can’t Match Bethesda Worlds

During a recent interview with Firzide Chat, Pete Hintes reflected on the over twenty years he spent at the company. Defending the games from that studio, Hintes argued that minor bugs are worth the ambition that the developers bring to their titles. “Who else out in the world allows you to just stack up one quest after another on the fly while you’re going wherever you want and doing whatever you want?” Hintes explained. “Go try that shit in Red Dead Redemption 2.” Hintes noted that games from Rockstar and other developers will allow players to focus on a mission at a time. Although they can switch gears and do something else, the game has to adjust accordingly.

In contrast, Hintes argued that what makes Bethesda special is the way they embrace the player’s freedom to cause chaos, explaining that “Nobody gives you that level of freedom. Nobody says walk into this room full of weapons and cast a spell or launch a grenade and watch all the shit fly around the room. They don’t do that.” It’s a bold statement from the developer, especially in contrast to some of the other open-world games out there. The likes of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II and Baldur’s Gate 3 highlight how that approach to open-world sandboxes has increased in recent years, with the upcoming GTA VI poised to push it even further. However, Hintes also has a point about the unique way that Bethesda approaches the concept, with a focus on really giving the player the ability to do anything and see how the world responds.

Which Studio Has The Best Open Worlds?

Honestly, the theoretical conflict between Bethesda and Rockstar likely comes down to personal preference. Both studios are famous for their approach to open-world gameplay, but they differ in their specific use of it. For Rockstar, the world is rooted in creating an authentic, open-ended experience. What this means is that players can theoretically go anywhere and do anything. As a result, the stakes can also feel lighter. Players can blow up entire convoys, face off with hordes of police, and ultimately brush it off after a trip to the hospital. Titles from Rockstar Games like Grand Theft Auto Online truly embody the concept of a sandbox, where players’ experiences are left to their imagination. While the central narratives are often deeply compelling and driven by complex characters, the full scope of the game’s enjoyment really only sets in once players leave the plot behind and begin making their own story.

By contrast, Bethesda games keep players on their narrative arc, with the open world shifting in response to player actions and choices. Fallout will give players a million things they can do and will make their ultimate path the central story of their unique adventure. While the specific storytelling and writing may not quite match Rockstar’s level, the ability to fully shape the adventure based on your perspective is sometimes a more easily engaging story. It’s less of a sandbox and more of an open-world adventure, where anything can happen but all in service of your path. There’s more technical depth to the worlds created by Bethesda, but that also means the games are a bit wobblier in terms of design compared to the shiny sheen of Rockstar.

Both companies have produced some of the most impactful and well-received open worlds in modern gaming. Both companies also bring enough of their own unique sensibilities to their games, highlighting the different ways developers can approach underlying common mechanics. It all ultimately falls to the player — like this writer, for example, who appreciates the central narratives of Rockstar titles but is far more drawn to titles like Fallout 4 than GTA precisely because of the way the open-world adventure still feels like a specific narrative. However, I know plenty of people who find that game overwhelming in terms of options and prefer the chance to carve out their own adventures in the worlds of Red Dead Redemption 2. Let us know which style of open-world you prefer in the comments below and why that’s the right approach to the format.