A sandbox game is shitty and with no plot or redeeming features besides cool explosions and gimmicks designed for people with terrible attention spans like Just Cause 2 and Crackdown. Open world are games that create a large open world to explore alongside a strong or interesting narrative structure to create the atmosphere of the game's story taking place in a real world and so are generally disliked by the ADD afflicted such as Fallout 3 and GTA IV.
No difference, but that doesn't stop press releases from calling their game both "open world" and "sandbox". I feel like sandbox should imply something more maleable and complex than what it normally implies. Like Spore. "Make your own fun" is pretty subjective and most devs seem to think any game with an open world is a game where you can make your own fun, so naturally anything open world is also a sand box. Its not true, but there it is.
There's totally a difference. 'Open World' just implies an open world - 'Sandbox' implies you are creating your own fun (as you would in a sandbox - hence the name).
Mafia is open world, but calling it sandbox would be a bit of a stretch.
" There's totally a difference. 'Open World' just implies an open world - 'Sandbox' implies you are creating your own fun (as you would in a sandbox - hence the name). Mafia is open world, but calling it sandbox would be a bit of a stretch. "
I was kinda thinking that, too; sandbox games give you the freedom to explore AND the tools to make it all fun.
An open world is a game such as GTA werer your character gets to roam around a world doing almost whatever the hell he wants. A sandbox on the other hand would be comparable to Halo. Its were the levels are designed for on the spot thinking and multiple combat scenarios. Thats the best explanation I could come up with. A sandbox game ISNT open world. You cant roam around Halo,do various quests for other people and things of that nature. When in Red Dead for example, you can. Hope that cleared something up :]
I think that while a "Sandbox" game and an "Open World" both contain massive worlds to explore, sandbox games allow some sort of manipulation of the world/Environment. Some examples would be Just Cause 2, Red Faction:Guerilla. An open world game has more of a static world\environment ala Oblivion.
For me, an open world game is a game that allows you to approach a mission in any way you want, whether it is by foot, by vehicle, sneaking or guns blazing. Examples may be, Fallout 3, Infamous, GTA IV or Red faction: Guerilla Sandbox games, on the other hand, are games that provide you with the tool to do whatever the fuck you want, thus, the only "real" sandbox game out there is Garry's Mod, but if we widen our view, games such as Just Cause 2 and GT: San Andreas also fits.
Open-world Jargon. A type of gameplay that allows the player to enjoy a variety of open-ended activities that can be completed in non-linear fashion.
Sandbox A type of gameplay that provides players with a broad variety of tools and allows them to create their own objectives. SimCity is an example of a sandbox game.
So, in other words, sandbox designates a game that puts players in control of making their own fun, objectives, or whatever. And open-world designates a game that has a large game world for you to explore that's populated by a variety of other, non-story critical activities to take part in that can be completed whenever the player so desires. That answer your question?
" A sandbox game is shitty and with no plot or redeeming features besides cool explosions and gimmicks designed for people with terrible attention spans like Just Cause 2 and Crackdown. Open world are games that create a large open world to explore alongside a strong or interesting narrative structure to create the atmosphere of the game's story taking place in a real world and so are generally disliked by the ADD afflicted such as Fallout 3 and GTA IV. "
If there were a difference, I would agree that this is it. To me, a "sandbox" is something like Garry's Mod. The game gives you the tools to make your own fun, however you please. An open world game sounds like something along the lines of Red Dead Redemption or Fallout 3, as it doesn't give you near endless possibilities like a sandbox (Garry's Mod). However, I guess every open world game and sandbox game could fall into both categories, as you don't really HAVE to get involved in those interesting narratives if you don't want to, and you can create your own narratives in a sandbox.
" A sandbox game is shitty and with no plot or redeeming features besides cool explosions and gimmicks designed for people with terrible attention spans like Just Cause 2 and Crackdown. Open world are games that create a large open world to explore alongside a strong or interesting narrative structure to create the atmosphere of the game's story taking place in a real world and so are generally disliked by the ADD afflicted such as Fallout 3 and GTA IV. "
You missed putting GTA in the 'shitty game with explosions n swearing n stuff' section.
An open-world game is the same as a free-roaming game - the gameplay takes place in a game world that the player can move about at will, not in a series of linear levels. Example: Ocarina of Time A sandbox game has little to no structure, or can be enjoyed outside of the structured content. A sandbox encourages creative ways to play the game with the tools given. Example: Garry's Mod,, GTA, Elder Scrolls
I think of them as the same thing but for me sandbox implies the ability to go out and have an effect on the world and change course of events etc where as open world is more interacting with the world and following the trajectory of events in a more prescribed manner just in a non linear fashion letting you choose what to do when or even ignore it. But it wouldn't suprise me if I am completely wrong.
@Zen313: No, no, no, no. Halo is not a sandbox game.
Pretty much everyone else got the difference.
A Sandbox game is something like Just Cause 2, Saints Row 2, Crackdown, and even Red Faction: Guerrilla. The game is designed around the player making their own fun with the different scenarios, objects, and environments available. Anything can happen, it's up to you to be the catalyst.
An open-world game is something like The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Grand Theft Auto IV, and Fallout 3. Typically you can go where you choose and complete objectives in your order preference in a much more controlled environment. Story-arcs tend to be stronger here as well.
It's actually strange if you think about it, because both have elements of each other. If you still don't get it, sandbox games are more arcadey than open-world ones.
The way I see it an open-world game is any game which allows non-linear progression whereas sandbox suggests a game that gives you an arrays of tools or powers and allows you to experiment with them. Just like DukeT said Garry's Mod is a good example of a sandbox game which is not open-world and Fallout 3 is a good example of an open-world game which is not a sandbox.
" A sandbox game is shitty and with no plot or redeeming features besides cool explosions and gimmicks designed for people with terrible attention spans like Just Cause 2 and Crackdown. Open world are games that create a large open world to explore alongside a strong or interesting narrative structure to create the atmosphere of the game's story taking place in a real world and so are generally disliked by the ADD afflicted such as Fallout 3 and GTA IV. "
If there were a difference, I would agree that this is it. To me, a "sandbox" is something like Garry's Mod. The game gives you the tools to make your own fun, however you please. An open world game sounds like something along the lines of Red Dead Redemption or Fallout 3, as it doesn't give you near endless possibilities like a sandbox (Garry's Mod). However, I guess every open world game and sandbox game could fall into both categories, as you don't really HAVE to get involved in those interesting narratives if you don't want to, and you can create your own narratives in a sandbox. "
I agree but they are still more similar than people think.
I would think that 'open-world' would refer more towards the free-roaming, non-linear aspect of the gameplay - the freedom to move around and explore the environment. 'Sandbox' would apply more to the fun you can create for yourself with elements already present in the game. For example, in GTA4 the open world aspect of the game lets you drive around between the islands, walk the bridges, cruise the waterways in a boat, and so on. The sandbox aspect let's you cause a pile-up on the highway and lob grenades into the mess to see how many cars you can blow up in a chain, or see how long you can stay alive on the run from the cops when you've earned 6 stars, just because you feel like it.
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