Exploration games - How they make exploration interesting.

Incentive!

Goals:

Journey

The player is treated to a beautiful veiw of their goal - the mountain.

  

 

From the very beginning, it's ever looming presence is a beacon.

 

 

Journey keeps  the goal relativly in view of the player. The goal is clear and is obvious to the player that they need to be heading that way. The player is driven by curiosity.

Exploration of the level is also facilitated by collectables which the player can gain. Also, the little scarf pieces are obvious markers as to where the player needs to go.

 

 

 

Skyrim

Gorgeous environments are lush and interesting to explore. Wonder what goodies you can find in here to make potions with?

Wonder what's at the top of that mountain? The player has every capability to go as high as they wish.

Skyrim offers many hidden things for the player to explore. There is a bar at the top of the screen in un UI which shows players landmarks which are close so the player can choose to explore that area.

Many quests are available everywhere, as well as many different collectables which can be used for potions. There are variations within the terrain across the country too which gives the player a sense of distance and of having traveled

Assassin's Creed 2

Considering the player isn't held back from climbing to the top of that tower, he can happily clamber up and explore the roof of every building.

 

Here, Ezio is at the top of a veiw point, looking down at the city around him.

By using collectables and points of interest across the map, players are encouraged to use the extensive climbing mechanics too clamber to the top of every building, or at least to the top of ones which are marked as a veiwpoint.

-----------------------------------------

(From this research) - Things to place in the game:

Collectables - Perfectionists/Magpie syndrome.
Veiwpoints - Make goals visible.
Points of interest - Make goals visible/collectables.