From Software has done it. They have eschewed typical open world structure and mechanics for a free roaming souls game that has no limits. Intrigue and mystery lie behind every corner of the games vast spaces. Souls signature monsters and combat return, with added abilities and manueverabiltiy that gives the combat a more fast paced and dynamic feel than previous souls games. It is hard to describe what makes this open world so much more pleasing and explorable than other standard titles and releases. There is no quest log, the map only has 2 icons on it as you explore, teleport/rest points, and discovered structures/caves. It is the first game since Breath of the Wild that so fully endorses self fueled exploration, nothing is described, the lore is minimal and your understanding of the world and the characters evolves as you play and uncover the map. Played through using multiple builds and weapons and it all just feels so fresh and fun. Some builds and weapons are definitely overpowered compared to others but I think there is enought breadth of combat and design that you can play exactly how you want and still make it through. There are some balance issues with common mobs and boss scaling that make common encounters much more difficult than some major boss fights. Overall this is my clear GOTY frontrunner, I completed the game, majority of bosses and explored as much as I wanted in around 63 hours of gameplay.