So, I picked up Red Dead Redemption on midnight release and I must say it's fantastic. This thread isn't about that game specifically but instead about how you go about playing these games. My neighbor comes over regularly to watch / play Red Dead with me, but he doesn't care about story progression and is only interested in the Sandbox / Do-Anything part of the game. Whereas I enjoy the idea of seeing a full and vibrant world whilst being entertained by the story at hand.

What do you like about Open World Games? The freedom to do whatever you please? The engaging environment? Do you not care if it's Open World and you just want the story? Or do you hate Open World Games (because I guess that's a possibility)?