Summary
Some open-world games may have plenty to do, but almost every playthrough can feel similar with only a few options to shake things up. However, other games are designed so that the player can change the routes they take each time, with discoveries or even entire worlds being different from before.
From survival titles to expansive RPGs, open-world games can elevate a mere adventure into an immersive epic, compelling players to revisit their intricate systems and evolving narratives time and again. They are designed to make each playthrough feel as fresh and invigorating as the first time a player pressed Start.
A pirate’s life is not for the faint of heart, but there are a variety of ways to play it inSea Of Thieves. Players create a pirate character and explore an open world. From fending offdeadly sharks in the oceanto finding treasure on countless islands, the game is a sandbox for players to enjoy in any way they wish.
Every playthrough can result in new allies or enemies, asSea Of Thievesis technically an MMO that can be enjoyed with a party of friends to go up against other parties and NPC enemies. There are also numerous stories to enjoy thanks to years of updates, including aPirates Of The Caribbeanexpansion that includes Captain Jack Sparrow and Davy Jones replicated in the game’s art style.
Using the BioWare template of established games likeMass EffectandDragon Age, fans can experience what it’s like to live in an alternate time like theStar Warsuniverse. InStar Wars: The Old Republic,gamers can be a Jedi, Sith, Smuggler, Bounty Hunter, Trooper, or an Imperial Agent. Each has their own story, worlds to explore, and engaging MMORPG combat.
Since the player can choose to be a hero, villain, or anti-hero with story-based options for dialogue and actions, every playthrough ofStar Wars: The Old Republiccan be vastly different from the last. When the planets become more open and filled with hundreds of other players, there is no particular order in which to accomplish missions, whether it is a story or some dungeon found in the world.
Batman: Arkham Knighthas a linear story, but the version of Gotham City it offers is a superhero sandbox with over a dozen side missions that players can complete in any order. Batman can arrest the different villains during and after the main story, which can lead to alternative dialogue. Even the sequence in which specific villains are arrested can trigger different cutscenes.
On top of it all, Rocksteady filled the open-world Gotham City with hundreds of challenges and collectibles. The developers also added aplethora of Easter eggs and secretsthat fans are still finding more than ten years afterBatman: Arkham Knightreleased, becoming a definitive title in the realm of Batman video games.
Freedom has helped define the legacy ofThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimsince it launched in 2011: thefreedom to create a character, class, and a path to progress. A new encounter with a dragon or a secret dungeon could be just around the corner. That has since been amplified due to the many expansions, updates, remasters, and mods over the years.
The Dragonborn can be one of many fantastical races, can wield any kind of weapon, and can use all sorts of magic.Skyrimis another case where anything can be done in any order. There are playthroughs where people save the main story for last, after hundreds of hours.
Nintendo harked back to the original game in the series withThe Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wildwhen it comes to player freedom. After Link goes through the initial tutorial mission, all of Hyrule is available to explore. If the player can see it, they can probably run or climb onto it, give or take a few upgrades to Link’s arsenal and abilities.
Instead ofthe typicalZeldadungeons,Breath Of The Wildfeatures dozens of smaller dungeons known as Shrines, which can be completed in any order and are the best way to upgrade Link early on. The story-based dungeons known as Divine Beasts can be completed in any order or avoided altogether. The main boss is available almost immediately and can be defeated without the Beasts, if Link is feeling bold.
Every single playthrough ofMinecraftis new, because the cubic world is procedurally generated. While the basic setup of the game is always the same, having to gather materials to craft the means to survive, there is no objectivein the basic survival modeofMinecraft.
One person could strive to create the perfect house and live a happy life in whatever biome suits them. That same person could decide to commit their second playthrough to defeating the Ender Dragon and beating the game’s story. Those are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what players can do inMinecraft, a game so successful that it spawned a blockbuster movie.
Geralt of Rivia’s story, trying to find his apprentice and surrogate daughter Ciri, has become an iconic one, but the story is only a fraction of the content available inThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. The game is famous for featuring hundreds of side quests, which range from minuscule to resulting in massive side stories.
Over a decade later,The Witcher 3: Wild Huntremains one of the most beloved andsuccessful RPG adventures ever made. It became even more stocked with content thanks to its expansions that are large enough to be their own games, showing just how much CD Projekt Red cared about this title.
Like Minecraft,No Man’s Skypresents a procedurally generated world, but on a much larger scale, presenting an entire universe for the player to explore. Every planet and its topography, flora, and fauna are randomly created for the player to scan or even rename. The main objective is to gather the materials needed to progress to the center of the universe.
When the game first launched in 2016, it failed to live up to expectations, but Hello Games pushed themselves to make it into the space-exploration game they originally promised. Now,No Man’s Skyis an entirely different game with colorful visuals,more diversity of open-world planets, and different ways to progress both solo and with friends.
Monolith Productions was known for first-person shooters, but they redefined their career withMiddle-Earth: Shadow Of Warand its predecessor,Shadow Of Mordor,before their unfortunate closing. Both featured their patented Nemesis system, which allowed them to feature randomly generated Orcs that can have different names, backstories, weaknesses, and motivations.
No playthrough ofMiddle-Earth: Shadow Of Waris the same, as it takes the Nemesis system and pushes it even further to create even more dynamics with Orcs. Orcs can come back to life with vendettas or mutations. Others can betray the player’s army due to the player slaughtering their friend or family member. With an expanded gear system and even better gameplay,Middle-Earth: Shadow Of Warbecame a modern classic.
After the initial chapter that introduces Arthur Morgan and the Van Der Linde Gang,Red Dead Redemption 2opens up, giving players the chance to explore the American frontier at the dawn of the 20th century. There are things to find even on the tenth playthrough, because Rockstar went above and beyond to create a condensed version of the United States, from mountains like those in Montana to the bayous of Louisiana.
Every area inRed Dead Redemption 2has secrets and rare encounters that some might not find until years later, such asencountering a mysterious flying saucer. The story, an emotional rollercoaster ride, is just icing on top of a delicious cake, making this game the perfect Western for those seeking something to scratch an itch for cowboys.
