Best Linear Sections & Missions In Open-World Games

Most people assume that games with massive sandboxes strive to give players as much freedom as possible when tackling any given obstacle. While this is true in the case of open-world games that personify this genre, most other titles realize that players don’t mind enjoying a bit of linearity from time to time.

This is why the best missions in open-world games fans can remember have linear objectives that players must accomplish with little to no wiggle room since this allows developers to craft a cinematic and memorable experience. Sure, gameplay freedom in these missions is appreciated, but players won’t mind taking a break from a wide-open sandbox to check out these linear missions from time to time.

8 Friend Request

Kill Lifeinvader’s Founder On Live TV With A Rigged Phone

Grand Theft Auto 5 is a game where Rockstar lets players enjoy the best of both worlds. The sandbox is massive and beautiful while the missions are more linear and cinematic than ever before. It’s a combination that should be at odds with each other but works brilliantly in the game’s favor.

After Michael gets himself in hot water after a rage-fuelled moment where he pulls down a house and has to pay for the damages, he gets in touch with Lester and helps him improve his stock market gains by breaking into Lifeinvader and planting an explosive device on a prototype phone being launched by its founder, Jay Norris. It’s a hilarious mission that ends with a news report where Norris’ head explodes on live television, serving as a memorable ending to this linear mission.

7 (Don’t Fear) The Reaper

A Challenging Mission That Leads To The Secret Ending

Cyberpunk 2077 features an amazing open world and some of the best combat fans can experience in a Western RPG. While most ending paths are essentially linear, the secret path to the game’s ending is memorable for letting players stage a one-man assault on Arasaka Tower.

It’s a brutal mission where death chucks players into the end credits with no warning. Players must make it through this grueling mission on their own, eventually reaching the boss fight with Adam Smasher and unlocking the path to one of two possible endings.

6 Out Of The Frying Pan…

Spider-Man Takes On The Sinister Six And Fails

Marvel’s Spider-Man burst onto the scene and established Insomniac Games as a developer who understood what made the webhead click with video game fans. Along with a beautiful open world and excellent gameplay, the story of Marvel’s Spider-Man is off the charts and usually told via linear missions.

One particular mission involves players heading to Ryker’s only for Doctor Octavius to enact a plan that involves the Sinister Six freeing these prisoners and letting them run rampant in New York City. This action-packed sequence in Ryker’s features Marvel’s Spider-Man at its very best, ending in a chase sequence with Electro before the rest of the Sinister Six beat down Spider-Man and unleash their brand of hell on the city.

5 Blood Feuds, Ancient And Modern

A Memorable Assault On The Braithwaite Manor

Most Rockstar Games qualify as open-world games with linear missions. Given the amazing production values of Red Dead Redemption 2, it’s easy to see why almost every mission in this game is sublime to play through. However, some moments stand out more than others, with the assault on Braithwaite Manor being a joy to witness firsthand.

Seeing the gang walk up in style to the manor before all hell breaks loose is one of the most memorable moments in the entire game. The soundtrack ramps it up a notch as Dutch’s gang shoots up Braithwaite Manor, making them rue the act of kidnapping Jack.

4 In Loving Memory Of Francesco Potenza

A Story-Focused Mission With A Memorable Atmosphere

The Mafia games were labeled by many as GTA clones but have an allure of their own that sets them apart. The focus isn’t on the sandbox, but on a story that is masterfully told in a series of memorable missions and high-budget cutscenes.

The action-packed shootouts and chase sequences are fun in their own right, but it’s the moment when the writing gets to show off that Mafia 2 is at its best. No mission personifies this more than In Loving Memory of Francesco Potenza, where a fun night of drink takes a turn when one of Vito’s friends conveniently remembers that he had to bury a dead body that was rotting in his trunk. With his friends too smashed to help out, Vito is forced to bury the body on his own as his friends sing drunkenly to make for one of the most hilarious and endearing missions in the series.

3 The Wedding

A Major Turning Point In The Game’s Narrative

Sleeping Dogs wastes no time in establishing itself as a video game homage to classic Hong Kong action flicks. The missions do a great job of hammering in Wei Shen’s tough undercover task, but things don’t reach a boiling point until The Wedding, one of the best cinematic set-pieces in the entire game.

During Winston’s wedding, rival gangsters infiltrate the celebration and cause havoc. The couple were gunned down instead of living a happy life and Uncle Po was also shot in the chaos. It’s a pulse-pounding mission that sets Wei and the Water Street Gang on a hunt to find the people responsible for this massacre.

2 Beyond Hill And Dale…

Whisks Players Away To The Land Of A Thousand Fables

The Witcher 3: Blood & Wine is one of the best DLCs in gaming history, with one of its missions whisking players away in a fantasy world where they must find and bring Syanna back from the Land of a Thousand Fables.

An entire mission is dedicated to this area that is inspired by countless popular fairy tales. While players can perform certain optional tasks and engage with side content, the steps involved in bringing Syanna back are linear. Of course, given how small yet dense this fantasy landscape is, fans won’t mind spending as much time as possible uncovering its secrets before getting on with their mission.

1 The Da Nang Thang

CJ Loses All His Weapons And Must Take Out Enemies In A Ship

San Andreas was the last game of Grand Theft Auto‘s 3D Universe before Rockstar moved on from this engine. CJ’s adventure is massive in scope and makes for one of the best open-world games with a whole host of linear missions.

One particular mission revolves around an assault on a ship that starts with players using a minigun on a chopper before being shot down. Players lose all their weapons and must start from square one as they board the ship and take out its inhabitants silently, eventually getting a katana and cutting down the leader of the Da Nang Boys in a duel before ending one of the toughest and most entertaining missions in San Andreas.