With open-world games becoming more prevalent than ever before, most games try to make their progression systems as fast-paced as possible to let players enjoy a consistent sense of growth and achievement as they make progress. There’s nothing wrong with this approach per se, but some players would prefer a more measured approach in their video games.
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This is why some open-world games stand out if they do a great job of making progression slow-paced and meaningful. Instead of sinking into the dreaded boring territory, these games make every step forward a meaningful one that rewards players for their achievements.
8
Fallout: New Vegas
The Courier Slowly Transforms From A Weak Survivor Into One Of The Mojave’s Most Legendary Figures
- Released
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October 19, 2010
New Vegas is arguably the best Fallout game ever made, featuring the best of both the old and new games in the series. This means that players can explore an amazing world that is full of meaningful content, making role-playing more effortless than ever before.
The beauty of New Vegas stems from its incredible progression, rewarding players for sticking to a particular build instead of trying to be a jack-of-all-trades. Players can install mods to make leveling more thoughtful than ever before, incentivizing players to think twice before improving the Courier’s skills whenever they acquire enough experience points.
7
The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
Link’s Adventures Can Be As Meticulously Paced As Players Want
- Released
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March 3, 2017
- Developer(s)
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Nintendo EPD
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Mighty
One of the best parts of Breath of the Wild is how approachable this game is without losing its hardcore edge for seasoned gamers. The Great Plateau is a slow yet meticulously crafted tutorial area that slowly helps players come to grips with the game’s many mechanics.
Eventually, players will acquire the equipment and skills required to tackle tougher threats, which can take a long time for some players. The fact that players can technically go through this game without having to fight tougher enemies like Guardian Stalkers and Lynels is a huge part of what makes this game special, with players finding unique ways to circumvent the game’s challenges courtesy of its malleable engine and experimental gameplay.
6
Gothic
Progression Can Be Ridiculously Slow If Players Don’t Know What They’re Doing
Gothic
- Released
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November 23, 2001
- Developer(s)
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Piranha Bytes
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Weak
It’s easy for players to get frustrated with Gothic in the early going, especially since they’ll barely be able to take on a single foe without being obliterated in a flash. It takes a long while for players to wrap their heads around the controls and make their way toward one of the camps, which will help them slowly but surely develop their skills.
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This means that players will be incapable of wielding weapons effectively without investing their experience points in training sessions, which can be a time-consuming process. Eventually, the Nameless Hero will transform from a harmless cretin into a strong warrior who can walk over enemies who were giving players a tough time early on.
5
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Henry Starts As A Complete Amateur Who Must Slowly Become A Halfway-Competent Warrior
- Released
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February 13, 2018
- Developer(s)
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Warhorse Studios
- OpenCritic Rating
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Fair
Players who can’t stand slow starts may find Kingdom Come: Deliverance to be a bit too overbearing for their liking. It takes a while for Henry’s life to be turned upside down, and this is before he’s thrown into an open world with zero combat experience.
This, coupled with a punishing save system, means that players will lose a ton of progress as they try to learn the tricks of the trade necessary to survive. It takes a while, but Henry will eventually get the training and equipment he needs to take on several bandits at once, rewarding patient players for slowly investing in this character’s growth.
4
STALKER: Clear Sky
Notorious In A Series Known For Its Slow Progression Because Of How Ruthless The Opening Is
- Released
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September 15, 2008
Every game in the STALKER series starts quite slow, but Clear Sky takes the cake in this regard with its agonizing opening. Beginning the game in a boring swamp and getting killed by tougher enemies over and over again can make for a slow and frustrating start.
It takes a while for players to finally come to grips with this pace, accepting that they need to conform to the game’s rules for now before eventually gaining full access to the open world after a lot of trial and error. This is a reward in and of itself, finally letting players make the most of Clear Sky‘s incredible gameplay that boasts some of the most tense firefights in the entire series.
3
Elden Ring
Players Slowly Invest Runes To Make Their Version Of The Tarnished Can Tackle The Game’s Many Challenging Threats
- Released
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February 25, 2022
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Mighty
The slow and rewarding progression of FromSoftware’s modern action games was bound to translate well into an open world. Watching the Tarnished transform from a squishy protagonist into one of the strongest characters in The Lands Between is something fans can’t get enough of.
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This is a huge part of what made Elden Ring so special since players could just head somewhere else to acquire Runes and level up if they faced a roadblock. A character’s development into a competent warrior takes time, but players who improve stats relevant to their build and become more adept at playing this game will find Elden Ring to be a rich and rewarding open-world game.
2
No Man’s Sky
Mining For Resources, Acquiring Credits, And Upgrading Equipment Makes For A Slow Yet Rewarding Gameplay Loop
- Released
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August 9, 2016
- OpenCritic Rating
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Fair
It took a while for No Man’s Sky to turn its reputation around, transforming from a game full of unfulfilled promises into one of the best sci-fi exploration games players can get their hands on. However, regardless of the many updates it has enjoyed, players must keep in mind that this game boasts a slower pace than most other open-world games.
It’s a relatively cozy sci-fi survival game where players must spend a lot of time mining and gathering other resources to improve their equipment and load themselves up with credits. It takes a while, but players who love the game’s immaculate vibes will become rich and decked out well before they reach the center of the universe, provided they explore as many planets as possible during their journey.
1
Kenshi
Players Who Don’t Know What They’re Doing May Get Frustrated At How Slow Things Move In This Game
- Released
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December 6, 2018
- OpenCritic Rating
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Strong
Kenshi is one of the most challenging sandbox titles players can check out. With no guidance or goal to speak of, players are dropped into a city and must figure out a way to make a name for themselves without dying at the hands of slavers, Bonedogs, and the various other threats present in this title.
Players must spend numerous in-game hours honing their combat skills and acquiring money to increase their playable character’s chances of success. This makes for a slow start that transitions players into a progression curve that takes its sweet time before letting players construct massive bases or become legendary warriors in the world of Kenshi.
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