Best Open-World Games Where The Story Unfolds At Your Pace

Open-world games often feature a core narrative thread that either drags players through the world, or simply acts as a backbone to an otherwise free-form structure. Typically, games that offer expansive environments and gameplay systems that facilitate player agency offer a more flexible pace.

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8 Coziest Open-World Games

These open-world games offer uniquely cozy experiences, and while some do still offer some conflict, they’re punctuated with relaxing moments.

By allowing players to explore at their own pace and not forcing them to seek out specific locations or complete certain goals right away, these titles are able to offer expressive and often relaxing experiences. Each of these titles offers a world that’s fun and often intuitive to explore, encouraging active exploration and experimentation on the part of the player.

8

Dredge

An Addictive Loop Of Lovecraftian Horror And Fishing

Dredge is a tremendously addictive fishing game that tasks players with making a living on the calm but occasionally creepy waters of an archipelago. This tightly-crafted gameplay loop is supported by a Lovecraftian horror story that’s packed with supernatural spooks and creepy characters.

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Great Open-World Games That Aren’t Overwhelming

Players can enjoy these open-world games without feeling overwhelmed, a delicate balancing act that the following titles nail.

Though Dredge features a narrative told in a stylishly minimalist way, the story unfolds at the player’s own pace; Dredge gives players the freedom to explore however they see fit, with the only limitations being the strength of their boat. Players are able to reach further out with each upgrade they acquire, but there’s never any rush or overwhelming pressure, allowing players to control the pace of the story.

7

Death Stranding

A Game That’s All About The Journey

Death Stranding’s gameplay loop is a truly unique one, and certainly not for every kind of player; the game is focused almost entirely on the slow and laborious act of traveling. Though it can be tedious at times, managing the weight of cargo and traversing unfriendly terrain, it can be a rewarding experience for the right kind of player.

One side effect of this distinctive gameplay loop is that players are able to enjoy the game at their own pace. For the most part, players are in charge of their journeys, and there’s often a good chance to stop and admire the post-apocalyptic wilderness. Combined with the variety of distractions and deliveries, players are able to explore Death Stranding’s truly strange narrative at their own clip.

6

STALKER: Shadow Of Chernobyl

Immersive Exploration In Interconnected Open Areas

The narrative is by no means the primary focus of STALKER: Shadow Of Chernobyl, but its detailed and dynamic world is certainly front and center. The harsh and hostile environments of its world, roaming NPCs and mobs, and truly immersive atmosphere make each journey across STALKER’s landscape a memorable experience. More importantly, the rambling nature of the game allows players to explore at their own pace.

However, while certain elements of STALKER allow for free exploration and experimentation, many missions are subject to a deadline. Some of these deadlines are more forgiving than others, but in general, players are given a suitable amount of time to roam. Furthermore, the main quests of STALKER typically aren’t timed, allowing players to control the pace of the story.

5

Elden Ring

The Enigma Of Dark Souls And The Freedom Of An Open World

Sporting the loosely-threaded narrative and enigmatic characters that FromSoftware is known for, Elden Ring manages to appeal to a wider audience with its expansive open world. The variety of bosses and encounters, both optional and mandatory, are given an added sense of discovery through well-hidden locations and true player agency.

Exploring can be done at the player’s own pace, and the tedium is taken out of the equation thanks to the addition of a horse; allowing the player to travel at faster speeds makes up for the vast distances players are often tasked with crossing, keeping the pace. As with Dark Souls, Elden Ring features a variety of optional tasks that players can tackle on their way to beating the game, and the open-world structure allows players to control the pace even more.

4

Caves Of Qud

An Open-World Roguelike RPG With Endless Distractions

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Caves Of Qud

Systems

Released

July 15, 2015

Developer(s)

Freehold Games

Caves Of Qud may not look like much on the surface, but its evocative writing, immersive atmosphere, and free-form gameplay elevate the overall experience. In the game, players build a character using a tremendously detailed character creator and venture out into a truly unique science-fantasy world packed with quests to complete and people to meet.

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Best Open-World Games With Unique Gameplay

Some open-world games stand out from the crowd due to their unique gameplay. Here are the best examples that fans can check out.

There is a main quest-line to follow in Caves Of Qud, but the expansive open world and extensive combination of procedural and hand-crafted content frequently distract in the best possible way. Outside of exploring locations out of pure curiosity or in search of valuable treasure, Caves Of Qud entices players toward specific locations with a variety of side-quests. All of these elements allow players to explore the world and enjoy the evocative stories within at their own pace. Furthermore, the turn-based nature of the game takes time pressure out of the equation.

3

LEGO Lord Of The Rings

A Familiar Story Interspersed With Open-World Collecting

With a story that will be comfortably familiar to fans of the source material, LEGO Lord of The Rings excels not only with its sense of loyalty and loving nostalgia, but with its admirable adaptation of Middle-earth via a LEGO open world. Though players progress through the story via several levels, LEGO Lord of the Rings allows players to explore and collect all manner of items at their own pace.

Players are given no time limit, taking any and all stress or pressure out of the equation. Furthermore, the LEGO formula works perfectly with the open-world structure, resulting in a truly free-form gameplay loop that allows players to balance exploration with the tackling of missions.

A Dynamic Open-World That Encourages Journeying Off The Beaten Path

The expansive, detailed world, wide variety of quests, and open-world structure make Skyrim a truly diverse, free-form experience. Players are free to explore the game’s world at their own pace, and there’s no doubt that plenty of entertainment can be had before even beginning to tackle the game’s main quests.

The game’s waypoint system lays an abundance of breadcrumbs at the player’s feet, constantly encouraging investigation and distraction that keeps players on the move and drives exploration. Intentional or not, Skyrim is best played in a wandering manner, and players that make a beeline for the main story may miss some of its greatest moments.

1

Fallout: New Vegas

Lacks Hand-Holding & Champions Player Agency

Many of the Fallout games provide players with an expansive open world and free-form style that allows for a flexible pace. However, Fallout: New Vegas is arguably one of the best due to the sheer lack of hand-holding that players are given. This is especially so with the game’s main quest, of which players have very little to go on.

While possibly frustrating for some, this drops players straight into the world and heavily encourages exploration and experimentation. Players are guaranteed to meet all kinds of interesting characters, creatures, and antagonists across their journey, many of which will distract and delight in equal measure. Overall, the abundance of side-quests, expansive world, and total player agency allow players to tread through the open world of Fallout: New Vegas at their own leisure.

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The Most Immersive Open World Games, Ranked

Open world games are some of the most popular because of how many hours you can spend on them! These are the most immersive.