The Best Open-World Games Where The Main Story Is Not The Priority

Open-world games are diverse in their variety, from small and accessible adventures such as A Short Hike to the expansive worlds of games such as Elden Ring or Fallout: New Vegas. Open-world games can provide players with a sense of wonder and discovery that linear games typically can’t, but sometimes their main story can get in the way.

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Many of these titles, more typically in the triple-A scene, use their open-world designs in tandem with a dramatic, linear story. However, other titles encourage exploration and discovery over railroading players along the main narrative or even forgo a narrative altogether.

8

Star Traders: Frontiers

Freeform Exploration Through An Open Universe

Star Traders: Frontiers

Released

November 14, 2017

ESRB

t

This open-world indie game gives players control of their own spaceship and its crew. In the game, players can explore the universe freely, participating in sandbox activities and side missions that allow them to improve their ship, its crew, and their overall wealth.

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There is a main story in Star Traders: Frontiers, but the emphasis here is on the aforementioned side activities and the sandbox structure of the gameplay. For fans of exploration, sci-fi, and sandbox gameplay, Star Traders is worth a shot, but its open-world is somewhat more limited due to its nature as a lower-budget indie game.

7

Borderlands 2

FPS Action With A Focus On Loot & Side-Questing

Released

September 18, 2012

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol

Featuring an interconnected pseudo-open-world, Borderlands 2 excels with its co-op FPS action and emphasis on exciting loot. The looter shooter gameplay structure focuses heavily on exploration and discovery, with plenty of combat encounters sprinkled throughout to test new weapons and offer some difficulty.

There is a narrative thread that runs throughout Borderlands 2, but the focus here is most certainly on exploring and looting with friends. There’s also an abundance of side-quests for players to get distracted by, providing more opportunities for leveling up and finding new loot.

6

Elden Ring

A Focus On Exploration & Discovery

Systems

Released

February 25, 2022

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence

Elden Ring does feature a main story for players to progress through. However, as with FromSoftware’s previous titles, its storytelling method is slow and irregular, feeding players information piecemeal as they explore and discover new locations.

Because of this, the emphasis is very much on player exploration and optional content such as dungeons and mini-bosses. Players who enjoy a more dramatic, focused story or the option to approach quests from multiple angles may be disappointed by this combat-centric RPG, but the sense of discovery it offers will likely be enough for many open-world fans.

An Expansive Wilderness Packed With Points Of Interest

Released

November 11, 2011

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol

With its expansive open-world and plethora of locations and side-quests, Skyrim is a tried and true title to get lost in. The game’s main story can be ignored almost immediately, with the game allowing players to forge their own path through its fantasy world directly following the tutorial.

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While it’s certainly recommended to progress through the main story eventually, Skyrim excels in its side-quests and optional content. From the abundance of hidden caverns to the variety of factions offering unique quests, Skyrim has something for everyone.

4

Kenshi

An Open-World That Lets Players Tell Their Own Story

Released

December 6, 2018

ESRB

nr

Kenshi doesn’t technically feature a main story, but it’s worth mentioning here because it’s a fantastic game for players who enjoy carving their own path. The amount of agency that Kenshi allows its players is commendable, allowing them to build their own character and companions as they explore and set their own goals.

For many, Kenshi will simply be too directionless, too far in the other direction; radical. However, the detail of its strange open-world and the freedom through which it allows players to explore and interact with its setting more than makes up for its lack of scripted narrative.

3

STALKER: Shadow Of Chernobyl

A Harsh Interconnected World That’s All About The Journey

Systems

Released

March 20, 2007

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol

STALKER is technically a pseudo-open-world, made up of large interconnected areas that together make up the series’ iconic Zone. This harsh and unforgiving environment is the lifeblood of STALKER, providing players with memorable journeys across long stretches of dangerous wasteland.

The main story of STALKER is at first not a priority, as players begin the game with little to their name. This emphasizes careful exploration and side-questing, both of which will allow players to amass powerful new items and equipment to help them survive the Zone’s more treacherous environments.

2

Caves Of Qud

Old-School Adventures In An Ambitious Science-Fantasy World

Caves of Qud is an open-world roguelike RPG that’s unique for its combination of hand-crafted and procedural content. This aspect of procedural generation also takes the focus off of the main story, allowing players to be rewarded for consistent exploration.

Leveling up and discovering powerful items is integral to success in Caves of Qud, and as a result, exploring every nook and cranny is key. Following the main quest-line is certainly recommended, but players shouldn’t be afraid to veer from the primary path, as their curiosity will often be rewarded.

1

Fallout: New Vegas

A Wild Wasteland Full Of Detailed Distractions

Systems

Released

October 19, 2010

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs

Fallout: New Vegas throws players in the deep-end from the very start, featuring a simple revenge plot that functions as its main story. This story is actively designed to push players into the wasteland and explore, talking to NPCs and interacting with the world at large.

At first, players may be extremely focused on the main story, but they’ll soon get entangled with the lives of the various NPCs, taking sides and completing quests in creative ways. The game’s waypoint system also tries its best to constantly pull the player in several directions at once, ensuring there’s always some new distraction to tear them away from the main quest.

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