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

Summary

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

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.

Dredgeis 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 aLovecraftian horror storythat’s packed with supernatural spooks and creepy characters.

ThoughDredgefeatures a narrative told in a stylishly minimalist way, the story unfolds at the player’s own pace;Dredgegives 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.

Death Stranding’sgameplay loop is a truly unique one, and certainly not for every kind of player; the game is focused almost entirely on the slow and laboriousact 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 exploreDeath Stranding’struly strange narrative at their own clip.

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

However, while certain elements ofSTALKERallow 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 ofSTALKERtypically aren’t timed, allowing players to control the pace of the story.

Sporting the loosely-threaded narrative and enigmatic characters that FromSoftware is known for,Elden Ringmanages 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 withDark Souls,Elden Ringfeatures 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.

Caves Of Qudmay 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 uniquescience-fantasy worldpacked with quests to complete and people to meet.

There is a main quest-line to follow inCaves 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 Qudentices 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.

With a story that will be comfortably familiar tofans of the source material,LEGO Lord of The Ringsexcels 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 Ringsallows 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.

The expansive, detailed world, wide variety of quests, and open-world structure makeSkyrima 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,Skyrimis best played in a wandering manner, and players that make a beeline for the main story may miss some of its greatest moments.

Many oftheFalloutgamesprovide players with an expansive open world and free-form style that allows for a flexible pace. However,Fallout: New Vegasis 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 ofFallout: New Vegasat their own leisure.