Open-World game with hidden factions that completely change the story

Open world game consists of several different components, from gameplay to level design, but the most important aspect is undoubtedly the story that ties everything together. While it's nice to have a series of intense action sequences, a strong story is incredibly important, as it gives players a reason to keep going and motivation for their presence in the world in the first place. Aside from the action, many open world games put a lot of focus on fractions and groups of characters. Whether good, evil, or somewhere in between, they often become important focal points for large parts of a playthrough. But sometimes these factions can actually be a bit more obscure and under the radar, hiding in hidden areas or behind long, elaborate quest lines, while still having a big impact on the overall story.

Finding these groups is a real treat, as they almost always offer a whole new perspective on a theme or opinion in the world that players may never have stumbled upon otherwise. Some are out for blood, and others seek revenge, but the core thread that binds these hidden groups together is the ability to make real waves in the world, without having to step too far into the light. In many cases, primary factions take center stage, pulling players in one direction or another, showing them a side of history that they can choose to follow during their adventures. But for many players, side factions and underground organizations may actually prove more interesting and engrossing, offering a long list of peculiar and fascinating characters with enough ambition and power to make a real difference, despite their seemingly small scale.

Fallout: New Vegas

An entire world dictated by alliances

• Stories from the past are being reworked by different factions.

• Groups like Boomers can play big roles in later missions.

Fallout: New Vegas hides some of its most important thematic material within factions that are never positioned as superpowers on the surface. The Enclave Remnants, for example, can be found scattered across the Mojave as broken veterans, quietly reshaping the entire history of the land on the surface. Their existence confirms that the most powerful figures of the old world did not simply disappear; they simply failed, aged and forgotten over time. Their presence in the world also makes the central conflict feel more like another chapter in a much larger story, one that will continue long after the credits roll.

Other groups, such as the Boomers, are presented in a completely different way and thus serve their own unique purpose. Isolated, paranoid and technologically dangerous, they represent how different groups managed to survive in the wasteland, some forming larger civilizations, or in this case, isolating themselves from the great crowd. These factions are pretty easy to miss, but once revealed, they transform New Vegas from a political resistance to a much more meditative experience that explores ideas of legacy and the inescapable nature of history, introducing players to a story that reaches far into the past and one that will almost certainly continue into the future.

Underground nations and societies abound

• Several underground groups are hidden from prying eyes.

• They have enormous influence on the politics and governance of the world.

Skyrim has plenty of surface-level factions that are fairly easy to get over, but its hidden tells a much more complex story of power and manipulation and the consequences that come with each. The Nightingales, revealed deep into the Thieves Guild story, introduces Daedric influence into what initially appears to be a grounded criminal story. Their existence recasts the Guild as pawns in a divine contract rather than simple outlaws, adding a mythological heft that completely removes the impression players are given early on.

If stealth isn't to the player's taste, Blades might be the right fit for them. Once legendary Dragon Slayers, they now exist as relics clinging to outdated ideologies, forcing players to confront the costs that come with blindly following tradition. Meanwhile, non-aligned factions like the Psijic Order quietly suggest that Skyrim's political struggles are insignificant compared to forces operating from outside of time itself. These subtle extra elements transform an otherwise traditional fantasy story into a much more complex story, centered around divinity, and present some much deeper questions at the end that players must answer for themselves.

Fire Ring

To dictate the fate of the world

• Entire endings are dictated by faction allegiance.

• No markers to guide players to the next step in a mission.

Fire Ring is already an ambiguous game in basically every way imaginable. Even when characters are placed on the beaten path, it can often take several Google searches for their stories to begin, but the most transformative quest lines of the bunch are hidden even further behind veils and shadows. The Frenzied Flame is discovered through willful transgression, requiring players to descend into forbidden spaces and reject guidance entirely. Aligning with this faction not only unlocks an ending; it also paints a very different picture of the entire world as a cosmic mistake deserving of annihilation.

Those living in death offer an even quieter but equally disturbing perspective. Through Fia's questline, undeath is revealed not as a corrupting force but as a haunted state of existence. This faction exposes the hypocrisy of the Golden Order, turning the Erdtree from a symbol of life into an instrument used to exclude those who do not align with its values. Rather than adding flavor or expanding on the main plot, these factions actually rewrite the narrative in major ways, revealing a world built on much darker themes of fear and oppression than those outlined by those in power. In a sense, the connection of these groups to specific endings is actually a secondary reward for their discovery, the first being the revelations that come from following characters across The Lands Between and learning more about the dark history hidden just beneath the mainland.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Rival clans of all shapes and sizes

• Darker elements are otherwise missing in the main story.

• Different types of societies hide behind closed doors.

Red Dead Redemption 2 hides its most troubling factions far from its main cinematic story. The Night Folk, encountered only through exploration in a select few locations such as the Bayou, introduce an element of horror that takes away from the romance of the frontier. Ritual and far from natural exploration, they ask questions about civilization and its integration with the wilderness, something that is otherwise completely absent from the main story.

There are more examples of groups on the fringes of society, like the Murfree Brood, that serve a similar purpose out in the Grizzlies. Unlike Dutch's group, the Murfrees have completely abandoned any pretense of ideology, becoming a group that perfectly mimics what unchecked isolation and violence can create given enough time. There may not be any major quests or alliances within these factions, but what they do offer is a fundamental tonal shift that reminds players that the West isn't dying because of progress alone, but also because of the weight of those who linger in the shadows.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Full stories hidden beneath

• Large groups that span several different eras.

• Implications of pre- and post-match history.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt rarely puts their most influential factions front and center, but there are some examples of camps and tribes that manage to do as much heavy lifting as any other group in the game. The Scoia'tael exist mostly on the fringes, spoken of in hushed tones or encountered through morally ambiguous side quests, but despite a predominant presence on the surface of the world, their war against humanity remains a major talking point that delves deep into a conflict that is not about good versus evil, but about systemic oppression and broken treaties.

The Eternal Fire works even more subtly, talked about far more than they are explicitly seen. Their presence is felt through witch hunts, public executions and fearful NPC dialogue rather than direct confrontations, and the lack of head-on engagement lends a mystique to a group that pulls far more strings than even Geralt can imagine. They show how belief systems can become weapons, and how large groups of people can be controlled through ideology alone, making a story of heroic destiny something much more elaborate.