Game with best exploration and a main quest you can ignore

The strange connection between the urgency of main quests and the freedom to explore and do all the various side quests first before tackling a world-wide threat has been debated in video games to death. It is understandable why some may find this frustrating. Being able to stomp and take your time defeats the purpose of racing against the clock when you either die from an enemy biochip in your brain or when the province is threatened by dragons. It breaks immersion in the main quest, and is probably one of the main reasons why so few games, especially open-world ones, manage to deliver a truly engaging main story.

There are other games where narratively it doesn't matter that much, or it almost makes sense for you to take your time and explore. These titles also do a very good job of building a world that feels interesting and exciting to enter without a quest marker as your guide. So if you're tired of making Hanako wait for Embers for days on end, here are the games I'd suggest instead to clear your mind.

Subnautica

Getting off the planet can wait a little longer

Okay, technically, Subnautica puts you in a pretty big situation right away. Here you are, stranded in a water world, all alone, your ship in pieces. Of course, the number one priority is to get back home, but story-wise these things usually take time. Have you ever seen the movie Throw away? If so, then you know why it's okay for Subnauticas focus should be on the journey, not the end.

With so many biomes and deep, mysterious caves to explore and sometimes terrifying wildlife to spot, it's pretty hard to tear yourself away Subnautica. This is enhanced by the fact that you can even build your own base in the game. Why would you want to leave when you could just stay here forever? And you can. Besides, it's not like leaving is a cheap ordeal anyway. It will take some time and effort before you have all the necessary materials to launch yourself into space, so just take your time and enjoy the ride. You will not be disappointed with the things you find in the depths.

Starfield

Maybe you'll stumble upon a temple, maybe not

Starfield maybe didn't get the reception that Bethesda intended, and I understand that people have their legitimate complaints about the game's design, but I still think it does something special by not presenting an urgent call to action. The whole world isn't ending, not everyone is at risk of dying, and I think this was designed so you could go out guilt-free and explore on your own. The “meat” of the main story is finding these temples scattered around the galaxy, but these things easily become a kind of secondary thing you only do when completing side quests or just traveling from one planet to another.

The procedural generation keeps things a bit exciting, although there is quite a bit of repetition when it comes to POIs. Still, it's strangely relaxing to just be able to go your own way, even going through some of the escort missions or finding good locations for outposts and space bases. It's a nice break from the rush of games like Skyrim and Fallout 4that had you fighting the dragon threat or finding your kidnapped child. They pull you out of your immersion very quickly, even if they make for good, linear stories. Starfields a more open approach that allows you to take your time and visit every planet in the game makes much more sense for the scope of the game.

Fallout: New Vegas

Revenge Isn't Rushed In The Mojave Wasteland

Fallout: New Vegas really knew what it was doing when it came out. Its main mission perfectly strikes that fine balance between just-enough-urgent and not-so-urgent. After the courier is left to bleed out in the Mojave Wasteland, a package stolen from them, they have the option of either going straight for revenge or taking the time to properly prepare. Since the Courier's own revenge saga inevitably gets mixed up with the local factional politics between the NCR, Mr. House, and the Legion, it's actually more worth it to just walk around and explore the world to get a better feel for what's actually going on.

In fact, this is hard-coded into the game as soon as you wake up in Goodsprings, with you being pointed to all the wasteland's minor locations first before you slam the doors to Vegas. And with all the role-playing options available in New Vegasnot all couriers will have the same idea right out of the gates. Just like The Ghoul says in the Amazon TV show: “You'll get tracked by bull**** every time”, and New Vegas knows exactly how to do that without making you feel like you're breaking the immersion of the game.

Red Dead Redemption 2

The world is changing, be sure to appreciate it

Red Dead Redemption 2 has been hailed as a masterpiece among video games, and no masterpiece should ever be rushed through. If there's one aspect of the game that's been done well, it's the world. The detail in it is astounding, and many fans recommend enjoying the whole experience without rushing through the main story. I won't provide any spoilers, but I will say this: the state of the world will change, one way or another, as you progress through the chapters. The generally accepted advice is actually to divert your attention to only exploration and side activities in the second and third chapters of the game, and go about it the slow way.

With hidden side quests and magnificent environmental storytelling, even though the main story has moments and themes and whole beats that make you worry you're on a bit of a timer, you won't feel as guilty about lingering in RDR2 as you would in other games. That's because the world also moves at a slower pace and communicates that to you. And as mentioned above, story-wise, you have a great place around Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 to enjoy everything the world has to offer you before the story gets much more high-stakes and hectic in the final two chapters.

You have to prove yourself first

The Elder Scrolls franchise fans tend to praise Morrowind for one important aspect: it doesn't think you're important from the start. While Skyrim pretty quickly you've identified yourself as the fabled Last Dragonborn, and Oblivion turns you, a lowly prisoner, into the Emperor's most important last servant, Morrowind don't care NPCs won't immediately think you're important (no spoilers here!), and you'll have to jump through some hoops and explore the world before you can rightfully claim your position as the chosen one.

Similar New Vegas' role playing potential, Morrowind is also hailed as one of the games in the franchise where you get to create your own path. For that reason alone, the journey is far more important than rushing to the end of the story. Explore every nook and cranny Morrowind is a magical experience that will make you bemoan the fact that it hasn't been remastered yet, and no one, especially at the beginning of the game, will care one bit that you spend your time wandering its cities and biomes.

Fire Ring

A tarnish rises with time and patience

An epic hero's journey is rarely about haste, and that is the case with Fire Ring. No one is waiting for you, no one needs you. Part of this lack of urgency may be FromSoftware's rather obscure storytelling, but even with the plot laid out, it's clear you're in no particular rush. The disaster has already happened: the Ring of Fire is already shattered, the Lands Between already ravaged by Marika's demigod children. You're just the hero who steps in and tries to put it all back together.

The world is so rich with big and small bosses, challenging enemies, dungeons and secrets that it never blames you for wandering to a new place. If anything, there's always some cool loot at the end of it to reward your exploration efforts. You could even argue that with how difficult the bosses are, the game cues you in a way to level up and come back when you're ready to face your next enemy, instead of banging your head against the wall over and over again.