Some open world games have a centralized villain that everyone hates, and the hero fights against. For example, the wild hunt in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt are interdimensional travelers bent on wreaking havoc while searching for Ciri, the key to their salvation.
Best game that lets you be the hero or the villain
Whether they want to be the world-saving hero or tear the world apart the terrifying villain, these games give players the opportunity to do both.
Even a sillier game that Donkey Kong Banana has clear villains and heroes between the VoidCo monkeys and Donkey Kong, who teams up with Pauline. Some open world games don't have clear black and white sides of good and evil, and these are interesting to check out. They can even make players question their own motives.
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Fallout: New Vegas
Fractions for days
Fallout: New Vegas definitely has people who could be considered heroic or villainous by modern standards, but the game is also set in a post-apocalypse which changes the scale a bit. It may not be right to eat human flesh, but when the supply is low, sometimes cannibalism is the answer. Players also have an archenemy, the one who shot them dead, but even this man had his reasons.
With a karma system in place, players can decide how they want to approach the world, either as someone benevolent, looking to change things for the better, or a ruthless survivor out for themselves and the revenge they crave. That's the beauty of it Fallout: New Vegas and how players can change their approach with new playthroughs.
Minecraft
Just you building stuff
Minecraft will drop players into a randomly generated world as if to say “Go and have fun.” There is no story, no tutorials, and no quest system to speak of. Minecraft is the kind of experience that entices players to try it out for themselves, which is why it has remained so popular as a builder.
After felling a few trees, digging in some patches of dirt, and smashing some rocks, players can start crafting better tools and then create masterpieces from gardens to entire villages. There are enemies to fight, like zombies and tendrils that can explode, but no overarching villain tries to stop players from having fun, and this removal of the burden also makes things more accessible.
Monster Hunter Wilds
Monsters are not inherently evil
Monster Hunter Wildsand Monster Hunter the series overall is about hunting down giant Kaiju-sized monsters, but these monsters aren't inherently evil. They all exist in habitats, and they live and die like all animals in the wild. Sometimes they are out of control harming nearby villages, and sometimes there are monsters hunting people for sport.
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Overall though, there is nothing harmful about the way these monsters live their lives, as it is all about survival. In a way, hunters are more like the bad guys because they also hunt for sport, to gather materials and arm themselves with the best gear imaginable. It is, in a way, part of the cycle of life.
Cyberpunk 2077
Your villain is your upbringing
The bad guy off Cyberpunk 2077 is ambition. There are three routes that players can start out on, and regardless of which player chooses, they will eventually fall into the same route, leading them to corporate shenanigans within Night City. This also leads to a near-death experience with an AI implanted in their bodies, Johnny Silverhand, who is based on an infamous hacker who died years ago but now lives on through players.
Through a symbiotic relationship, much of the game shifts focus between players who want to make their own way in the world and players who adhere to Johnny's desire to seek justice. While likable, Johnny is not an altruistic character, and his enemies aren't much worse. In the cyberpunk future, it's a dog-eat-dog world out there.
Starfield
Explore space for humanity
Starfield falls in line with something similar Fallout: New Vegasbecause there are antagonists, but no one is trying to destroy the galaxy. The premise follows players as a newly trained space cadet in search of some cosmic artifacts that will have significant significance. Along the way, they'll encounter rival hunters and general space bandits, but like the Old West, space is a wild frontier, and people expect some lawlessness.
It's a different story than a space RPG that Mass effect which had a core plot and villain, which does Starfield more refreshing. Players are free to be good or bad if they want too, so there is that aspect.
No Man's Sky
Flight to parts unknown
No Man's Sky somewhat similar Starfield in that players are astronauts, but the game has more in common with Minecraft. With no core plot other than a need to reach the center's universe, players are given all the tools they need on their starting planet to scan life and blast away. Players can bounce from plane to plane and soar in real time with their customizable ship.
10 RPGs where the world tells the story
These RPGs are masters of feeding you their story, not just through cutscenes, but through powerful environmental narrative.
They can reshape these randomly generated planets as they see fit by digging deep inside, building bases, and so on. There are bandits and law enforcement to butt heads with, though No Man's Sky is a relatively quiet game by all accounts, being more like a space sim than a space adventure.
Sword of the Sea
Rebuilding the planet
Sword of the Sea is a relatively short game with a cool gameplay hook. As a nameless warrior reawakening in a grave, they are given a sword, but not to fight with, as this blade can ride like a surfboard. The goal of each zone is to turn the sand seas into real seas again, as the magic of life has been locked away in tombs.
Aside from the forces that changed the planet long ago, there's no combat or central villain to worry about, as the story can be pieced together through environmental world-building instead. The first time players unlock a seafront will be dazzling, and they'll surely be looking forward to what happens next in Sword of the Sea.
Sea Of Thieves
Just pirates having an adventure
Sea of Thieves is a party game to end all party games. It's possible to work alone, but players can enjoy the pirate life so much more with a full crew setting out on adventures across the wide open seas. That's because all ship controls can be delegated to other players, like a sim game, which is more engaging than many pirate games out there.
Players can also fight other pirates in ship battles, dock at islands to fight monsters and search for treasure and so on. The game was a little weak at launch in terms of content, but now it's loaded with content waiting for all pirate enthusiasts to check it out.
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