Most open world games are set as soon as players start the game. There may be changes in cities based on how the story progresses, but mostly change happens because of the player. There aren't many games with evolving worlds that happen without player input, but the following are some great examples.
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Some changes are more obvious than others, and there is a way to keep track of how these developments work. Either way, these open world games should be celebrated because of how unique their internal mechanics are, making them some of the most inspiring games of all time. Perhaps more open-world games will be released down the road that embody this idea more.
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
Asynchronous multiplayer at its best
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is perhaps the best example of this idea since it uses asynchronous multiplayer. Players will be connected to others when they start playing, and there is no rhyme or reason to when things will appear or change.
Players cannot interact directly with others. For example, highways can be completed because it's a group effort, or players can stumble upon a lost package and decide to deliver it to someone else. Players can even entrust one of their packages to foreign couriers instead, which can be delivered randomly.
Middle-earth: Shadow Of Mordor
Your Orc Nemesis
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor has a copyrighted mechanic that only Monolith Productions can use, although it now belongs to Warner Bros. since they shut down Monolith Productions in 2025. It's called the Nemesis System, and basically every enemy that players attack in the game has a chance to come back from the “dead” if players don't finish them off. They come back scarred, stronger than before and often higher ranked with many followers. Players never know when they will see an old enemy again, as they will be rebuilding themselves in the background.
Fire Ring
Beware of intruders
Fire Ring doesn't have the biggest open world, but it's tightly packed with content, and it's the first open world Soulslike. The biggest change that can happen, beyond players opening new paths after bosses are permanently defeated, is whenever an invader enters. If players are paying attention, they may see a signal, but more often than not, they will simply see another player, who looks similar in design, start to attack. Intruders can even appear during co-op sessions, so players need to be careful.
Donkey Kong Banana
Mother Earth Repairs
Donkey Kong Banana is one of the funnest open-world games of 2025. It's not the first to do this, but the destructible environments are truly something to admire, as Donkey Kong never holds back with his hard-hitting punches.
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However, players cannot permanently destroy the world, as the Earth will repair itself when players least expect it. This can happen with a reload or warp back and forth between zones, but either way players can destroy to their heart's content without having to worry about permanent consequences.
Ghost of Yotei
Your reputation rises
Ghost of Yotei the world changes based on reputation, and the further players get, the harder it becomes to get through. By taking on rewards and completing side quests, the protagonist Atsu will make a name for himself. This is a bad thing, as more and more thugs and fellow hunters will start coming after her instead. The world will become more populated with enemies, and players can often find themselves ambushed, whether from being chased on horseback by enemies or stumbling upon a well-placed trap.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Get a load of that cash
Red Dead Redemption 2 has a similar system as Ghost of Yotei when it comes to rewards. Since this takes place in the Old West, the more dirty deeds players commit, the higher their Wanted level becomes. It may become more difficult to get into town and buy supplies as NPCs may recognize players and start alerting the authorities. Players have the option to not be as evil a criminal in the game as they can make the protagonist, Arthur Morgan, change his evil ways, even if he follows a gang.
Diablo 4
Stay tuned for world events
Diablo 4 is the first game in the series to have an open world to explore, and for a top-down game, it's huge. In addition to fighting random waves of monsters or discovering interesting locations, there are random world events that can appear in the world. In these gathering places, there will usually be hard-to-beat mini-bosses, and online players may begin gathering in an attempt to fight together. The further players get into the game, the more frequent and widespread these world events will become.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
Beware The Blood Moon
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is full of features, NPCs and events that will surprise players the first time they encounter them. For example, there is a phenomenon in the game called a Blood Moon, which can appear randomly because it is not an easy event to follow.
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The sky will be darkened by a blood red moon that will give all the monsters in the game an impossible level. In these difficult times, players may need to abandon whatever they are doing and wait out the storm so to speak, especially if players need to traverse an area full of enemies.
Minecraft
Property Bros.
What does Minecraft unique is that when players create a world, it is entirely theirs, as no one else in the world can have it. Players can start mining for resources to build gear, houses, monuments, full villages and more. If players stick to one area to build on, it will be easier to keep track of things. But if they branch out and build all over the island, then it will be harder to defend everything. At night, various enemies can come and try to destroy what the players have built. So, without the players' awareness, a monument can be blown up as night falls, changing the landscape.
Palworld
Relies on friends
Palworld is a bit like Minecraft except not as blocky, and it has Pokemon-like creatures called Pals. Instead of just existing as tools for battle, players can use Pals as literal weapons, mounts, and they can even assign them tasks in the home base. For example, players can assign a group of buddies to build something while they go out exploring. While they're gone, the compound may change thanks to their building skills, or they may have had to defend it from a group of intruders trying to break in.
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While these open world games are great, the lack of traversal options makes them somewhat difficult to navigate.
