Open-World game with the most rewarding exploration

Summary

• Not all open-world games provide rewarding exploration, but those that do are truly satisfying.

• Exploration can be just as satisfying in games that aren't open world and offer unique experiences and challenges.

• Immersive and challenging exploration in games like Dave the Diver, Hollow Knight, and Red Dead Redemption 2 is definitely worth it.

Is it really worth getting into an open world game if the exploration feels unrewarding and a bit of a letdown? Many open-world games may advertise satisfying exploration, but only a few actually manage to pull it off.

For exploration to be rewarding, a game doesn't necessarily have to fall into the category of being an open-world adventure, as some of the titles below will demonstrate. You will explore different periods of history, alien planets, rich fantasy lands and undersea environments and enjoy every moment.

10

Dave The Diver

Deep-sea underwater exploration in a video game has never been more wonderful as it is rewarding than in 2023's indie hit Dave the Diver. In this game, you are both a diver catching the fresh fish and seafood to be served at a sushi restaurant and helping to manage it at the same time, the former activity taking place during the day and the latter at night.

The main exploration location for Dave is the Blue Hole, which has so many mysterious underwater regions and sea life waiting and will also include some harpoon fighting and photography. Even the general theme of the game is rewarding, as guests will sample your catches and comment on the quality of service and food that you risk your life to put on their plates.

9

Assassin's Creed Odyssey

Have you ever wanted to explore the beauty and wonder of the ancient Greek civilization? Assassin's Creed Odyssey's gorgeous open world takes you there, and you might not want to leave. Launched between AC Origins and AC Valhalla, this prequel entry has just the right balance of pace, exploration, grinding, and story. And you still get XP just for exploring!

The number of side missions, hidden activities marked with question marks on the map, enemy camps to clear, side bosses to fight and regions to unlock can be overwhelming, but you will truly be in awe of all the scenery and architecture. Part of the main mission is also to reveal the identities and kill the rogue members of the Cult of the Kosmos, which means exploring everywhere for new clues.

8

Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora

Does Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora have a story that can rival the first two films created by James Cameron? Unfortunately, no, it's just one of those cases. But where it makes up for that is the gameplay, which gives you an expansion of Pandora's world building as well as fun Far Cry-style objectives and battles, including Ikran riding.

Frontiers of Pandora offers an immersive exploration mode, which is a very underrated feature that more games could use for more challenging and elevated explorations. With this feature, you basically won't see any quest markers to help you on the map, just clues, and the environment will be as unfamiliar and new to you as your Na'vi character freed from an RDA feature.

7

Hollow Knight

Although it's a 2D Metroidvania platformer with sweetly terrifying aesthetics, Hollow Knight shares a lot in common with FromSoftware's Soulsborne games. Aside from the challenging boss battles, world building and lore are handled similarly, with you really needing to explore all of Hallownest to discover hidden details and understand each story.

Exploration is also rewarding in the sense that you'll gain new abilities to help your bug-masked crusader along the journey, which is one of the most enjoyable components of any Metroidvania game. But Hollow Knight's unique world and amazing areas ultimately make it more worthwhile.

6

Outer Wilds

You'll never play a sci-fi game like Outer Wilds. There's a reason it always gets so much praise and accolades, and that's because of its approach to exploration, which is centered around a time loop. You always have no more than 22 minutes to explore everything you can before your planet's sun goes supernova and resets the game.

The entire game is also focused on the various mysteries of the fictional solar system you're in and finding answers to them, so you'll need to explore a bit if you want to discover everything that exists in the Outer Wilds. And remember, you can travel to multiple planets in the solar system, each with their own secrets and hidden knowledge of the Nomai species.

5

Dragon's Dogma 2

Dragon's Dogma 2 is a game that ultimately has more rewarding exploration than a rewarding story, which works in its favor because no one would have it any other way. The main feature of this series is its large open world exploration, unlocking sectors of the map as you go along with your farming buddies and face dynamic enemies of all kinds.

This is even encouraged by the game's design in how it handles fast travel, which is through hard-to-obtain items called Ferrystones that can be used to activate Portcrystals around the map, and the MTX attached to them should further discourage the use of fast travel. But you'll probably be too busy attacking a Griffin mid-flight or tricking a Cyclops to worry about Ferrystones anyway.

4

Red Dead Redemption 2

Now, on the other hand, Red Dead Redemption 2 is the exact opposite of Dragon's Dogma 2. It offers amazing exploration as well as a compelling and emotional story that might be one of the best told in gaming. Rockstar did such an incredible job expanding the game world from its 2010 predecessor, and you can really get lost in it outside of the main missions.

There is so much detail that goes into all the environments and side activities that it would be a crime not to go off and explore everything. You will encounter more scary moments and cool mysteries and stumble upon natural landmarks in this fictional period of American history. Red Dead Redemption 2 is designed to be as immersive as possible, especially when Arthur is on horseback roaming the countryside.

3

Fire Ring

Elden Ring is designed to have you fight extremely challenging bosses, almost to the point of pain and hopelessness, but it also does something very unique and interesting in how it approaches storytelling. Of all the Soulsborne games, it has the most history and lore, but you have to know where to look if you want to piece any of it together.

There's a whole mythology and purpose to the world, its characters and beasts, but none of it will make sense without you really exploring every nook and cranny of The Lands Between and The Shadow of the Erdtree's The Realm of Shadow. Plus, there will be more bosses to fight that you wouldn't have encountered otherwise, along with some nice weapons and upgrades.

2

Baldur's Gate 3

Is it really a question that Baldur's Gate 3 would be here? You can pretty much miss everything by not exploring, including some party members if you don't go out and look at everything in the starting area of ​​the game. Interacting with new NPCs, opening up the map and going on side quests is basically the whole fun of the game.

What's even more impressive is that each new playthrough will result in different outcomes and story moments, given all the branching choices and paths you can explore. And you'd be surprised how much you'll still be missing even if you think you've covered everything in every area of ​​every team.

1

No Man's Sky

Have you ever heard of the movie Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets? Well, No Man's Sky invites you to explore 18 quintillion planets, all procedurally generated as well. That's a lot of interstellar exploration to wrap your head around, and it will feel absolutely worth it and amazing.

There will always be new creatures and resources to scan and identify across each planetary environment and exploration is very important to the base building and survival crafting mechanics that are at the heart of the game. And with all the new updates constantly being implemented, the game only gets better and more rewarding.