The best open world games with inspiring hero journeys

Summary

  • Open-world games allow stories to unfold at the player's pace, increasing engagement with character stories.

  • Games like Skyrim, Cyberpunk 2077, and Yakuza: Like a dragon showcase deep character development in an open world.

  • From struggling heroes to seasoned warriors, these games offer different character arcs in immersive worlds.

Some open world games struggling to tell a compelling character-focused story. With so much freedom on offer, it can be difficult for players to focus on the main story, and equally difficult for developers to make the main story worth focusing on.

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Best Open-World game where the story unfolds at your pace

These excellent open-world games give players room to explore, allowing the story to unfold at its own pace.

Some games surpass this. Many of the most compelling stories in recent gaming history have come from open-world games, from the tragic downfall of Arthur Morgan and Van Der Linde in Red Dead Redemption 2 to the complex power struggle in Fallout: New Vegas. These games take a more inspirational approach, but feature characters who come into their own as heroes greater than themselves.

To become a legend

Released

November 11, 2011

Developer

Bethesda Game Studios

OpenCritic Rating

Strong

The iconic The The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim fans play as the Dragonborn, a legendary figure who has inherited the incredible power to absorb the souls of slain dragons and channel them into mystical cries. This fabled power thrusts the Dragonborn into the spotlight in a region plagued by war and calamity.

The player gets to guide their own Dragonborn on the path to destiny, lose allegiance, end the war and eventually take their place in the annals of Skyrim legend. This carries the player's character quite far from the infamous execution that almost claims them at the start of the game.

7

Assassin's Creed Odyssey

A time of heroes

Released

15 October 2018

OpenCritic Rating

Powerful

Like the rest of the franchise, Assassin's Creed Odyssey takes players to a real historical era; in this case the Peloponnesian War. As one of two playable characters, players must embark on a quest through ancient Greece as they unravel a sinister plot involving their chosen assassin's family.

In truth Assassin's Creed mode, the action escalates quite sharply as the franchise's supernatural elements make themselves known. Through it all, the Eagle Bearer's journey from humble mercenary to legendary hero anchors the experience.

6

Cyberpunk 2077

Tales of the Night City



Cyberpunk 2077

Released

December 10, 2020

OpenCritic Rating

Strong

Night City's sprawling open world is a hive of corruption, poverty and strife. Regardless of which origin players choose for their version of V in Cyberpunk 2077they will necessarily develop a very loose relationship with the laws and morals of their environment.

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As V struggles to recover from a heist gone horribly wrong and an implant that is slowly killing them, they will be forced to connect with several people throughout the city, forming deep, serious bonds, some of which may even get romantic Seeing V transition from a bitter, desperate criminal to someone with deep personal connections is a remarkably moving story that could play out in a variety of ways.

5

Yakuza: Like a dragon

Chaos in Yokohama



Yakuza: Like a dragon

Released

November 10, 2020

OpenCritic Rating

Powerful

Yakuza: Like a dragonthe seventh main item i Yakuza/Like a Dragon series, represents a major departure from the previous games, both in its shift to turn-based RPG combat and its introduction of a new protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga. This charming, optimistic middle-aged Yakuza member finds himself at the bottom of society after taking the blame for a murder he didn't commit and then discovering that his clan has collapsed when he gets out of prison.

In his quest to uncover the truth about what happened while in prison, Ichiban makes friends and learns about the controversial circumstances surrounding his new home in Yokohama. Ichiban's enthusiastic charm and genuine attempt to change his city for the better make him a deeply lovable character to follow, and his journey to expose the corruption at the heart of Yokohama makes him a true hero.

4

Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales

Big shoes to fill

System

PC-1 PlayStation-1

Released

November 12, 2020

OpenCritic Rating

Powerful

The brilliant one Marvel's Spider-Man differed somewhat from traditional depictions of the iconic wall-crawler Peter Parker by showing a Spider-Man just past his age, who was already well established as a seasoned and seasoned superhero. The spin-off that followed, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Moralesintroduced Miles Morales as a new Spider-Man, coming into his own in the shining shadow of Peter Parker.

When his new home in Harlem is threatened by violent criminal gangs and sinister, militaristic tech companies, Miles must master his newfound spider powers and make sacrifices to become the hero his neighborhood needs. His journey is as intense as it is inspiring and sets him apart from Peter Parker while showing why he is just as worthy to wear the spider suit.

3

Horizon Zero Dawn

Save the future



Horizon Zero Dawn

System

PC-1 PlayStation-1

Released

February 28, 2017

OpenCritic Rating

Powerful

Horizon Zero Dawn features a truly mystical post-apocalypse, overrun with vegetation and strange mechanical creatures. The main character, Aloy, is a member of one of several primitive tribes that have repopulated the world, but she has been ostracized and banished for unknown reasons.

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In addition to being able to override most machines in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, Aloy can also turn a handful of them into mounts for faster traversal.

When sinister cults attack, Aloy must rise to save her tribe, and the world itself, from their machinations, discovering the origins of the apocalypse and her own life in the process. Along the way, she evolves from an outcast to a truly mythical hero known throughout the land.

2

The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

Resurrect a hero

System

super grayscale 8-bit logo

Released

March 3, 2017

Developer

Nintendo EPD

OpenCritic Rating

Powerful

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild starting with Link's failure. After Calamity Ganon's forces overwhelm the hero and his allies, the world is plunged into 100 years of devastation. Link wakes up, broken and memoryless, into a shattered world.

Over the course of the game, Link must once again prove that he is the hero he is meant to be. As he journeys to free the land from Calamity Ganon's influence, he regains his memories and helps people in need throughout Hyrule, once again rising to the level of legendary hero and saving Hyrule as he was meant to.

1

Ghost of Tsushima

A hero's sacrifice



Ghost of Tsushima

System

PC-1 PlayStation-1

Released

July 17, 2020

OpenCritic Rating

Powerful

Ghost of Tsushima plays Jin Sakai, one of the only surviving samurai after a vicious battle with occupying Mongol forces. In his quest to repel the invaders, Jin gradually abandons his samurai code and turns to dishonorable tactics and heinous crimes to gain the upper hand in the conflict.

The story of the game is driven by the decisions Jin makes in his bloody mission. But as he crosses more and more borders, he also makes bonds and friendships with people all over the island of Tsushima and learns that there are things more important than strictly following a code of honor. Jin loses a lot on his journey to become the Ghost of Tsushima, but he gains a lot as well.

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8 Best Open-World Games to Try If You Don't Like the Genre

Even those who inherently dislike open world games should consider playing the following titles.

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