Although hardly a weekly event, open-world games have become seemingly inescapable, with nearly every month producing a new project. Consequently, the concept nowadays covers a wide spectrum of genres, tones, stories, and gameplay preferences. If somebody wants a hardcore RPG, they can check out Kingdom Come: Deliverance or Outward; conversely, people looking to mess around in a sandbox can turn to heavyweights like Minecraft and Goat Simulator (or GTA, naturally).
Unsurprisingly, complexity varies considerably from release to release. As open-world titles are generally designed to last dozens upon dozens of hours, quite a few games tend to double down on mechanics, introducing new ideas or revolving around ones that take hours to master. However, that is not the case with everything, and there are quite a few open-world games with simple mechanics. These projects tend not to waste time before throwing players into the thick of the action, and their gameplay almost feels second nature.
Some criteria and things to keep in mind:
- Action-Adventure games and RPGs are the focus, rather than exploration-based or slice-of-life projects. Racing games will also be ignored since they are their own thing.
- "Uncomplicated" can mean quite a few different things. In this case, the accessibility of the mechanics and controls is crucial. For example, Red Dead Redemption 2's mechanics are quite straightforward, but the controls and movement come with a learning curve.
7 The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction
Hulk Smash An Open-World
The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction
- Released
- August 23, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Radical Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Open-World
Although his backstory and characterization do not lack depth, The Hulk's attack style is fairly straightforward: Smash. Fully understanding the character's primal appeal, Ultimate Destruction drops players in a surprisingly large open-world (for the era) and, well, tells them to start smashing. Not every single thing can be destroyed, but a lot of the city is at Hulk's mercy, and he can even turn items like cars into weapons. After completing the tutorial and spending a few minutes in the sandbox, Hulk's mechanics and controls will feel second nature, as they just make sense for the character.
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Ultimate Destruction has its share of mechanics that add flavor to the basic gameplay, including a meter that boosts attacks and unlockable weapons. However, they mostly just build on the fundamentals rather than adding new twists. The campaign primarily shakes things up by introducing new enemy types and ramping up the difficulty.
6 Cat Quest Series
Simplifying The Action-RPG Open-World Formula
Cat Quest
- Released
- August 8, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
The Cat Quest trilogy is delightful. The Gentlebros crafted three campaigns that last between 10–15 hours, and they are all great in their own right. An isometric action RPG that takes place in a small but charming open-world, Cat Quest strips most role-playing staple mechanics down to their core, delivering simple but effective equipment and character progression systems. The hack-and-slash combat is also immediately enjoyable and understandable, all the while still offering some variety through the different weapons and well-done boss fights.
The sequels expand on some of the first game's ideas and, notably, introduce 2-player co-op. While they are slightly more complicated, they are still accessible by the standards of both RPGs and open-world projects. They are also fantastic.
5 Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning
A Trip To A Simpler Yesterday
Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning
- Released
- September 8, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
Big Huge Games' Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning was a breath of fresh air when it launched in 2012, despite perhaps struggling to reach its commercial goals. After a period when the open-world RPG was not available to purchase, it was brought back in the form of a 2020 remaster. This version provides some improvements, but mostly sticks true to the original version.
Honestly, someone's mileage with Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning will likely come down to their appreciation for late PS3-era releases. The game's hack-and-slash combat was well ahead of the curve in 2012, but it is not that unique when viewed from a modern lens. That said, the action is still plenty of fun and has a pick-up-and-play rhythm that sets it apart from most open-world games.
4 Just Cause 2 (& The Full Series, Really)
Just Destroy Everything
Just Cause 2
- Released
- March 23, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Avalanche Studios
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Third-Person Shooter, Action
Look, sometimes, you just want to blow things up. Just Cause is therapeutic. Rarely taking themselves seriously, the games follow Rico Rodriguez, a special agent tasked with (usually) taking out dictators. He typically accomplishes that goal by destroying everything in his wake, and he is given a myriad of weapons, vehicles, and tools to get the job done.
While players are granted plenty of options on how to execute missions, the basic mechanics largely stay the same, and the games play like relatively straightforward third-person shooters. Every entry has its positives, but Just Cause 2 and Just Cause 3 are generally regarded as the franchise's peak, and it is still a lot of fun to play despite being more than 15 years old by this point.
Honorable mention: Mad Max and Rage 2 are also great open-world games with fairly simple mechanics.
3 Crackdown
An Open-World Game Without Distractions
Crackdown
- Released
- February 20, 2007
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Realtime Worlds
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Open-World
- Platform(s)
- Xbox 360
Crackdown's reputation is not all that great nowadays, largely thanks to two polarizing sequels that did not quite manage to capture the original title's magic. However, Realtime Worlds' 2007 release is still an absolute blast to play, and its simplicity is its biggest strength. As a super agent, players are unleashed on a city that has a big crime problem, and they are tasked with clearing out three burrows by taking out different bosses.
8 Most Fun Open-World Games, Ranked
These open-world games won't leave players bored thanks to countless hours of fun activities and exciting exploration.
Crackdown focuses entirely on its core gameplay loop, removing any distractions. Rather than engaging with side quests or story beats, players spend all their time shooting, jumping, and demolishing enemies, repeating the same process without much variation. Even progression is tied directly to the basic combat and movement mechanics, with players getting stronger depending on their actions. So, if someone wants to get better at shooting, they just need to keep blasting as many enemies as possible.
2 Yakuza 0
An All-Time Great Open-World Game Built Around A Simple Combat System
Yakuza 0
- Released
- January 24, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Yakuza 0 has a lot going on. The game has two protagonists with multiple combat styles, all of which come with fairly impressive progression options. Players also have to take into account their armor and, to a lesser extent, weapon loadouts, and it is not often that easy to find the best options in either area. The world is also packed with side stories and mini-games, the latter of which incorporate mechanics that are unique to them. So, Yakuza 0 is not lacking in variety, and that is before mentioning the brilliant main storyline.
However, when spotlighting specifically the combat, Yakuza 0 is a conventional 3D beat 'em up, and a relatively simple one at that. Yes, Kiryu and Majima unlock plenty of combos (at the player's discretion), but they are paced well enough that they never feel overwhelming. Despite their styles being quite different, Kiryu and Majime mostly control the same, so it is easy to adapt when the story transitions between them. Yakuza games shine when analyzed as full packages rather than on the depth of their gameplay.
1 The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
Freedom In Simplicity
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Released
- March 3, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EPD
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Wii U, Switch
A proper sandbox that provides almost no direction beyond the absolute minimum, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild presents the player with so much freedom that it can be straight-up overwhelming. Rather than constantly introducing new ideas, Breath of the Wild gives Link access to all his core tools in the first few minutes, with most of the gameplay revolving around four Runes presented by the Sheikah Slate.
While simple in execution, each ability is extremely flexible, and BOTW encourages players to think outside the box when tackling the many challenges presented by the open-world. This goes beyond just completing puzzles in Shrines, as the Runes can and should be used during combat scenarios as well. BOTW does a lot with very little.
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Nintendo, Capcom, Square Enix, and Sega have all published some of the best open-world games ever.