Summary
- High-quality video games challenge players intellectually and emotionally, offering a variety of experiences beyond mindless entertainment.
- Open-world games like RDR2, The Witcher 3, and Horizon Forbidden West reward attentive and thoughtful players with deep storytelling.
- Games like Elden Ring, The Witness, and Fallout: New Vegas require players to think strategically, reflect on themes, and make tough decisions.
Many detractors of the industry call video games mindless entertainment, but there are a lot of high-quality titles out there that don't fit that description at all. As video games have evolved, developers have found new ways to challenge players, be it through intellect or emotion. There are many games that let players turn off their brains and unwind, but there are just as many that keep them on their mental toes.
The open-world genre is full of titles like this. Wide, nonlinear worlds often challenge players to forge their own path and make their own decisions in a world that fights against them at every turn. These games reward attentive and thoughtful players who are willing to meditate on what a game requires of them.
8 Best Games With Hand-Crafted Open Worlds
Creating a satisfying open world that keeps bringing players back for more is no small undertaking.
Red Dead Redemption 2
A Sweeping Tragedy
Red Dead Redemption 2
- Released
- October 26, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar Games
Rockstar's epic Western tragedy centers around the downfall of the Van Der Linde Gang, a close-knit band of outlaws who fracture and fall apart under the stress of struggling to survive in the Western frontier. Despite the vast scope of the game, RDR2's writers keep the story personal and extremely moving.
By the time the credits roll on Arthur Morgan's tale, players will have been given a lot to think about. The doomed quest of the Van Der Lindes makes players question everything from their sense of right and wrong to their ideals of justice. They'll also have ample opportunity to reflect on the inevitability of death and the inherent value of life.
The Witcher 3
A Carefully Choreographed Hunt
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Released
- May 19, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
The Witcher 3 submerges players in a complex world of political intrigue and war, with monsters lurking in the shadows around every corner. Protagonist Geralt's role as a Witcher puts him on the front lines of defending humanity from the creatures that threaten them. Each encounter is a complex hunt, requiring players to plan ahead when choosing gear and mutagens.
On top of the strategic requirements of monster hunting, multiple quests require difficult choices as well. The Witcher 3's Continent is a realm of deep moral ambiguity, where very little is as it seems. The decisions Geralt must make will often have deep, far-reaching consequences, and players should never take any of them for granted.
Horizon Forbidden West
Technical Teardowns
Horizon Forbidden West
- Released
- February 18, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Guerrilla Games
The Horizon franchise is best known for its tremendous robotic beasts, and Forbidden West delivers richly on this front. These dangerous creatures can be challenging to engage in combat, especially in groups. Players must learn to approach every encounter carefully and strategically, targeting weak spots and disabling weapons whenever possible.
Horizon Forbidden West: Best Bows, Ranked
Any Horizon hunters would be proud to use these tools to take down their quarry.
The story of the game also offers plenty of material for deep reflection. Like its predecessor, Horizon Forbidden West is concerned with themes of posthumanism, artificial intelligence, and the costs and demands of perpetuating humanity in the post-apocalypse. These are weighty themes, and ones players will be thinking about long after the credits have rolled.
Cyberpunk 2077
Staying Alive In Night City
Cyberpunk 2077
- Released
- December 10, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
Cyberpunk 2077 is based not only on the tabletop RPG Cyberpunk RED, but on a genre of speculative fiction stretching back decades. The Cyberpunk genre deals with burning questions about the danger of corporate overreach and its insidious role in the advancement of technology. These troubling themes are brought to life in Cyberpunk 2077's dystopic iteration of Night City, where injustice and tragedy can be seen around every corner.
Many of the sidequests V undertakes in their race to save themselves from the malfunctioning computer chip in their skull challenge the character's preconceived notions of life in Night City. They will leave the player with questions about the nature of society, the human cost of modern pop culture, and the risks of unchecked technological progress.
Elden Ring
A Struggle For Survival
Elden Ring
- Released
- February 25, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- From Software
Elden Ring is not a game players can stroll through without effort. If players don't pay close attention to enemy placements, movesets, and dungeon layouts, they will not succeed. The game boasts some of FromSoftware's most punishing bosses yet, and fans who don't study these foes for weaknesses to exploit and risks to punish will not prevail.
It's also a struggle for fans who are interested in learning Elden Ring's lore. The game is not straightforward in any respect, and players who want to learn more about the history of the game will have their work cut out for them, studying item descriptions and cryptic lines of dialogue in order to piece together the story. While a casual observer might look at Elden Ring and see nothing but sweeping boss fights and violent combat, it is in every respect a deeply cerebral game.
Death Stranding 2
Taking A Walk
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Released
- June 26, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Violence, Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Kojima Productions
The original Death Stranding was a divisive game, infamous for its slow and methodical gameplay and for its avant-garde approach to storytelling. Death Stranding 2 has made considerable improvements to its predecessor's gameplay, making it more engaging for fans to explore and experiment with the various traversal tools on offer.
This also makes it easier for players to focus on the story. While creator Hideo Kojima is notorious for his bizarre stories, convoluted plot twists, and outlandish character designs, he's also well-known for discussing serious and heavy topics. Death Stranding 2, which was reworked to touch on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, is no different. It offers players a deep meditation on the cost of keeping communities connected in the face of overwhelming tragedy.
Shadow of the Colossus
The Harder They Fall
Shadow of the Colossus
- Released
- February 6, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Blood, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Bluepoint Games, JapanStudio, Team Ico
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
Shadow of the Colossus bucks many of the trends that usually define an open-world game. While the game's map is expansive, it's almost entirely empty of creatures, dungeons, and treasures. Instead, players must track down 16 massive colossi, majestic beasts who must be slain in order to resurrect a mysterious princess.
While the combat itself has earned the game exceptional praise, the thing that really makes Shadow of the Colossus stand out is its grim, reflective tone and subject matter. The long stretches of wandering alone through the game's world give players ample time to reflect on their violent deeds and the cost of their character's devotion.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Building A Better Bridge
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Released
- May 12, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Rated E for Everyone 10+ for Fantasy Violence and Mild Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo
- Genre(s)
- Adventure, Action, Open-World
Tears of the Kingdom iterated on its predecessor in a staggering number of ways. Its expanded world boasts countless new opportunities for exploration and puzzle-solving, and the new powers at Link's disposal give him nearly infinite options. The Fuse and Ultrahand abilities allow players to cobble together ad-hoc solutions to any problem they face, be it a challenging environmental puzzle or a powerful monster.
7 Things Players Have Missed in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom After 100s of Hours
There is plenty to explore in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, but there is also some content that can be easy to overlook.
The moment-to-moment combat remains as fluid and reactive as ever, but the introduction of new fusion options for weapons adds considerable depth. Players can assemble a collection of unique and distinct weaponry, giving them an option for every enemy encounter, no matter how outlandish. If fans plan ahead and take time to think through their constructs, they can truly take Hyrule by storm.
The Witness
Figuring It Out
The Witness
- Released
- January 26, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E For Everyone due to Alcohol Reference
- Developer(s)
- Thekla Inc.
- Genre(s)
- Puzzle
The Witness isn't what most people picture when they think of an open-world game. This mysterious game takes place on a small island, which surrounds players with countless line puzzles and no clear guidance on how to solve them. Fans must explore their surroundings for clues not only about how to solve the puzzles, but how the puzzles actually work, deepening the mystery at every turn.
The game's eerily tranquil setting and atmosphere were inspired by Myst, one of the most foundational puzzle games out there. The Witness proves itself an excellent successor in terms of mystery, intrigue, and challenge. Gamers will have to pay close attention to their surroundings if they want to discover the island's many secrets.
Fallout: New Vegas
Playing For Keeps
Fallout: New Vegas
- Released
- October 19, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Obsidian Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Fallout: New Vegas depicts a tense, multilayered political struggle in a region rife with conflict. As players wander the desert in pursuit of the man who shot them in the head, they'll find themselves inexorably drawn into the brewing war for control of the Mojave, and into the lives of the people who call it home.
The world of Fallout: New Vegas is complex and reactive. There are conflicts large and small throughout the region, and solving problems is rarely as simple as killing some random lizards. Players will have to make difficult decisions with severe ramifications and without an objectively right answer. Succeeding in Fallout: New Vegas requires thinking carefully about what the best solution is in a sea of bad options.
10 Best Open-World Games With Very Little Backtracking, Ranked
The time-consuming nature of open-world games means that backtracking rarely holds much appeal. Thankfully, these games got the memo.