Summary
- Open-world games intertwine sandbox gameplay with a rich storyline, providing players with freedom and engagement.
- The best open-world games feature complex lore including ancient history, cultural differences, and political intrigue.
- Games like Skyrim, The Witcher 3, and Horizon Zero Dawn offer deep world lore that enhances the gameplay experience.
Early open-world games often featured sandbox gameplay, with exploration at their heart. As the genre has progressed, developers have learned how to intertwine both story-driven progression and detailed game lore into an open-world environment. The result is a game that frees the players to do whatever they wish, but with an interwoven storyline to keep them hooked.
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Game lore often revolves around ancient history, political intrigue, cultural differences, and conflict. The best of the open-world games combine all of these elements into a story that unravels as the player discovers and learns the lore of the game. Furthermore, with long-running franchises, the game lore is often built upon between titles, resulting in open worlds steeped in established lore.
7 The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
Well Established Elder Scrolls Lore
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Released
- November 11, 2011
- Developer(s)
- Bethesda Game Studios
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
The gameplay in Skyrim takes place in the northern regions of Tramiel. The player takes on the responsibility as the Dragonborn, and must save the world. The game takes place on a large open-world map, and features combat, crating, and a huge number of quests.
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The Elder Scrolls lore is deep and engaging, and much of this lore can be uncovered while playing Skyrim. The player will learn about events that go back thousands of years. With the complex mix of mythology and the politics of the races, Skyrim earns a place on this list.
6 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Deep Character Definition And Complex Lore
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Released
- May 19, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Taking on the role of Geralt of Rivia, the player explores the exceptionally well-crafted open-world map in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Renowned for its complex narrative choices and sheer scale, the player is free to do as they please, or follow the main story arc.
The world of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is crammed full of lore, with a complex political backdrop. Players uncover the game lore through reading books, interacting with NPCs, and during quests. Furthermore, the underlying lore is based on the popular series of books by Andrzej Sapkowski.
5 Horizon Zero Dawn
Learn About The Past To Save The Future
Horizon: Zero Dawn
- Released
- February 28, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Guerrilla Games
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Playing as Aloy, a young woman who needs to find out about her past to help save the modern world, the player battles mechanical enemies in a post-apocalyptic landscape. The game mixes frantic combat with open-world exploration to deliver a deep and rewarding, story-driven experience.
The deep backstory to Horizon Zero Dawn is dripping with lore, and in many cases, lore the player needs to uncover and understand to progress in the game. As the game moves forward, the player learns about the past, and the cause of the apocalypse, leading them through the complex history of the game, using great narrative.
4 Red Dead Redemption 2
As Wild As The West Gets
Red Dead Redemption 2
At first glance, Red Dead Redemption 2 might seem an odd choice for this list. However, consider for a moment that, rather than being based on pure fantasy lore, the game draws on the rich history of the Old West. Inheriting this lore and running with it to create an engaging gaming experience.
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Furthermore, the game also features its own lore and backstory, in the form of the history of the protagonist, and also the history of the gang they are a part of. The narrative is perfectly balanced between Old West morality and a world that is evolving into a civilized society.
3 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Leveraging The Zelda Timeline
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Released
- March 3, 2017
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EPD
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Wii U, Switch
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild gameplay revolves around the player taking on the role of Link, who has just awakened from an extended period of sleep, and must now save Princess Zelda. The gameplay takes place on an often breathtaking open-world map, involving puzzles, combat, and exploration.
The Zelda franchise features a complex and intertwined timeline, sharing much of the same lore across several games. The player can discover ancient technology, past remnants, and ruins that contain more detailed lore. As the journey continues, the player must piece this lore together to solve the overall puzzle.
2 Elden Ring
A Rich And Detailed Fantasy World
Elden Ring
- Released
- February 25, 2022
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Elden Ring is most commonly known for its complex and challenging combat system. But the game is so much more than this. Based on the fantasy world defined and developed by George R. R. Martin and Hidetaka Miyazaki, Elden Ring is absolutely steeped in lore.
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The game uses the environment as a tool for telling the story, and it is filled with lore, often cryptic in nature that the player will need to work out. As the game progresses, the player needs to piece together the lore they have uncovered, to find out why the Elden Ring was broken.
1 Dragon Age: Inquisition
Multidimensional Chaos
Dragon Age: Inquisition
Taking the top spot in this list is Dragon Age: Inquisition. A game that places the player in the shoes of the Inquisitor, facing the challenge of saving the world of Thedas from being overwhelmed by a tear in the Veil between the real world and the Fade.
Ancient magical practices, political wrangling, and the complex and intertwined histories of the races in Dragon Age: Inquisition mean the game has a huge amount of lore for the player to uncover. As the player progresses, they will learn about the lore that goes back thousands of years, covering the mysteries of the ancient Tevinter Imperium, and the history of the Elves.
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