10 Action Games Where Exploration Gives Rewards

I have a bone to pick with open-world games: I find most exploration to be boring. Combing through every inch of an empty wilderness in the hopes that something useful might be there is not my idea of a good time. However, when a game gets exploration right, it's downright magical, one of those games that turns into a time sink that you can spend thousands of hours in.

Good exploration in action games requires some things. The gameplay and combat needs to be strong, the visuals must be pretty, there must be things to do, and there had better be a reward at the end. Sometimes the reward is a carefully designed experience, but mostly it comes in the form of upgrades, cosmetics, and perhaps stumbling across a side quest. Here are some games that nailed exploration.

10 Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor

When Exploration Changes Combat

The Lord of the Rings has so much potential for greatness in the video game space, and I find it bizarre that the only one to come anywhere near that is Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor. While not a perfect game, Talion's story is a serviceable addition to LotR's lore, and the game at the very least works while also feeling like Middle-Earth.

Shadow of Mordor features the Nemesis system, an AI hierarchy for enemies that makes them remember past interactions with Talion and promotes them based on it. This gives weight to exploration as it changes the (orc) political landscape of the game world. You could go exploring and inexplicably create a mini-boss who becomes a nightmare for that particular area, which makes it a great action game for exploration and adds replay value.

9 Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag

Parkour Meets Naval Warfare

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag may not be the Assassin's Creed game with the biggest map and the most to do, but it knows what it set out to do, and it does it so well. You play as a pirate, and a big part of that is exploring the open seas while on the hunt for treasure.

Exploring the Caribbean during the height of the pirate Golden Age is an experience that very few pirate games have managed to do well, but Black Flag soars. The naval gameplay here is top tier, swimming underwater amongst the coral and finding what lies beneath the waves is captivating, and each jungle is teeming with the potential for booty. The seaside settlements are just as vibrant as jungles, each one different from the last, and exploring them gets you upgrades, treasure, cosmetics, and so much more.

8 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

The Work of an Archaeologist

Adventure has always been the core of the appeal of Indiana Jones, no matter the medium, and exploration is a key component of that. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has exploration in spades, and is an experience that rewards you for going off the intended path. The reward for doing so is tangible: there are dozens of collectibles to find and log.

There are artifacts, notes, replicas, books, and so many more collections to complete, all themed according to different places and factions. Finding them all requires exploring every nook and cranny of the game, including interacting with vendors and NPCs. I usually don't like finding hundreds of things to collect just for the sake of it, but here there's a solid reason for doing so. Indiana Jones' role as an archaeologist gives these items and collectibles a purpose beyond aesthetics, customization, or even gameplay, and it's one I can get behind.

7 Batman: Arkham Knight

The Innovation of the Batmobile

Batman: Arkham Knight stands alone because of one new feature: the Batmobile. The Batmobile is a large reason why the exploration in Batman: Arkham Knight is so rewarding, and it's a tool all of its own to use in exploration. Using it to solve puzzles, mow down enemies and obstacles, and speed through the city is a joy that Batman's creators could only have imagined when creating it.

Exploration works hand in hand with the other mechanics of the game, requiring you to solve puzzles and use Batman's evolving abilities to gain access to every part of Gotham and the rewards they bring. Batman: Arkham Knight's level and map design rewards players by making other areas accessible, opening the city and creating a gameplay loop that rewards players for methodical experimentation and exploration.

Sure, it ultimately was a divisive mechanic in the game, but it certainly worked for me.

6 Rise of the Tomb Raider

When Exploration Meets Innovation

Tomb Raider's deep exploration mechanics are a major part of its appeal. This was the first game I'd played where exploration is really the point of the game, and I fell in love with it. Discovering a new tomb and wondering what treasures and traps it would yield became one of the thrills of playing it, and getting something new from its exploration became a gameplay loop that quickly became addictive.

What makes Rise of the Tomb Raider stand out is that the best tombs are the ones that aren't mandatory. You have to go off the main pathways to find them, and you're rewarded with some of the best puzzles, visuals, and highs in the game. In a game that's all about rediscovering the unknown, this is the best you can get.

5 Ghost of Tsushima

The Beauty of Feudal Japan

Ghost of Tsushima's gorgeous setting on the Japanese island of Tsushima in the 1200s went a long way in sparking my curiosity, but it also included features that compelled me to go off the beaten track. Spotting a tori gate, staircases up the mountain, or just walking through the forests drove me to go off the beaten track, and I was rewarded for doing so more often than not.

These rewards included improvements to Jin, including an increase in maximum health, meaningful side quests, and finding resources. Whatever direction you go in, you can be guaranteed to find something useful. Aside from the practical side of exploring, just existing in Ghost of Tsushima became a joy for me because of its cinematic visuals. Exploring became its own reward as I discovered more of the beauty of this setting.

4 Marvel's Spider-Man 2

A Different View of New York City

Web slinging through New York City is an experience unlike anything else, and Marvel's Spider-Man 2 nailed the brief. It offers a bigger map that includes Queens and Brooklyn this time, giving you new types of environments to swing through. You don't have to convince me to go exploring in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 simply because web-slinging is its own reward.

It's even better here because of how you can switch between Peter and Miles. Both characters have their own physicality and body language while swinging, and switching between the two makes exploration even more dynamic than Marvel's Spider-Man 2's predecessor. The lines between exploration and gameplay here are blurred to almost nothing, and traversing the city would be enough on its own if it weren't for the side quests and collectibles to uncover.

3 Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Being a Jedi Rocks

There's nothing quite as cool as taking on the role of a Jedi and carving your way through the galaxy with your lightsaber. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor took the best parts of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. More importantly, it fixed its faults. I know I'm not the only one who yearned for a fast travel option when I had completed Zeffo and realized the only way back was through the maze I had just traversed.

Jedi: Survivor gave us that fast travel button, as well as bigger worlds with a lot more to discover. Enhanced mobility with the grapple hook and Cal's new Force abilities also went a long way in making exploration dynamic, like traversing massive gaps with just a leap. Aside from the items to collect, Cal's psychometry and finding echoes allowing you to get the individual stories of the area went a long way in making it feel like a living world.

2 Red Dead Redemption 2

It's in the Details

Red Dead Redemption 2 has a massive open-world and the exploration is so immersive that it makes the world feel like a living, changing being that influences Arthur in turn. The honor system is intrinsically tied to exploration and the encounters that happen once you leave the beaten path.

One thing that stuck with me from the beginning to end of Red Dead Redemption 2 was the attention to detail. The smear of blood on Arthur's shoulder after carrying a kill, the methodical routine of setting up camp and preparing a meal. These are present throughout the game on every level, but it makes exploration especially rewarding as it makes you appreciate every moment, no matter how slow or small.

1 Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

The World Opens Before You

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice clinched the top spot on this list because of one gameplay feature: your prosthetic arm. The mechanics you can add to your arm turn Sekiro into a true exploration giant, allowing you to explore every nook and cranny of its environment. The level design works in tandem with this, creating a world that is interconnected.

Exploring the world rewards you with new upgrades for your arm, opening the world and expanding on its potential, which leads to gameplay advantages. Sekiro's stealth system works seamlessly with exploration, letting you get the jump on enemy groups or even figure out ways to make your fight easier.