10 Open-World Games with Compelling Stories

Open-world games have become the norm in many genres, but a huge world doesn't necessarily mean sacrificing its story. Many open-world games also have incredible narratives that are considered the best in the industry, and have become staples for gamers who like their stories set in worlds that feel alive.

My favorite games are the ones that hit the balance between story and creating dynamic, living, open worlds. Exploration is an important part of these games, and is an important part of the experience, but what makes these games special is that they make the game's story and characters feel just as important as discovering what's around the corner.

10 NieR: Automata

Feel Your Brain Realign

There's a lot to be said about NieR: Automata. It's a complex game that changes in fundamental ways with each playthrough that go beyond just understanding a new context. It's a great exercise in empathy, understanding perspective and how it shapes your view of the world, and how that perspective may be used to push ideas.

It's a game that wouldn't leave my mind long after I put down the controller after playing it several times. Every part of its world informs the greater narrative, and I noticed things on a replay that went over my head the first time I played it.

9 Dragon Age: Inquisition

The Rise of Power and the Nature of Organizations

The success of Dragon Age: Inquisition's open world is debatable, but its main storyline is still worth playing and is arguably one of the best in the series. It introduces interesting themes of religion and the rise of powerful organizations, and its depiction of your rise from a condemned prisoner to the Herald of Andraste and then one of the most powerful characters in Thedas as the Inquisitor feels like a natural progression and is fascinating to watch.

The greater story changes to the point that the story and world are unrecognizable by the end of the game. Trespasser in particular is an excellent ending that makes Inquisition a better game, and turns it into a story of parallels and the cyclical nature of power.

8 Assassin's Creed Odyssey

A Sprawling World and Story

Assassin's Creed Odyssey is one of the RPG entries in the Assassin's Creed franchise. It's set in Ancient Greece, and does a lot to capture the magnificence of its temples and towering sculptures. Like several of the other games on this list, Assassin's Creed Odyssey doesn't let its massive open-world get away from it by centering the story on an emotional core; in this case, the two siblings. As an RPG, the character and story drive you forward, and it's one of the most ambitious of the Assassin's Creed games.

At the heart of Assassin's Creed Odyssey is the search for the protagonist's lost family, giving emotional weight to a journey that spans Ancient Greece. The story also explores themes of identity, destiny, and the tension between personal choice and fate, while introducing the Cult of Kosmos as a compelling hidden enemy pulling the strings behind the conflict.

God's Favorite Princess

The Elder Scrolls games aren't renowned for their main plot lines, but Morrowind's is so good that I argue that it's worth the steep learning curve that is the gameplay and combat. I'm a little obsessed with the Nerevarine's story and their connection to the Tribunal, Azura, and Dagoth Ur.

Morrowind's story is one of the best in The Elder Scrolls, and goes into an incredible amount of detail which spans the lore of the Tribunal, Morrowind's social and political landscape. It also poses questions of divinity, existentialism, and fate. The Nerevarine is one of the most interesting characters in The Elder Scrolls, and a lot of the reason why is that Morrowind gives you room to create your own interpretation of the prophecy and your role in it.

6 Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

A Beloved Story in a New Context

Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth is the sequel and remake of one of the most beloved stories in JRPGs. Its release in 2024 means it has all the benefits of modern game development technology, all with a story that was popular even when Final Fantasy VII was released in 1997.

Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth takes place in a sprawling, beautiful open world, which does a lot to help players orient themselves as it takes the original game's story in a different direction. The open-world does a lot to help forge Rebirth's identity, and the result is a character-driven and intimate story that still has scale.

5 The Witcher 3

Redefining the RPG

The Witcher 3 has such a good story that it became the gold standard for open-world RPGs. It has a massive open-world that has just a few biomes, but each is incredibly detailed with secrets to uncover around every corner and a sprawling plot to match.

The Witcher 3's side quests are often praised, but the main quest is worth it all on its own, and tells a touching story that is oddly heartwarming for such a dark game. Its expansion packs are also worth mentioning, and each have brilliant stories with new characters and conflicts that push Geralt to his limit.

4 Fallout: New Vegas

Fallout's Best Story

Fallout: New Vegas is my favorite Fallout game. Its factions with their differing philosophies, the choices you get for the outcome of the Mojave Wasteland, and its main campaign comes down to which faction you've built relationships or become enemies with will rule the Mojave Wasteland.

It's a story that has a lot of thought put into it, rather than a simple quest to find someone. It's incredibly layered, and its characters are the star players here. Rather than feeling like a lonely wasteland, the characters trying to survive, conquer, or unite the people living on the West Coast all feel alive. It's a fantastic entry in Fallout, but it's also just a wonderful post-apocalyptic story that has a dizzying amount of outcomes and choice.

3 Cyberpunk 2077

The Best City in Video Games

Cyberpunk 2077 can feel overwhelming as it's such a massive world, and it feels like there's something to find around every corner. Like The Witcher 3, there's a lot to do here, but its main storyline is one of the best parts of the game.

The internal struggle of having someone else inside your brain brings some interesting questions of identity and existentialism. The relationship between Johnny and V is one of the most compelling in video games, and it just gets more angsty as the story progresses, and it becomes clear what is likely to happen at the end of the game.

2 Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

Accuracy and Heart

As one of the only historical games on this list, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II stands out as a purely historical outing that goes out of its way to depict medieval Bohemia with accuracy. With this open-world comes a captivating story that continues on from the previous game's protagonist, Henry, who is in the midst of a war.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II's story is one that's full of heart and is carried by its protagonist and the relationships he forms with the people around him. It improves on its predecessor in every way, and makes sure that its massive world doesn't overshadow its story. This is a tricky balance, but it gets it right, giving Henry a satisfying conclusion.

1 Red Dead Redemption II

Big World, Intimate Story

Red Dead Redemption II balances a massive open-world with a heartbreaking story. Despite it being set in such a large world, it's a deeply personal character story that focuses primarily on Arthur Morgan and the gang through their trials.

The focus on a small group of characters makes the story beats hit harder on an emotional level, and leaves an impact long after the credits roll. Having an attachment to the player character is important for immersion and becoming invested in the story, and RDR2 does a fantastic job of it, but succeeding at such a personal story in such a massive world is a phenomenal achievement.