As single-player gaming has evolved, developers have put much of their time and effort into crafting a world so beautifully immersive and capable of exploration that gamers could drop in and get completely lost for hours. One of the main factors in any great open-world game these days is the side quest.
RELATED:The Best Open-World Games Of The Past Decade
Whether these tasks entail the protagonist running an errand for a friend, or defeating an entire gang of outlaws and looting their corpses, players have come to love the sense of accomplishment following the completion of all these various activities. For those who require help in deciding which game to tackle next and give a hundred hours, these are the open-world games with the most side quests.
Updated on August 12th, 2021 by Ritwik Mitra:Open-world games have become the norm in the modern gaming landscape. Most AAA titles that end up making waves in the industry are just variations of the open-world formula — a formula so addictive that most fans simply can’t get enough of these titles. Players want to try out open-world games with the most distractions around, preferably in the form of dozens upon dozens of side quests. The following games definitely fit the bill in this regard.
15Horizon Zero Dawn
The idea of a AAA company introducing a new IP is something that was unheard of in the video gaming industry for quite some time. For the most part, companies were happy with continuing established IPs in a bid to minimize risk. Thankfully, the PlayStation brand didn’t abide by these rules and greenlit a number of excellent new franchises
One such IP isHorizon Zero Dawn. In this post-apocalyptic title, players control an outcast by the name of Aloy and roam a land overrun by mechanical dinosaurs. It’s easily one of the best open-world games around, and features a bunch of side content that will keep players occupied for hours on end.
14Batman: Arkham Knight
Many consider theArkhamseries to be one of the best superhero gaming franchises of all time. The final game in the series serves as the ultimate refinement of the formula…and is also the longest title in the series.
This is mainly due to the wealth of side content present inArkham Knight. Such content allows players to experience the side stories of several notable villains, and also unlock new goodies for Batman to play around with. Players might be split down the line when it comes to the quality of said content; however, the game has plenty to appease fans who want their open-world games to be full to the brim with content.
13Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
TheAssassin’s Creedseries is easily one of the most notable open-world franchises around. That being said, one has to admit that the games are becoming too bloated over time. Still, gamers seeking out a wealth of side content will definitely be appeased.
RELATED:Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VS Odyssey: Which Game Is Better?
The latest game in the series is a perfect recommendation for fans seeking out huge open-world sandboxes to play around in.Valhallamight not be the greatestAssassin’s Creedtitle, but it’s the perfect game to scratch that open-world itch for most gamers.
12Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077might be one of the most disappointing game launches of all time, but that shouldn’t take away from the massive scope of the world itself. Night City is a place full to the brim with secrets and side content across the board, which is to be expect from CD Projekt Red at this point.
As a result,Cyberpunk 2077is a great title for players to mess around in. The game might not be theGTAkiller that most people wanted it to be, but it is an excellent game to sink in a hundred hours with ease.
11Kingdom Come: Deliverance
The idea of a new studio making a massive open-world as their first game is a commendable decision. Warhorse Studios didn’t pull any punches when it came to developing a massive world that was jam-packed with content.
Kingdom Comefeels a lot likeSkyrimwhen it comes to open-world exploration, with side quests being found and triggered at a moment’s notice. It’s a great title for gamers who want to play through a huge game with hundreds of hours' worth of content.
10Grand Theft Auto V
Grand Theft Auto Vis a stunningly detailed game with a wide range of things to do. If the fairly long, action-packed campaign isn’t enough to satisfy a gamer’s needs, the 100% checklist for the game requires players to also complete hobbies and pastimes such as races and shooting range challenges.
The game also features a very wide variety of character-based and random side mission encounters, and miscellaneous tasks like stunt jumps and robberies. With all of these things spread throughout the map, players will have plenty to keep them busy.
9Fallout 4
WhileFallout: New Vegasdoes have a very impressive amount of side quests,Fallout 4has not only more quests, but also the added base-building aspect as well as several recurring events and collectibles during the game.
The map is huge, the story is relatively long, and Preston Garvey will always, always know of a settlement that needs the player’s help. There aren’t any games in theFalloutfranchisethat are short, evenFallout 76despite its issues, but the expansiveness ofFallout 4is hard to overlook.
8Final Fantasy XV
Fans of theFinal Fantasyseries are no strangers to the amount of hidden content placed into each game, as well as the optional missions you are given by NPCs in the later entries. These missions are an excellent source of in-game items, equipment, and weapons, so fans are encouraged to be on the lookout at all times.
RELATED:Open-World Games With The Deepest Lore, Ranked
Final Fantasy XVis no exception to this, offering over a hundred side quests and bounty hunts, meaning gamers will have logged an extra twenty or so hours into the game before they even realize it.
7The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
If gamers were to ask someone to name just one adventure game franchise, a very likely answer would beThe Legend of Zelda. That is because for years these games have raised the bar for creative dungeon design, interesting maps and monsters, and a lovable hero.Breath of the Wildis one of the most played Nintendo Switch games released so far and for good reason.
Players have logged in hundreds of hours on here and still come back to find things they have not yet finished. Even before the Champion’s Ballad DLC, there are still many side quests and shrines to run around searching for and finishing. Also, those Korok seeds. Curse those Korok seeds.
Being a part of the otherRockstar Gamespowerhouse franchise,Red Dead Redemption 2hasa breathtakingly gorgeous open world with a laundry list of things filling it with life. Once players are finished with the main campaign, clocking in at just over 60 hours on average to complete, they have really only just begun.
Only when players have finished the stranger missions, gang hideouts, chance encounters, hunting and fishing collections, collectible gatherings, and multiple categories of discovery, can they truly say that they have seen all that the game has to offer.
