Gaming has become one of the most popular forms of entertainment around. The modern strides this industry has made allows people to immerse themselves in amazing worlds for hours on end. This is whereopen-world gamingexcels since players can enjoy the opportunity to get lost in these worlds and explore every nook and cranny at their own pace. It’s this freedom that has made open worlds one of the most covetedparts of gaming.
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While getting immersed in these open worlds is definitely important, some experiences can fall flat if the stories in these games fall flat. For what it’s worth, the following titles end up being quite entertaining because of their amazing open-world design… even though their stories end up lacking due to several factors.
10Fallout 4
Bethesda’s latest single-player entry in theFalloutseries wasone of the most hyped games before its release. While most players enjoyed the open world of this game when it was released, it was the approach this game took from a story perspective that was criticized by many.
The addition of a voiced protagonist and a poor dialogue system means that most players simply couldn’t get into the game’s narrative. Thankfully, the open world was engaging enough to keep players occupied till the very end.
Pretty much no one expectedMad Maxto be an engaging game when it was released. It just seemed like anotherArkhamclone when it was revealed.
However, the game blew everyone’s tepid expectations out of the water when it was released. The open-world was genuinely engaging, with the driving mechanics also being quite engaging to boot.The story was one of the few departments that were mediocre.
8Far Cry 6
TheFar Cryseries has been home to some of the greatest games ever made. The formula of the series is quite addictive, even though the games have a habit of reusing the same engine to make entries that feel rather cut-and-paste at times.
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Far Cry 6is one such title that just feels like its previous game but with minor variations. The open world is still a blast to play through, but its story misses the mark completely when it comes to crafting a compelling narrative… even with the acting chops of Giancarlo Esposito!
7Watch Dogs
When Ubisoft revealedWatch Dogsfor the first time, players were left in shock and awe at the amazing graphics and innovative gameplay of the series. The ability to hack almost anything and everything seemed like a breath of fresh air at the time.
Unfortunately,Watch Dogsdid not live up to this hype at all. For what it’s worth, the open world was pretty decent, but nothing else in the game was even remotely exciting… especially when it comes to the story.
6Saints Row 4
TheSaints Rowseries is one of the most over-the-top titles of all time. The first two games were fairly down-to-earth before the franchise ended up kicking the ridiculousness meter all the way to the max.
Saints Row 4is easily the most ridiculous title of the lot, featuring the main character as the President of the United States with superpowers. Its story makes absolutely no sense, and doesn’t really need to — the draw of these games is just creating chaos and mayhem all over the open world.
5Dying Light
For the longest time, Techland was known as nothing more than the developers of the mediocreDead Islandseries. Most people considered the studio’s marketing to be better than its game development skills… that is, beforeDying Lightcame outto widespread acclaim.
The story might not have been great, but the gameplay and open world more than makeup for it. The combat might be slightly grindy at times, but it’s the excellent parkour that more than makes up for it.
4Monster Hunter: World
TheMonster Huntergames aren’t really known for their story. More often than not, the narrative is meant to fuel the amazing gameplay of the series, allowing players to hone their skills and hunt down huge and powerful monsters present all over the world.
Monster Hunter: Worldis the perfect evolution of this genre.The game is an absolute blast to play through, and hunting down monsters never fails to get entertaining. After a point, most players won’t even bother following the story!
3Grand Theft Auto 5
Rockstar Games is known for crafting some of the most detailed and engaging worlds out there. This, coupled with excellent gunplay and exploration mechanics, make these games quite engaging indeed.
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Grand Theft Auto 5is easilytheir most popular game by a country mile, and this is mainly due to their open world and gameplay. The story of this title is all over the pace, even though the cutscenes might be hilarious in their own right.
2The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
Skyrimis one of the most legendary open-world games of all time and is easily the most popular title in Bethesda’s library. However, the game isn’t really notable because of its by-the-numbers story.
Instead, it’s the amazing sense of exploration players can enjoy while exploring every nook and cranny ofSkyrimthat makes it such an incredible title. The Dragonborn might not have the most original story,but their powers and combat skillsmake this issue a non-consequence.
1The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
With the release of the Nintendo Switch, the company decided to try and reinvent the wheel when it came to some of its biggest franchises. This applied toThe Legend of Zeldaas well, which received an amazing makeover withBreath of the Wild.
The open world of this game allowed for endless freedom and exploration, even though the sandbox-style gameplay meant that the story had to take a back seat. It’s a minor gripe and does nothing to mitigate the quality of one of the greatest open-world games ever made.
