Some open-world games have huge worlds, thrilling side quests, and lengthy narratives, but these games are actually better played through linearly
What are the best open-world games available? From The Witcher 3 to Assassin’s Creed, Dragon Quest XI to Horizon Zero Dawn, and Red Dead Redemption 2 to Cyberpunk 2077, there’s no doubt that some of the biggest and most lauded games out there have ginormous worlds to explore. Whether you’re chasing main quests or completing side activities, these massive worlds offer near-limitless activities – but some are better played with a more linear focus than others.
There’s no right or wrong way to play an open-world game, of course. There are some examples, like GTA 5, that afford you such freedom that you could go from a heist, to a Death Stranding-style traffic jam, to a terrorist attack, and then get some fast food. This type of non-linear experience offers so much variety, but it could blur the lines of what makes these games great – in many cases, a linear narrative and focus. With that in mind, here are some high-profile games that offer excellent storytelling, deep characters, and clever mechanics that are enhanced by focusing on the main narrative.
Watch Dogs 2
Watch Dogs 2 rewards players for diving into its side activities, but watching the main story unfold is the best way to play Ubisoft’s sandbox game. As Aidan or Ramsy, you have come to San Francisco to take down the cartel while battling rival hackers and embarking on crazy missions. Slamming into a freight train while driving the Quad Bomber, blowing up a city plaza with a car bomb, and dangling a man over the side of a carrier – these moments characterize the main questline and raise the stakes, whereas Watch Dogs 2’s side activities are less immersive and can feel repetitive.
Sometimes you’ll just get extra cash from a criminal checkpoint, but other times you’ll have to take down an online bank robber, and these cases start to feel same-y toward the end. It’s also easier to get invested in the main narrative and ignore Watch Dogs 2’s side activities if you’re settling into the metropolis for a longer period of time, which is the case when you can repeatedly replay a bunch of the same heists and story missions.
Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla
Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla is an underrated entry in the series that is buoyed by its strong narrative, with every moment in the game guiding you toward learning more about Freyja and her conspiracy theory. This long and winding main quest is occasionally marred by off-putting side quests, learnable abilities that can get repetitive, and tame action sequences.
Valhalla is also an open-world game a little ahead of its time: there are no extensive travelling animations as you leap across multiple points to get from A to B, there are no upgrade trees that distract from the action, and climbing keeps you in the action instead of separating you from it. This game is best experienced by the free and clear vision to focus on Freyja’s main narrative. That said, this linearity could have hindered Valhalla’s best qualities, and there are already signs that the upcoming Creed 11 will build off the foundation of Valhalla.
Yakuza
While it can be tempting to complete every side activity on the map, the Yakuza series marries incredible storytelling with hilarious side content to great effect. However, the best way to enjoy these games is by committing to the main narrative and savouring the rich writing and character development.
As you play through Kazuma Kiryu’s crime story, from meeting the series’ trademark outcast characters to the intense boss fights, the linear structure prevails, keeping the game firmly rooted in its no-nonsense, darkly comic tone. The side activities in these games can be too over-the-top for their own good and detract from the important narrative elements.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Mankind Divided is a game that knows how to tell a story. It weaves a harrowing tale about the conflict between human and Axxonoid as you uncover the secrets of life in Prague. It also knows when to end things too with one of the best open-endings in Gaming.
Technically, Mankind Divided is an open-world game – Prague is big, there’s plenty of that top-down interaction, and your journey across different regions puts Lara Croft to shame. However, the best way to experience Mankind Divided is by staying on the main track – whether you’re after main quests or side missions. The map isn’t as sizeable as others on this list, either, so you
