Whether it’s finally defeating the red scaly dragon in the back of the cave, getting your hands on the loot in the locked chest in the boss’s lair, or editing your characters hair to be that perfect shade of red, there isn’t much you can’t do in an open world RPG.
Listed here are the 10 best open world RPG’s we here at Gamers Decide have stumbled upon in our travels. Strap your armor on, sharpen your sword, and fill that mug with ale (there is always Ale). Let’s dive into the 10 best open world RPG’s out there
10. The Witcher 3
Set in what is known simply as The Continent, you’ll assume the role of protagonist Geralt of Rivia; a monster hunter more commonly known as a Witcher. You and Geralt will travel through dark and twisted forests, war torn lands, and monster infested areas in search of your missing adopted daughter, Ciri. Your goal and main quest is to save Ciri from an otherworldly force known as The Wild Hunt, as they attempt to capture her and exploit her magical abilites.
Managing a weapon system that utilizes Steel Swords and Silver Swords (the latter used solely for monster slaying), you’ll journey through a wicked and brutal landscape on your way to find Ciri. Collecting bounties to hunt monsters for experience, money, and gear, and completing hundreds of unique and well written side quests will occupy much of your time outside of the main quest line.
Perhaps the most interesting feature of The Witcher 3 however, is Gwent. Gwent is a full-blown collectable card game, which you can play as you journey through The Continent. Stumbling in from a long day of traveling the road, find the nearest inn and take out the Gwent deck and battle some tavern locals while sampling the local ales. Sorry beer nerds, no micro-ale’s in this game.
Landscapes Are Breathtaking In The Witcher 3
Nothing to See Here Folks…
9. Skyrim
In this fifth installment of the Elder Scrolls series, Skyrim is an open world RPG set in the harsh northern province of Skyrim. In this cold and dark RPG, you’ll assume the role of a hero (or anti-hero for that matter) and set off on an epic adventure to defeat Alduin the World Eater. He’s as much of a jerk as his name implies, and your journey to face him will be one of trials and tribulations.
Running through the province of Skyrim, you’ll experience the open world RPG experience as it was meant to be lived. Out of the gate, you’re presented with a vast open area and not much direction as to which way to proceed. Our advice is to just start walking and figure it out. Skyrim will play best with an open mind for adventure and great attention to detail. There’s a lot of it to pick up on out there.
Throughout the game, you’ll run into the occasional dragon (which have only since returned to the land right as you were about to be executed). Defeating these dragons will allow you to absorb their soul, and dragon souls can be used to learn special and unique Shouts. These Shouts are an ancient practice you will learn, and your character will be the first in generations who can wield this power. Use the gift wisely.
No, The Bear Is Not Waving at You
Run down keeps are riddled throughout the Skyrim landscape
8. Shadow of Mordor
Ever want to jump into the Tolkien mythos in between main titles? Here’s your chance kids! Shadow of Mordor plunges you into Middle Earth, right in between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings. An open world RPG, Shadow of Mordor will set you off on an action RPG adventure, with extremely well-done cinematics to help set the Middle Earth tone.
Assuming the role of the ranger Talion, you’re on a mission of vengeance and redemption. Seeking to avenge the death of your loved ones (it gets more specific as the story progresses, you’ll set out upon Middle Earth with the ability to hack and slash your way through Uruk hordes or wield wraith powers and manipulate your enemies as well.
Easily the most unique and exciting aspect of Shadow of Mordor is the Nemesis system. The game will track the progress of any Uruk who performs a notable feat. These can be killing your character, surviving a battle with your hero, or several other smaller feats. These baddies will be promoted throughout the game and come back as tougher Captains who will drop powerful Runes once encountered a second time (and defeated).
Is That an Axe In Your Neck?
Reveling in The Light After Epic Victory
7. Fallout 4
Set in the wastelands of the Greater Boston Metropolitan Area, Fallout 4 is the fifth major installment from Bethesda in this classic franchise. After surviving nuclear fallout, you assume the role of a vault dweller; someone who retreated to the underground vaults run by Vault Tec to stave off nuclear destruction.
Roaming the wastelands, you’re going to have a field day if weapons are your thing here. From baseball bats to fission rifles, Fallout 4 has it all. There is even a weapon where you can just load your junk as ammo and fire away. If you have “kill a mutant with a toy block” on your bucket list, Fallout 4 may be your only way to accomplish that goal. Besides the whole weapons thing, you’ll meet over half a dozen unique followers who have their own fleshed out back stories and quest lines (including a Dog which you can adopt and have follow you around).
While it boasts many unique and astounding features, Fallout 4 will impress fans of the RPG genre the most with its character dialogue scenes. Choosing dialogue options won’t simply progress the encounter along; you’ll see a studio quality cut scene with your character and the NPC involved having a discussion. This is only further enhanced by the detail in which you can customize the appearance of your characters.
Power Armor Is Back Baby, And Badder Than Ever
Or Maybe This is More Your Thing…
6. Fallout: New Vegas
Sticking with our post nuclear apocalypse theme here, we stumble from Beantown and find ourselves in Las Vegas; or New Vegas as it has become in this new post nuclear world. In this smaller installment, you’ll assume the role of The Courier; a wasteland traveler who is shot in the head and left for dead while carrying a package to be delivered. Our mission, as you may have guessed, is to find the poor soul who tried to kill us and return the favor.
Following the ethos of the Fallout universe, our main gameplay feature here is going to the weaponry. New Vegas does follow a theme consistent with the west, and you’ll notice the influence in some of the outfit choices as well as the weaponry. VATS play a bigger role in this installment than it has in the past, and character customization to take advantage of this unique targeting system is at its strongest in this installment.
Of all the Fallout titles, this is the one that takes the cake when it comes to story. It is the unique aspect and unique advantage in this title. The NPC’s are well done from top to bottom, the dialogue is well written, and cut scenes within dialogue will have you forgetting you’re playing a video game all together. Plus, our dwelling options in this game are quite interesting as well.
Let Us Know Once You’ve Tested the Air!
Like I Said…Unique Weapons
5. Kingdome Come: Deliverance
Breaking the mold of the hero with powers, or the chosen one who wields the magical weapon, Kingdom Come: Deliverance sets us on a different path as we journey out into the world. You’ll play the role of Henry, an illiterate blacksmith’s son. Your goal in the beginning of the game is just as mundane as well. Basically, you start needing to make sure you can consistently find food, water, and shelter.
Once our basic necessities are taken care of, Kingdom Come: Deliverance delivers on a supremely realistic view of 15th century Bohemia, a part of the Holy Roman Empire. While the combat system is highly developed, and skill based, it is by no means a central basis of the game. In fact, you can spend your focus and energy on building Henry into an evasive smooth talker who rarely engages in combat. Still, there are plenty of swords and sword fights waiting for you if you so desire.
Incredibly unique to Kingdome Come: Deliverance is the lore and depth of history. There is a vast and deep journal for the game, and every aspect has been consulted during development by historians of the era. From objects, to dialogue, to interactions between social sects, Kingdom Come: Deliverance will catapult you into a different time and age, while still allowing you to swing your sword and slash away if you so choose.
Using the bow is not as easy as it looks in this game
It Wouldn’t Be an Open World RPG Without Some Sword Fighting
4. Vampyr
Vampyr game puts you in the role of a World War I-era surgeon named Jonathan Reid, who is back home in London after serving in France. You’ll soon discover that he has become a vampire. He stumbles upon this revelation a quite tragic fashion: his thirst for blood causes him to attack the first person he sees — his sister, come to welcome him home from the war.
Gameplay is unique, and invigoration. Combat is essentially completely optional, with only a handful of boss fights that are mandatory. Reid has the option to avoid almost every physical confrontation. However, every NPC is the game is targetable however, and Reid also has the option to feed on them and turn them into Vampires as well. With story driven consequences.
The cinematics are world class in Vampyr, perhaps the best of any game on the list. What’s more impressive is the Mesmerize aspect added to the game. When turning someone into a Vampire, Reid will receive their final thought, and these thoughts become pieces of lore that help tie the story together and add a healthy amount of story to this already impressive story driven RPG.
I Think We All Know What Is Going Down Here
Her day did not end too well...
3. Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord
Open world is the name of the game in the Mount and Blade series, and Bannerlord delivers. In this title, your options are essentially endless regarding how you play through. You can suit up as a mercenary in an army, a knight, a merchant, a successful gladiator; the list goes on. You’ll also be able to raise your own castles and armies or take the path of a craftsman and forge weapons and armor.
The combat in Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord is slated to be unique, but as realistic as it gets for a medieval open world RPG. The first title in the series to adopt a true physics-based system, your choice of weapon will matter more than in previous installments. Weapon size, weight, and mass will all be determining factors in its swing speed and damage.
While still pending an official release date, we know already that players can come to expect a strong modernization of the well-known, yet niche, open world RPG series. It’s safe to say that rather than the traditional role of taking command of a character who is out on a specific quest, Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord will offer a more sandbox friendly approach to the RPG genre.
A Classic Sight in the Mount and Blade Universe
All Signs Point to Mounted Combat Staying in This Installment
2. Elite Dangerous
Set upon a fully scientifically mapped version of our very own Milky Way Galaxy, Elite Dangerous is grand in scale to say the least. In fact, you can even fly your starship to our own Solar System. It just may take you a little while depending on where you are. In case you didn’t know, our Galaxy is quite large friends.
Playing as an MMORPG, Elite Dangerous falls into the Open World RPG category quite nicely for several reasons. First, it is not sword and shield combat based like a clear majority of the genre. Players can become a space trader for example, and never fire a space cannon in their entire careers. You’ll start with a small spaceship and some meager funds, and it’s your job to make a name for yourself in the galaxy. Through any means necessary.
By far, without question, the coolest aspect of this game is its unique time keeping standards. The game was released in 2014 and took place in the year 3300. Since release, the game has kept with Coordinated Universe Time (UTC) and progresses in real time. Meaning, the year in game now is 3304. I don’t know if it’s just me, but details in games like that give me a warm and fuzzy feeling inside.
NOT a Starting Spaceship Option Folks
Hey, How’d That Scratch Get on My Spaceship!?
1. Conan Exiles
Touting itself as an “open world survival game”, Conan Exiles starts players out as they are being crucified in the hot desert sun, for a litany of crimes apparently committed. Coming to our aid however, is none other than Conan himself. Now it is our job to survive the harsh lands known simply as The Exiled Lands.
Character creation and customization are well done and offer tons of variety. Once you’re free from the crucifixion however, looks alone are not going to do the trick. A variety of standard medieval weaponry is at your disposal to destroy anyone who stands in between you and desert survival (and ultimately escape).
Religion and faith play a large role in the game as well, with your character able to swear allegiance to one of four major pantheon Gods. Religions can be learned and studied from various NPC’s throughout the game and will provide a unique role in determining situational outcomes for your character.
Whatever That Thing is, Kill it!
All Sorts of Foes Stand Between You and Freedom
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