10 Action Games Where Exploration Gives Rewards

I’m not a fan of how most open-world games handle exploration. Spending hours searching vast, empty landscapes for anything interesting just isn’t fun for me. But when a game does get exploration right, it’s amazing – those are the games you can lose yourself in for hundreds of hours.

Great action games that encourage exploration need a few key elements: solid gameplay and combat, appealing graphics, plenty of activities, and a satisfying reward for your efforts. This reward could be a well-crafted experience itself, or more commonly, things like character upgrades, new cosmetic items, or discovering optional side quests. Here are a few games that truly excel at exploration.

10. Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor

When Exploration Changes Combat

The world of The Lord of the Rings is ripe for amazing video games, and it’s surprising that only Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor has come close to realizing that potential. Though not flawless, the game’s story fits well within the existing Lord of the Rings universe and successfully captures the feel of Middle-earth.

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor has a unique feature called the Nemesis System. It uses artificial intelligence to create a dynamic enemy hierarchy where orcs remember their encounters with the player and rise in power based on those interactions. This makes exploring the game world more meaningful, as your actions directly impact the orcish power structure. You might stumble upon an orc you previously fought, now stronger and leading others, turning a simple exploration trip into a challenging fight. This system makes the game a thrilling action experience with plenty of reasons to replay it.

9. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag

Parkour Meets Naval Warfare

While not the largest Assassin’s Creed game, Black Flag excels at what it aims to do: letting you live the life of a pirate, sailing the open seas, and searching for hidden treasure.

Most pirate games fail to truly capture the feel of the Caribbean during its Golden Age, but Black Flag excels. Its sailing mechanics are outstanding, and exploring the underwater world with its coral reefs is incredibly engaging. Each jungle and coastal town feels unique and is filled with opportunities to find treasure, earn upgrades, and customize your ship and character.

8. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

The Work of an Archaeologist

The thrill of adventure has always been what makes Indiana Jones so popular, and exploring new places is a big part of that. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle really delivers on this, encouraging players to venture off the beaten path. And it pays off – you’ll find lots of collectibles to discover and keep track of.

The game features tons of collectibles – artifacts, notes, replicas, books, and more – all tied to different locations and groups. You’ll need to search everywhere, even talking to shopkeepers and other characters, to find them all. Usually, I’m not a fan of endless collecting, but this game makes it worthwhile. Because you play as Indiana Jones, an archaeologist, these items feel meaningful – they’re more than just decorations or gameplay boosts, and that makes the collecting feel rewarding.

7. Batman: Arkham Knight

The Innovation of the Batmobile

Batman: Arkham Knight truly sets itself apart with the addition of the Batmobile. This vehicle dramatically enhances exploration, becoming a tool for solving puzzles, defeating enemies, and quickly traversing the city. It’s an incredibly fun experience that exceeds even the creators’ original vision for the character.

Exploring Gotham is a key part of the game, and it’s connected to puzzle-solving and using Batman’s new skills. The game’s levels are designed to encourage you to thoroughly investigate, unlocking more of the city and finding hidden rewards. This creates a satisfying cycle where careful exploration consistently pays off.

Sure, it ultimately was a divisive mechanic in the game, but it certainly worked for me.

6. Rise of the Tomb Raider

When Exploration Meets Innovation

One of the best things about Tomb Raider is how much it focuses on exploring. It was the first game I played where uncovering secrets was the main goal, and I absolutely loved it. The excitement of finding a new tomb and figuring out what rewards or dangers were inside was incredibly fun. It created a rewarding cycle where exploring always felt worthwhile and kept me hooked.

Rise of the Tomb Raider truly shines when you venture off the beaten path. The most rewarding tombs aren’t part of the main story – you have to actively seek them out. These hidden areas offer the game’s most impressive puzzles, beautiful scenery, and exciting moments, perfectly capturing the spirit of exploration.

5. Ghost of Tsushima

The Beauty of Feudal Japan

The beautiful island of Tsushima in Ghost of Tsushima, set in 1200s Japan, immediately captured my attention. But it wasn’t just the scenery – the game encouraged exploration. Things like spotting a traditional torii gate, finding hidden mountain paths, or simply wandering through the forests constantly drew me off the main path, and I was frequently rewarded for doing so.

As you play, you’ll improve Jin’s abilities, like his health, and discover engaging side quests and valuable resources. No matter where you explore, you’re sure to find something helpful. Beyond the useful items and upgrades, simply being in the world of Ghost of Tsushima was enjoyable thanks to its stunning visuals. Discovering the beautiful landscapes felt like a reward in itself.

4. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

A Different View of New York City

Swinging around New York City in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is incredible, and the game perfectly captures that feeling. The map is now even bigger, adding the boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn, which gives you more varied and interesting areas to explore. Honestly, just swinging through the city is fun enough to make you want to play!

Honestly, swinging around the city in this game is incredible, and being able to switch between Peter and Miles just takes it to another level. They both feel different when they swing – their movements and animations are unique. It makes getting around so much more fun and fluid than the last game. It’s gotten to the point where just exploring the city is a blast, and I almost forget about the missions and collectibles… almost! It’s like the line between just moving around and actually playing the game is completely gone.

3. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Being a Jedi Rocks

Playing as a Jedi and battling across the Star Wars galaxy with a lightsaber is an amazing experience. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor builds on what made the first game, Fallen Order, great and also addresses its problems. Many players, like myself, were frustrated by the lack of fast travel – especially after completing the planet Zeffo and having to backtrack through a complicated area.

Subscribe to the newsletter for richer exploration tips

Discover more analysis, curated picks, and actionable strategies for exploration-driven games by subscribing to the newsletter. You’ll receive deeper breakdowns of mechanics, level design lessons, and exploration-focused recommendations to enhance play.

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor improved exploration with features like fast travel and larger, more detailed worlds. Cal’s new abilities, including the grapple hook and Force powers, made getting around much more fluid and exciting – you could leap across huge spaces, for example. Beyond just collecting items, the game used Cal’s psychometry to reveal the personal stories tied to each location, making the world feel truly alive and immersive.

2. Red Dead Redemption 2

It’s in the Details

Red Dead Redemption 2 features a huge, incredibly detailed open world that feels truly alive and reacts to your actions. How you explore and the things you discover off the main roads directly impact your character’s honor and the story.

What really stood out to me in Red Dead Redemption 2 was how incredibly detailed everything was. From the bloodstains on Arthur’s clothes after a fight to the careful process of making camp and cooking food, these small touches were everywhere. This level of detail made exploring the game world incredibly satisfying, because you really noticed and appreciated even the simplest moments.

1. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

The World Opens Before You

Okay, so Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is my pick for the best because of how awesome the prosthetic arm is. Seriously, all the different tools you can add to it completely changed how I played. It let me get everywhere – I mean, I was finding secrets in every little corner of the map. And the way the levels are built? It’s all connected, which made exploring even more rewarding. It felt like a real, cohesive world.

As you explore the game world, you’ll unlock new abilities for your prosthetic arm, which opens up more areas and possibilities, giving you an edge in gameplay. Sekiro’s stealth mechanics complement exploration, allowing you to surprise enemies or find ways to simplify challenging fights.

2026-05-04 01:41