7 Open-World Games You Can Play Without Ever Grinding for Levels

Summary

RPG elements are standard in open-world games like GTA 5, Saints Row 4, and Yakuza, requiring XP for strength levels.
Metal Gear Solid 5 doesn’t have traditional level-ups; Mother Base levels up to unlock better gear and weapons.
In Yakuza 0, players use earned yen for skills and upgrades instead of XP, balancing different upgrades with limited currency.

Regardless of whether you appreciate them or not, role-playing games (RPGs) have undeniably influenced video gaming. Many action-packed real-time games may seem devoid of mages and Eidolons, but they often incorporate aspects derived from their magical predecessors. For instance, open-world games such as Grand Theft Auto 5, Saints Row 4, and the majority of Yakuza/Like a Dragon series feature strength levels that become accessible with earned experience points (XP).

In many genres of gaming, a common element is the requirement for Experience Points (XP) to grow stronger and acquire new abilities. However, this isn’t a rule that has always applied. For instance, in older open-world games, as well as some more recent ones, players might develop strength through other means or not need to level up at all.

7. Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain

Where the Only Stats Being Raised Belong to Mother Base

In a Metal Gear game, things are never simple. The only open-world title, Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain (excluding Ground Zeroes and Survive), employs a system similar to Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. Unlike other games where the protagonist, Big Boss/Snake, automatically levels up as the game progresses, he remains at the same level of strength from start to finish in this game. Instead, it’s his Mother Base that gains levels and improves over time.

As Snake recruits more top-tier personnel from the battlefield, Mother Base’s various departments improve, giving players access to superior weapons and equipment. This not only enhances Snake’s own capabilities but also boosts his team’s Heroism, making them more attractive to skilled troops and increasing overall base morale. Consequently, one might say that in Metal Gear Solid V, everything except Snake experiences level-ups.

6. Yakuza 0

Where Cash Truly is King

Initially, before the mainline Yakuza games transformed into Japanese Role-Playing Games (JRPGs), they offered various methods for enhancing Kiryu and his companions. These enhancements were gained through earning Experience Points (XP), which could then be used in different ways. For instance, in Yakuza 3 to 5, the XP earned would give varying amounts of orbs that you could spend on skills. On the other hand, games like Yakuza Kiwami 1 and Like a Dragon: Ishin followed a skill tree for skill acquisition. Lastly, in Yakuza 6 and Yakuza Kiwami 2, your XP would be divided among different traits based on the activities you chose to engage in.

In the game “Yakuza 0“, they chose a unique approach by eliminating Experience Points (XP). Instead, it featured a skill tree where players could purchase skills using the massive amounts of Yen they accumulated from fights, side quests, mini-games, and so forth. While it might seem like there’s a lot of money, it quickly gets depleted when divided among health boosts, offensive and defensive enhancements, new combat abilities, weapon upgrades, Hostess training, property investments, catfights, and more. Essentially, the cash is earned almost as fast as it’s spent.

5. Elite Dangerous

Sail Across the Stars In Search of a Profit

When envisioning an open-world game today, many picture the free-roaming environments found in games such as Grand Theft Auto or Yakuza. However, the earliest games that allowed players to explore freely were more akin to Elite, a space simulation where they needed to trade between various outposts and take on various tasks to earn credits and upgrade their ship, enabling them to travel further and combat rivals more effectively.

In the revamped version of Elite Dangerous, players are now immersed in a vast, expansive universe teeming with various activities and political factions to engage with. The ultimate goal remains the same: accumulate space credits to upgrade from a modest spaceship to a top-tier galactic cruiser. However, mastering the game’s intricate cosmic capitalism system is essential for success in this interstellar adventure.

4. Destroy All Humans

Do As the Title Says to Upgrade Your Alien

Revisiting familiar territory, the game “Destroy All Humans” (either the original or remake) sets the Furon alien named Crypto on Earth in 1959 with a crucial mission: saving his species from genetic extinction. This often requires capturing some hapless humans and extracting Furon DNA from their brains. If creating a bit of turmoil across the game’s six different levels is necessary to gather enough DNA to save their race, so be it.

Gathering DNA serves as a means for gamers to enhance Crypto’s weapons and abilities. The more DNA they collect, the more skills and upgrades they can purchase. Failure to explore enough humans will hinder their advancement of chain lightning, Disintegrator Ray, Psychokinesis, and other weaponry components. Therefore, unless players aim for a difficult low-level gameplay experience, they need to start destroying things immediately to progress in the game effectively.

3. Saints Row 2

Ace the Activities to Ace the Game

Before the Saints Row series turned the absurdity up to maximum and removed any semblance of progression afterwards, Saints Row 2 required players to earn their upgrades through hard work rather than just leveling up and spending XP at will like in its later installments. To acquire specific skills, they had to accomplish certain tasks or mini-games. For instance, if a player wanted to become invincible to fall damage from any height, they would have to master the base-jumping activity.

As a gamer, here’s how I would rephrase that:

“Craving unstoppable speed and endurance? Conquer Level 6 of Insurance Fraud, the toughest stage in the car accident simulator. Hungry for powerful melee strikes? Dominate all opponents in Fight Club, which could involve taking down rival gangs’ missions up to Mission 6 first to learn their unique combat styles. It may be challenging, but trust me, the sense of accomplishment when you finally succeed is unmatched.

2. Assassin’s Creed 2

Uncovering the Truth with the Help of Real Estate

In Assassin’s Creed 2, players don’t have to work too hard to obtain upgrades. If they accumulate enough money, they can purchase desired weapons, armor, and even replenish their knives and smoke bombs from the blacksmiths. However, acquiring top-quality items necessitates advancement in the storyline and amassing a substantial amount of funds. Obtaining sufficient florins is typically achieved by completing tasks, occasionally resorting to pickpocketing or looting, discovering hidden chests, and sometimes finding lucky breaks.

If they don’t enhance Villa Auditore, which was once Ezio’s base, by investing in suitable upgrades, purchasing art pieces, and gathering codex pages, they will fail to increase the villa’s worth and miss out on additional income. However, if they manage these tasks successfully, they’ll not only boost the villa’s value but also earn a substantial sum of money. With this extra cash, they’ll be able to acquire top-tier equipment whenever they desire and restock their perishable items at their leisure.

1. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

The World Is Yours for the Right Price

One factor contributing to the popularity of levels in open-world games is that they simplified the process for players to acquire new skills. Instead of spending extensive time mastering specific skills such as driving, shooting, or swimming individually in games like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, players could now obtain a collection of enhanced abilities by advancing to certain levels. This method makes it more convenient and efficient for players to improve their characters’ capabilities.

In Los Santos, it definitely motivated players to engage in more activities, but some players found themselves drawn to GTA: Vice City, where Tommy Vercetti didn’t have to take on as much. Instead, he just needed the right equipment and weapons to transform the city into his playground. Achieving this goal was simply a matter of accumulating enough money (or using the appropriate cheat codes) without any unnecessary complications. Straightforward and hassle-free.

2025-05-05 16:44