Open-World Games With Great Post-Game Content

Key Takeaways

Elden Ring offers an endlessly challenging New Game Plus mode that escalates in difficulty.
Final Fantasy 15 unlocks new dungeons post-game, adding more depth to the story.
Death Stranding provides an epilogue through new deliveries that wrap up character stories.

As a seasoned gamer with decades under my belt, I’ve seen the evolution of post-game content from mere afterthoughts to immersive, engaging expansions of the main storyline. And let me tell you, these games have taken it to a whole new level!

In most open-world video games, you’ll find a rich array of activities and it’s up to the player to choose whether they want to explore off the main path or focus on the narrative alone. Even with all this variety, some dedicated gamers yearn for even more content beyond the ending scenes.

These games truly excel in this area. They each provide exceptional and distinct post-game features, such as engaging new game plus modes or additional missions and quests that become accessible once you complete the main game. With credits running long at around several dozen hours, the post-game content demonstrates the developer’s commitment to acknowledging the investment of time and resources players put into this medium.

7 Elden Ring

Play Through The Game Endlessly As It Gets Harder And Harder

Softworks outdid themselves by introducing their unique gameplay style into a sprawling open world with Elden Ring. What sets this studio’s games apart is the cyclical design of their ‘New Game Plus’ mode.

Players can repeatedly master these games without end, and with each fresh attempt, the level of challenge intensifies. Initially, playing New Game+ in Elden Ring seems simple, but as players progress towards the latter stages, the difficulty escalates significantly. This challenging game is adored by many for its unique difficulty, and with each New Game+, there’s a heightened level of toughness designed to refine the skills of those eager for a steeper learning curve.

To enjoy the New Game Plus more easily, it’s advisable to complete the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC first, as its challenge level increases when you replay the game.

6 Final Fantasy 15

New Dungeons Open Up

Final Fantasy 15 follows an unusual structure: for the initial phases, it offers an open-ended experience, but as the game progresses, it moves swiftly towards its ending. Fortunately, the game allows players to complete secondary missions even after finishing the main storyline.

Alongside Noctis and his companions, they can additionally employ the Sealbreaker’s key to gain access to eight fresh dungeons. Notably, the Pitioss Ruins, as part of the Stealing the Past mission, will also consume a considerable amount of their time.

5 Fallout 3

Broken Steel Lets Players See How The World Changed

Bethesda games are known for giving players the freedom to roam around the game world even following the conclusion of the story. However, in the initial release of Fallout 3, this was not an option, causing disappointment among some gamers. Later on, they addressed this issue with the Broken Steel Downloadable Content (DLC), which continues immediately after the game’s events.

In Fallout 3, the main quest of the Broken Steel DLC stands out as both extensive on its own merit and uniquely impactful. Unlike other DLCs, it offers players a chance to witness the ripple effects of their actions in the Capital Wasteland’s conclusion.

4 Death Stranding

New Deliveries Wrap Up Every Character’s Story

In Death Stranding, the post-game content seamlessly ties into the storyline. From the get-go, exploring this world further for a while after finishing the game can be quite intriguing, as it provides more time to reflect on the game’s events.

As players progress and accomplish more tasks (deliveries), they’re rewarded with additional story details about various characters and their whereabouts. This can be seen as a conclusion or aftermath of the main storyline. Furthermore, it’s incredibly gratifying to find that tasks once challenging are now effortlessly completed.

3 Mafia

A Free Roam Mode With A Whole New Set Of Missions

In its original version, the game Mafia takes place in a vast open environment, however, there aren’t many activities available other than the main missions. Despite this, it offers quite an exciting post-game experience. Once you complete the game, you unlock the mode called “Free Ride Extreme”.

After the game concludes, players gain access to an open-exploration mode where fresh missions become available, separate from the primary narrative. Unlike the main storyline, these missions can be completed in any sequence. These challenges are more difficult than those encountered in the main missions, so anyone considering them should be ready for a tough test.

The original version of Mafia, which was released on PC, features this specific mode, but it’s not present in the remake called Mafia: Definitive Edition.

2 Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain

New, Harder Missions And Cassette Tapes That Expand The Lore

It’s possible to contend that the game Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain lacks a conclusive ending because of the controversy surrounding its production closure. Nevertheless, eventually, credits are shown, and additional activities follow afterwards.

Additional mission opportunities arise, and Venom Snake gets a plethora of fresh cassettes to explore, helping to clarify the storyline. Certain new missions even offer challenging iterations of earlier ones, where Snake enters the game world devoid of the equipment players had amassed during their adventure.

1 Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Hard Mode And New Side Quests To Test Players’ Skills

Beating Final Fantasy 7 Remake is quite an achievement on its own. It’s a grand JRPG adventure that significantly expands upon a key piece of the original, making it a cherished wish fulfilled for devoted fans. The Remake, in essence, lays the groundwork for its expansive post-game content, offering players plenty to explore further.

Besides the challenging mode, you’ll find plenty of fresh battles in the Shinra Battle Simulator, plus a host of new missions to conquer. The variety of new content ranges from easy to hard, but the toughest battles are some of the most demanding fights you’ll encounter in any modern RPG.

2024-09-10 10:33