If you enjoy open-world games with engaging quests, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a standout title. Even seemingly simple tasks, like delivering items or rescuing people, can quickly turn into major adventures – you might find yourself battling monsters to save children or tracking down a lost pot for a neighbor.
Many games offer side quests, but not all players enjoy them. Some people prefer open-world games because they like freely exploring and stumbling upon discoveries, instead of being guided by quest markers. If you’re the type of player who values those small, organic finds over structured side quests, here are some games you should try.
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The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
Breath Of Fire
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim immediately gives players a lot of freedom after the initial escape. While you can head to town and start doing simple tasks for people, the game is best experienced by exploring the world and discovering things on your own.
As I explore, some caves are just… caves, you know? Nothing special. But then others? Total game-changers! I might stumble across a new Dragon Shout, which is awesome. It’s really fun never knowing what I’ll find. Plus, running into dragons out in the open world, or even getting surprised by giants, keeps things exciting and a little scary!
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Remembering 1997
One of the best things about Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is how faithfully it rebuilds locations from the original Final Fantasy 7 on PlayStation. While the game adds a lot of new side quests and interesting characters, focusing on the main story lets you experience the most impressive reimagining of these classic areas for a new audience.
The world feels more detailed and lived-in now. Areas like Junon show the effects of conflict, Costa del Sol is even more vibrant and beautiful, and Cosmo Canyon is a truly captivating and intricate place to explore.
Elden Ring
All About Characters
Unlike many games, Elden Ring doesn’t rely heavily on traditional quests, and that’s a good thing. It throws you into the world with very few instructions, letting you explore freely. You’ll constantly discover bosses, smaller challenges, valuable items, and intriguing characters hidden everywhere you go.
Being a FromSoftware game, players might be hesitant to trust NPCs, considering previous games where they’ve unexpectedly become enemies. But that’s often what makes the experience enjoyable – along with the benefit of tackling difficult challenges with friends in co-op. One of the most rewarding finds are warp zones, which can instantly take you to areas you wouldn’t normally be able to reach.
The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
Under Rocks
While The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild includes quests given by characters you meet, the most rewarding experiences come from exploring the world itself – finding hidden Koroks and discovering the many Shrines that showcase the game’s impressive physics.
Players can improve Link’s abilities by finishing Shrines – earning currency to boost his health or stamina. Finding Koroks expands how much he can carry. Plus, discovering powerful and rare monsters like Lynels offers thrilling challenges.
Donkey Kong Bananza
Getting Banandium
Donkey Kong Bananza is a new, exclusive game for the Switch 2 that’s all about digging and breaking things! Players take on the role of Donkey Kong and can punch their way through hills and underground to find treasures. Collecting a special material called Banandium lets you improve DK’s abilities.
Players can discover temporary items, treasure chests, and fossils while exploring. Certain skills can pinpoint item locations using sonar or by revealing them on a map. However, the game is designed to be more enjoyable when you stumble upon discoveries naturally, rather than actively searching with skills or tools.
Ghost Of Yotei
Animal Crossing
Ghost of Yotei features many quests given by different characters throughout the ancient Japanese region of Yotei. The game also includes a unique system that guides players toward optional side quests, like discovering hot springs to boost health or finding bamboo shrines to increase skill energy.
Small, golden birds guide players to important upgrade locations, and foxes lead them back to their dens – a clever way to naturally direct exploration. The game also includes delightful Easter eggs referencing previous Insomniac titles, such as inFAMOUS. These hidden references don’t offer tangible rewards beyond a fun photo, but the joy of finding them is reward enough.
Fallout 4
Post-Apocalyptic History
What makes the Fallout games unique is the chance to wander through places that feel familiar, even though they’ve been devastated by a post-apocalyptic event. Fallout 4, for instance, features the Boston area, which isn’t a perfect copy of the real city, but draws inspiration from actual locations.
Locations in Fallout 4 are inspired by real places: Diamond City is modeled after Fenway Park, and The Institute takes cues from MIT. Players in Massachusetts or Boston likely felt a strong sense of nostalgia while exploring, making the game a walk down memory lane. And for those who don’t live there, exploring these historical locations within the game is a more affordable way to experience them than traveling in real life.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Helping Your Fellow Man
The most innovative part of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is how it handles online play. You won’t directly interact with other players, but you’ll share the same game world. For example, if you lose a delivery, another player might find it and complete it for you – a win-win for everyone involved.
Players will be able to restore old infrastructure, like roads and railways, by working together. Discovering both the Australian landscape and structures built by other players – or even finding hidden packages – will make each journey feel special. This focus on delivery and shared rebuilding is what will set Death Stranding 2: On the Beach apart as an open-world experience.
Hogwarts Legacy
Bewitched
Hogwarts Legacy is an enjoyable action role-playing game with plenty of interesting spells. However, the main draw for most players is the chance to freely explore the iconic Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, something Harry Potter fans have always dreamed of.
While there have been Harry Potter games set at Hogwarts before, none have been as expansive as this one. This game is unique because it features a large, open-world environment that includes the areas around the school. For fans, the biggest joy will come from spotting references to the books and movies, even more than completing quests or following the main story.
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Making Friends With A Whole City
What truly makes each Yakuza game special are the side quests, known as Substories. These often involve bizarre and memorable characters, from aggressive chickens to gangsters with unusual hobbies. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth continues this tradition, but Honolulu offers plenty of other reasons to venture off the beaten path.
The game features lots of hidden mini-games and unusual characters you can meet outside of the main story. For some players, simply exploring the detailed and beautiful beaches of Honolulu will be enough to enjoy the experience.
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2026-02-09 05:06