Open-World Games That Are Easy To Pick Up

Open-world games, while not happening every week, have become quite prevalent, with a new project emerging almost every month. As a result, the term encompasses a broad range of genres, tones, narratives, and gaming styles. If you’re seeking a challenging RPG experience, you might want to explore games like Kingdom Come: Deliverance or Outward. On the other hand, if you prefer a more casual sandbox experience, popular choices include Minecraft, Goat Simulator (and Grand Theft Auto, of course).

It’s not unusual for complexity to differ significantly from one game release to another, especially when it comes to open-world titles that can easily consume dozens of hours. Many games focus on enhancing mechanics, either by introducing fresh concepts or deepening those requiring extensive practice. Yet, simplicity isn’t always the goal, and there are several open-world games with straightforward mechanics. These projects often skip the preamble and immediately plunge players into the heart of the action, making their gameplay feel intuitive and natural.

Some criteria and things to keep in mind:

Action-Adventure games and RPGs are the focus, rather than exploration-based or slice-of-life projects. Racing games will also be ignored since they are their own thing.
“Uncomplicated” can mean quite a few different things. In this case, the accessibility of the mechanics and controls is crucial. For example, Red Dead Redemption 2‘s mechanics are quite straightforward, but the controls and movement come with a learning curve.

7. The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction

Hulk Smash An Open-World

Despite having complex backstory and character development, The Hulk’s combat style is rather simple: Destroy. In the game Ultimate Destruction, players are immersed in a vast open-world (considering its time period) and encouraged to start destroying. Not every object can be demolished, but much of the city lies vulnerable to The Hulk’s rampage, and he even transforms vehicles into weapons. After going through the tutorial and spending some time in free play, The Hulk’s mechanics and controls will become instinctive as they align perfectly with his character.

In Ultimate Destruction, there are various features that enrich the core gameplay, such as a power-up meter for enhanced attacks and secret weapons to unlock. However, these elements mainly expand on the foundation without bringing in many fresh concepts. The campaign, on the other hand, keeps things interesting by introducing diverse enemy units and escalating the challenge level.

6. Cat Quest Series

Simplifying The Action-RPG Open-World Formula

The Cat Quest trilogy is a delightful series. The developers, Gentlebros, created three separate campaigns that span around 10 to 15 hours each, with each one being remarkable in its own way. This isometric action RPG is set in a small yet endearing open-world and simplifies traditional role-playing elements, providing streamlined but efficient equipment and character advancement systems. The combat, which involves hacking and slashing, is instantly enjoyable and easy to grasp while still introducing some diversity through various weapons and well-crafted boss battles.

In the sequels, some concepts from the original game are further developed, most notably adding a two-player cooperative mode. Although they may be slightly more intricate, they remain user-friendly in comparison to typical RPGs and open-world games. Additionally, they are simply outstanding.

5. Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning

A Trip To A Simpler Yesterday

In 2012, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning by Big Huge Games was like a refreshing gust of wind, even though it may not have achieved its sales targets in the end. For a while, this open-world RPG wasn’t for sale. However, in 2020, it returned as a remastered version. This updated edition offers some enhancements, but primarily maintains the essence of the original game.

Essentially, whether you enjoy Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning depends largely on your fondness for games released towards the end of the PS3 era. Back in 2012, its hack-and-slash combat was quite innovative, but viewed from a contemporary perspective, it’s not particularly distinctive. However, despite its age, the gameplay remains enjoyable and offers a casual, accessible rhythm that distinguishes it from many other open-world titles.

4. Just Cause 2 (& The Full Series, Really)

Just Destroy Everything

At times, you might find yourself yearning for chaos â wanting to cause explosions. The Just Cause series can serve as a release, often not taking things too seriously. It follows Rico Rodriguez, a special agent whose mission (typically) is to overthrow dictators. He usually achieves this objective by laying waste to everything around him, and he’s provided with an array of weapons, vehicles, and gadgets to carry out the task effectively.

In these games, players have numerous ways to carry out missions, but the fundamental mechanics remain consistent, making them feel like classic third-person shooters with an added twist. Generally speaking, Just Cause 2 and Just Cause 3 are considered the series’ best entries, and even though they’re over a decade old now, they continue to offer a fun gaming experience.

Honorable mention: Mad Max and Rage 2 are also great open-world games with fairly simple mechanics.

3. Crackdown

An Open-World Game Without Distractions

The popularity of the game Crackdown has waned somewhat in recent times, largely due to two sequels that failed to recapture the essence of the original. Yet, the 2007 version released by Realtime Worlds remains an exhilarating gaming experience. Its simplicity is actually its most powerful asset. In this game, players assume the role of a super agent, sent to clean up a crime-ridden city. The mission involves clearing out three gang hideouts by eliminating various bosses.

Crackdown solely concentrates on its main gameplay mechanic, eliminating any additional features. Instead of tackling side missions or narrative elements, players exclusively engage in shooting, leaping, and obliterating adversaries. The process involves repeatedly executing these actions with minimal changes. Progression within the game is linked directly to fundamental combat and mobility skills, so improving one’s shooting abilities simply necessitates continued firing at as many enemies as feasible.

2. Yakuza 0

An All-Time Great Open-World Game Built Around A Simple Combat System

In simpler terms, “Yakuza 0” boasts a rich and diverse gameplay experience. It features two playable characters, each with distinct fighting styles, and these styles offer substantial advancement possibilities. Additionally, players must strategize their armor and weapon selections carefully, as making the right choices can be tricky. The game world is teeming with side quests and mini-games, some of which introduce exclusive mechanics not found elsewhere in the game. To sum it up, “Yakuza 0” offers a lot of variety, even before considering its gripping main narrative.

Regarding the fighting sequences in Yakuza 0, it follows typical beat ’em up mechanics in a 3D environment and is relatively straightforward compared to others in its genre. While both Kiryu and Majima offer various combos for players to master, they are strategically spaced so as not to feel overwhelming. Although their combat styles differ significantly, controlling either character is intuitive, making it easy to switch between them when the narrative demands it. Overall, Yakuza games are best appreciated as complete experiences rather than just evaluating their gameplay mechanics for depth.

1. The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

Freedom In Simplicity

In a sandbox-style game like “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild”, players are offered an expansive world with minimal guidance, which can sometimes feel overwhelming due to the vast freedom it provides. Instead of gradually introducing fresh concepts, Link is equipped with his essential tools right from the start, and most gameplay revolves around four Runes obtained from the Sheikah Slate.

In its simplicity, Breath of the Wild offers an incredible level of adaptability for each skill it provides, inspiring players to explore unconventional solutions when facing the various obstacles in its expansive world. This flexibility extends beyond solving puzzles within Shrines; the Runes are not only useful but essential in combat situations too. Breath of the Wild demonstrates remarkable ingenuity with minimal resources.

2025-04-27 14:35