Games With Huge Gameplay Options

Games like The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Red Dead Redemption 2 are often praised for their massive size and the amount of content they provide. However, a game doesn’t need to be huge to feel expansive. A game can feel large and immersive simply by offering rich and engaging experiences.

These games offer a lot to do, from freely exploring large areas to engaging with many different gameplay features. You might find yourself exploring the world, battling enemies, growing a garden, or playing a variety of fun mini-games. They might seem simple at first, but players will quickly discover a surprising amount of depth and content.

Baldur’s Gate 3

Tell Your Story

Baldur’s Gate 3 is divided into areas, and most of these become available to explore right away. While these areas aren’t huge, they offer players a lot of freedom in how they shape their own unique story.

In Baldur’s Gate 3, players can create unique characters, improve their abilities, and make choices that affect conversations with both allies and other characters in the game. Battles require careful planning and let you direct your team however you like. Because of all these choices, every time you play Baldur’s Gate 3, you’ll have a different experience, making it a game you can enjoy again and again.

Stardew Valley

Pick Your Dream Home

At its core, Stardew Valley is a farming game, but it offers players a surprising amount of freedom from the start. You can customize your character and choose from several farm locations, including traditional spots and ones right on the beach. Regardless of your choice, you’ll always have a nearby town and plenty of areas to discover beyond your farm.

The game doesn’t have a main storyline, but offers optional quests to guide players. Each day, you’ll mostly be focused on clearing and preparing land for your farm. However, there’s also plenty to do beyond farming, like exploring caves, going on dates, and fishing, and you never know what surprises each new day will bring.

Minecraft

If You Build It, They Will Come

Minecraft is a game with no set objectives – players are free to do whatever they want. You can build and explore worlds, gathering resources to craft tools and structures. It’s simple to learn but incredibly engaging, much like playing with LEGOs.

Ever since its initial release in 2009, players have been creating incredible builds in the game, ranging from completely original designs to recreations of things from other popular games like Pokemon. Whether playing solo or with friends, and on most gaming consoles, players have tons of ways to express their creativity.

Dragon Quest Builders 2

Minecraft With A Story

Okay, so Dragon Quest Builders 2 is pretty similar to Minecraft, but it’s got a real story going on – it’s actually a spin-off of the Dragon Quest series. You get to create your own character, and then each chapter is basically about rebuilding different places. It’s not just about endless building, there’s a goal to everything, which I really like!

Villages are being wrecked by monsters, creating a demand for someone to rebuild them. While the fighting is simple, like in many action RPGs, you can create almost anything through crafting. Plus, once you finish the main story, you can team up with friends and build up your own island.

The Outer Worlds 2

Exploring The Galaxy

In The Outer Worlds 2, you’ll journey across diverse planets, stations, and moons, though none of the areas are huge. The game offers extensive character customization, letting you define everything from appearance to backstory and personality. As you progress, you can even choose Flaws for your character – negative traits that come with surprising benefits.

The way players develop their characters impacts how they experience the game, influencing everything from conversations with characters to solving simple puzzles. This means that every unique character build offers a fresh and engaging way to play.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Before Cyberpunk 2077, There Was…

In the cyberpunk world of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, many people use cybernetics to improve their bodies, and this plays a role in how you play the game. You can upgrade your character, Adam, with abilities like stronger lungs to protect him from poison.

Players have multiple approaches to completing missions, whether they prefer direct combat or stealth. While the city isn’t huge, exploring it expands as the story unfolds and Adam gains new abilities with his cybernetic enhancements.

Donkey Kong Bananza

Throw A Punch, Make A House

In Donkey Kong Bananza, players have the power to completely reshape the game world. As Donkey Kong, you’ll journey through diverse environments – from stormy landscapes to expansive beaches and towering mountains – with lots of opportunities to explore and cause some delightful destruction.

Players can break through almost anything in the game world – like rocks, pillars, and even buildings – using just a single punch or object. As they progress, they’ll discover strange new abilities that let DK transform and gain even more ways to move around and destroy things.

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain

Building A Better Soldier

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain is a game focused on stealth, and it gives players a lot of freedom to explore different areas. Even when you’re on a time-sensitive mission, you can take your time and look around as long as you complete it within the given limits.

Throughout the game world, you’ll find and hire soldiers, and collect resources to expand your Mother Base – which acts as your central headquarters. Using these soldiers and materials, you can create new tools and weapons for missions, like powerful guns or different types of hiding spots. As you build up your army and base, you’ll start to feel like you’re contributing to something larger.

Monster Hunter Wilds

On The Hunt

Monster Hunter Wilds introduces a truly open world, though areas become accessible as you progress through the story. What sets it apart is its lively ecosystem – monsters roam and interact with each other realistically. Players have extensive customization options, letting them design their hunter, their Palico companion, and their gear, even changing the appearance of their armor with transmog features.

Players can quickly set up tents to travel around the map, fish for food, and ride unique creatures called Seikrets. The game is enjoyable on your own, but it really shines when played with up to three friends online.

Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom

Two Leaders Unite

Ni no Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom is a classic RPG where you explore a wide world map filled with towns and dungeons. When you encounter monsters, the game switches to action-based combat, letting you control different characters in your party.

What really makes this game stand out is building your own town. You play as Prince Evan, who’s working to restore his kingdom, and developing your town gives you helpful advantages. You can also use it as a base to attack and take over other towns on the map, growing your power.

2026-01-16 02:38