Unwind in Virtual Worlds: 6 Surprisingly Soothing Side Activities in Open-World Games

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Summary

  • Side activities in open-world games enhance player immersion, making them feel like a part of the world.
  • Exploration in open-world games can be relaxing and rewarding, offering downtime for contemplation.
  • Activities like hunting, fishing, joyriding, camping, companionship, and farming add depth and realism to open-world settings.

In open-world games, immersion is key. While these games may boast vast landscapes, mind-blowing details, and intense combat, they’ll fall flat if players don’t feel like their actions matter or make a difference, no matter how small. To bring the world to life and create an engaging experience, open-world games should emphasize realistic aspects of the environment, and side activities offer a fantastic way to achieve this.

In many open-world games, whether grand or more modest, supplementary actions play a crucial role in bringing the game to life. Interacting with ordinary characters within the game’s environment, building relationships with companions, and participating in diversions unrelated to the main storyline are effective methods for players to feel not just immersed in the world, but an integral part of it. Notably, these side activities often take center stage in numerous outstanding open-world games, serving as a relaxing respite from the intensity of combat that typically dominates the primary quests.

6. Exploration

Setting Off In A Random Direction Can Be Incredibly Satisfying

Open World Games That Do Exploration Well:

  • The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
  • Red Dead Redemption 2
  • No Man’s Sky
  • Fallout 4

The thrill of exploration in open-world games is often a mix of danger and fulfillment, yet it’s the end point that gets highlighted more than the journey itself. The top exploration-focused open-world games provide ample opportunities for players to meander through wilderness or cities at their leisure, allowing for moments of peaceful introspection. Sometimes, this leisurely strolling is somewhat necessary to reach new areas in the main plot, but exploring in this manner – by casually wandering across the map – can still be a voluntary choice when swift travel could get you there more quickly.

In most cases, fantastical stories excel at exploring varied landscapes. However, certain fantasy-themed titles may sometimes offer settings that seem repetitive, whereas games set in cityscapes or science fiction backdrops often provide a more diverse world to explore.

5. Hunting And Fishing

Great For Quiet Thinking And Observing Nature

Open World Games That Do Hunting And/Or Fishing Well:

  • The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
  • Red Dead Redemption 2
  • Dragon’s Dogma 2
  • Stardew Valley

As a gaming enthusiast, I find myself captivated by the thrill of the hunt in video games. It’s not just about the chase, but also about exploring serene, vast, and forested landscapes, seeking out magnificent beasts, and ensuring that every bit of them serves a purpose, whether it’s for survival or crafting new items. A game truly shines when it offers an engaging combat system to enhance this hunting experience, and many games that get it right often lean towards action-oriented gameplay.

Fishing, much like hunting, provides tranquil intervals punctuated by the tugging at your line. For players who prefer less intense experiences, fishing might not evoke the same visceral response as hunting. However, it offers a unique and effective way to gather food or resources in games that value such aspects.

4. Joyriding

Race Through Open Wilderness Or City Streets

Open World Games That Do Joyriding Well:

  • Grand Theft Auto 5
  • Cyberpunk 2077
  • Far Cry 5
  • Forza Horizon 5

For decades, players have enjoyed aimlessly exploring open-world game landscapes as a way to take a break from their characters’ stories or clear their own minds. Games like the Grand Theft Auto series or numerous open-world racing titles offer ample opportunity for players to forget about the plot and just drive around at will, whether they stick to real-life road rules or not.

Games such as Cyberpunk 2077 provide a delightful mix of various driving experiences that players may desire. Fancy amassing fines while speeding through Night City on the incorrect side of the road at double the speed limit? Or perhaps you’d rather leisurely drive along the city outskirts, finding a peaceful spot to witness the sunset over the entire metropolis from a distance? Both scenarios and everything in between are possible, but they necessitate a more relaxed driving experience to reach.

3. Camping

Share A Fire Under The Stars

Open World Games That Do Camping Well:

  • Dragon’s Dogma 2
  • The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim (with Creation Club)
  • Outward
  • Red Dead Redemption 2

In numerous outstanding open-world games, camping serves not only for rejuvenating health and resources but also as a method to divide lengthy trips and appreciate the untamed beauty of the game’s environment. This adds a touch of authenticity and depth to an open world, offering engaging alternatives to waiting or fast traveling during gameplay.

In various games, camping is often a leisurely pastime, but it’s crucial to remember that camping in the wilderness, even within games like Dragon’s Dogma 2, may come with its own set of challenges. After all, not everything in the world takes a peaceful break when night falls.

2. Spending Time With Companions

Keeping Good Company Can Be Very Relaxing

Open World Games That Do Companions Well:

  • Fallout 4
  • Cyberpunk 2077
  • Stardew Valley
  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Open-world games offer engaging narratives centered around companions, ideal for players seeking a break from the primary storyline and wishing to cultivate a deep understanding of a richly developed character.

In games such as Stardew Valley and Cyberpunk 2077, while there aren’t always characters who stay by your side for extended periods, they do feature dynamic relationships between players and characters. These connections can grow stronger or weaker depending on the choices the player makes throughout the gameplay.

1. Farming

Enjoy A Simple Life Of Harvesting

Open World Games That Do Farming Well:

  • Minecraft
  • Slime Rancher 2
  • Stardew Valley
  • Rune Factory 5

Is there anything as rewarding as waking up early, taking care of a crop field and looking after animals, then pausing to wipe the sweat, and admire the sunrise over a flourishing, fertile farmland? Ask any farmer, and they’ll tell you that these moments of contentment are tucked between periods of tough work and management, but the charm of an idealized farm life is far more noticeable in video game versions.

The surge in popularity of tranquil agricultural games wasn’t a random occurrence; numerous open-world games have attempted to encapsulate the charm and serenity of peaceful farming landscapes in unique styles. For instance, Minecraft provides an extensive farming experience that mirrors the rest of the game, whereas Slime Rancher 2 focuses on tending to a distinct species of creature for farming. Despite differing outputs, the act remains profoundly soothing in both instances.

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2025-04-12 03:55