Summary
- Every playthrough of open-world games can unveil new quests, dialogue options, and areas, creating a fresh experience each time.
- Replay value in games like Elden Ring and The Forgotten City comes from altering interactions and unlocking new content with each cycle.
- Each game, like Pathologic 2 or Cyberpunk 2077, offers a unique perspective and narrative based on player decisions, creating distinct endings.
Open-world games come in all shapes and sizes, but one of the most interesting aspects of any game in the genre is the title's ability to change the course of a playthrough every time it's started again. Sometimes these changes can be small or subtle, but in other cases, the entire narrative can be shifted in a new direction, and it almost feels like the player is going through an entirely new game.
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NPCs with different dialogue options, entirely new questlines that deliver even more story, and large open areas that were otherwise locked before, when developers truly get the balance right, that second playthrough can be better than the first. It is a difficult line to find, but it is always nice knowing that when the credits roll, the story is never truly over.
1 The Forgotten City
Every Decision Shapes The Future Of Civilization
The Forgotten City
- Released
- July 28, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Alcohol Reference, Blood, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Modern Storyteller
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
The Forgotten City is a narrative-driven mystery set in an ancient Roman city trapped in a time loop. The player investigates a society governed by the "Golden Rule," where any sin dooms the entire population to a fate worse than death. The game combines exploration and unique deduction mechanics as players work to unravel its philosophical and political mysteries.
What sets it apart is how each loop alters future interactions. Actions taken in one cycle affect what’s possible in the next, unlocking new dialogue, outcomes, and moral dilemmas. Some NPCs can be saved or even lost, depending on what the player learns and what choices they make along the way. With four distinct endings, each built on branching decisions and discovery, the game actively rewards replaying with new knowledge and approaches.
2 Elden Ring
Cryptic Questlines And Near-Unlimited Weapon Choices
Elden Ring
- Released
- February 25, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Elden Ring is truly a generational title that redefines how open-world narratives should be told and how playthroughs should differ every single time. While the main world remains the same and the bosses the player encounters only level up in strength, every time a new character is made or NG+ is entered, the amount of weapons and class types that are on offer can make replaying the game feel like a whole new experience.
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One minute, the player can be charging through castles with a greatsword, the next a set of powerful spells that unleash elemental attacks from range. And even after playing the game for hundreds of hours, there will still be more areas and enemies to uncover, hidden in every corner. Players can reenter the world with their new knowledge and play the game completely differently, all while choosing which camps and locations to visit, knowing what loot hides inside. And with six distinct endings, each relying on its own questline, the variety is unreal.
3 Pathologic 2
Replaying The Game Brings A Whole New Perspective
Pathologic 2
- Released
- May 23, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood, Language, Partial Nudity, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Ice-Pick Lodge
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
Pathologic 2 is a bleak, psychological open-world narrative set in a quarantined town teetering on collapse. As the healer Artemy Burakh, players must navigate a web of shifting alliances, moral ambiguity, and time-limited decisions, all while struggling to survive potential fates like starvation and disease. The game’s time system means events continue whether or not the player intervenes, creating urgency and consequence in every action.
What makes each playthrough distinct is how easily different choices, or inaction, can cascade into alternate storylines. Major characters can live or die based on small decisions, with entire plotlines vanishing at times, and the town’s fate changes dramatically every playthrough. Future replays are even more transformative, as the full narrative is only fully understood by seeing the story from multiple perspectives.
4 Cyberpunk 2077
A Distinctive Saga That Offers A Different Start And End Every Time
Cyberpunk 2077
- Released
- December 10, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Cyberpunk 2077 offers a unique look into a futuristic world where augmentation has become a commodity and every aspect of the world breathes technology. Right from the start, players choose a different starting life from various backgrounds, each with their own decisions and options that can drastically change how the game functions till the end.
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These beginner-friendly open-world games offer smooth tutorials, intuitive systems, and fun exploration across massive maps.
On top of this, the number of complex endings that are decided by certain decisions throughout the game makes every playthrough feel distinct, as players are very aware that each and every one of their actions could have a major consequence down the line. It is all about observation and careful attention, and even when moving away from the narrative, the combat options available mean that every new save can serve a different fantasy when it comes to fighting.
5 Fallout: New Vegas
Alliances And Rivalries That Dramatically Shape The Narrative
Fallout: New Vegas
- Released
- October 19, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Obsidian Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Fallout: New Vegas takes the series into a whole new direction, focusing far more on RPG elements than ever before and delivering an unforgettable narrative that is widely revered as some of the gaming world's best. A lawless Mojave Wasteland where factions vie for control, players shape their journey with layered RPG systems, from speech and stealth to diplomacy and combat.
The defining feature of replays lies in faction allegiance. Choosing the NCR, Caesar’s Legion, Mr. House, or going independent leads to entirely different storylines and interactions, culminating in several different endings that each require a specific set of steps to obtain. Quests often have multiple solutions, and decisions made early ripple outward, meaning subsequent playthroughs can explore paths that were otherwise closed off the first time round.
6 Outer Wilds
Cosmic Truths Revealed Through Loops
Outer Wilds
- Released
- May 28, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
Outer Wilds is a sci-fi exploration game set in a solar system caught in a 22-minute time loop. The core gameplay revolves around uncovering ancient mysteries by observing changes across planets and entering alien ruins to discover the secrets and pieces of knowledge that will impact the game later on. It's a haunting game to explore, and every area and planet offers something new.
Every replay is shaped by what the player has learned. There are no stats or upgrades, as the only currency is knowledge itself. Revisiting planets at different times reveals new events, unlocking insights that drastically change the narrative journey, and ultimately, only by playing the game multiple times can the player fully piece together the full cosmic story and reach the true ending.
7 Nier: Automata
Multi-Layered Narrative That Transforms With Every Playthrough
NieR: Automata
- Released
- March 7, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Platinum Games
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
A unique world with an even more unique narrative, Nier: Automata pushes the meaning of a second playthrough to a whole new level. Each time the game is beaten, players can enter a new game and play as the next character in the list, starting with 2B, of course, and going through an entire second narrative experience as 9S and A2, each with a slightly different perspective.
While the narrative as a whole doesn't change completely, having a different character as the focal point allows missions and areas of the world to feel distinct and new. It effectively means that to experience all of the game's content, players have to play through three separate stories, all interconnected and wrapped together, and with their own endings that slowly build up a clear picture of the beauty and misery in the universe.
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