Video games pride themselves on including a ton of compelling lore that fleshes out the world and its legends. After all, fans expect a lot from titles that strive to immerse them in a living, breathing world, and adding a ton of lore does a great job of helping accomplish the same.
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This is especially true in the case of open-world games that need to do something to stand out in this overpopulated genre. Some of the best sandbox games players can get their hands on are incredibly immersive, courtesy of the lore that is brimming in these titles.
Games will be ranked based on how compelling and important the lore is to the experience.
8 The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
The Lore Is Plentiful And Interesting
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Released
- November 11, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Bethesda Game Studios
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
Skyrim is one of the most popular open-world RPGs of all time, with the established universe of The Elder Scrolls doing wonders to enhance this game's world. Players can find numerous documents and books that do a great job of making players feel like a part of Skyrim's world.
The Dragonborn can spend a long time just reading through the pieces of lore in this game, making their adventure more immersive than ever. This is just one of the many ingredients that help Skyrim stand out as one of the greatest role-playing games ever made.
7 Horizon Zero Dawn
Players Will Love Reading Up On How The Apocalypse Descended On The World
Horizon Zero Dawn
- Released
- February 28, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen - Blood, Drug Reference, Language, Mild Sexual Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Guerrilla Games
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
Guerrilla Games had a mammoth task on their hands when it came to establishing the lore of the Horizon universe. Fighting robot dinosaurs and other animals was pretty cool, but there needed to be a compelling reason that justified the unique nature of this post-apocalypse.
This was achieved with compelling storytelling and lore tidbits that fleshed out the world and its details before this robotic apocalypse sent humanity back to what is essentially a second Stone Age. The writing could've been hamfisted and unsatisfying, but Guerrilla did a great job of making its world as believable as possible.
6 Fallout: New Vegas
The Lore Does A Great Job Of Adding A Ton Of Flavor To This Open-World RPG
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
While the established universe of Fallout made certain aspects of New Vegas' lore easy to integrate, there was still a lot of work to be done from Obsidian's end. This was a brand new area in the series with its conflicts that needed to be hashed out for players to be invested in the game.
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The central conflict between the NCR and Caesar's Legion over the city of New Vegas, coupled with the localized lore for every region in the game, has been meticulously penned. This, among many other reasons, is why Fallout: New Vegas is hailed by many as Obsidian's magnum opus.
5 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Sapkowski's Established Universe Makes It Easy To Craft Some Compelling Lore
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Released
- May 19, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
The Witcher 3 is one of the greatest video games ever made, with many players being introduced to Sapkowski's works courtesy of this incredible title. The world of The Witcher was detailed well before this game came into existence, and this is reflected in the compelling lore.
From stories harkening to the continent's past all the way to pieces of lore that detail out the day-to-day conflicts of each region in the game, The Witcher 3 is a game players can easily get lost in if they're interested in these small yet compelling stories.
4 Cyberpunk 2077
Mike Pondsmith's Creation Was Brimming With Incredible Lore Before This Game Was Developed
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
Mike Pondsmith's Cyberpunk 2020 served as an inspiration for CD Projekt Red's critically-acclaimed RPG that enjoyed a redemption arc after a torrid launch. It took a while for fans to warm up to Cyberpunk 2077, who were amazed by how immersive and engaging this game is.
Players love the little tidbits of lore scattered across the game, detailing the history of Night City and how the corporations became more powerful than governments. The capitalist dystopia of this game is fascinating and is hammered in by the title's excellent writing, whether in the main story or the optional side content fans can uncover.
3 Disco Elysium
The City Of Revachol And The Politics Governing It Is Quite Interesting
Disco Elysium
- Released
- October 15, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs, Violence
- Developer(s)
- ZA/UM
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Stadia
Disco Elysium is one of the greatest video games ever made, with the quality of its writing being in a class of its own. A game revolving around a compelling murder-mystery expertly eases players into the city of Revachol, wrapping a web of political and social intrigue that is in a class of its own.
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It's astounding how Disco Elysium's lore manages to be so captivating without seeming all that pretentious. It's a huge part of what made the game such a compelling experience, with players eagerly seeking out any lore tidbit that will help them understand the people of Revachol and its history.
2 Elden Ring
FromSoftware's Lore-Heavy Approach Translates Well In This Open-World Game
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
Elden Ring is one of the greatest video games ever made, with the FromSoftware approach being perfect for an open world. This translates to the background storytelling, too, with the lore doing most of the heavy lifting.
Players interested in learning about the lore of The Lands Between and seeing George R.R. Martin's contribution will love reading the lore tidbits attached to every weapon, object, spell, and any other relevant item. It does a great job of filling in the gaps and helps Elden Ring stand out as one of the greatest FromSoftware games ever made.
1 Outer Wilds
The Lore Is Critical To Uncover The Game's Central Mystery
Outer Wilds
- Released
- May 28, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
Outer Wilds took everyone by surprise with its incredible gameplay that rewarded exploration. Players needed to uncover the lore of the universe and connect the dots after acquiring relevant information.
This helped players figure out how to access certain areas and get past certain puzzles. It allows for a satisfactory gameplay loop that's in a class of its own and cements Outer Wilds as one of the greatest video games ever made.
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