Summary
- Grand Theft Auto 5 allows players to cause chaos in a humorous sandbox world.
- Cyberpunk 2077 offers rich role-playing options, letting players be jerks while pursuing goals.
- The Sims 3 allows players to instruct Sims to be horrible in an open-world environment.
Open-world gaming has become all the rage in modern times, with fans loving the idea of going berserk in a sandbox environment where they can do anything they put their minds to. Being a jerk to people and ruining lives may be completely unappealing in real life, but it can be somewhat cathartic in a virtual setting.
This is why players love video games where they can put other people in their place and not be shackled by moral quandaries. Sometimes, causing mayhem doesn't need to be so complicated. These are the best games that let players do just that.
8 Best Open-World Games If You Want To Create A Completely Custom Character
For players who want to explore an open world as a character they design themselves, these open-world games offer robust character creators.
8 Grand Theft Auto 5
A Ridiculous Number Of Ways To Make Lives Hell
Grand Theft Auto 5
- Released
- September 17, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action
Grand Theft Auto 5 is the poster child of chaotic open-world games that fans love. The idea of going on a rampage in a sandbox and decimating countless lives along the way is pretty hilarious. It helps that two of the three protagonists, Trevor and Michael, are both innate jerks who make the lives of people around them a living hell. This ensures that Grand Theft Auto 5 will always keep players entertained as they either make progress in the story, or go bananas in Los Santos and its surroundings.
7 Cyberpunk 2077
V Can Leave Scorched Earth In Their Wake
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
Cyberpunk 2077 enjoyed one of the biggest turnarounds in gaming after finally patching out the bugs and glitches that had been wearing it down. Deep at the heart of this game is a rich role-playing experience where V can screw over numerous people to get what they want.
With Johnny Silverhand's antagonistic personality bleeding into them, it's easy to see why V can be such a jerk in this game. This is especially true with the Corpo lifepath, allowing players to take some of the most humiliating and demeaning conversation options in the game.
6 Saints Row 3
Frivolously Decimate Everything In Sight
Saints Row: The Third
- Released
- November 15, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
Saints Row 3 is when the franchise realized that a goofy approach could make their games a lot of fun to play. As Playa, gamers can perform some truly ridiculous actions where no one is safe from their rampage. Some of the choices they can make can humiliate their opponents, turning the 3rd Street Saints into powerhouses. Their ambitions reach cartoonish levels, with the gang members being total jerks to everyone around them in the process.
10 Best Open-World Games With A Focus On Player Morality And Consequences, Ranked
Lots of games make players make tough decisions, but these open-world games are full of hard moral choices and dire consequences.
5 Fallout: New Vegas
The Courier Can Destroy The Lives Of Innocent People
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
- Genre(s)
- RPG
The amazing role-playing options in New Vegas ensure that players will be able to mold the Courier into whatever image they wish. This character can be a righteous paladin who stands up for what's right...or, they can be a horrible person who only looks out for themselves.
Fallout: New Vegas' entertaining writing ensures that being a jerk will be riveting in its own way, compelling players to become horrible people in a second playthrough. It may be heartbreaking to double-cross some of the game's best characters, but the writing ensures that players will still be satisfied by taking the path less traveled.
4 The Sims 3
Players Can Instruct A Sim To Be Horrible To Everyone
The Sims 3
- Released
- June 2, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Crude Humor, Sexual Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Simulation
The Sims 3 featuring a fully open world was a great choice that helped fans enjoy a natural evolution for the series. The life simulator's patented gameplay was elevated by its sandbox design, which ensured that everything happened in real time. It's a shame that this wasn't carried over in The Sims 4. As things stand, The Sims 3 is the only game in the series where players can instruct their Sims to be jerks to anyone around them in an open-world environment.
3 The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
The Dragonborn Can Be Horrible To The Residents Of Skyrim
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
Skyrim is one of the best video games ever made, where fans can go completely berserk, if they wish. The Dragonborn may not have too many opportunities to be a jerk, but the ones that exist are pretty notable. Sacrificing companions, preventing the Stormcloaks from laying a claim to their land, and going out of their way to go against NPCs and their wishes are just a few ways the Dragonborn can be horrible to the people around them.
2 Red Dead Redemption 2
In Classic Rockstar Fashion, Destroying NPC Lives Is As Easy As Can Be
Red Dead Redemption 2
- Released
- October 26, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
Red Dead Redemption 2 features an organic sandbox that's as beautiful as they come. NPCs are present on both the road and in the cities, and players can choose to be complete jerks to them if they wish. Arthur can antagonize everyone in sight, lowering his Honor to make him a nightmare to everyone around him. Cutscenes change to accommodate his horrible disposition, with some moments being genuinely hard to digest for players who went through the game with high honor.
1 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Geralt Can Indirectly Make People's Lives A Living Hell
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Released
- May 19, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is CD Projekt Red's magnum opus. The sheer number of important choices Geralt can make in this title is mind-boggling. If players want, they can turn Geralt into an uncaring mutant who refuses to help the downtrodden, cheats on the women who love him, and makes Ciri doubt herself to the point where she dies trying to deal with the White Frost. The bad ending may make Geralt seem like a sorry figure, but he dug his own grave and led Ciri to one too with his actions.
8 Best Open-World Games Where Exploring Freely Is More Rewarding Than The Main Story
These open-world games do offer a main story campaign to complete, but their settings are so immersive that exploration almost always takes priority.