Open-world games and elaborate stories practically go hand in hand, as trying to tell an epic story over the course of a 20+ hour playthrough demands a level of complexity that is rarely seen in other genres. The game needs to pull players in, misdirect them, make them ask questions, and then guide them to a satisfying conclusion, which often means that the narrative takes a slightly different shape or alternative route.
Best Co-Op Open-World Games
Here are a variety of options for the best co-op games that can be experienced in an open world setting.
Some games opt for a more abstract approach that allows their story to be told through the world and the player's personal journey, while others focus more on offering branching paths that build a layered narrative over time. No matter the setting or focus, these games demonstrate a level of storytelling skill and ambition that allows them to stand alongside greater works of fiction even outside the gaming space.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
A World Shaped By Choice
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
The Witcher 3 represents a monumental achievement in both game design and storytelling, taking players on a journey that doesn't just follow a strict path but evolves with them. Geralt’s journey unfolds across a war-torn continent alive with political tensions and supernatural threats, with each choice made bending the world in unexpected ways.
Characters change over time, entire factions shift allegiances, and new opportunities become available or blocked off depending on the player's actions, creating a sense of complexity through the sheer range of potential outcomes. The main plot is not just a single thread, and is instead a web comprised of separate paths that all weave together to create a cohesive whole that is ever-changing and in constant motion.
Elden Ring
No Clear Paths To The Truth
Elden Ring
- Released
- February 25, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- From Software
Elden Ring blows up the FromSoftware approach of obscure environmental storytelling to a much larger scale, sending players on a grander journey with even less direction than in previous Soulsborne games. There are no quest markers or long stretches of dialogue to follow, just hints in the world of a story that ties everything together.
8 Game-Changing Open-World Games Every Fan Of The Genre Needs To Play
There are open-world games, and then there are these open-world games; must-play masterpieces that changed the genre forever.
What makes this storytelling method so interesting is how it brings the game's community together. Players spend dozens of hours trying to decrypt item descriptions, symbols, environmental details, and all kinds of other potentially crucial aspects of the world to hopefully bring everything together and tell the story themselves rather than being told it directly.
Fallout: New Vegas
Dilemma After Dilemma
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 elevates traditional RPG storytelling by presenting a world defined by broader philosophical decisions rather than single individuals. The world is at a crossroads between rival gangs, factions, and a war on democracy itself, forcing players to carefully navigate every social interaction with the knowledge that each decision has the potential to make waves throughout the entire civilization.
Where the story really steps things up is with how ambiguous the morality of its choices is. There are no purely right or wrong answers, only allegiances to one group or another, so players need to think long and hard about who they are siding with. Their choices can have vastly different outcomes across each playthrough, even when they think they have seen it all.
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
Strategy That Feeds Into Story
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
- Released
- September 1, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Kojima Productions
- Genre(s)
- Action, Open-World
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain takes the open-world concept and turns it into a tactical playground where players need to infiltrate and improvise every step of the way. Players will discover very quickly that every mission has an impact on the battlefield. Enemy and allied forces adapt to changes in the world, which means that encounters remain engaging far into the main story.
8 Games That Let You Go Everywhere Without Limits
Constraints on exploration are never fun. These games take that to heart and let you explore anywhere, at any time, and in any way you want.
Furthermore, the gameoften uses a more fragmented storytelling approach, allowing revelations and truths to be discovered in a less force-fed way through recordings and the environment. It always stays close to its themes of war and loss, interweaving moments of clarity with obscurity, which forces players to interpret the story's meanings to fully understand the plot.
Cyberpunk 2077
Finding Humanity In The Noise Of Neon
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
Cyberpunk 2077’s Night City is a colorful, technological melting pot that fuses civilization with the future in every way imaginable. The narrative explores all facets of the cultural ladder, taking players on a journey through struggling slums and all the way to the top of the corporate landscape.
In terms of story complexity, Cyberpunk 2077 merges intimate character drama with larger existential questions about identity and autonomy, allowing for more personal stories, no matter how small, to feel deeply important in framing the major arcs throughout the central plot. The story of V and Johnny Silverhand is just one aspect, as players will encounter struggling nomads, corporate whistleblowers, and even a mayoral candidate, all of whom are desperate to survive in a harsh future that glows with opportunity but rarely delivers on it.
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
Abstract In The Most Beautiful Way
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Released
- June 26, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Violence, Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Kojima Productions
Death Stranding 2 continues the extraordinary storytelling of the first game, but takes a grounded approach that feels more cohesive overall while still being pretty out there in a way that only Hideo Kojima can pull off. Players once again set out to reconnect the world one settlement at a time and are fed story details through character interactions across the entire Mexican and Australian landscapes.
However, even in the clearest lines of dialogue are riddles and symbols that allude to a deeper undercurrent that is only revealed when all the pieces are put together. Death Stranding 2 also asks far more questions than it answers, letting players interpret details and motives while presenting them with a world that demands to be solved rather than being an already complete puzzle.
Pathologic 2
Finding Meaning In Failure
Pathologic 2
- Released
- May 23, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
Pathologic 2 is a frustratingly well-crafted game that guides players through stress and pain as they attempt to put a stop to a constantly spreading and deadly plague. Nothing is ever certain, and unlike most other open-world games, players will need to experiment and learn just to progress, let alone to understand the story.
This process of trial and error leads to far more organic discoveries that would feel far less impactful if they were told to the player directly. Additionally, the story thrives on contradiction, as everything from the characters to the environment itself makes players constantly second-guess themselves, creating an incredibly unique dynamic where even simple things can feel complex.
The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
Remembering The Past Through Ruin
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Released
- March 3, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild brings with it a whole new way of thinking about open-world storytelling. It gives players little to no direction and expects them to follow the breadcrumbs themselves. Every location has a story to tell, with the many branches coming together to paint an image of a kingdom that has been lost to time.
Rather than a fixed sequence of events, the narrative feels more like recovering fragments of memory scattered across the land. As players gain more insight into these specific locations and their place in the wider world, they begin to understand the story more cohesively, without ever needing to be told the events in a straightforward manner. It's a unique way to tell a story, where players absorb the past and present simultaneously and watch all the pieces knit together to form a complete picture.
Open-World Games With A Ridiculous Amount Of Depth
Some open-world games stand out for their depth and complexity, making it tough for fans to find similar experiences elsewhere.