Open world games are incredibly popular—you find them in nearly every genre, whether you enjoy them or not. They’re a staple of the gaming landscape.
A common complaint about open-world games is that they often require a lot of repetitive tasks just to make small amounts of progress. But the best open-world games avoid this, focusing instead on a compelling story and a richly detailed world to keep players engaged.
These open-world games don’t force you to repeat tasks to get better. If you find yourself doing something over and over, it’s usually because you want to, not because the game requires it to move forward.
These games really benefit from a careful, deliberate approach. Taking your time and thinking things through will get you much further than just rushing ahead.
10. Grand Theft Auto V
You Can’t Rush Wealth in Story Mode
Although Grand Theft Auto games are known for fast-paced action, planning is actually crucial for heists in Grand Theft Auto V’s story mode. It’s better to approach these missions carefully rather than rushing in, saving the chaotic, all-out action for when you’re being chased by the police.
If you’re playing outside of the story mode, especially in Grand Theft Auto Online, you’ll likely spend a lot of time repeating tasks. But the game is really designed for you to think strategically and plan your approach.
The game’s missions guide you through the story so well that you won’t need to repeat tasks to level up or earn money. You might occasionally need a little extra cash, but another story mission will usually provide it. It’s best to focus on the story anyway, as completing it unlocks more content and activities.
If the next Grand Theft Auto game is like recent titles, its missions will likely be engaging and won’t require repetitive tasks.
9. Watch_Dogs
He’s Hacking! He’s Hacking!
Watch Dogs focuses on a stealthy, careful approach – you’re meant to avoid direct confrontation and instead use hacking and technology to your advantage. And there’s a huge amount of stuff you can hack into!
Even using digital devices in a self-driving car can be risky. Just like with any distraction while driving, it takes your attention away from the road and increases the chance of an accident, so staying focused is crucial.
You can improve Aiden’s abilities, but there’s a level cap of 50, which is easy to reach through normal gameplay like missions and side quests. The game also gives you a lot of freedom – you can explore and progress at your own speed, and even create your own path instead of following the main story.
Watch Dogs offers a refreshing open world experience – it’s enjoyable to explore without feeling like you constantly have to complete repetitive tasks. If you dislike games that require endless grinding, you’ll likely appreciate what Watch Dogs has to offer.
8. Fallout: New Vegas
Put Some Points in Survival
I’ve played a lot of open-world games, and so many of them seem to want you to just wander around and ignore the actual story. It’s like they want you to get lost! But the Fallout games have always been different, and I think Fallout: New Vegas really nails it. It encourages exploration, but it never feels like pointless grinding – there’s always something interesting to find and do that actually moves things forward.
Fallout: New Vegas rewards you best for directly completing quests. Unlike some games where you have to explore endlessly for good items, simply finishing missions is the most effective way to earn bottle caps, experience, and other loot – it’s a refreshing approach. Plus, if you invest a few points into the Survival skill, you won’t waste any of the items you find.
This means you can enjoy the game at your own pace, immersing yourself in its story, getting to know the characters, and simply trying to survive in the Mojave Wasteland.
Plus, this will definitely get you excited for the second season if you haven’t watched it yet.
7. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Only Grinding is on a Grindstone
Bethesda has done it again, delivering fantastic gameplay with the latest installment in The Elder Scrolls series. This series is known for its deep history and immersive world. The Elder Scrolls games, particularly Morrowind and Oblivion, are best enjoyed when played at a deliberate pace, challenging players to explore and learn independently. Skyrim stands out as a great example, offering a rewarding experience without excessive repetitive tasks.
This game doesn’t really involve repetitive tasks. You improve your skills simply by playing – using them naturally. For example, taking damage raises your armor skill, and crafting items improves your smithing. Almost everything you do contributes to skill progression, so you don’t need to focus on grinding levels as a separate goal.
Although it’s possible to repeatedly fight enemies to gain experience, the game encourages you to progress through the story and quests instead. You’ll level up naturally as you play, making grinding unnecessary.
The game’s quests offer a lot of freedom in how you complete them, particularly during sections like exploring caves. You can take a methodical, cautious approach, or just rush in and take risks – it’s up to you!
6. Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection
Old AC was Known for Really Fun Missions
People often fondly remember the earlier Assassin’s Creed games because they felt unique and special. A big part of this is how those games were designed – they prioritized a strong story and engaging narrative, instead of filling the world with unnecessary tasks and distractions.
Many fans consider Assassin’s Creed II (and the Ezio Collection as a whole) to be the best in the series because it strikes a great balance between story missions and optional exploration. Assassin’s Creed III also excelled at this. However, the series began to lose its way when it moved away from the Desmond Miles storyline, often adding filler content and repetitive tasks.
Early Assassin’s Creed games really make you take your time. You have to carefully watch guard patrols and plan your moves, because getting caught means instant failure. It’s all about scouting the area, learning enemy patterns, and moving stealthily before striking. Patience and a careful approach are key to success.
Assassin’s Creed games have always been about careful, strategic gameplay. That’s why Ethan didn’t enjoy Assassin’s Creed: Shadows – it abandons that approach in favor of repetitive tasks and endless grinding.
5. Dying Light
Survival Horror in an Open World Done Right
Most of us have imagined surviving a zombie outbreak – planning where to find supplies and how to stay safe. Dying Light lets you put those plans to the test and see if they actually work in a real zombie-filled world.
Dying Light is a thrilling open-world game where you’re constantly trying to survive a zombie apocalypse. It’s challenging, especially when darkness falls, but it’s a blast to play! Taking your time and being strategic will get you much further than simply rushing in to fight zombies.
The game focuses on avoiding infected enemies and rewards careful, strategic play. You can craft items to help you, but resources are limited enough to make things challenging. Rushing in with guns blazing will likely lead to failure.
While grinding is a bit of a component to this game, it’s clearly meant to be done sparingly.
4. Ghost of Yotei
Think Quick on Your Feet
Ghost of Tsushima is a standout game because it avoids tedious grinding, rewarding players who are strategic and deliberate in their approach. Its sequel, Ghost of Yotei, continues this excellent design, offering a satisfying way to improve your character while emphasizing careful play.
In these games, the repetitive tasks people often call ‘grinding’ simply involve defeating enemies – whether it’s through clearing camps, completing duels and bounties, tackling Mythic Tales, or any other quests you take on. But when you’re in those quests, how you approach them matters. Rushing in swinging wildly won’t be as effective as using a stealthier strategy.
These games are all about being adaptable – reacting quickly and eliminating threats before you get caught off guard. That means you need to think through your moves carefully, because you never know when you’ll have to change your plans on the fly.
If possible, try playing in Japanese. It really enhances the experience, especially if you appreciate films inspired by classic samurai movies, or if you’re a fan of Akira Kurosawa’s work.
3. Cyberpunk 2077
You Get Street Cred Regardless
In Cyberpunk 2077, you start as an unknown in Night City. To make a name for yourself, you need to build up your reputation, called Street Cred. Luckily, the game makes this pretty easy – you earn Street Cred simply by completing missions and jobs.
It’s surprisingly easy to level up in this game, and even more so in the Phantom Liberty expansion, which many players consider to be even better than the main story. All you need to do is complete missions, and you’ll earn both money and notoriety each time. Because your character is customizable, you can approach these missions in any style you prefer – stealthily or aggressively – and the challenges will adapt to your chosen build.
For instance, if you create a Netrunner V – which is how I like to play – you’ll spend a lot of time using cameras to scout ahead and hack into systems before anyone notices you. However, if you build V as a more traditional mercenary with lots of weapons, you’ll still need to carefully plan your attacks and fight strategically.
It’s important to thoroughly plan your ideas, but you also need to give equal thought to how you’ll handle things if they don’t go as planned.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Silence and Stillness Reign First
The original Legend of Zelda, released for the NES in 1986, helped define what open-world games could be. While not the very first game to offer an open world, it was a groundbreaking example, expertly using a sense of adventure to create a compelling and expansive game world.
While many Zelda games offer expansive worlds, none capture the feeling of true open-world exploration quite like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, particularly in its use of negative space and intentional emptiness – a concept known as ma.
The concept of ma, which translates to “negative space,” was highlighted by Hayao Miyazaki, the renowned creator of Studio Ghibli films. He famously demonstrated it by clapping twice, explaining that the pause between the claps is ma – removing that silence would feel chaotic. This idea of purposeful emptiness is clearly reflected in both the world and gameplay of Breath of the Wild.
At its heart, this game is all about the journey – everything else takes a backseat. It’s a slow-paced, carefully crafted experience, and unlike its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, you won’t find yourself stuck doing pointless tasks just to move forward. Breath of the Wild lets you focus on the adventure itself.
Honestly, I’ve seen some crazy stuff in this game. People are proving you don’t even need to bother with the story or leveling up! I’ve literally watched players run straight to Ganon in nothing but their starting clothes – and it’s possible! It’s wild.
1. Red Dead Redemption 2
The Slowness is the Game
Red Dead Redemption excels at rewarding players for a deliberate pace, and its sequel, Red Dead Redemption 2, really emphasizes this by making the character move more slowly. While it can sometimes feel a bit sluggish, this is intentional – the game is designed to encourage you to slow down and enjoy the experience.
Instead of rushing through the main story, this game is best enjoyed by taking your time. Focus on things like completing camp tasks, exploring the environment, hunting, fishing, and chatting with people. The world is incredibly detailed, and even after many years, players are still finding new things! It’s a game that truly rewards patience and exploration.
This game emphasizes completing missions to advance, rather than repeatedly doing tasks just to gain experience. While you can hunt or fish for extra resources, the main way to progress is through missions, which offer good rewards. Plus, new missions, including those from unique characters, become available as you finish others.
The best way to play this game is to just enjoy the experience and think about it later – that’s really the point of it all.
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2026-02-17 20:42