The open-world genreis easily one of the most saturated genres in the gaming industry, with the majority of mainstream titles being constructed around this particular structure. With the modern advancements in video gaming,most open-world titlesare genuinely incredible and end up taking a player’s breath away.
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Of course,some open-world gamesend up hitting the nail on the head in some aspects but not so much in others. A big part of what makes a massive world all the more believable is the story that connects it all, and while the following games certainly excel in that regard…the combat is an entirely different story altogether. While not necessarily bad, these games certainly don’t consider the combat to be their saving grace — it’s always the story.
10Fallout 3
The first 3D open-worldFallouttitle was a massive achievement. Bethesda poured their heart and soul into this title — a rarity in modern times — to create a brilliant post-apocalyptic world ravaged by nuclear war. Just like most of the games in their library,Fallout 3was a title driven by the personal stories and amazing discoveries that people made on their way while exploring the Capital Wasteland.
However, just like most of Bethesda’s games, the combat was somewhat of a mess and didn’t really feel natural. It was clear that this game was the studio’s first attempt at a first-person shooter, and it took some time before this combat could be refined over time.
9Fallout: New Vegas
After the project forFallout: New Vegaswas given to Obsidian Entertainment, people pretty much knew what to expect. Their track record had shown a pattern of crafting games with deep and thought-provoking narratives that are held back by bugs and glitches across the board.Fallout: New Vegaswas no exception to this golden rule.
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WhileNew Vegascertainly made some strides when it came to improvingFallout 3’s combat, the seemingly unfinished design of the game ended up undoing most of their achievements. Thankfully, the advent of mods has ensured that people can enjoyNew Vegasin all its glory without having their experience marred by glitches, bugs, and the like.
8Assassin’s Creed II
The firstAssassin’s Creedgame to truly embrace the open-world format is also considered by many to be one of the best games in the series, and for good reason. After all,Assassin’s Creed IIhas what most people consider to be the greatest story in this massive franchise.
However, due to the dated mechanics ofAssassin’s Creed II, one has to admit that getting through the combat of this title can be a bit of a slog. That being said, people who do manage to bear with the dated gameplay mechanics will be able to enjoy the franchise at its very peak.
7Kingdom Come: Deliverance
The fact that Warhorse Studios decided to take on a massive realistic open-world title for their first game was quite ambitious indeed, and it’s quite refreshing to see that the vision of this studio was fulfilled for the most part.
The story ofKingdom Come: Deliveranceis undoubtedly its biggest highlight, with players being able to enjoy an excellent narrative from start to end. However, progressing through the story involves learning the messy and clunky combat system, which is nothing short of an absolute chore. First-person melee combat might be hard to pull off, but it’s somewhat painful to see just how hard the ball has been dropped here inKingdom Come: Deliverance.
6Dragon Age: Inquisition
Dragon Agegames have never been known for their incredible combat systems. While the latest game in the series definitely dressed up the combat to make it look as flashy as possible, the shallow mixture of strategic and real-time combat systems in this title isn’t really something to look forward to.
That being said,Dragon Age: Inquisitionis certainly an excellent titlein terms of the story, which is an absolute treat for any fan of the series. The game genuinely feels epic and a worthy installment in theDragon Ageseries.
5Days Gone
Perhaps the most underrated title on this list, the story ofDays Goneis unlike anything seen in a video game, with Deacon St. John serving as one of the most unique and interesting protagonists in a video game.
It’s a shame that the gameplay ofDays Goneis ridiculously banal and offers nothing new to the player. The only unique part of the game is the hordes, and even their appearances end up losing their novelty over time.
4L.A. Noire
A noir detective title that attributes the major chunk of its success to the title’s story,L.A. Noireis easily one of the most unique open-world titles around that any fan of great stories should check out.
However, the gameplay inL.A. Noireis fairly unremarkable. While it gets the job done, the game doesn’t really offer anything unique in terms of combat or traversal, making some chases and shootouts feel rather mundane and soulless.
3The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Easily the most popular Bethesda game on this list,Skyrimis one of the greatest open-world games of all time.Each nook and cranny of this world hides a tale of its ownthat’s always entertaining to unfurl.
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However, as is the case with most Bethesda titles, the combat in this game is quite barebones. Most people become a stealth archer inSkyrimmainly because that’s one of the few entertaining ways to play the title… and even that gameplay style ends up getting staleover the 100+ hours that people will inevitably sink into this game.
2The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Witcher 3is considered by many to be one of the greatest open-world titles of all time, and for good reason. The game served as the perfect culmination of Geralt’s story, with the amazing characters and engaging plot driving the entire affair.
To say thatThe Witcher 3’s combat is outright bad would be doing the game a huge disservice, but one can’t deny that the gameplay of this title is easily the weakest part of the overall experience. However, the overall quality of this game is so immense that the combat also gets elevated as a result.
Rockstar decided to up the ante when it came to their latest AAA title, with the sheer amount of work put intoRed Dead Redemption 2being nothing short of astounding. The massive open-world and incredible story are just a few of the areas where this phenomenal title absolutely shines.
However, the massive focus on realism inRed Dead Redemption 2certainly has its drawbacks — the game feels sluggish to play at times, with the third-person cover shooting feeling somewhat dated and more cumbersome compared to some of the other games that utilize the same systems. Thankfully, the spectacle of this title makes up for the barebones combat system quite a bit.
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