Open-World Games Where The World Changes As You Play

For players looking to completely immerse themselves in a virtual reality, few things compare to open-world games. Immersion comes easy when there is no limit to free-form exploration, after all.

However, few open-world games offer the ability to affect the world players inhabit. One of the most satisfying feelings in games is coming across a tangible difference in the game world that came about because of something the player did.

Ghost of Tsushima

The World State Changes Each Chapter

Ghost of Tsushima’s world progression is subtle yet immediately noticeable when it does happen to those who pay attention. The campaign is split into three distinct chapters, each changing the worldspace as it is completed. Beyond being able to access new regions on Tsushima Island, the Mongol invaders also react to Jin’s actions in different ways.

After a notable enemy leader is defeated during the course of the story, enemies start appearing in areas they weren’t in before as revenge. Later, when the leader of the opposing army is put down, the invaders, with no other recourse left, retake key areas of the map. Areas that were free of Mongol influence before now appear to be teeming with enemy hordes.

Elden Ring

Turn The World To Ash

Elden Ring’s open-world approach to map design was a welcome evolution to the Dark Souls formula. Players start as a Tarnished with little to no belongings on their way to claim the Elden Ring and become Elden Lord. World progression comes in two main flavors: NPCs and world setting.

NPC questlines in Elden Ring famously rely on vague triggers, meaning an action taken in Caelid could’ve consequences in a seemingly unrelated quest in Limgrave. Additionally, near the end of the game, players are required to burn the Erdtree, which transforms the entire landscape. Leaflike embers constantly fall like snowfall, turning the previously serene world, bathed in yellow light, dim and dark.

Red Dead Redemption 2

The West Remembers

Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the greatest open-world games of all time, and one of the ways it manages to achieve this is by weaving the world setting intricately into Arthur’s storyline, tying it closely to his actions.

The way it manages to achieve this is by having the NPCs inside the world react differently to Arthur, depending on the stage of the campaign. The best example of this is the starting town of Valentine, the first major city. After a main mission sees Arthur shooting up nearly a townfull of Cornwall’s men after a bank robbery gone wrong, he is no longer allowed back into Valentine. Dutch’s gang is forced to move their camp farther away to avoid alerting their enemies, and the world state changes. There are multiple similar milestones along the way, making the world of RDR2 seem like a living, breathing one.

The Saboteur

Bring Color Back To The World, Literally

The Saboteur is a relatively unknown open-world noir action game that sees players roaming the streets of an alternative Paris under the control of Nazi Germany. The game has a very distinct noir aesthetic and Sin City vibes, with grey and black tones dominating almost everything except the whites and reds.

At the start of the game, the entire map is seen through this black-and-white lens, but as new areas are liberated from the oppressor’s influence, the game becomes technicolored. The visual effect serves as a clear indication of player progression and how the open world is affected by their actions in a very real way.

Death Stranding

The Landscape Can Be Permanently Altered

In Death Stranding, the open world players explore isthe main character of the story. The landscape changes and evolves because of what the player does, what items they place on the ground, and the changes they decide to make to the world.

A zipline placed between two hilltops will remain there for the entirety of a playthrough, a constant reminder that this area was altered by human hands. Not only that, but if players choose to play online, they’ll get to see structures and placements built by others in this shared world space and use them for their own benefit to make traversal just a tad bit easier.

Morrowind

What Is Killed Stays Dead

If it wasn’t for the dated graphics and the clunky controls, Morrowindwould easily outshine all otherThe Elder Scrollstitles as the best Bethesda title to date. Morrowind’s integration of questing and world design is still something open-world games should strive for.

A key aspect of what made Morrowindgreat was the very real effect player actions had on the world. From the lowest of Mudcrabs to named NPCs, everything the player character killed once stayed dead forever. Unlike Skyrimand Oblivion, once the Nerevarine kills something, it doesn’t respawn. This mechanic turns something as routine as killing bandits into something with actual impact and lasting consequences. The effects of actions taken at level 1 are felt all the way till the end game.

Kenshi

A True Open World That Changes Depending On Player Choice

Kenshiis an open-world post-apocalyptic RPG set in a grim, barren world. Describing what this game is isn’t easy because it’s not comparable to anything else out there. Despite being very much an RPG, there are no quests to speak of. Players are dropped into an inhospitable world with very little to their name and no goal to speak of. It’s up to them to decide what they want to do with their time in Kenshi. The best part about this world is that it doesn’t care about the player. NPCs, monsters, and neutral entities all go about their own business, depending on their nature.

As the player character gets stronger, though, their ability to influence the world around them progresses accordingly. Helping one faction over the other naturally changes the balance of the region. Suddenly, what was once Holy Nation territory is now overtaken by the Shek, and the radiant events in the area change to reflect that. The world changes and grows in direct response to what the player does. To top it off, Kenshialso offers a robust base building system that can permanently change the surrounding landscape.