10 Open World Games With Amazing Side Quests

Open-World

8/10

Released: October 29, 2013
ESRB: M for Mature: Blood, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence
Developer(s): Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher(s): Ubisoft
Engine: AnvilNext
Multiplayer: Local Multiplayer
Franchise: Assassin's Creed
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Wii U, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox 360
Genre(s): Action, Open-World, Adventure
OpenCritic Rating: Mighty

Before the franchise gave way to a more open, RPG-like style, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag pioneered the establishment of a large, non-linear world filled with activities to do.

While the series has always had side quests, the combination of Havana, Nassau, and Kingston is key to an experience that feels widely varied and spontaneous.

Between naval contracts, Templar hunting, and assassinations, playing as Edward Kenway is more than just playing the main campaign, and compared to today's AC outings, the side content provided here is leaps and bounds ahead of the curve.

In any case, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag is a groundbreaking title within the series, and it must be considered among the genre's standouts.

8 Death Stranding

Not Your Typical Open-World

Death Stranding

8/10

Released: November 8, 2019
ESRB: M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Strong Language
Developer(s): Kojima Productions
Publisher(s): Sony, 505 Games
Engine: Decima
Cross-Platform Play: Yes! Players will share the same server as Steam and Epic users
Cross Save: yes
Franchise: Death Stranding
Steam Deck Compatibility: yes
PC Release Date: July 14, 2020
Xbox Series X|S Release Date: November 7, 2024
PS5 Release Date: September 24, 2021
Platform(s): iOS, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
Genre(s): Action
How Long To Beat: 40 Hours
Release: 2022-03-30 (PC)
X|S Optimized: no
Metascore: 85
PS Plus Availability: Extra & Premium
OpenCritic Rating: Strong

Death Stranding is an unusual open world, especially since its post-apocalyptic setting means there are few things to do, characters to meet, and places to visit.

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Despite this, the title has a loop where fulfilling a delivery also fulfills the human being's need to connect, creating a genuine sense of belonging to the survivors and their circumstances.

Side quests follow the game's message, where cooperation is key to survival. Visiting an elderly person not only rewards you with materials and items, but also with hope and knowledge.

In addition, these objectives allow you to fully exploit the game's terrain, so many of the biggest and most fun challenges are found behind them.

Death Stranding is an odd video game in many ways, and the secondary missions are no exception, but it's thanks to its particularity that it's so charming.

7 Dragon’s Dogma 2

Spontaneous and Ruthless

Dragon's Dogma 2

Action RPG

9/10

Released: March 22, 2024
ESRB: Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Language, Sexual Themes, Violence
Developer(s): Capcom
Publisher(s): Capcom
Engine: RE Engine
Franchise: Dragon's Dogma
Platform(s): PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
Genre(s): Action RPG
How Long To Beat: 30 Hours
Metascore: 88
PS Plus Availability: N/A
OpenCritic Rating: Mighty

Following in its predecessor's footsteps, Dragon's Dogma 2 is a title whose charm lies predominantly in its world's vastness and the endless things to do.

At every turn you take, there's something new to see. A ruined castle to explore, a griffon to defeat, a villager to save, or a cave to loot—everything in Vermund and Battahl easily catches your eye.

Therefore, the most interesting thing is always what you do out of a voluntary desire to investigate, not out of necessity for the story. Dragon's Dogma 2 rewards exploration immensely, making it satisfying and almost addictive.

It may not have many narrative qualities, but the gameplay experience is difficult to compare. Whether it's for the reward, fighting an epic boss, or exploiting the game's glorious combat, everything secondary is incredible.

6 Grand Theft Auto 5

There Is No Place Like Los Santos

Grand Theft Auto 5

Open-World

8/10

Released: September 17, 2013
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
Developer(s): Rockstar North
Publisher(s): Rockstar Games
Engine: Rockstar Advanced Game Engine
Multiplayer: Online Multiplayer
Cross-Platform Play: no
Cross Save: yes
Franchise: Grand Theft Auto
Steam Deck Compatibility: yes
PC Release Date: April 14, 2015
Xbox Series X|S Release Date: March 15, 2022
PS5 Release Date: March 15, 2022
Platform(s): Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
Genre(s): Open-World, Action
How Long To Beat: 32 Hours
X|S Optimized: Yes
File Size Xbox Series: 84 GB (July 2023)
Metascore: 81
PS Plus Availability: Extra & Premium
OpenCritic Rating: Mighty

I'm a player who prefers medieval or sci-fi worlds, but there's a charm to Grand Theft Auto 5's Los Santos that's simply inevitable.

Despite the time that's passed, the game still feels like a turning point in the genre, with superb satire that's aged like the finest of wines and, above all, an open world that feels more alive than ever.

Driving, shooting, playing tennis, customizing your character, and just enjoying the irreverent state of things are all activities that could each be their own standalone game, but Grand Theft Auto 5 brings them all together in one great product.

Thanks to its trio of protagonists, the number of secondary experiences becomes massive, especially due to the ability to alternate between them at any time and find them carrying out their delusions.

Rockstar has already proven on numerous occasions that it's one of the open world's kings, but titles like this are what put it in a league of its own.

5 Cyberpunk 2077

A City To Remember

Cyberpunk 2077

8.2/10

Released: December 10, 2020
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
Publisher(s): CD Projekt Red
Engine: REDengine 4
Cross-Platform Play: ps, xbox, pc
Cross Save: yes
Franchise: Cyberpunk
Steam Deck Compatibility: yes
Platform(s): PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
Genre(s): RPG, Action
How Long To Beat: 25 Hours
X|S Optimized: Yes
Metascore: 75
PS Plus Availability: Extra & Premium
OpenCritic Rating: Strong

Thanks to its vast areas, factions, and characters, the density of Cyberpunk 2077's Night City is one of the most striking in the entire genre.

The setting is an audiovisual delight in every sense, but when you include the large number of gameplay and narrative options it presents, you realize it's one of the best.

Likewise, the side quests have a great level of gameplay and narrative, taking advantage of the subgenre's nature. Each mission delves even deeper into notions such as human identity, the sense of collectivity, and the oppression of power, among others.

Not to mention the missions linked to important secondary characters such as Johnny Silverhand, Panam, Judy, Kerry, or River, which are the ones that most exploit the gameplay and the story.

From diving into a sunken village to learn its history to uncovering the subplot of a child kidnapper on a farm, the title's best gameplay and narrative moments are in the side quests.

Despite the state of its release, Cyberpunk 2077's design and execution have always been of the highest level, something that has only been strengthened with the launch of Phantom Liberty.

4 Fallout: New Vegas

Obsidian's Mastery

Fallout: New Vegas

9/10

Released: October 19, 2010
ESRB: M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
Developer(s): Obsidian Entertainment
Publisher(s): Bethesda
Engine: Gamebryo
Franchise: Fallout
Platform(s): PS3, Xbox 360, PC
Genre(s): RPG
How Long To Beat: 28 Hours
Metascore: 84
PS Plus Availability: Premium

Regarding memorable missions that leave a mark on the player, I can only think of a few studios on the level of Obsidian Entertainment.

Consequently, there are just a few examples on the level of Fallout: New Vegas, the game in the franchise with the best writing, setting, and role-playing.

Despite its limited gameplay, the complexity and depth with which New Vegas approaches its universe are unmatched, as the side quests do a perfect job of conveying feelings through dialogue and interactive sequences.

However, the key lies in how the game allows you to approach each situation uniquely. From goofy tasks to conflicts over the future of entire guilds, there are endless ways to solve them depending on your worldview.

It's huge, immersive, and packed with captivating stories that always leave you wanting to know more, so Fallout: New Vegas is a must-mention on a list of this kind.

3 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Immersion At Its Finest

Hermaeus Mora needs help opening a Dwemer box during the Discerning the Transmundane quest in Skyrim.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

10/10

Released: November 11, 2011
ESRB: M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol
Developer(s): Bethesda Game Studios
Publisher(s): Bethesda Softworks
Engine: Creation Engine
Cross-Platform Play: no
Cross Save: no
Expansions: Skyrim: Dragonborn, Skyrim: Hearthfire, Skyrim: Dawnguard
Franchise: The Elder Scrolls
Steam Deck Compatibility: yes
Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
Genre(s): RPG, Action, Adventure
How Long To Beat: 35 Hours
X|S Optimized: Yes
File Size Xbox Series: 29 GB (DECEMBER 2023)
Metascore: 96
PS Plus Availability: Extra & Premium (Special Edition)
OpenCritic Rating: Strong

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is among the greatest emblems of the open-world genre, as its scale and immersion are among the most outstanding in all history.

It certainly suffers from aspects such as limited gameplay or an underwhelming final boss, but it's impeccable when it comes to side content.

In truth, secondary missions such as Daedric quests, guilds, civil war, and other factions are even better than the main campaign, as they are small but intense moments that bring out the title's best aspect.

Given The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim's size, you can spend hundreds of hours exploring it to the fullest and still have entire universes left to discover, which speaks wonders of its excellence.

2 Red Dead Redemption 2

A First-class Western

Red Dead Redemption 2

10/10

Released: October 26, 2018
ESRB: M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
Developer(s): Rockstar Games
Publisher(s): Rockstar Games
Engine: RAGE
Multiplayer: Online Multiplayer
Cross-Platform Play: N/A
Cross Save: N/A
Franchise: Red Dead Redemption
Steam Deck Compatibility: yes
Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC, Stadia
Genre(s): Action, Adventure
How Long To Beat: 50 Hours
X|S Optimized: yes
Metascore: 97
PS Plus Availability: Extra & Premium
OpenCritic Rating: Mighty

If there's a video game that can make you feel like the pixels on your screen have a life of their own, it's Red Dead Redemption 2.

Rockstar's masterpiece is a mind-blowing demonstration of how far spontaneity can go in an open world, as it's a game polished down to the last detail that feels alive.

The number of side quests is smaller than in other experiences in the genre, but also more developed. Playing Arthur Morgan is like getting a true feel of what it would be like to be an outlaw in the Old West.

If you haven't experienced hunting a wolf, being robbed on your way into town, getting into a shootout with the local gang, and ending up playing poker in a saloon within 15 minutes, you haven't known the true glory yet.

With perfect script and characters, naturally structured systems, and an impressive setting, the world of Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the great wonders of modern gaming.

1 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

An Unparalleled Adventure

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt