10 Games Where The Exploration Feels More Personal Than The Main Story

For me, exploration is one of the most fun things a game can give me. It doesn’t matter if it’s an open world game with a large area to explore or a small game that lets you search a single room. Everything can be fun if done right.

The gaming industry is not without games that offer worlds to explore, but few have a world that overshadows the main narrative of the game itself. Whether these quest systems are designed to do that or not, I don’t know, but it’s definitely fun when I get the chance to run around the game for hours and hours without completing any quests.

10

Exotic Animals

The solar system awaits your curiosity

Outer Wilds places you in a small solar system and is a 22-minute loop that constantly resets, forcing you to start over on your ship while saving information from previous missions. The game has a main narrative, but it won’t push you into it. Instead, you’ll get a simple guide to where the story is going, but you’ll need to explore and solve puzzles yourself to find it.

For me, the main driver behind the amazing exploration experience in this game is that you are the one who puts together the little-understood clues while trying to understand the logic of the world around you. The findings can sometimes be overwhelming, but they feel like real eureka moments.

9

Red Dead Redemption 2

More Than a Gun Life

Where do I start when talking about Red Dead Redemption 2? The game’s reputation for both an excellent storyline and exploration precedes any mention. However, I would argue that the exploration part is more personal than the game’s narrative for several reasons, such as the different reactions of NPCs, the multitude of secrets and mysteries to be uncovered, and the vast world whose borders are bigger than you think.

Even after 300 hours and two playthroughs, I’m still discovering new animals, strange items, unique NPC encounters, and hidden areas. Any game with rich open world content is going to make it go beyond the storyline, whether the developers intended it to or not.

8

Elden Ring

From Goes Open

In Elden Ring, your map won’t be filled with markers and quests that tempt you to mindlessly chase them. Instead, the game prioritized player freedom and lively exploration by placing you on a large, open map and letting you take care of yourself. Explore, fight enemies, become stronger, and finally face the main conflict of the story.

The environmental details are out of this world, and every time you find something hidden, you are pushed to explore more. What I really like is that to get some secrets in this game, you have to emote/body with your character in the right place. However, be aware that certain explorations in the Elden Ring may land you in an unexpected battle.

7

The wind of Tsushima

Nature is Talking to You

As you roam Tsushima Island in Ghost of Tsushima, you’ll be captivated by so many beautiful and detailed natural features that you’ll soon see why exploration in this game trumps story. Part of nature itself, such as spirits, foxes, and birds, guides you to discover interesting and hidden places, bringing to life a real space of exploration.

Most of the optional quests, strategies, and upgrades sit outside of the game’s main path, so you won’t regret going the extra mile. Shrines, haiku places, enemy camps, and other special locations spread across the map invite you to interact with them at your own pace, meaning no two games will likely be the same.

6

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Be Careful About What You Do

The Witcher 3 has one of the most compelling stories out there, so if you see it on a list of games where exploration trumps the main story, you know you’ve got some serious exploring to do. The great thing about an open world game is that you can run into all kinds of different things without knowing what to expect from them. Sure, some side quests can be slow and some more fun, but the thing is, you don’t know which is which until you engage with them. Just like in real life.

The secondary content of the open world allows you to make your Geralt with the decisions you make, because they will eventually have their consequences. This makes the game more fun for everyone who likes to take things slow and create their own adventure.

5

Subnautica

Exploring the Sea is Always Fun

Exploration in Subnautica is strongly linked to the excitement of what you can find, so for many, this is a guaranteed recipe for success. In short, the game takes you to an unknown planet where you explore its oceans by collecting rare items and upgrading your vehicles to go deeper. Of course, there is a main story that drives the game, but it comes second to the great opportunity to explore the mysterious ocean.

For me, games that make you explore the depths of the sea are always scary, but Subnautica balances this by piqued my curiosity with different biomes and creatures. The lack of a map means you need to find your key locations to navigate the vast ocean, making exploration even more personal.

4

The Hollow Knight

Wherever You Go, Adventure Awaits

Hollow Knight is a 2D platformer with more content than you can imagine. What I really like is that the game’s narrative is deliberately fragmented, putting you in the shoes of an “archaeologist” who needs to piece it all together. This means a lot of space to explore, because no matter where you go, you’ll hit something: whether it’s loot or a random boss.

The game world is large, interconnected, and not very descriptive, which makes exploring a lot of fun. I would say that the story itself is not told but discovered by you, the player, creating a personal experience where your interpretation is key.

3

Death Stranding

Open World is your canvas

While Death Stranding’s narrative is pretty simple, take a package from point A to point B, the real show-stealing feature here explores the post-apocalyptic US setting. You often feel that you just want to stop and soak in all the things around you and take many roads at once, just to see what is hidden that way.

Since you’ll be walking most of the time, the routes you choose in unfamiliar areas will be even more important, as you can’t just rush back to try other routes. Also, one of the most important tools in your journey will be building infrastructure to help you get around, such as zip lines, bridges, and safe houses. I would call this your own, personal version of your destination.

2

Fall: New Vegas

A Post-Apocalyptic World Is So Much Fun To Explore

Post-apocalyptic Fallout: New Vegas has a structured main narrative that focuses on four competing factions and the question of who should control the Hoover Dam. And while the story is fascinating, the open world around it is even more exciting and it clearly shows that the game’s writers gave their best to make it so.

There are many details that were not needed but are still worth discovering to enrich the story, such as the crumbling passage, the pre-war school, or the raider camp with enough natural details to tell the whole story. Add to that the fact that the game is filled with features that make its gameplay feel natural, and you have another deep and personal experience in front of you.

1

No Man’s Heaven

Where Will You Go First?

Have you ever heard of the number 18 quintillion? Now there you have it, and that’s about the number of planets in the No Man’s Sky universe. The game has a main narrative called Artemis Path, which takes you on an amazing journey across the universe. However, it cannot compete with the 18 quintillion planets waiting to be explored.

What makes this living, dynamic universe so personal is that, first of all, you can visit any custom-made planet you want in any way you like. They will have their own plants and animals, as well as resources and enemies. Also, one of my personal favorites is that you can name the star programs you find, tie them into your adventure!