Think about the time you’ve spent with open world games, Perhaps titles like Grand Theft Auto V , The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim , Fallout 4 , or Xenoblade Chronicles X . What did you take away from these adventures? Are your fondest memories of GTA V ‘s big heist or GTA Online ? Did you follow your Sole Survivor through the Commonwealth in search of Shaun or general adventure? Once you got your Skell in Xenoblade Chronicles X , did the fate of humanity matter anymore? There’s a good chance it didn’t. Want to know why? It’s because the main story is ancillary in open world games. It’s a nice complementary factor to everything else the game has to offer. You aren’t going into these titles for incredible stories. You’re heading into the unknown for the sense of discovery and growth.
That doesn’t mean these games don’t or shouldn’t have good stories. Xenoblade Chronicles X is rather interesting, even if it does end on quite the cliffhanger. Grand Theft Auto V does some interesting stuff with its three antiheroes and the important choice a player must mate at the end. And I suppose we do care a little about what happens to the Dragonborn or Sole Survivor. But they aren’t what keeps us coming back.
Each of these games is about the sense of satisfaction that comes from getting to do new things. Every one of them has a big world to explore. As you become more familiar with it, greater opportunities open up to you. In Skyrim , it becomes about receiving as much recognition as possible due to all the groups waiting for you to join them. Fallout 4 is perhaps about becoming a settlement mogul. With Xenoblade Chronicles X , it’s about seeing every bit of Mira. Grand Theft Auto is all about money and things you can do with it.
In each case, it’s far easier to not complete the main storyline than to do what you’re told. It ends up being more engaging and sometimes worthwhile too. Sure, there’s some motivation for making a minimal investment. You could unlock additional characters, equipment like Power Armor and Skells, or gain some Dragonshout abilities. Those are all good things.
They pale in comparison to the freedom that you get, however. When you think about or recommend an open world game, you aren’t considering the story as the first thing to talk about. You’re thinking about how ornate and intricate the world is. That’s what people are coming there for. They’re in for the adventure, and good open world games realize that and offer as many opportunities as possible to deviate from the “real” story.