At its core, an open-world game is all about freedom. You have room to explore a bigger world with minimal limitations on what you can do. It’s what allows us to spend countless hours willfully locked inside these incredible places. But many may rely on scope without focusing on the story aspect. This time around, it’s all about the story.

An open-world game combined with rich storytelling is one you don't mind returning to time and time again, whether next week or next year. This list focuses on the ones that will leave you thinking and emotional, and ensure that you become engrossed in these characters’ lives as though they were real.

10 Fallout: New Vegas

Where A Shot In The Head Is All Anyone Needs

As you journey across the wastelands, one thing is immediately clear in Fallout: New Vegas: you don’t matter. Not in this world, at least. Which makes sense considering how things start for your character.

But that’s what makes the entire thing so engaging and fun. Several factions fight for power in this dreadful place, and you’re just one of the many stuck between it all. You’re not some legendary hero with incredible superpowers. Instead, you're just a person, a Courier, who can take advantage of the situation or let it consume you.

There's excitement in the healthy blend of open-world elements with RPG gameplay. Your choices truly matter here. And the more you explore, the more you'll stumble upon different people, questlines, and probable death by enemies that easily outrank you. All that matters is that you get to dissect this bleak landscape and make it your own if you dare.

9 Cyberpunk 2077

Where There’s A Literal Voice Inside Your Head

Cyberpunk 2077 went through quite a few challenges, but Update 2.0 changed everything for the better. It's easier than ever to appreciate the emotional tale hidden among the noise. Once you're thrown neck-deep into the worst that Night City has to offer, you find yourself caring for V and the unfortunate situation they're forced into.

The characters you meet throughout aren't all sunshine and rainbows either, giving more depth to the overarching story and the side content. And the world you're allowed to explore can be breathtaking at times when you're not stumbling across a gang war.

There are varied romances that encourage the use of different main characters considering these NPCs have real preferences and feelings like anyone else. If you're not in it for the connections you can make, stick around for the story that starts inside V's head. There's more than enough to peel apart.

8 Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

Assassins Meet Cults Sprinkled With Greek Mythology

The Assassin’s Creed franchise is well-known for its overarching story between each game. The endless fight between Templars and Assassins. However, Odyssey blows that world open, expanding it to include creepy cults and myths. For the open-world features, you can sail across the Greek world, stumbling upon dozens of islands with scenery that looks like it was taken directly out of a history book. But those here for the story can appreciate just how deep these mysteries go.

Whether you're running with Kassandra or Alexios as the Eagle Bearer, the impact of the unfortunate tale for these siblings is constantly felt. What's entertaining is that it doesn't stop with the main story or even the side stories you can run into during your journey. The DLCs further pad everything, especially as the Eagle Bearer can descend into Atlantis and the Underworld, further cementing the influence and history of Greek mythology.

7 Horizon Zero Dawn

A Fight Against Animalistic Machinery

Horizon Zero Dawn offers a breath of fresh air from the usual post-apocalyptic settings. Things aren't all dark and dreary. There's the threat of death looming, of course, but humanity is thrown back to a caveman-like way of life. Meanwhile, technology is still there. You see it in the giant roaming machine animals. The haunting beauty of the world aside, Aloy's journey is what everyone's here for.

You may not stay with her long when she's young, but there's just enough to lay the foundation of her personality, trials, and triumphs. Everything is further expanded upon once you're given more freedom to view everything on the map. Aloy goes through lovely character development as she fights to learn the truth about her world and who she comes from while fighting, avoiding, and taming these animalistic robots. She sits high on the mantle as a solid protagonist in this open-world environment.

6 Batman: Arkham Knight

The Betrayal Is Too Close To Home

There's no shortage of love for the Batman Arkham series. Many will fight over which one is the best. But to look purely at the story first and the open-world second, Batman Arkham Knight rightfully stands out. There's a mystery to solve here, but if you know anything about the comics, it's not too difficult to dissect. It doesn't make the lead-up and discovery any less exciting.

There's even a greater deal of Batman lore to bask in. And although the combat doesn't stand out compared to other games in the franchise, the storytelling keeps it ranking high. A lot of issues the Dark Knight deals with are not just outward. Many internal, psychological struggles give him even more depth, cementing the twists in the history of books of gut punches.

5 Ghost of Tsushima

A Beautiful Homage To Samurai Culture

If you need a breathtaking opening, Ghost of Tsushima offers it with bucket-loads of blood. It sets the stakes from the start. This story will be one of heartbreak and one of loyalty and honor being put to the test. There's a sense of choice here too so that you can direct the way the story goes Jin. Does he embody the true nature of the samurai and give his enemies a respectful battle? Or does he go eye-for-an-eye for Clan Sakai to mercilessly and brutally snuff them out?

There's no denying the beauty of this world, and you may find yourself stuck admiring the environment more than anything else. But if you can tear yourself away from it, you'll notice the profound deepness of the storytelling. Jin is put at odds with his beloved culture, offering a psychological journey not found often in open-world games.

4 Grand Theft Auto V

Dive Into The Lives Of Three Very Different Men

The never-ending popularity of Grand Theft Auto V can't be overstated. It's easy to spend hundreds of hours playing in both the story mode and the delightful online world. The storytelling encourages this continued play since you get not just a single protagonist, but three different ones. If that seems overwhelming, note that the transitions among them are seamless and their stories do intertwine.

By offering three separate storylines, we get triple the time to explore a wide berth of characters, scenery, and heart-pounding action. You even get to manipulate the ending as you see fit. Best of all: these men couldn't be more different than one another. It's like getting whiplash every time you jump from man to man to man. But it's more of a fun rollercoaster than anything else.

3 Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Become One With The Symbiote

Following up on a critically acclaimed game isn't easy, but Marvel's Spider-Man 2 handled the challenge with a bang. The world is just as open and delightful to explore, and with the addition of Miles, you get new ways to travel around the city without just web-slinging. And on the topic of Miles, he certainly helps deepen the storytelling.

It's not just focused on Peter Parker anymore. You contend with everything occurring in Miles' life too. Plus, you get the chance to explore a variety of relationships. There's the romantic side with Peter and MJ or Miles and Hailey. Then there's the friendship between Peter and Harry that's equal parts charming and heartbreaking. Finally, the mentorship with Peter and Miles combines to leave a lasting impression.

2 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Overarching Storylines In A Massive Open-World

CD Projekt Red saw the opportunity in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt to stretch it as far as it would go. And it all paid off considering how much content they included. It's not open for the sake of being open. You can dig deep into every corner, unearthing new things. The main storyline is straightforward enough, but you want to bite your teeth into all the side content taking up real estate in that open-world design.

There are numerous extra storylines to jump into, and they're all worth it as they help you expand this stunning world and add hours to your gameplay. And who would want Geralt's story to end so quickly? There are plenty of things left for the legendary witcher to do.

1 Red Dead Redemption 2

Meaningful Story With Gunslinging Action

Red Dead Redemption 2 serves as a prequel to the OG game, and if you've played the original, you know the eventual outcome there. But it's the journey that matters the most. With Arthur Morgan, you're in for quite the adventure. There's plenty of action to keep busy, and it effortlessly intertwines with the storyline. And just when you think you've explored a lot, you open your map to see the blank spaces as big as they were before.

You can tackle the seemingly endless collection of side content before diving back into the main questline. And you'll want to learn Morgan inside out before everything pans out. There's a reason many found themselves in tears by the end of things.