Fans of open-world games come in a wide number of varieties. Some like to go hard into a specific storyline and live off of the lore and narratives you can explore in these open spaces. These players love to take in a story at their own pace, traveling and experiencing the world as if they were in it themselves.
Others have the opposite approach, preferring to simply wander the world and do what they want. Many open-world games lack a story entirely for those who enjoy grabbing collectibles and maxing their stats, but others have a detailed story that you can completely ignore if you just want to wander a new world.
10 Red Dead Redemption 2
The dramatic return to the Red Dead Redemption series presented players with a massive world in the Old West, and with it came an incredible online mode that’s recently been released on its own. Those that aren’t fans of story games could easily dig into this version, but fans of open-world games can just as readily jump into the base game itself.
There are tons of quests, animals to hunt, treasures to find, and things to do across the map, and you hardly need to enjoy the main character’s story to dig into it. Just skipping cutscenes and doing the occasional story mission to unlock new things is very often going to give just as fun an experience as going through the game’s detailed story.
9 Metal Gear Solid 5
It seems wrong to say that a Hideo Kojima game can live without its story, but Metal Gear Solid 5 is a strange exception thanks to its open-world nature. The lengthy cutscenes hardly matter to most players who aren’t up on the series, as all you need to know is that you’re a famous soldier trying to protect the world from deadly mercenary forces.
There’s so much dialogue mid-mission to explain how the game itself works, so missing the majority of cutscenes won’t even get in the way of the story if you do choose to engage with it. If you don’t care whatsoever, it’s a great covert ops simulator for those who just like the aesthetics of Solid Snake.
8 Grand Theft Auto 5
Much like Red Dead Redemption 2, the other famed Rockstar Studios game Grand Theft Auto 5 has just as much in its single-player mode as it has in multiplayer. There are countless smaller missions to take on that include high-speed driving, shooting, and exploration that send you through the heights and depths of Los Santos.
If you don’t feel like playing as the game’s main characters, you can just try GTA Online without doing things with other players. There’s a world to explore and missions you can do fully independently, and there are tons of things like the Casino and real estate market to spend your time with.
7 Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout: New Vegas is somewhat more story-based than many other entries on this article. Even if you choose not to engage with the main story, other quests are built around their own miniature narratives, meaning you won’t be able to skip the dialogue and cutscenes as you can in Metal Gear Solid 5.
That said, the ways you can experience these side missions hardly need you to pay attention to them. You always have the option to take paths of least resistance if you want to play more of an action-based game, but you can even just kill all the NPCs you find most unpleasant if you really can’t stand talking to them. Furthermore, your quests will be rearranged to compensate for any decision you want to make.
6 Watch Dogs 2
After the bland and forgettable storyline of the original game, Watch Dogs 2 knew to make the story aspect much less invasive. This was a great call, as the open-world hacking and driving are exceptional in this sequel, and being able to access tons of missions with light story elements from your phone makes it easier than ever to just get into gameplay.
Watch Dogs 2 is the budget option, though, as the recent Watch Dogs Legion does a very similar job by having the ability to recruit and replace your character with anyone on the street. This pushes the story even more in the background, but Watch Dogs 2 isn’t too far off.
5 Saints Row: The Third
The characters of the Saints Row series are always quite comedic, but they’re hardly necessary to enjoy the humor and world of these games. Saints Row: The Third starts with a very heavy introduction that makes it seem very story-oriented, but earning money and getting more equipment hardly needs you to accomplish story missions.
Even with the story missions themselves, they’re incredibly easy to skip given that your objectives and much of the dialogue happens while you’re driving to locations. The goofiness of these missions also just comes in what you end up doing, such as the reality show action sequences that put you in remarkably bizarre warehouses.
4 Borderlands 2
The amount of story in the Borderlands series is extremely varied, with some entries being far more intense in their narrative. Borderlands 2 is one of the many games that is the other way around, providing a much quicker start to the series as it begins somewhat linear before giving a huge looter shooter to dig into.
The core game is much more of a speedy Diablo-style shooter than any kind of normal competitive run-and-gun game. There’s a fair amount of story you’ll still have to deal with to start the game, but once you’ve escaped the introductory area, you’ll be able to immerse yourself in the mechanics more than anything else.
3 Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
After the immersive and story-heavy Far Cry 3, its spinoff Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is an extremely unexpected follow-up. Instead of a beautiful character exploration of your character descending into the needs of the island, Blood Dragon puts you in the perspective of a stereotypical ’80s cartoon character.
There’s still a story there for those who are interested, but the neon punk aesthetic is the real highlight in this twist on a spectacular game. The majority of the story takes place in cutscenes, letting you dive right into the open world and wide variety of weapons even faster than other Far Cry games.
2 Batman: Arkham Origins
It feels odd to say that a Batman: Arkham game isn’t story-based, but Batman: Arkham Origins is an odd exception thanks to it being made by a different studio. This game is less attached to the other games in the series, and while there’s a story there showcasing the origin of Batman and the Joker’s relationship, it’s not the best part of this game.
Origins gives you tons of tools early on, letting you zip across the map right out the gate without needing to do too many story missions first. You’ll still need to make it through a fair amount to be able to get all the trophies, but don’t feel like you’ll need to focus or care about the narrative to explore and protect Gotham.
1 Slime Rancher
Slime Rancher is the absolute all-star example of an optional story. There’s tons of lore to experience in collectible diary entries and emails you receive throughout the game, but if all you want to do is breed slimes and harvest vegetables, there’s nothing else you need to do for a full experience.
Slime Rancher is all about making your own fun, whether you’re a hard completionist who likes to play the game’s timed mode or someone looking to make a casual farm you can take breaks from to explore. For a relatively straightforward indie game, there’s a ton of depth for those wanting something other than a story in their open-world games.
