Open-world RPGs usually occupy a conflicted spot, having to balance the freedom to go almost anywhere with gripping character-driven narratives that keep players hooked and dedicated to their overarching goal. While it’s not unusual for such games to lean more heavily toward one aspect, like Elden Ring trading classic storytelling for something more subtle, there are also great open-world role-playing games that walk the perfect line between these core pillars.
That said, certain studios have become all but synonymous with superb stories placed into vast worlds driven by freedom and curiosity, CD Projekt Red in particular. By mastering the narrative flow so it doesn’t get lost or sidelined during free-form exploration, the open-world RPGs below are already some of the best available to play today. Their stories are definitely among the biggest attractions: focused, intriguing, and featuring some of the most compelling characters in the genre.
6
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Even Those Who Never Played It Know Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith
-
Image via Square Enix -
Image by GameRant; Source: Square Enix
The latest Final Fantasy installments, FF15 and FF16, have received a pretty mixed reception among long-term fans, yet the iconic series still stands as a pinnacle of the genre thanks to the ongoing FF14 and the FF7 remake trilogy. With Revelation already looming on the horizon and promising to wrap up one of the best stories and character journeys in a satisfying way, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is easily among the best open-world RPGs of this generation.
Nostalgia aside, it is a true celebration of cinematic, refined narrative, expanded character arcs that hit differently but equally strong, and a wealth of open-world content. It’s like stepping straight into an animated movie and living another life in a distant world. While the original FF7 is widely considered among the best JRPGs ever made, largely for its standout story and characters, there are a few caveats to consider when approaching Rebirth.
Naturally, it is just the second part of the remake trilogy, so playing FF7 Remake beforehand will make for a much better experience overall and a more cohesive overarching story. Even if it is massively expanded in every aspect, Rebirth would hardly work entirely as a standalone game for complete newcomers. Players would miss out on the key character introductions, the establishment of their relationships, and the vital prologue to the whole Sephiroth arc.
5
Fallout: New Vegas
Finally Reaching New Vegas Feels Like a Game Within a Game
-
-
-
Image via Bethesda Softworks
Like most Bethesda games, both Fallout 3 and Fallout 4 are great open-world RPGs, but hardly special for their stories alone. Obsidian’s Fallout: New Vegas, though, is quite a different beast.
With exploration and freedom that rival the other Fallout games, New Vegas absolutely delivers with its main storyline too, fueled by mystery, intrigue, and a brutal introduction. As the Courier, who is shot in the head and left for dead right at the start, you are drawn into an ongoing investigation of what went wrong, only to find yourself amid a much larger faction confrontation for control over the Mojave portion of the post-nuclear wasteland.
After the impactful intro, Fallout: New Vegas starts pretty slowly but quickly gains momentum. By the time you reach New Vegas itself, it feels like you’ve already experienced an entire game’s worth of story and quests. Yet things only get more tricky, tangled, and intense in the heart of Nevada. Coupled with the game’s standout role-playing possibilities, this freedom is reflected throughout the story as well, with numerous possible branches, alliances, and even betrayals. With Fallout: New Vegas Remastered now officially confirmed, it’s just a matter of time until fans can return to this unique and beloved RPG.
4
NieR: Automata
Piecing a Giant Puzzle Together From Different Perspectives
NieR: Automata is a bit of a different kind of open-world RPG, both in its map structure and its narrative flow. Known for its unique storytelling that requires several playthroughs for characters such as 2B, 9S, and A2 to fully piece the entire story together, this layer is the glue of the entire experience.
Once the game gets its hooks into you, it’ll be hard not to see it through. Especially given how every new run sheds more light on unanswered questions, adding fresh perspectives and facets to the already familiar characters, events, and even enemies and bosses, sometimes turning them completely upside down.
While there is definitely some exploration freedom involved, NieR: Automata is almost entirely driven by its complex storytelling, exploring mature and philosophical themes with a lingering depth that stays with you. It’s also a fascinating case of a game that works beautifully on its own, but previous installments vastly enrich the impression through subtle details and smart nods.
Click on the game with the higher OpenCritic rating.
3
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
Expansion So Good It Feels Not Enough to Leave Us With Just One
Cyberpunk 2077 is actually a bright example of two largely conflicting pillars, with its open-world design often at odds with the main story centered around the pressing urge to find a solution for V’s unique condition. The sprawling main narrative, with its branching paths for V to take, is still among the best in the genre from the past few years.
True to CD Projekt Red’s hallmarks, the game’s expansion Phantom Liberty doubles down on everything great about the original. It often feels like a full-fledged sequel and a significant step forward for this world’s potential. Set amid Night City’s densest and most packed district, Dogtown, Phantom Liberty’s storyline is largely standalone, although it has strong personal hooks for V to get involved, as well as a bonus ending for the main game.
For the events of the expansion, V works alongside new characters: sleeper agent Solomon Reed, brilliant netrunner Song So Mi, and even NUSA president Rosalind Myers. Choosing who to side with is a big deal in Phantom Liberty, as it unlocks different story branches, and it’s hard to say which path is the best. One thing is for certain, though: you’ll hardly forget the chain of events across the next 25 hours of this standout RPG story.
2
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Proving It’s Possible to Have a Reactive World and Gripping Story All at Once
-
Image via Warhorse Studios -
Image via Warhorse Studios -
Image via Warhorse Studios
The Kingdom Come: Deliverance series is mostly well-known for its authentic medieval setting with no magic or fantasy elements in sight, as well as for its immersiveness, which is at times quite brutal. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, though, has taken quite a few steps toward the best open-world RPG narratives out there, packing in a surprisingly cinematic, epic, and unpredictable character-driven storyline. While it’s just as fun to simply live your daily life as Henry of Skalitz in KCD 2 as it was in the original, the game offers so much more.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a textbook example of having the best of both worlds: an immersive and reactive world for free-form exploration and character growth, paired with an intense, lengthy main story full of gripping pacing, emotional depth, and strong character dynamics. With no permanent companions, the game focuses on a handful of deeply developed recurring characters. Almost like The Witcher 3, KCD 2 is built to intertwine its many questlines, making them constantly cross paths in the most unpredictable ways.
To top things off, like the best RPGs out there, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is unafraid to completely emotionally wreck you, adding moral complexity that makes every choice feel truly impactful.
1
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Hearts of Stone
Might Be the Best RPG Storyline of Them All
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is among the most celebrated open-world RPGs ever made, praised for its branching and overarching narrative. CDPR’s achievements are truly generational here, with both main and side quests equally satisfying and interesting, driven by strong writing, memorable characters, and unique twists.
While the game’s main story is undoubtedly great and already deserves a top spot on this list, its expansions are even better. Blood and Wine is usually the fan favorite for its scope, but Hearts of Stone is probably one of my favorite narrative pieces ever done by CDPR so far. Completely standalone, this focused expansion introduces new faces and conflicts, with Geralt getting involved in an overarching investigation to lift a curse.
You’ll find yourself amid a sprawling narrative full of intrigue, while the stage is set for standout characters like Olgierd von Everec and Gaunter O’Dimm to truly shine. Each new quest is as unpredictable as it is fun, featuring intricate robberies, spirit possessions, lighthearted and deeply tragic human moments, all sprinkled with some of the best boss fights in the game.
It’s slightly unfair to compare this dedicated 15-hour questline to 100-hour full games, yet to this day, Hearts of Stone’s story remains among my personal favorites in the entire genre. Will the upcoming Songs of the Past manage to top it?
