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.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Even Those Who Never Played It Know Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith
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.
Fallout: New Vegas
Finally Reaching New Vegas Feels Like a Game Within a Game
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.
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.
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