Open-world video games are becoming increasingly prevalent in the gaming industry. Not only do they give players a sense of freedom that was almost impossible to find a couple of decades ago, but they also offer players excellent value for money, as they tend to provide over 100 hours of content for those wanting to explore the game-world fully.
However, the open-world genre isn’t without its issues. Although games like Skyrim and Grand Theft Auto V show how great open-worlds can be, numerous games make the genre feel like it’s opting for a quantity over quality approach. For this reason, many gamers are beginning to revert to linear titles, to play something more focused with a developer intend route. Linear versus open-world is a debate that will likely never be settled, though there are games that offer players a bit of both. Although the ten games on this list have tons of extra content available, if players just want to blast through the main story, they can complete it in under 10 hours.
10 Need For Speed Rivals
Electronic Arts’ iconic Need For Speed franchise received its 20th installment at the end of 2013 with Need For Speed Rivals. It was the first Need For Speed game to be developed by Ghost Games, who have worked on all of the Need For Speed releases since.
Like many games in this article, Need For Speed Rivals has tons of extra content outside its central story to keep players busy, but the main campaign itself won’t take too long. Need For Speed Rivals was well received by critics and won Best Racing Game at the Game Critic Awards in 2013.
9 The Legend Of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
The Legend of Zelda series tends to follow relatively cliche storylines. However, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening joins Majora’s Mask in being an odd and unpredictable change of pace for the series. The game was initially released all the way back in 1993 on the Game Boy, though it was remade by Grezzo in 2019 on the Nintendo Switch with a fantastic new art style.
Provided that players don’t find themself getting stuck on too many puzzles or getting caught up in optional tasks like the trade quest, they can reach the end credits in around 9 hours.
8 Homefront: The Revolution
Homefront: The Revolution was released by Deep Silver in May 2016 on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. The game was developed by British company Dambuster Studios, which is the latest studio to take on the task of developing the upcoming Dead Island 2.
Homefront: The Revolution takes place in 2029 and tasks players with joining a resistance that is looking to take down a North Korean army that occupies the Pennsylvania city of Philadelphia. The game had a tough time impressing critics and received a brutally low Metascore of 48 on PlayStation 4.
7 Batman: Arkham City
Batman: Arkham City‘s predecessor, Arkham Asylum, was given the difficult task of following the success of the franchise’s latest film, The Dark Knight. Thankfully for the caped crusader, Rocksteady Studios didn’t disappoint, as Arkham Asylum impressed fans and critics with its excellent combat mechanics and immersive atmosphere.
Subsequently, Rocksteady Studios had a weight of expectations on their shoulders with the next game, Batman: Arkham City. The London-based studio managed to exceed expectations by creating an amazing open-world for players to explore, fit with side quests and numerous Riddler tasks. Completing the game in full takes around 50 hours; a straight line to the finish, however, can be done in under 10.
6 Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes
One of the final games to be released by Kojima Productions before its public breakup with Konami, 2014’s Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes is a prologue to the critically acclaimed Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, with many of the themes and gameplay ideas being present.
The game was initially planned to be nothing more than a mission in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, but Hideo Kojima decided to release it as a standalone product following delays to The Phantom Pain. Most players will be able to complete Ground Zeroes’ main story in under 4 hours.
5 Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Launch titles can be essential to a console’s success in its first year. Consequently, many Sony employees likely breathed a sigh of release when they saw that launch title Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales was well-received by critics, scoring 85 on Metacritic.
Although fans also enjoyed the game, there were a few disappointed faces when the end credits started rolling surprisingly quickly. Players can reach the end of Miles Morales in 7-8 hours, with the side missions only adding a few more hours to the overall playtime.
4 Assassin’s Creed Rogue
Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed series has become a staple of the open-world genre. The games don’t tend to blow people away, though they’re consistently good quality and are easy to get lost in for both casual and hardcore gamers. One of the most beloved entries in the series was Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag. As the name suggests, the game incorporates pirate themes.
The success of Black Flag meant that Ubisoft was happy to pull the trigger on another pirate-themed game. Assassin’s Creed Rogue was released just over one year later; it didn’t receive the same acclaim as Black Flag but was still enjoyable for fans of the assassin & pirate duo.
3 Far Cry New Dawn
Assassin’s Creed isn’t the only Ubisoft franchise that has become a cornerstone of the open-world genre, as Far Cry had been providing enormous maps for first-person shooter fans since Far Cry 2 hit stores back in 2008.
Far Cry New Dawn is the latest entry in the franchise. The game is a spin-off that has close ties story-wise with the most recent main series game, Far Cry 5. The game received lackluster reviews from critics, exemplified by its Metascores of 71, 73, and 75 on PlayStation 4, PC, and Xbox One, respectively.
2 A Short Hike
A Short Hike can be comfortably completed in around 2 hours. The game tasks players with gathering golden feathers around the small map, which will help them reach this world’s peak. Adam Robinson-Yu’s game was well-received by critics, scoring 80 and 88 from Metacritic on PC and Nintendo Switch. Moreover, the indie game was awarded the Independent Games Festival Awards’ Seumas McNally Grand Prize, an accolade that has been won by titles like Minecraft and Fez in the past.
Along with the main story, players can indulge in fishing, treasure hunting, and competing in the unique mini-game Beachstickball.
1 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
For those who haven’t played The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, they’ve likely heard the game being praised for its enormous amount of content. While that is the case, the game can be completed very quickly, as the final boss fight is accessible as soon as players complete the tutorial.
The game’s excellent level of freedom and meticulous open-world structure took a leaf out of the original The Legend of Zelda game’s book. This is one of the many reasons why Breath of the Wild is regarded today as one of, if not the best open-world game of all time.
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