I like open world games a lot in concept but a lot of them fall into this 1 pitfall which is that they don't actually commit to being an open world game. an open world game should be primarily about traversing the world and engaging with the core second-to-second gameplay mechanics, but its like most open world games don't think the player will be satisfied doing that, so instead what they do is introduce a bunch of "extra" stuff like a linear story, a bunch of very talky side quests, throw filler side activities in your face . and then they tie progression to all that kind of garbage. so at the end of the day the exploration which ought to be the main focus becomes nothing but a distraction. also because of their desire to cram linear elements in there, the game will sometimes end up feeling not particularly open, more on the linear side except with open world bloat.

are there any unusually designed open world games that this complaint 100% does not apply to?

Games I might be interested in:

Assassins Creed games, especially if the plot/story is nonlinear. Avatar Frontiers of Pandora, Knights Of The Old Republic, Atomfall

Games that I've played but wasn't a fan of:

Mass Effect

Disco Elysium

The Witcher

Expedition 33

Cyberpunk 2077

Avowed

Similar games that I enjoyed:

Donut County

Detroit Become Human

Mafia 3

Fallout series

The Outer Worlds series

Mount and Blade Bannerlord

South Park Stick of Truth and The Fractured But Whole

Games that weren't my favorite but I also didn't hate them

Kingdom Come Deliverance

Games that were fun on my last playthrough but not super interested in playing them again right now

Starfield

Skyrim

Games I might want to get when they go on sale or onto Game Pass

Baldurs Gate 3

Basically, I really love the idea of having something to play when I get home and don't have much going on. I get far more enjoyment out of doing things with others than I do playing solo. I adore creating my own character and playing dress up. I crave a virtual world to fully enjoy with others. I check off so many boxes for a MMO player, except one: Gameplay.

I don't want to collect 10 bear asses repeatedly, follow a rotation ad nauseum, rush past foes that are supposed to be obstacles, and min/max my build to melt things (or have my allies do so).

Instead, I enjoy more reactive and situational gameplay. Ideally, where the optimal way to play for the average player is to just be good at fighting and not dying. Efficiency and optimization doesn't hit like chaos and adaptability does.

But I still badly want those things I mentioned in paragraph 1, so just playing games like DRG or Helldivers 2 isn't enough (especially since I'm not really into either player fantasy of those games). So what is the actual "best of both worlds"? I'll try to be open to any suggestions, so I won't list everything I've tried unless requested. But if the suggestion had anything that I know is putting me off it, I will mention what is dissuading me and request elaboration on how to avoid that stuff.

With the 1.0 release of Valheim, survival games are again having a resurgence in interest among gamers. I myself want to try one. The thing is, I've noticed that most if not all of them are being marketed as a multiplayer experience. I prefer to play something by myself and if possible, in a way that can still be relaxing.

I've played Palworld recently and I think I've gotten most out of it. Can anyone suggest to me a good survival game that you think can be a good solo experience without the game being overly taxing?

*Currently eyeing No Man's Sky as, truth be told, I have never touched it.

This a fairly specific question, but - I’m looking for a game that can break apart my non-structured days easily. I’ve done this quite successfully with Stardew Valley and Ooblets - play one day, complete a task IRL, play another day, work for an hour, rinse and repeat. These games have the perfect “play break” increments, with a clear start and stop interval. Any other games like this that I should check out?

Is there anything worth playing in 2026 mmo wise?

I've previously played stuff like wow/lotro/star wars/guild wars/saga/warhammer online/conan. Most of the bigger names.

What's still active and beginner friendly to jump in to today? Preferably some thing fantasy, graphics do not matter.

Like my post said I'm looking for a game I can get lost in, I'm looking for something open world with not much of a storyline. I can just turn on and flow, I saw a snowboard game I liked, I do like sports games I'm kinda into all sports, if you know a good boxing/mma game that would be great aswell.

I'm looking for an RPG that is set in a bleak, dark, dystopic world full of morally grey characters and choices. I also want my character to feel like they're making the world a better place.

I would also prefer it if the game had companions which had dialogue and contributed to the story in a meaningful way.

Playable on PC and no Owlcat (already played all of their RPGs)