Open-world games with the most complicated lore

Key points

• Open-world games intertwine sandbox gameplay with a rich narrative, offering players freedom and immersion.
• The best open-world games feature a complex plot that includes ancient history, cultural differences, and political intrigue.
• Games like Skyrim, The Witcher 3, and Horizon Zero Dawn offer deep world knowledge that enhances the gaming experience.

Early open world games often featured sandbox gameplay, with exploration at their core. As the genre has progressed, developers have learned how to weave both story-driven progression and detailed gameplay lore into an open-world environment. The result is a game that gives players the freedom to do what they want, but with an interwoven plot that keeps them hooked.

The game's lore often revolves around ancient history, political intrigue, cultural differences, and conflict. The best open-world games combine all of these elements into a story that unfolds as the player discovers and learns the game's plot. Additionally, with long-running franchises, game lore is often built between titles, resulting in open worlds steeped in established lore.

Well established Elder Scrolls lore

The game inside Skyrim takes place in the northern regions of Tramiel. The player takes on the responsibility of the Dragonborn and must save the world. The game takes place on a large open world map and features combat, packaging, and a huge number of missions.

The lore of The Elder Scrolls is deep and engaging, and much of it can be discovered by playing Skyrim. The player will learn about events that date back thousands of years. With the complex mix of mythology and race politics, Skyrim earns a spot on this list.

6 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Deep definition of the characters and complex plot

Taking on the role of Geralt of Rivia, the player explores the exceptionally well-crafted open-world map in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Renowned for its complex narrative choices and vast scale, the player is free to do as they please or follow the main story arc.

The world of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt it's chock-full of stories, with a complex political backdrop. Players discover the game's lore by reading books, interacting with NPCs, and during quests. Furthermore, the underlying lore is based on the popular book series by Andrzej Sapkowski.

5 Dawn of Horizon Zero

Knowing the past to save the future

As Aloy, a young woman who needs to uncover her past to save the modern world, the player battles mechanical enemies in a post-apocalyptic landscape. The game combines fast-paced combat with open-world exploration to deliver a deep and rewarding, story-driven experience.

The deep backstory of Dawn of Horizon Zero it is full of lore and, in many cases, lore that the player must discover and understand in order to progress through the game. As the game progresses, the player learns the past and the cause of the apocalypse, guiding him through the game's complex story, using exceptional narrative.

4 Red Dead Redemption 2

As wild as the West gets

At first glance, Red Dead Redemption 2 might seem like an odd choice for this list. However, consider for a moment that, rather than relying on pure fantasy lore, the game draws inspiration from the rich history of the Old West. Inheriting this tradition and following it to create an immersive gaming experience.

Furthermore, the game also features its own lore and backstory, in the form of the protagonist's story, and also the history of the gang he is a part of. The narrative is perfectly balanced between the morality of the Old West and a world that is evolving into a civilized society.

3 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Taking advantage of the Zelda timeline

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild the gameplay revolves around the player taking on the role of Link, who has just awakened from a long period of sleep and now must save Princess Zelda. Gameplay takes place on an often breathtaking open-world map, involving puzzles, combat and exploration.

THE Zelda the franchise features a complex and intertwined timeline, sharing much of the same lore across several games. The player can discover ancient technologies, remnants of the past, and ruins that contain more detailed knowledge. As the journey continues, the player must piece together this lore to solve the overall puzzle.

2 Elden Ring

A rich and detailed fantasy world

Elden Ring it is most commonly known for its complex and challenging combat system. But the game is much more than that. Based on the fantasy world defined and developed by George RR Martin and Hidetaka Miyazaki, Elden Ring it is absolutely steeped in tradition.

The game uses the environment as a tool to tell the story and is full of lore, often of a cryptic nature that the player will have to work through. As the game progresses, the player must piece together the lore they have discovered, to discover why Elden Ring it was broken.

1 Dragon Age: Inquisition

Multidimensional chaos

Taking the top spot on this list is Dragon Age: Inquisition. A game that places the player in the role of the Inquisitor, facing the challenge of saving the world of Thedas from being overwhelmed by a tear in the Veil between the real world and the Fade.

Ancient magical practices, political disputes, and the complex, intertwined histories of the world's races Dragon Age: Inquisition meaning the game has a huge amount of lore for the player to discover. As the player progresses, they will learn a lore that dates back thousands of years, covering the mysteries of the ancient Tevinter Empire and the history of the Elves.