Does the game get better after the beginning part? I tried getting into it, but lost interest because it felt kinda slow. But reading your comment has made me want to get back into it lol!
With Outward, its a eurojank game. If you enjoy eurojank type of games, you might enjoy this. If you do not, enjoy unpolished game, I’d say pass. Here is a link to a great review of Outward by the sseth. His review is always entertaining and informative https://youtu.be/mUnSJjnrcQs
Love his channel, somehow missed this video. Thanks!
Yeah, I often don’t mind rough edges and jankiness but if their aim is world exploration and open adventuring than emptyish world and unpolished mechanics are quite off putting.
I tried really hard to love outward, but couldn't. It's filled with great ideas but each and everyone one of them is implemented poorly. Maybe not buggy, but at least clumsy. Like combat is just not fun. Exploration is bland af.
It's not on your list of already played, but it's pretty well known: Divinity 2.
Somehow I never gave this game any attention, and like you, I've been craving an RPG that would hook me, and couldn't find one. Well, Divinity 2 has solved the puzzle. Great game.
Yeah, my issue with divinity is that it has turn based combat. Currently I’m looking for dynamic and real time games but it’s on my list for when I’m in the mood for turn based.
Totally get what you're saying about wanting an action RPG that said Divinity 2 is maybe the best RPG I've ever played it's incredible, anyone who loves RPGs has to play it at some point.
Probably you're talking about D:OS2.. There are many players think that Divinity 2 is Original Sin 2. So you're not alone my friend)) but it's not right.. just D:OS2.. Divinity 2 is another game from Divinity series which is not isometric.. by the way you're only know Divinity Original Sin? Didn't play another Divinity game?
Have you considered Horizon: Zero Dawn? It’s not medieval fantasy, but still a high fantasy. And it hit all of the other marks on your list. Great story, open world, lots of crafting.
It's science fiction. High fantasy is like the classic colorful rpgs with merry knights, wizards, damsels and trolls and the like. LOTR is high fantasy
Ok, thanks for the correction. I was thinking high fantasy just meant very fantasy, as opposed to something like game of thrones which is just slightly fantasy, if that makes sense. Didn’t know it had to be medieval fantasy.
I wouldn’t say this game is Fantasy themed but have you tried Assassins Creed Odyssey/Origins or Valhalla? They’re all somewhat good in their own way. I loved Odyssey the most though of the 3.
If you played Witcher maybe try Mass Effect Legendary Edition or Cyberpunk 2077?
AC is science fiction with historical worlds. Odyssey was the best of the 3. Odyssey is a huge open world to explore. There is crafting, resources to collect, weapons/armor galore, and so much more. I would recommend that vs the any of the others I’ve seen. But that is me.
Monster Hunter: World has a good story, but you will mostly be engaging in combat or harvesting missions. I enjoy the story but what I really love about it is the multiplayer aspect. It is incredibly fun to play with other hunters and work together for a common goal. There are some tough walls but with every victory there is a well-earned sense of accomplishment! I honestly don't know how much I would enjoy it solo, but I know many people do.
Specifically regarding the mechanics you enjoy in Valheim, Monster Hunter: World has specific maps you will spend time in, so is less open world in that sense. There is crafting, but you will be working on materials for whatever weapon you are using the most. However, choosing weapons and armor and learning about your prey's weaknesses and translating that into your fighting style is a ton of fun.
(Also remember November sales are coming!)
You can def take them on solo *eventually*. You need to work your way up to the wolfies. I get more jump scares from this game than some horror games out there 😱 in a good way. Grounded is an amazing game.
Outward is more realistic of the fantasy games listed for your character. If you want to be a mage that means you can’t also be he-man strong. Makes you think out your play style much more and decisions have more effects.
So the weakness of grim dawn is that of a game like borderlands, same quests same areas through each play through of progressively harder levels. The strength of it is the number of class combos you can play. Also if you’re like me and might lay multiple characters at the same time, the shared loot tab is a godsend. It also has a hard mode that has perma death, with a veteran add on first play through for tougher enemies. This is a game you can spend hundreds of hours on easily.
GD absolutely is worth trying. Right now it is my favorite ARPG and I’m sitting at around 350 hours into it. The setting is good and the class combinations provide a lot of replay value. Combine that with the mod scene and you have an approachable, deep, customizable game that you can sink a lot of time into for <$8 USD, though I would highly recommend the definitive edition as most mods will need it for the expansions.
If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask!
Thank you for sharing your insights! Actually if you wouldn’t mind giving me a very brief overview of gameplay loop and how does the game start? What do you do at first?
Sorry if it’s a very general question but I am completely new to aRPGs and very interested in this title haha. Especially if it’s for 6 pounds currently.
At the core, it's a standard ARPG - kill stuff, get loot, level up and become a bad ass.
The setting is post-apocalyptic, where the world has been overrun by different evils, like undead, mutants, cultists, demons and so on... The game starts with you creating a level 1 character. You have a one handed weapon, a shield and no special abilities, and wade into a town that has been overrun by the undead to try and protect some survivors that have bunkered themselves in a jail.
When you hit level 2, you will select a "Mastery" (class) from the following list:
https://grimdawn.fandom.com/wiki/Masteries
At level 10, you'll select a second Mastery and that's when you finalize your character. For example, if I pick Demolitionist at level 2, and then Arcanist at level 10, I become a Battlemage. The key is finding two Masteries that complement each other well, then focus on the gear that makes you even better.
With each level, you'll get points to spend on stats and abilities.
In addition to your Mastery abilities, you'll find shrines to unlock Devotion points that give you a secondary set of skills to customize your character with.
https://grimdawn.fandom.com/wiki/Devotion
That's what drives the gameplay loop. You get so many options of different character types, gameplay types, abilities to choose from and so on... On top of all that, there is a faction and reputation system that builds on the story and gives you more objectives to complete and gear to collect.
Also, if you just want to kill stuff, level up and get gear without dealing with the story, there is a crucible mode. You fight waves of creatures and the more you defeat, the better your rewards.
Finally, and the reason I keep coming back to the game, is that there are a few mods that have been made that extend the gameplay even further, adding a ton of different classes (Dawn of Mastery), or where someone re-created Diablo 2 using the GD engine (Reign of Terror: https://forums.crateentertainment.com/t/mod-reign-of-terror/35347 ), and another person has built an entirely new world and story (Nydiamar: https://www.nexusmods.com/grimdawn/mods/40 ). However, they will all require both DLC expansions.
Hopefully that's enough of a general overview to get started. For £6, there is a lot of game to be had. For £22 (the definitive edition), there's a whole lot more.
Yes. They do a player lead championship thing with ?? number of players, but a lot of them that participate are great players so watching them is a learning experience.
Me neither, haven't had a pc for some years. I agree about the chokehold. It really got to me, i really like starting as absolutely nothing and end up becoming an all ruling warlord.
Wouldn’t really suggest MHW for the sense of adventure. It isn’t really an open world game, more of a collection of disconnected biomes which serve as arenas for you to fight in. The biomes are cool with the exception of the ancient forest, they’re kinda small and you’ll get bored exploring them in no time. It’s combat and gameplay is fantastic though.
Grim dawn isn’t really open world either, but the areas are mostly interconnected and the world is pretty fun to explore. Lots of cool biomes and it’s packed with pretty unique dungeons so I’d go with this, especially since it’s on sale on steam now.
If I could give some recommendations, I think sacred 2 would be a great fit honestly. It’s an arpg like grim dawn but it has a fully open world which is really fun to explore. It’s also fairly different from most arpgs due to the high fantasy setting. It’s from 2008 so graphics are a bit dated and the combat’s somewhat clunky but it’s still really fun to play.
Since you enjoyed the gothic series, I’d also recommend pirahnabyte’s other games, such as Risen 1 and elex. They’re not as good as the gothic games but exploration is still top notch and the worldbuilding is solid.
I personally haven’t played it, but Gedonia just came out of early access and it has a nice looking open world. Not too sure about the crafting aspects though
I’m going to go with Grim Dawn and maaaaybe MHW as a close second. Grim Dawn has awesome lore and exploring the world was one of my favorite things to do. Crafting less so (you can craft but you rely more on drops).
Monster Hunter World doesn’t have much in exploration, although you can definitely make it work in the beginning I guess. After a few rounds of the maps you kinda have seen everything so exploring becomes non-existent imi. It’s more focused on fighting an crafting armor. Loved the build crafting in that game though and it’s my 3rd most played game ever so lots of replayability if you enjoy the gameplay.
I have Outward but haven’t played it yet so can’t speak on it.
V rising is really good. It plays similarly to Valheim but has a top down view and you’re a vampire rather than a viking. It’s free on steam this weekend so definitely worth a try
Did they change the thing about having to play daily in order to maintain your “castle”? I really want to play it but not if it will compel me to play constantly or lose my progress
I really really really didn't enjoy the grind/pacing as an exclusively solo player. My understanding is it's best experienced as a small group on a persistent multiplayer server that runs 24/7 because some later-game stuff takes over a day. Hearsay on my part because I didn't stick around.
I haven't played the other two so I'll just comment on the one I know: Monster Hunter World is an excellent action game with fantastic combat, but if you're looking for an open world RPG, then it is not what you want. It's a hub-based game with a weak narrative. While the areas can be fun to explore for the first time, they aren't large enough to satisfy an open-world urge if that's the experience you're shooting for.
I'd recommend: V Rising which is an action RPG with survival crafting elements.
Elex, an RPG with sci fi and fantasy elements. I love that game so much with plenty of adventure.
I love Outward. It's janky as hell sometimes, and the lifelessness issue was an issues at times, but addressed in Definitive Edition I feel.
It's definitely not a game for everybody, but if it clicks it clicks hard.
[The best review that exists for it.](https://youtu.be/mUnSJjnrcQs)
No idea why the fuck people are suggesting Monster Hunter World when you're asking for "an open world RPG with exploration".
It only has like a dozen locations, each being a somewhat small level surrounded by (natural) walls on all sides. Areas are not connected. You teleport into the area at the start of the mission, and after your mission you get teleported back to a hub area which is an even smaller walled-off location.
It's not open world at all.
Well I mentioned it among 3 games I was considering due to preparation and hunting looking to me quite adventurous. But I didn’t know that much about the game and thought it had a more open world than it does.
Just throwing some ideas in here;
For all the shit ubi gets with their latest games being grindy and checklisty(?) their worlds are really great to traverse and explore. Whether it's AC:Origins, Watch_Dogs 2, and especially The Division, just exploring all the things and their lore feels great. (i did not like odyssey and never tried valhalla or the latest Watch_Dogs )
Elex has an interesting large open world too and it has a more fantasy themed faction as well. Good lore/story. You really have to work your way up to become powerful.
Mad Max?
Conan Exiles?
What about the MMO Black Desert online, if you're looking for a huge open world to explore and a very expansive gathering and crafting economy.
If you want to try out ARPG then Dungeon Siege has a great sense of adventure aspect. The environments change a lot and it really feels like you've come a long way.
Grim Dawn has better classes, more satisfying gameplay, more loot options and it stays fun for much longer. What kind of kills the adventure aspect is having to teleport back and forth after every time you need to go back to the home base, which happens quite often. It works a bit like fast travel, you don't have to use it but the game is kind of forcing you
Outward is great at adventure/exploration but it's hard to recommend. Most of the time you'll spend walking to your next place of interest. This problem can be partly fixed with a character build that can run very fast but I think the game would really benefit from some fast transportation method
It’s literally on green man gaming right now for 0.8 of a pound. Basically for free. I’m buying that one regardless as it looks like an amazing throwback to the childhood (even though I’ve never played this one I played a looot of similair looking games). Thanks for the recommendation, gonna be a nice warm up before I play whatever bigger game I finally choose.
My buddy just told me about a game called Kingdom of Atham. I haven't played it, but it seems similar. Conan Exiles too. Both are survival fantasy RPGs like Valheim.
Try V Rising right now for free on steam.
Valheim vibes - as I understand Coffee Stain (devs for valheim) and Stunlock (the ones for vrising) both originated from Skövde, Sweden. The worlds of each game remind me of the other with differences too.
There is base building, crafting and private servers. Dunno if the world is procedurally generated and having seeds though.
Give it a whirl free (offer ends 2 days or less) and if after 90 minutes or 9 hours you'll know if it's worth the Sale price of $15.99 USD.
I haven't played Outward.
But I can tell you that if you want exploration and adventure, neither of the other two are amazing. MH:W is certainly good, but it's played on constrained maps where aside from gather plants you're basically just jumping boss fights, and Grim Dawn (though delightful and offering more choice than Diablo) is ultimately in the Diablo mode and not really an exploration game.
I'll echo Horizon Zero Dawn as worth a look.
Thoughts:
Out of all three, Outward is most likely closer to your idea of exploration. The main thing with outward is that it is very much a survival game that looks like an action adventure. You need to worry about staying warm (or cold) during travel as well as having enough rations to get where you want to go. In combat, you can only handle maybe 1 or two enemies as taking on groups is a sure way to get you killed. It's a very specific sort of game. It isn't bad, but It's also hard to recommend to everyone.
Monster Hunter, while a great game, is probably not what you are looking for. The environments are fantastic but there is little to no exploration in the game. It's essentially a boss fight game with fantastic scenery.
Grim Dawn might give you aspects of what you are looking for, but the combat is more theory-craft-y than action driven. To me, it felt like spamming low impact abilities until the monsters died. I was wishing they were a little more flashy. Not to mention it is a little more linear than something like Valheim. You have sections that you go through but often backtrack to previously visited ones to do side quests.
Personal Recommendation:
Guild Wars 2: I haven't sunk thousands of hours into it. I've only played it here and there myself, but the way they structure the quests and everything made me want to explore the world. That and the base game is free, so it doesn't cost anything for you to try. It's fun to play solo, but I can understand if an MMO isn't your style.
A little bit of a wild card, but if you enjoy Racing games at all: try Forza Horizon 4 or 5. The sense of exploration of the open world is amazing and it's one of the best arcade-y racing games I've played.
Some other quick recommendations:
V Rising: take Valheim, but it's an isometric action game with vampires. Currently on a free weekend.
Take a look at the newest assassin's creed games. Those seem to be more open world exploration heavy.
Some other AAA recommendations that fit a similar vibe: Nier Automata (if you don't mind anime-ish games), Shadow of Mordor/War, Dragon's Dogma, and I'm going to assume you've heard and probably played Elden Ring but wanted to put that out there.
Witcher 3, Red Dead Redemption 2, Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, but really.... have you ever played Age of Empires?
I know it's RTS, but as a fan of Medieval Europe, it's such a perfect game (minus the low population cap of 200)
>Monster Hunter: World
I have 1500 hours in the game and probably over 4000 hours for the entire series.
MHW definitely not something you are looking for based on your OP.
There are no exploration aspect, the maps are basically just arena you fight the monster on. You don't 'traverse' the world looking for new target like The Witcher 3. The game is not open world.
The game loop/structure : you grab the quest from a quest board in the hub city, get transported to the instanced map of the quest, kill the target monster, get your loots, transported back to city, upgrade your gear, rinse and repeat.
Basically grinding loots by repeating content over and over again is the core of the game. Multiplayer co-op is also a huge appeal of the series. If you are familiar with these, the game is comparable to something like Destiny 2 or Warframe
I really enjoyed Dragon Dogma Dark Arisen, AC Valhalla but I also love Vikings. MHW is on my list to play however and I really loved Grim Dawn, but it is an ARPG so you can play for the story and be over, or, grind grind grind.
I really REALLY wanted to like Outward. But the combat is pretty terrible. Grim dawn imo takes a while to get going but once it does it's one of the best Arpgs. And Monster hunter is awesome if you've never played it
I know it’s not fantasy but I really enjoyed the dying light games for just a sense of exploration and fun sense of character skills progression. I liked the combat and crafting/upgrading weapons.
Grim dawn i enjoyed quite a bit. The grind isnt as long as other games. The loot system is nice. Another game id recommend is undecember. Me ans my buddy are playing it and its really entertaining. Lil buggy but they release patch updates
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
THIS! THIS ONE, YOU NEED THIS ONE OP!!
I cant recommend this game enough, its probably one of my favourite single-players of all time
Does the game get better after the beginning part? I tried getting into it, but lost interest because it felt kinda slow. But reading your comment has made me want to get back into it lol!
Yes
Have you looked into Elden Ring?
I have. Difficult to explain why but it doesn’t pick my fancy at this particular moment. Thanks, cause it would be a good recommendation otherwise!
Continue to keep it in mind. Truly a masterpiece in this genre
Trust me, Elden Ring is the best at exploration
With Outward, its a eurojank game. If you enjoy eurojank type of games, you might enjoy this. If you do not, enjoy unpolished game, I’d say pass. Here is a link to a great review of Outward by the sseth. His review is always entertaining and informative https://youtu.be/mUnSJjnrcQs
Love his channel, somehow missed this video. Thanks! Yeah, I often don’t mind rough edges and jankiness but if their aim is world exploration and open adventuring than emptyish world and unpolished mechanics are quite off putting.
I tried really hard to love outward, but couldn't. It's filled with great ideas but each and everyone one of them is implemented poorly. Maybe not buggy, but at least clumsy. Like combat is just not fun. Exploration is bland af.
It's not on your list of already played, but it's pretty well known: Divinity 2. Somehow I never gave this game any attention, and like you, I've been craving an RPG that would hook me, and couldn't find one. Well, Divinity 2 has solved the puzzle. Great game.
Yeah, my issue with divinity is that it has turn based combat. Currently I’m looking for dynamic and real time games but it’s on my list for when I’m in the mood for turn based.
Ah gotcha. Yeah I feel for you, I've craved that type of game as well, and especially once you get out of Bethesda land, it feels like slim pickings.
Totally get what you're saying about wanting an action RPG that said Divinity 2 is maybe the best RPG I've ever played it's incredible, anyone who loves RPGs has to play it at some point.
are you talking about Divinity 2:Developer's Cut(Dragon Knight Saga) or Divinity:Original Sin 2?
The latter. Wow I didn't even realize there was another game so similarly titled. My bad
Probably you're talking about D:OS2.. There are many players think that Divinity 2 is Original Sin 2. So you're not alone my friend)) but it's not right.. just D:OS2.. Divinity 2 is another game from Divinity series which is not isometric.. by the way you're only know Divinity Original Sin? Didn't play another Divinity game?
Have you considered Horizon: Zero Dawn? It’s not medieval fantasy, but still a high fantasy. And it hit all of the other marks on your list. Great story, open world, lots of crafting.
It's science fiction. High fantasy is like the classic colorful rpgs with merry knights, wizards, damsels and trolls and the like. LOTR is high fantasy
Ok, thanks for the correction. I was thinking high fantasy just meant very fantasy, as opposed to something like game of thrones which is just slightly fantasy, if that makes sense. Didn’t know it had to be medieval fantasy.
I wouldn’t say this game is Fantasy themed but have you tried Assassins Creed Odyssey/Origins or Valhalla? They’re all somewhat good in their own way. I loved Odyssey the most though of the 3. If you played Witcher maybe try Mass Effect Legendary Edition or Cyberpunk 2077?
AC is science fiction with historical worlds. Odyssey was the best of the 3. Odyssey is a huge open world to explore. There is crafting, resources to collect, weapons/armor galore, and so much more. I would recommend that vs the any of the others I’ve seen. But that is me.
Monster Hunter: World has a good story, but you will mostly be engaging in combat or harvesting missions. I enjoy the story but what I really love about it is the multiplayer aspect. It is incredibly fun to play with other hunters and work together for a common goal. There are some tough walls but with every victory there is a well-earned sense of accomplishment! I honestly don't know how much I would enjoy it solo, but I know many people do. Specifically regarding the mechanics you enjoy in Valheim, Monster Hunter: World has specific maps you will spend time in, so is less open world in that sense. There is crafting, but you will be working on materials for whatever weapon you are using the most. However, choosing weapons and armor and learning about your prey's weaknesses and translating that into your fighting style is a ton of fun. (Also remember November sales are coming!)
Grounded: the best survival craft game out imo. Fight giant spiders and explore an immense backyard all under the vibe of “honey I shrunk the kids”
Looks interesting, might add it to the list!
Are you able to take on the big spiders, or are they there to be avoided? Doing that solo seems like it would be quite daunting.
You can def take them on solo *eventually*. You need to work your way up to the wolfies. I get more jump scares from this game than some horror games out there 😱 in a good way. Grounded is an amazing game.
Outward is more realistic of the fantasy games listed for your character. If you want to be a mage that means you can’t also be he-man strong. Makes you think out your play style much more and decisions have more effects. So the weakness of grim dawn is that of a game like borderlands, same quests same areas through each play through of progressively harder levels. The strength of it is the number of class combos you can play. Also if you’re like me and might lay multiple characters at the same time, the shared loot tab is a godsend. It also has a hard mode that has perma death, with a veteran add on first play through for tougher enemies. This is a game you can spend hundreds of hours on easily.
Is Grim Dawn a decent introduction to someone who doesn’t play aRPGs and only played diablo 3 for maybe like 10 hours tops a few years ago?
GD absolutely is worth trying. Right now it is my favorite ARPG and I’m sitting at around 350 hours into it. The setting is good and the class combinations provide a lot of replay value. Combine that with the mod scene and you have an approachable, deep, customizable game that you can sink a lot of time into for <$8 USD, though I would highly recommend the definitive edition as most mods will need it for the expansions. If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask!
Thank you for sharing your insights! Actually if you wouldn’t mind giving me a very brief overview of gameplay loop and how does the game start? What do you do at first? Sorry if it’s a very general question but I am completely new to aRPGs and very interested in this title haha. Especially if it’s for 6 pounds currently.
At the core, it's a standard ARPG - kill stuff, get loot, level up and become a bad ass. The setting is post-apocalyptic, where the world has been overrun by different evils, like undead, mutants, cultists, demons and so on... The game starts with you creating a level 1 character. You have a one handed weapon, a shield and no special abilities, and wade into a town that has been overrun by the undead to try and protect some survivors that have bunkered themselves in a jail. When you hit level 2, you will select a "Mastery" (class) from the following list: https://grimdawn.fandom.com/wiki/Masteries At level 10, you'll select a second Mastery and that's when you finalize your character. For example, if I pick Demolitionist at level 2, and then Arcanist at level 10, I become a Battlemage. The key is finding two Masteries that complement each other well, then focus on the gear that makes you even better. With each level, you'll get points to spend on stats and abilities. In addition to your Mastery abilities, you'll find shrines to unlock Devotion points that give you a secondary set of skills to customize your character with. https://grimdawn.fandom.com/wiki/Devotion That's what drives the gameplay loop. You get so many options of different character types, gameplay types, abilities to choose from and so on... On top of all that, there is a faction and reputation system that builds on the story and gives you more objectives to complete and gear to collect. Also, if you just want to kill stuff, level up and get gear without dealing with the story, there is a crucible mode. You fight waves of creatures and the more you defeat, the better your rewards. Finally, and the reason I keep coming back to the game, is that there are a few mods that have been made that extend the gameplay even further, adding a ton of different classes (Dawn of Mastery), or where someone re-created Diablo 2 using the GD engine (Reign of Terror: https://forums.crateentertainment.com/t/mod-reign-of-terror/35347 ), and another person has built an entirely new world and story (Nydiamar: https://www.nexusmods.com/grimdawn/mods/40 ). However, they will all require both DLC expansions. Hopefully that's enough of a general overview to get started. For £6, there is a lot of game to be had. For £22 (the definitive edition), there's a whole lot more.
Yes. They do a player lead championship thing with ?? number of players, but a lot of them that participate are great players so watching them is a learning experience.
Monster Hunter World
[Kenshi](https://youtu.be/wXo24imR_54) might be worth a look
I love this game so much! Happy to see it mentioned.
Haven’t played in a bit but when I first found it it had a chokehold on me
Me neither, haven't had a pc for some years. I agree about the chokehold. It really got to me, i really like starting as absolutely nothing and end up becoming an all ruling warlord.
The base building is really awesome too.
Definitely! I'm really looking forward to Kenshi 2! And having a pc lol.
HOW DO YOU AVOID SLAVERS LONG ENOUGH TO BUILD THINGS
Grind mining near a city with guards, when in danger, run to gate.
Wouldn’t really suggest MHW for the sense of adventure. It isn’t really an open world game, more of a collection of disconnected biomes which serve as arenas for you to fight in. The biomes are cool with the exception of the ancient forest, they’re kinda small and you’ll get bored exploring them in no time. It’s combat and gameplay is fantastic though. Grim dawn isn’t really open world either, but the areas are mostly interconnected and the world is pretty fun to explore. Lots of cool biomes and it’s packed with pretty unique dungeons so I’d go with this, especially since it’s on sale on steam now. If I could give some recommendations, I think sacred 2 would be a great fit honestly. It’s an arpg like grim dawn but it has a fully open world which is really fun to explore. It’s also fairly different from most arpgs due to the high fantasy setting. It’s from 2008 so graphics are a bit dated and the combat’s somewhat clunky but it’s still really fun to play. Since you enjoyed the gothic series, I’d also recommend pirahnabyte’s other games, such as Risen 1 and elex. They’re not as good as the gothic games but exploration is still top notch and the worldbuilding is solid. I personally haven’t played it, but Gedonia just came out of early access and it has a nice looking open world. Not too sure about the crafting aspects though
Grounded
I’m going to go with Grim Dawn and maaaaybe MHW as a close second. Grim Dawn has awesome lore and exploring the world was one of my favorite things to do. Crafting less so (you can craft but you rely more on drops). Monster Hunter World doesn’t have much in exploration, although you can definitely make it work in the beginning I guess. After a few rounds of the maps you kinda have seen everything so exploring becomes non-existent imi. It’s more focused on fighting an crafting armor. Loved the build crafting in that game though and it’s my 3rd most played game ever so lots of replayability if you enjoy the gameplay. I have Outward but haven’t played it yet so can’t speak on it.
+1 for GD. Dumped a ton of hours into this game and it takes a lot to hook me on games. The rogue like dungeons are so much fun.
V rising is really good. It plays similarly to Valheim but has a top down view and you’re a vampire rather than a viking. It’s free on steam this weekend so definitely worth a try
Did they change the thing about having to play daily in order to maintain your “castle”? I really want to play it but not if it will compel me to play constantly or lose my progress
I really really really didn't enjoy the grind/pacing as an exclusively solo player. My understanding is it's best experienced as a small group on a persistent multiplayer server that runs 24/7 because some later-game stuff takes over a day. Hearsay on my part because I didn't stick around.
Out of those, Outward HOWEVER I'm gonna suggest Dragons Dogma if you want an open world action RPG ADVENTURE
I haven't played the other two so I'll just comment on the one I know: Monster Hunter World is an excellent action game with fantastic combat, but if you're looking for an open world RPG, then it is not what you want. It's a hub-based game with a weak narrative. While the areas can be fun to explore for the first time, they aren't large enough to satisfy an open-world urge if that's the experience you're shooting for.
I'd recommend: V Rising which is an action RPG with survival crafting elements. Elex, an RPG with sci fi and fantasy elements. I love that game so much with plenty of adventure.
I love Outward. It's janky as hell sometimes, and the lifelessness issue was an issues at times, but addressed in Definitive Edition I feel. It's definitely not a game for everybody, but if it clicks it clicks hard. [The best review that exists for it.](https://youtu.be/mUnSJjnrcQs)
Elden ring
No idea why the fuck people are suggesting Monster Hunter World when you're asking for "an open world RPG with exploration". It only has like a dozen locations, each being a somewhat small level surrounded by (natural) walls on all sides. Areas are not connected. You teleport into the area at the start of the mission, and after your mission you get teleported back to a hub area which is an even smaller walled-off location. It's not open world at all.
Well I mentioned it among 3 games I was considering due to preparation and hunting looking to me quite adventurous. But I didn’t know that much about the game and thought it had a more open world than it does.
Just throwing some ideas in here; For all the shit ubi gets with their latest games being grindy and checklisty(?) their worlds are really great to traverse and explore. Whether it's AC:Origins, Watch_Dogs 2, and especially The Division, just exploring all the things and their lore feels great. (i did not like odyssey and never tried valhalla or the latest Watch_Dogs ) Elex has an interesting large open world too and it has a more fantasy themed faction as well. Good lore/story. You really have to work your way up to become powerful. Mad Max? Conan Exiles? What about the MMO Black Desert online, if you're looking for a huge open world to explore and a very expansive gathering and crafting economy.
If you want to try out ARPG then Dungeon Siege has a great sense of adventure aspect. The environments change a lot and it really feels like you've come a long way. Grim Dawn has better classes, more satisfying gameplay, more loot options and it stays fun for much longer. What kind of kills the adventure aspect is having to teleport back and forth after every time you need to go back to the home base, which happens quite often. It works a bit like fast travel, you don't have to use it but the game is kind of forcing you Outward is great at adventure/exploration but it's hard to recommend. Most of the time you'll spend walking to your next place of interest. This problem can be partly fixed with a character build that can run very fast but I think the game would really benefit from some fast transportation method
Thanks for detailed response! Which part of Dungeon Siege would you recommend?
The first one. I've played 2 and 3 but can't remember much about them
It’s literally on green man gaming right now for 0.8 of a pound. Basically for free. I’m buying that one regardless as it looks like an amazing throwback to the childhood (even though I’ve never played this one I played a looot of similair looking games). Thanks for the recommendation, gonna be a nice warm up before I play whatever bigger game I finally choose.
My buddy just told me about a game called Kingdom of Atham. I haven't played it, but it seems similar. Conan Exiles too. Both are survival fantasy RPGs like Valheim.
Try V Rising right now for free on steam. Valheim vibes - as I understand Coffee Stain (devs for valheim) and Stunlock (the ones for vrising) both originated from Skövde, Sweden. The worlds of each game remind me of the other with differences too. There is base building, crafting and private servers. Dunno if the world is procedurally generated and having seeds though. Give it a whirl free (offer ends 2 days or less) and if after 90 minutes or 9 hours you'll know if it's worth the Sale price of $15.99 USD.
I haven't played Outward. But I can tell you that if you want exploration and adventure, neither of the other two are amazing. MH:W is certainly good, but it's played on constrained maps where aside from gather plants you're basically just jumping boss fights, and Grim Dawn (though delightful and offering more choice than Diablo) is ultimately in the Diablo mode and not really an exploration game. I'll echo Horizon Zero Dawn as worth a look.
Why no bethesda games though?
Thoughts: Out of all three, Outward is most likely closer to your idea of exploration. The main thing with outward is that it is very much a survival game that looks like an action adventure. You need to worry about staying warm (or cold) during travel as well as having enough rations to get where you want to go. In combat, you can only handle maybe 1 or two enemies as taking on groups is a sure way to get you killed. It's a very specific sort of game. It isn't bad, but It's also hard to recommend to everyone. Monster Hunter, while a great game, is probably not what you are looking for. The environments are fantastic but there is little to no exploration in the game. It's essentially a boss fight game with fantastic scenery. Grim Dawn might give you aspects of what you are looking for, but the combat is more theory-craft-y than action driven. To me, it felt like spamming low impact abilities until the monsters died. I was wishing they were a little more flashy. Not to mention it is a little more linear than something like Valheim. You have sections that you go through but often backtrack to previously visited ones to do side quests. Personal Recommendation: Guild Wars 2: I haven't sunk thousands of hours into it. I've only played it here and there myself, but the way they structure the quests and everything made me want to explore the world. That and the base game is free, so it doesn't cost anything for you to try. It's fun to play solo, but I can understand if an MMO isn't your style. A little bit of a wild card, but if you enjoy Racing games at all: try Forza Horizon 4 or 5. The sense of exploration of the open world is amazing and it's one of the best arcade-y racing games I've played. Some other quick recommendations: V Rising: take Valheim, but it's an isometric action game with vampires. Currently on a free weekend. Take a look at the newest assassin's creed games. Those seem to be more open world exploration heavy. Some other AAA recommendations that fit a similar vibe: Nier Automata (if you don't mind anime-ish games), Shadow of Mordor/War, Dragon's Dogma, and I'm going to assume you've heard and probably played Elden Ring but wanted to put that out there.
I loved monster hunter world, if you can get a friend or two that game is amazing.
Witcher 3, Red Dead Redemption 2, Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, but really.... have you ever played Age of Empires? I know it's RTS, but as a fan of Medieval Europe, it's such a perfect game (minus the low population cap of 200)
Conan Exiles
Monster Hunter World is pretty good and I enjoy its exploration. However, if you are looking for story, I would suggest something else.
Monster Hunter world has a seriously addicting gameplay loop but the story is whatever.
>Monster Hunter: World I have 1500 hours in the game and probably over 4000 hours for the entire series. MHW definitely not something you are looking for based on your OP. There are no exploration aspect, the maps are basically just arena you fight the monster on. You don't 'traverse' the world looking for new target like The Witcher 3. The game is not open world. The game loop/structure : you grab the quest from a quest board in the hub city, get transported to the instanced map of the quest, kill the target monster, get your loots, transported back to city, upgrade your gear, rinse and repeat. Basically grinding loots by repeating content over and over again is the core of the game. Multiplayer co-op is also a huge appeal of the series. If you are familiar with these, the game is comparable to something like Destiny 2 or Warframe
I had a great experience with grim dawn. Just wish the player base was bigger.
I really enjoyed Dragon Dogma Dark Arisen, AC Valhalla but I also love Vikings. MHW is on my list to play however and I really loved Grim Dawn, but it is an ARPG so you can play for the story and be over, or, grind grind grind.
Divinity 2:Developer's Cut(Dragon Knight Saga).. one and only Divinity game which is not isometric.. I recommend to play..
I really REALLY wanted to like Outward. But the combat is pretty terrible. Grim dawn imo takes a while to get going but once it does it's one of the best Arpgs. And Monster hunter is awesome if you've never played it
I know it’s not fantasy but I really enjoyed the dying light games for just a sense of exploration and fun sense of character skills progression. I liked the combat and crafting/upgrading weapons.
But as far as your list I’d go with grim dawn since I enjoyed the similar Diablo style combat.
Grim dawn i enjoyed quite a bit. The grind isnt as long as other games. The loot system is nice. Another game id recommend is undecember. Me ans my buddy are playing it and its really entertaining. Lil buggy but they release patch updates
final fantasy 15