Top 10 Games with Optional Gameplay Elements to Enjoy

The current gaming landscape is rich with titles that allow players to select their own path in vast virtual worlds. Whether you’re seeking an expansive adventure or simply wish to focus on the main storyline, today’s games cater to your preferences, offering hundreds of hours of engaging content.

Games that provide players the flexibility to dictate their pace are invaluable, especially for those who prefer to explore rather than be hurried along a linear path. Such freedom enriches the gaming experience, allowing players to engage with the aspects they find most enjoyable.

This article highlights some of the best games where content is entirely optional—not essential for completing the main narrative but enhancing your immersion and enjoyment if you choose to engage with it.

10 Grand Theft Auto V

The City Is Yours

The city of Los Santos within Grand Theft Auto 5.

Grand Theft Auto V is heralded as a pioneering title, largely due to its extraordinary level of player freedom. The sprawling city of Los Santos offers countless opportunities for exploration and interaction.

While mainlining the story is an option, players may miss out on a multitude of side activities, from playing tennis and robbing banks to uncovering alien conspiracies or participating in street races. The lack of urgency in the questline allows you to engage with the environment on your own terms, turning exploration into a rewarding experience.

9 Dragon’s Dogma 2

You’re On The Clock

In Dragon’s Dogma 2, players are presented with abundant challenges, yet much of the gameplay hinges on personal exploration. Notably, time waits for no player; key events unfold regardless of your actions, allowing for a mix of exploration and strategic delay.

The autonomy in your choices fosters an engaging experience, as side quests intertwine seamlessly with the main story. While you could stick solely to the narrative, the game thrives on the depth and interactivity offered in its optional quests.

8 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

The Side Quests Are Endless

The Witcher 3 stands as a paragon of gaming excellence, offering a captivating narrative intertwined with an abundance of optional content. While the primary storyline is a major attraction, the game also boasts rich side quests that can draw players in for hours.

From battling bandits to delving into ruins, players can immerse themselves in the world at their leisure. The sheer volume of optional quests allows for diverse play styles, ensuring that everyone finds something enchanting during their travels across the game’s vast regions.

7 Elex 2

Explore At Your Leisure

Elex 2 offers players a vast world of exploration, albeit with an open-ended approach that can seem daunting. This title shines for those who revel in optional gameplay, as it grants unrestricted access to its environments from the outset.

While players can choose to adhere to the main plot, the richness of the world beckons you to engage with factions, initiatives, and quests that enhance your adventure. Despite the game’s mixed reviews, many areas contain unforgettable content worth experiencing.

6 Baldur’s Gate 3

It’s Your Story

Baldur’s Gate 3 took the gaming community by storm in 2023, particularly for the remarkable autonomy it provides players. From your initial landing, the choice is yours, allowing for varied interactions with characters and environments.

Recruiting companions is entirely optional—players can engage or disregard them as they please. The game’s design reflects the D&D ethos profoundly, adapting to whatever choices you make, whether you pursue the storyline, wreak havoc, or simply wander.

5 Cyberpunk 2077

So Much To See

cyberpunk 2077 night city outdoors with two characters

The expansive world of Cyberpunk 2077 invites players to discover over 100 hours of immersive content, with the main storyline taking roughly 20 hours to complete. This means that you have the option to delve into a wealth of side quests at your own pace.

Engaging with the Aldecados or helping Solomon Reed are just a couple of the many avenues available to you. The narrative’s depth is drawn from its side quests, making them essential to truly experiencing the game world, even though many such encounters are technically optional.

4 Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

The Entirety Of Ancient Greece

Promo art for Assassin's Creed Odyssey: Character looks over expanse of water

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey presents a sprawling 25-hour story, yet that represents just a fraction of its content. The title brims with optional quests that can extend gameplay into the hundreds of hours, allowing players unparalleled freedom to explore ancient Greece.

Players can engage in mythological battles or navigate complex political landscapes. The ability to choose your path—from hunting mythic beasts to commanding a ship—provides an experience that can be uniquely tailored to your preferences.

3 Ring of Fire

The Map Is More Than Meets The Eye

Three Elden Ring Players Standing on a Cliff

Elden Ring initially misleads players regarding its length, with a supposed 20-30 hour completion time. However, the reality is that the depth of this game is staggering, featuring potentially 100 hours of optional exploration.

Secret dungeons, bosses, and quests abound, inviting players to lose themselves in a world filled with surprises. Not only is the core story shorter, but the countless opportunities for side quests provide rich and engaging gameplay that can rival the main narrative.

2 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

An Endless Adventure

An aerial shot of the city of Winterhold from Skyrim

Skyrim remains a timeless classic nearly 14 years after its release, renowned for the sheer volume of optional activities available to players. With over 800 hours invested across various versions, many players still have yet to complete the main quest!

The game’s vastness allows players to forgo the main storyline entirely, diving into rich side quests involving political strife, guilds, and more. This unparalleled freedom to explore and manipulate the world makes Skyrim a memorable experience that invites continuous adventure.

1 Starfield

Your Journey Through Space Is Full Of Possibilities

Starfield invites players into a vast universe where exploration is key, and while its primary story arc is underwhelming and brief, the freedom to uncover side quests fosters a richer gameplay experience.

From engaging in the UC Vanguard questline to discovering numerous smaller missions, players can immerse themselves in captivating adventures beyond the main focus. With procedural dungeons and space engagements, the game boasts a nearly limitless array of optional content waiting to be explored.

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