Game developers usually prefer to make games with no barriers to entry, making their games easy for new players who haven't had a chance to play their previous work. Doing so allows them to appeal to as wide an audience as possible with each new game release. The easiest way to achieve this goal is to make independent games, where the story of one game has nothing to do with the other. The biggest example of this approach is the Grand Theft Auto series, where all the games take place in the same universe, but can be enjoyed as individual titles because there is no connection.
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Players looking for an open world series where multiple games connect to each other won't find much, as most developers tend to go the Rockstar route as it's the safest approach. Fortunately, established franchises that span multiple games with an overarching storyline are rare, but they do exist. Here are the top contenders.
8 Gothic series
Gothic 1, 2, and 3
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Gothic Gothic 2 Gothic 3 Royalties Gothic Gothic Gothic System Nintendo, computer Computer Computer platform(s) Switch, computer Computer Computer was published 23/11/2001 2003-10-28 11/20/2006 Developers Piranha bite Piranha bite Piranha bite genre(s) RPG Action RPG Action RPG
particle for direct object Gothic series is a cult-classic open-world role-playing series set in a medieval fantasy world amidst a war between humans and orcs. The player character finds himself imprisoned in a mining colony and forced to mine ore to pay for the human war by a cruel king. Most of the story takes place inside this mining colony and what happens.
Gothic 2 It continues directly after the events of the first game and explores the world outside of the mining colony, allowing the player to explore the wider world outside. Despite the old graphics and controls, Gothic 1 and 2 They are considered classics for a reason. The power curve is satisfying, the leveling system is rewarding, and the role-playing is stunning. Gothic 3 It's a departure from the previous two games, opting for a more lively tone and cheerful fantasy setting.
Arena, Daggerfall, Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim and online
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The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Royalties Larger scrolls Larger scrolls Larger scrolls System Xbox, PC Xbox, PC, PlayStation Nintendo, Xbox, PC, PlayStation platform(s) Xbox (original), PC PS3, Xbox 360, PC PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 3 was published 01/05/2002 03/20/2006 2011-11-11 Developers Bethesda game studio Bethesda Bethesda game studio genre(s) RPG RPG Action, RPG, Adventure
Larger scrolls It's one of the most popular RPG series of all time, with five full open-world single-player games, several smaller entries, and even a full-fledged MMO. All games take place in the fantasy world of Tamriel, a fantasy world of dragons and daedra with a rich story spanning four eras.
Each game in the series can be played as a standalone title with an independent story that has a beginning, middle, and end. But the story is always told in the context of Tamriel, through the lens of the larger conflict between the Thalmor, the Empire, and various smaller factions. Aedra and Daedra are ever-present threats in every game, affecting the world in different ways each time, sometimes benevolently, sometimes malevolently, but always unpredictable.
6 Marvel's Spider-Man series
Marvel's Spider-Man 1, 2 and Miles Morales
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Marvel's Spider-Man Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales Royalties Marvel's Spider-Man spider man spider man System Computer, PlayStation Computer, PlayStation Computer, PlayStation platform(s) PS5, PS4, PC PlayStation 5, PC PS5, PS4 was published 09-07-2018 10-20-2023 12-11-2020 Developers Insomnia games Insomnia games Insomnia games genre(s) Open world, action, adventure Action-adventure, open world Action, adventure
Sony started 2018 with Marvel's Spider-Mancreated quite a stir in the gaming industry and established Insomniac Games as a titan in the industry. It follows the story of an adult Peter Parker in New York City and his adventures as he tries to save the residents from threats big and small.
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After the huge success of the original, Insomniac released the spin-off Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales In 2020 and a full sequel, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 In 2023, it was critically acclaimed. Marvel's Spider-Man and its sequels all take place in the universe created by Insomniac called Earth-1048, taking advantage of the multiverse setting inherent in the Marvel Universe.
5 Batman: Arkham Series
Arkham Origins, Arkham Asylum and Arkham City
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Batman: Arkham Asylum Batman: Arkham City – Armored Edition Batman: Arkham Origins System Xbox, PC, PlayStation nintendo Nintendo, Xbox, PC, PlayStation platform(s) PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, PC, macOS, Xbox One Nintendo Wii U Nintendo Wii U, Xbox 360, PC, PlayStation 3 was published 08/25/2009 2012-11-18 25/10/2013 Developers Rocksteady Studio WB Games Montreal WB Games Montreal genre(s) Action, adventure Action-adventure, open world Action, adventure
Published in 2009, Batman: Arkham Asylum It was the first game in the series, which follows the story of Batman fighting escaped prisoners from the Asylum, among whom is the Joker. Batman: Arkham City Continues 18 months after the events Arkham Asylum And it holds the crown as the definitive Batman game, earning critical acclaim and setting the standard for modern open-world games to come.
Batman: Arkham Origins Occurs before events Arkham Asylumwhere players follow a young Bruce Wayne as he's still learning the ropes of how to take on the mantle of hero Gotham needs. All Arkham games combine stealth mechanics, reactive brawler-style combat, and the use of tools to diversify the gameplay cycle.
4 Assassin's Creed series
AC 1, 2, 3, 4, Brotherhood, Revelations, Black Flag, and many more
When it comes to interconnected stories in a franchise across multiple games, Assassin's Creed Hit It All The premise of the series is a device called the Animus, created by the evil megacorp Abstergo, which allows people to relive past events as their ancestors experienced them. Whereas Ubisoft has pulled back from the “present day” elements in the latest AC Games, the general premise is still there.
In addition, in the background of each Assassin's Creed The game is the eternal conflict between Assassins and Templars through the ages. particle for direct object Assassin's Creed The series has always followed an open world formula that has only expanded over the years. The series may have moved away from the stealth-first approach of the original title and become more of an RPG. Vast, open, and dense maps are at the core of this formula, which is why players keep coming back for more.
3 Horizon series
Horizon Zero Dawn and Forbidden West
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Horizon: Zero Dawn The western horizon is forbidden System Computer, PlayStation Computer, PlayStation platform(s) PS4, PC PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC was published 02/28/2017 02-18-2022 Developers Guerrilla games Guerrilla games genre(s) Action, role-playing Action, role-playing
Horizon Zero Dawn and The West is forbidden Follow Alvi as she travels across a vibrant and lush post-apocalyptic land where the original humans have been completely destroyed and a new civilization is the remnants of their tribal days.
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The West is forbidden The sequence is direct zero dawnpicks up the story almost immediately after the events of the last game and takes Aloy to the far west in the realm of Banuk. The Horizon series has quickly become one of Sony's biggest success stories and a PlayStation mascot, although both games can now be played on PC as well.
2 Red Dead Redemption series
Red Dead Redemption 1 & 2
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Red Dead Redemption Red Dead Redemption 2 Royalties Red Dead Redemption Red Dead Redemption System Nintendo, Xbox, PlayStation Google, Xbox, PC, PlayStation platform(s) Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, PC, PlayStation 3 PS4, PC, Stadia, Xbox One was published 05/18/2010 2018-10-26 Developers Rockstar San Diego Rockstar game genre(s) Open world, adventure Action, adventure
Red Dead Redemption is a western open world RPG series set in the Wild West, when outlaws were common and trains were just starting to catch on. RDR1 John Marston follows the Van der Linde gang, an outlaw who is involved in almost every crime the gang has been a part of. The players are taken on a journey after John breaks away from the group and sets off into the world on his own.
RDR2 The protagonist of the story is Arthur Morgan, another member of the Dutch gang and John's friend. This story takes place when John was still a member of the gang. Arthur is a flawed character with a heart of gold, more mature than John but more cautious. Both games are modern classics and are in the running for the best open world games of all time.
1 The Legend Of Zelda series
The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild & Tears Of The Kingdom
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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Royalties The Legend of Zelda The Legend of Zelda System nintendo nintendo platform(s) Nintendo Wii U, Switch Nintendo Switch was published 03/03/2017 05-12-2023 Developers Nintendo EPD nintendo genre(s) Action, adventure adventure
After Mario, The Legend of Zelda It's Nintendo's biggest first-person franchise and an old classic that's been beautifully transformed into the realm of modern gaming. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild The series' first foray into the open world genre knocked it out of the park. A completely different Ghibli-inspired art style, an absolutely massive map to explore, and a reimagining of the familiar Hyrule.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom It takes what BotW brought to the table and turns it up to eleven, directly doubling the map size of The Depths, as well as various new sky islands to explore. Zelda's story is very complex, and the timeline is incredibly complex, but what is never in question is that they are all connected. It's up to the players to figure out how.
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