Video games pride themselves on including a ton of compelling lore that fleshes out the world and its legends. After all, fans expect a lot from titles that strive to immerse them in a living, breathing world, and adding a ton of lore does a great job of helping accomplish the same.
This is especially true inthe case of open-world gamesthat need to do something to stand out in this overpopulated genre. Some of the best sandbox games players can get their hands on are incredibly immersive, courtesy of the lore that is brimming in these titles.
Games will be ranked based on how compelling and important the lore is to the experience.
Skyrimis one of the most popular open-world RPGs of all time, with the established universe ofThe Elder Scrollsdoing wonders to enhance this game’s world. Players can find numerous documents and books that do a great job of making players feel like a part ofSkyrim’s world.
The Dragonborn can spend a long time just reading through the pieces of lore in this game, making their adventure more immersive than ever. This is just one of the many ingredients that helpSkyrimstand out as one of the greatest role-playing games ever made.
Guerrilla Games had a mammoth task on their hands when it came to establishing the lore of theHorizonuniverse. Fighting robot dinosaurs and other animals was pretty cool, but there needed to be a compelling reason that justified the unique nature of this post-apocalypse.
This was achieved with compelling storytelling and lore tidbits that fleshed out the world and its details before this robotic apocalypse sent humanity back to what is essentially a second Stone Age. The writing could’ve been hamfisted and unsatisfying, but Guerrilla did a great job of making its world as believable as possible.
While the established universe ofFalloutmade certain aspects ofNew Vegas' lore easy to integrate, there was still a lot of work to be done from Obsidian’s end. This was a brand new area in the series with its conflicts that needed to be hashed out for players to be invested in the game.
Thecentral conflict between the NCR and Caesar’s Legionover the city of New Vegas, coupled with the localized lore for every region in the game, has been meticulously penned. This, among many other reasons, is whyFallout: New Vegasis hailed by many as Obsidian’s magnum opus.
The Witcher 3is one of the greatest video games ever made, with many players being introduced to Sapkowski’s works courtesy of this incredible title. The world ofThe Witcherwas detailed well before this game came into existence, and this is reflected in the compelling lore.
From stories harkening to the continent’s past all the way to pieces of lore that detail out the day-to-day conflicts of each region in the game,The Witcher 3is a game players can easily get lost inif they’re interested in these small yet compelling stories.
Mike Pondsmith’sCyberpunk 2020served as an inspiration for CD Projekt Red’s critically-acclaimed RPG that enjoyed a redemption arc after a torrid launch. It took a while for fans to warm up toCyberpunk 2077, who were amazed by how immersive and engaging this game is.
Players love the little tidbits of lore scattered across the game, detailing the history of Night City and how thecorporations became more powerfulthan governments. The capitalist dystopia of this game is fascinating and is hammered in by the title’s excellent writing, whether in the main story or the optional side content fans can uncover.
Disco Elysiumis one of the greatest video games ever made, with the quality of its writing being in a class of its own. A game revolving around a compelling murder-mystery expertly eases players into the city of Revachol, wrapping a web of political and social intrigue that is in a class of its own.
It’s astounding howDisco Elysium’s lore manages to be so captivating without seeming all that pretentious. It’s a huge part of what made the game such a compelling experience, with players eagerly seeking out any lore tidbit that will help them understand the people of Revachol and its history.
Elden Ringis one of the greatest video games ever made, withthe FromSoftware approach being perfect for an open world. This translates to the background storytelling, too, with the lore doing most of the heavy lifting.
Players interested in learning about the lore of The Lands Between and seeing George R.R. Martin’s contribution will love reading the lore tidbits attached to every weapon, object, spell, and any other relevant item. It does a great job of filling in the gaps and helpsElden Ringstand out as one of the greatest FromSoftware games ever made.
Outer Wildstook everyone by surprisewith its incredible gameplay that rewarded exploration. Players needed to uncover the lore of the universe and connect the dots after acquiring relevant information.
This helped players figure out how to access certain areas and get past certain puzzles. It allows for a satisfactory gameplay loop that’s in a class of its own and cementsOuter Wildsas one of the greatest video games ever made.
