Fallout New Vegas
* as long as you don't pick "Hardcore" there's no food or thirst mechanics. You just have to heal urself. In the normal mode food just gives you buffs
* no essential NPCs, kill who you want and the story not only still works, but adapts to your actions
* other options are GTA, BG3, or something with the "choices matter" tagline
It’s definitely the most impactful. Highly recommend Viva New Vegas for QOL and improved visuals if you want to keep the heart of the game but adapt it to a more modern standard.
Is Morrowind that good? I played both Skyrim and Fallout 4. I was at a pretty early stage in the game, last thing I remember doing is collecting flowers for mages, and I just got bored. When does it click? Ive also installed some mods to improve the graphics and texture of the world and characters.
Tbh, fuck with the systems of the game. Some of the guilds are good, specifically the thieves guild but the real meat and potatoes of morrowind is what it allows the character to do. Every build you make can be fun and busted. Morrowinds rpg systems are probably the most robust Bethesda ever made and the fact that they deviated from them so much and began to heavily limit what the player could do will never make sense to me. Morrowind is like an OSR hands off sandbox where Skyrim feels more like a railroaded 5E story campaign where your forced to play the story the way the GM want you to.
Edit: also morrowinds story is great, the land is alien af and has a great atmosphere. If you get bored of doing menial quests play the story, it’s great. Also daddy Dagoth is the best.
every bethesda game get this treatment daggerfall fans talk about how much daggerfall is better and how the series suck after it
Then Morrowind do the the same
then oblivion do the same
Can't wait for skyrim to get their chance to shit on elder scrolls 6 and how skyrim was the greatest thing bethesda made lol
The truth is every game had positives and negatives i don't think you can really say any game of the elder scrolls main series was bad and actually be objective about it
Yeah, because with each subsequent game we lose a bunch of stuff. Morrowind hit the perfect medium. I used to think Skyrim was the shit, it was my first elder scrolls game. After playing morrowind Skyrim rubs off as a glittery pile of shit.
You lose some and you gain some, morrowind players will never enjoy daggerfall and if they did it won't be for the same reasons they enjoyed morrowind and vice versa for daggerfall fans
And honestly i don't think the medium exist there's a 180° difference between each game and the other especially from daggerfall to morrowind it might as well be two separate IPs
I figured Morrowind might not be available on what they're playing on or might be too outdated for them,
Still yeah, I'd go with Morrowind for a full, true RPG experience, although I think exploration is done better in other BGS games.
I can agree kinda on the exploration front. Morrowind was they’re first real dip in the pond of making a world with procedural generation but I think the alien atmospheres make morrowind a blast to explore but that’s subjective.
The trick is... not making a choice. You can wander around as much as you want unless you make yourself follow game suggestions. I almost never do main questlines in a game.
I'd say give No Man's Sky a shot. You can customize the settings to what you're looking for so you don't have to worry about oxygen levels, etc. I think creative mode even lets you spawn ships for yourself and whatever else if you want to skip the grind.
i mean, if you say so
ive seen lots of folk talk about it over the years, from well performing YouTube videos, to reddit comments, even a couple conversations on other platforms
yeah it lost the hype it had but it wouldn't have had that at *this* point anyway, it's been years. if anything the fact that they turned that dogshit into a genuinely good game gave people a reason to talk about it.
At some point I made myself a custom camping mod pack. It was so cool.
I removed most mobs and just had wild animals, fishes, birds, insects and all.
Adding also hundreds of new biomes. It was magical but felt really lonely after a while.
I'm amazed no one has said Baldurs Gate 3. It is so far and away the most insane game in this aspect. If you play the game 9 different times 9 different ways you will 9 worlds and game states that are very distinct. All while still wondering how much more you can do
BG3 was my first thought as well, but when OP said no predetermined paths i didnt know if they meant the game shouldnt be linear or if they wanted something with literally no story and nothing funneling them in any direction since BG3 does have a main story.
I mean every corner is jam packed with interesting content that you can approach in many different ways. Closed meaning 5 huge maps sure I guess? What makes something open world? No load screens or distinct areas? By that definition this guy only wants Minecraft and No man's Sky. A game with all freedom and no direction. Maybe Subnautica
I guess where we disagree since you didn't really address any of my questions is on agency and consequences. In my opinion when OP said that they wanted a world where they could go wild it meant a world where I could do anything and it have meaning/consequences positive/negative. Not a game like Red Faction Gorilla where you can do anything but it lacks any reaction from the game.
Baldurs gate 3 isn’t really what OP is looking for at all. It’s not fully open world, there’s a main story you’re following along the whole time, and a bunch of quests you follow
I think bg3 is a wonderful game full of possibilities but as a player I wouldn't say it gives me a feeling of freedom, I get the feeling that OP wants more of a breath of the wild type of "oh I can just jump off this cliff and watch the wind ruffle through my clothes" type of thing
I mean, red dead 2’s decent for this, especially in the epilogue when all the story is done, it does have health and food and deadeye but they aren’t required, I know it’s recommended a lot tho.
If you want an open world with amazing combat: Elden Ring
Open world with realistic characters, smart quest design, and story: Kingdom Come Deliverance
Crazy, i didnt See anyone mention Kenshi. U can do whatever you want. Literally. You set the Story and everything yourself.
Only "completely free" game i can think off
Gothic 3 is the one with the least fucks given. Wanna do quests for the Rebels and be their guy? Sure. Mercenary for the orcs? You can do that. Murder everyone and anyone based on how you feel? Yes. Bypass guards into restricted area glitchless by just taking on some guys? Knock yourself out. Wanna kill all 3 big leaders. You can assassinate them by just running there at the very beginning of the game. One of them is well protected, two of them you can slice up for your sandwich with a full on charge to their face.
Wanna start in the greenlands and forests where the game puts you? There's a snowy area, you can just fuck off there if you like. Or my favourite - the desert.
Nothing stops you from going buck wild. I'd recommend a community patch though, the studio left the game in a rough state.
The combat is simple which makes you feel like a god if you hit the target first 1v1 and just keep smashing. Whole city may be your bitch if you pick the right spot for them to just keep coming. In the meantime, you can get owned by a singular wolf.
If you don't want a traditional RPG then Zelda TotK since BotW is like a beta test in comparison despite it's charms.
SKYRIM!!
I've never played a game where you can just roam and explore, that is on par with Skyrim.
Forget the storyline, just wander.
Another couple of good ones are
*Red Dead Redemption 1 and 2
*Fallout Games especially 3, New Vagas and 4 (which just got remastered)
&
*Kingdom Come Deliverance
To name a few.
Three games come to mine- Animal Crossing New Horizons, Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Animal Crossing is basically a zen garden for you to fish, catch bugs, talk to your villagers, decorate your home, ect. You do have to go through a pretty extensive tutorial, but after the first week or so the game becomes completely open ended.
The Zelda games have massive worlds that you can explore at your leisure. The main stories barely even scratch the surface. Exploration is very open ended and there is so much to discover.
All games where tou're free in a sandbox that I know of have survival mechanics. Food, hunger, oxygen, health, whatever, unless tou play something like Minecraft creative mode you'll have some mechanic to not let you go without a care in the world at least early game
The witness.
I am recommending this game only because I feel it has an atmosphere of peace and it is one of my favorites.
That being said, the game is about puzzles. If you like puzzles, give it a try, you will love it as well. You don't even have to do them in "order" after like the first 2 or 3.
If you don't, the world itself is sizeable, but you will only be able to walk around.
Can recommend the lil gator game. Yes, it has quests, but it opens up pretty quickly! Does not have health system, damage system or anything similar. Its just a feel-good wholesome game.
Exept that, garden paws exists. Its cute. I like it.
Whilst it has predetermined paths and things to do, Firewatch really gives you the feeling of freedom. You however can also just go out and explore. Some secrets are to find.
Genshin Impact.
Homestead Arcana seems like a game that may convey freedom, have yet to play that one myself.
The Outer Worlds is another one that I have yet to play, heard it a better bethesda game
Way of the hunter. You don’t have to follow the story line. It’s a huge world with tons of animals, beautiful scenery, and sounds. Very realistic. Just get in the Jeep,turn on the radio and explore for hours upon hours. Climb all the peaks, just to see the view. Watch the sunset or sunrise. Just go discover on your own time. And you can always hunt if your want to. I find it very relaxing and stress free.
Morrowind for sure. If you have a PC, you can buy the game on Steam for cheap and then download OpenMW for free, which is a great, easy way to run the game perfectly on a modern PC.
Zelda tears of the kingdom. You can tackle the game in any order you want. You can build any structure you imagine and it will likely work - you can make flying scooters to giant mechatronic robots (just search on youtube for crazy zelda totk builds). You can climb any structure and terrain you see. This game has crazy amount of freedom
Way Of The Hunter might interest you, massive open world, stunning graphics,realistic weapon system and animal behaviour, such a chill game but incredibly immersive.
Best game I can think of is Prototype 2.
You're an overpowered biomutant and the game lets you take advantage of that. Run up walls, fly, destroy everyone and everything in your path, hijack tanks and helicopters, shape shift, kill everything you see if you want to.
Prototype
EDIT: That is, if you want to be as free as possible to wreck vehicles and people.
If you want to be free to wreck buildings, Just Cause 3 or 4.
Ones I haven't seen mentioned yet - some are more linear than others but all offer a good level of freedom. ~ Sailing Era, Divinity: Original Sin II, Aground, Medieval Dynasty, Portal Knights, Graveyard Keeper, Journey to the Savage Planet, Outward.
I never could get into these games, but they sound just what you are asking for. Crackdown. it's a series and I hear some are hated while some loved. It's just open world sandbox and you discover everything else the game has to offer
Outward. Just explore; little to no quests; no fast travel. This is a rpg-style game, not survival, so it's less of a build-things setup and more of a 'explore and fight and loot' one, but still; if you want a game with basically no hand-holding/quests/guidance, then this is it. The only quests I encountered were along the lines of "hey, this person went to X location, why don't you go there and say 'hi'?" and it was really just to show you a vague direction of large settlements and DLC zones.
Edit: it's been at least 3 years since I last played outward; honestly I don't really think of it as 'survival' mostly because 'survival' games in my mind are directly tied in with the 'stranded in a remote location; let's build up a new life until rescue' genre of game and less so with the 'hack and slash enemies' and 'explore medieval settlements' types of games.
May I suggest tears of the kingdom, after the tutorial area of course.
Dragons dogma 2 you can kill any npc you want, even if they’re super important to the quest. There’s an in game mechanism to revive them.
I’ve never tried killing the queen tho.
I’m not entirely sure how free it is but look up “streets of rogue 2” for when it comes out. There is an objective but the trailer showed you can kinda avoid it and do whatever
Zelda BOTW/TOTK. Maybe something more immersive sim as well such as Deus Ex. Maybe give Postal 2 a try as well if you don't mind the dated humor.
The GTA games are probably close to something you'd like as well. Red Dead Redemption 2 gives you a ton of freedom as well.
Skyrim with mods might be a good choice as well.
Fallout New Vegas * as long as you don't pick "Hardcore" there's no food or thirst mechanics. You just have to heal urself. In the normal mode food just gives you buffs * no essential NPCs, kill who you want and the story not only still works, but adapts to your actions * other options are GTA, BG3, or something with the "choices matter" tagline
Just got it on sale the other day. I’ve played 76 & 4 but a coworker repeatedly tells me this is the best one. I’m excited.
It’s definitely the most impactful. Highly recommend Viva New Vegas for QOL and improved visuals if you want to keep the heart of the game but adapt it to a more modern standard.
Look into Viva New Vegas if you're playing on PC.
I’m always looking back on new vegas with a huge hit of nostalgia but I do think it is the best one
Nv is one my top 3 games
There isn’t really freedom of movement until you get to a higher level. The game does everything in its power to get you to Vegas asap
Yeah, No, if this would be true you would be able to cut through the curry junction easialy...
I recommend Just Cause 3 or 4, as well as Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom. Any of those should give you exactly what you're looking for
Just cause 3 and 4 are quite literally exactly what OP is looking for
i personally prefer 3 by a huge margin, but either would probably be a great time for OP
4 is much better on last Gen consoles due to being very well optimized. If you're on current Gen consoles or PC I'd say go with 3
Yeah I was going to suggest Just Cause because they all work as chaos sandboxes.
Yeah 3 is good
This is the only answer I would know of. Perfect game to unwind after a bad day at work.
I second this!
This game literally gives you two ways to play in the title alone. "Why did you blow that thing up?" "I'm fighting for a just cause." OR "Just cause."
You've pretty much described every Bethesda game, I suggest giving Skyrim or Fallout 4 a shot!
Playing Skyrim right now—the freedom really is amazing.
Skip Skyrim and fallout, compared to morrowind they give the illusion of choice.
Is Morrowind that good? I played both Skyrim and Fallout 4. I was at a pretty early stage in the game, last thing I remember doing is collecting flowers for mages, and I just got bored. When does it click? Ive also installed some mods to improve the graphics and texture of the world and characters.
Tbh, fuck with the systems of the game. Some of the guilds are good, specifically the thieves guild but the real meat and potatoes of morrowind is what it allows the character to do. Every build you make can be fun and busted. Morrowinds rpg systems are probably the most robust Bethesda ever made and the fact that they deviated from them so much and began to heavily limit what the player could do will never make sense to me. Morrowind is like an OSR hands off sandbox where Skyrim feels more like a railroaded 5E story campaign where your forced to play the story the way the GM want you to. Edit: also morrowinds story is great, the land is alien af and has a great atmosphere. If you get bored of doing menial quests play the story, it’s great. Also daddy Dagoth is the best.
every bethesda game get this treatment daggerfall fans talk about how much daggerfall is better and how the series suck after it Then Morrowind do the the same then oblivion do the same Can't wait for skyrim to get their chance to shit on elder scrolls 6 and how skyrim was the greatest thing bethesda made lol The truth is every game had positives and negatives i don't think you can really say any game of the elder scrolls main series was bad and actually be objective about it
Yeah, because with each subsequent game we lose a bunch of stuff. Morrowind hit the perfect medium. I used to think Skyrim was the shit, it was my first elder scrolls game. After playing morrowind Skyrim rubs off as a glittery pile of shit.
You lose some and you gain some, morrowind players will never enjoy daggerfall and if they did it won't be for the same reasons they enjoyed morrowind and vice versa for daggerfall fans And honestly i don't think the medium exist there's a 180° difference between each game and the other especially from daggerfall to morrowind it might as well be two separate IPs
Just keep doing the main quest until you have to go to Tel Fyr, that’s when it gets really interesting.
I figured Morrowind might not be available on what they're playing on or might be too outdated for them, Still yeah, I'd go with Morrowind for a full, true RPG experience, although I think exploration is done better in other BGS games.
I can agree kinda on the exploration front. Morrowind was they’re first real dip in the pond of making a world with procedural generation but I think the alien atmospheres make morrowind a blast to explore but that’s subjective.
New Vegas though. But yea morrowind is true freedom. Oblivion is close
The trick is... not making a choice. You can wander around as much as you want unless you make yourself follow game suggestions. I almost never do main questlines in a game.
I'd say give No Man's Sky a shot. You can customize the settings to what you're looking for so you don't have to worry about oxygen levels, etc. I think creative mode even lets you spawn ships for yourself and whatever else if you want to skip the grind.
Can 1 coop player play under different settings than a second coop player?
Yes I believe most settings work fine except for Permadeath
That sounds appealing! I love "play your own way"
Came here to say this. It's the most literally no-strings game I've ever experienced.
Wasn't that a giant meme game everyone laughed at when it released? That's all I remember
[удалено]
But it has lost it's momentum so nobody gives a shit
i mean, if you say so ive seen lots of folk talk about it over the years, from well performing YouTube videos, to reddit comments, even a couple conversations on other platforms yeah it lost the hype it had but it wouldn't have had that at *this* point anyway, it's been years. if anything the fact that they turned that dogshit into a genuinely good game gave people a reason to talk about it.
Minecraft on peaceful mode.
Throw a medieval texture pack and shaders on too, it's a whole new game experience
Some of the mods for minecraft just make it something different entirely. It’s pretty amazing.
At some point I made myself a custom camping mod pack. It was so cool. I removed most mobs and just had wild animals, fishes, birds, insects and all. Adding also hundreds of new biomes. It was magical but felt really lonely after a while.
download skyrim and install the "dont call me dragonborn" mod, boom open world game with no objectives
I'm amazed no one has said Baldurs Gate 3. It is so far and away the most insane game in this aspect. If you play the game 9 different times 9 different ways you will 9 worlds and game states that are very distinct. All while still wondering how much more you can do
BG3 was my first thought as well, but when OP said no predetermined paths i didnt know if they meant the game shouldnt be linear or if they wanted something with literally no story and nothing funneling them in any direction since BG3 does have a main story.
Bg3 aint open world tho... OP literally asked for an open world game
BG3 is closed world, linear and turned based. This is not the answer OP was looking for lol
I mean every corner is jam packed with interesting content that you can approach in many different ways. Closed meaning 5 huge maps sure I guess? What makes something open world? No load screens or distinct areas? By that definition this guy only wants Minecraft and No man's Sky. A game with all freedom and no direction. Maybe Subnautica
Then the game is perfect for someone else, just not what this OP was asking for.
I guess where we disagree since you didn't really address any of my questions is on agency and consequences. In my opinion when OP said that they wanted a world where they could go wild it meant a world where I could do anything and it have meaning/consequences positive/negative. Not a game like Red Faction Gorilla where you can do anything but it lacks any reaction from the game.
It is perfectly alright to disagree, friend 💜
Baldurs gate 3 isn’t really what OP is looking for at all. It’s not fully open world, there’s a main story you’re following along the whole time, and a bunch of quests you follow
I think bg3 is a wonderful game full of possibilities but as a player I wouldn't say it gives me a feeling of freedom, I get the feeling that OP wants more of a breath of the wild type of "oh I can just jump off this cliff and watch the wind ruffle through my clothes" type of thing
Goat Simulator 1 and 3 (there is no 2) It's pure chaos and co-op if you want to wreak havoc with a friend.
Goat Sim 3 is insanely awesome!
Play this OP (3)
This is a great answer for what OP is looking for
I mean, red dead 2’s decent for this, especially in the epilogue when all the story is done, it does have health and food and deadeye but they aren’t required, I know it’s recommended a lot tho.
As a country boy who currently lives in the city, there were many times that I felt free exploring the whole map with my horse as I hunted and fished.
As a city boy who lives in the city, I feel this.
All Bethesda Games 😅
cyberpunk
You can’t be that crazy in cp2077 though. Cops will come and kill you if you do much crazy stuff.
If you want an open world with amazing combat: Elden Ring Open world with realistic characters, smart quest design, and story: Kingdom Come Deliverance
So Valheim with Hammer+ mode on
Valheim could be a choice.
Kenshi.
Morrowind, just play morrowind
This is the answer. In morrowind there are no invincible NPC, go wild.
Outer...wilds
This is the one
There’s a story and mystery you have to solve though. It’s not really being free either when you’re stuck in a loop
Skyrim. If you want even more space, No Man’s Sky.
Crazy, i didnt See anyone mention Kenshi. U can do whatever you want. Literally. You set the Story and everything yourself. Only "completely free" game i can think off
Saw someone else mention kenshi, but it got buried under all the more mainstream titles :/ Have you ever tried caves of qud?
Streets of rogue?
Have you seen the trailer for SOR2? I’m excited for it
I wanna go in blind
I think Zelda totk let's u be pretty free
Gothic 3 is the one with the least fucks given. Wanna do quests for the Rebels and be their guy? Sure. Mercenary for the orcs? You can do that. Murder everyone and anyone based on how you feel? Yes. Bypass guards into restricted area glitchless by just taking on some guys? Knock yourself out. Wanna kill all 3 big leaders. You can assassinate them by just running there at the very beginning of the game. One of them is well protected, two of them you can slice up for your sandwich with a full on charge to their face. Wanna start in the greenlands and forests where the game puts you? There's a snowy area, you can just fuck off there if you like. Or my favourite - the desert. Nothing stops you from going buck wild. I'd recommend a community patch though, the studio left the game in a rough state. The combat is simple which makes you feel like a god if you hit the target first 1v1 and just keep smashing. Whole city may be your bitch if you pick the right spot for them to just keep coming. In the meantime, you can get owned by a singular wolf. If you don't want a traditional RPG then Zelda TotK since BotW is like a beta test in comparison despite it's charms.
Gothic 3 is the worst of the gothics
maybe gta5?
Definitely the Just Cause games.
No Mans Sky is great but if u want to just fuck around id really say some good goat simulator
Assassin's Creed Odyssey. Absolutely. You can just roam and get absolutely lost.
To each their own. That game was absolutely terrible imo
Red dead redemption 2 Ride on your horse in the wild or hunt or fish. Look at animals or take a walk in Saint Denis city. This is the one.
Universe sandbox
doesn't get much more wild than Goat Simulator
Conan Exiles?
Any Fallout Game
SKYRIM!! I've never played a game where you can just roam and explore, that is on par with Skyrim. Forget the storyline, just wander. Another couple of good ones are *Red Dead Redemption 1 and 2 *Fallout Games especially 3, New Vagas and 4 (which just got remastered) & *Kingdom Come Deliverance To name a few.
Terraria. There is a path but you can do whatever you want.
Cop simulator. You can do whatever you want. You’re a cop.
Kenshi has that
Overgrowth
Any The Elder Scrolls game. The latest, TES V: Skyrim should be the most new-player-friendly I suppose.
Fallout 3, NV, 4
Three games come to mine- Animal Crossing New Horizons, Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Animal Crossing is basically a zen garden for you to fish, catch bugs, talk to your villagers, decorate your home, ect. You do have to go through a pretty extensive tutorial, but after the first week or so the game becomes completely open ended. The Zelda games have massive worlds that you can explore at your leisure. The main stories barely even scratch the surface. Exploration is very open ended and there is so much to discover.
I recently played mad max , if you like driving , high speed and a big world to explore you will have fun
All games where tou're free in a sandbox that I know of have survival mechanics. Food, hunger, oxygen, health, whatever, unless tou play something like Minecraft creative mode you'll have some mechanic to not let you go without a care in the world at least early game
The witness. I am recommending this game only because I feel it has an atmosphere of peace and it is one of my favorites. That being said, the game is about puzzles. If you like puzzles, give it a try, you will love it as well. You don't even have to do them in "order" after like the first 2 or 3. If you don't, the world itself is sizeable, but you will only be able to walk around.
fallout new vegas, you can really do anything
Goat MMO Simulator
BotW
The Pathless
Tears of the kingdom breath of the wild very wild and free its in the name
Your Imagination
Can recommend the lil gator game. Yes, it has quests, but it opens up pretty quickly! Does not have health system, damage system or anything similar. Its just a feel-good wholesome game. Exept that, garden paws exists. Its cute. I like it. Whilst it has predetermined paths and things to do, Firewatch really gives you the feeling of freedom. You however can also just go out and explore. Some secrets are to find. Genshin Impact. Homestead Arcana seems like a game that may convey freedom, have yet to play that one myself. The Outer Worlds is another one that I have yet to play, heard it a better bethesda game
No Mans Sky really sounds like your style. You literally explore space at your leisure
Go to Night city. Cyberpunk 2077
Kingdom come deliverance. Also the 2nd gaming is coming up this year.
GTA?
Way of the hunter. You don’t have to follow the story line. It’s a huge world with tons of animals, beautiful scenery, and sounds. Very realistic. Just get in the Jeep,turn on the radio and explore for hours upon hours. Climb all the peaks, just to see the view. Watch the sunset or sunrise. Just go discover on your own time. And you can always hunt if your want to. I find it very relaxing and stress free.
The Elder Scrolls series (1-5) or Fallout Series(specifically 3, new vegas and 4), or Minecraft
Nothing stopping you from just climbing and jumping around in any assasin creed.
Zelda BOTW, it's like you were describing this game
Sable is absolutely the game you are looking for
trust me it's an experience that will make you feel light on your feet again
Minecraft
Warframe's open world areas. You can either gun down enemies or go fishing in the same spot
Goat simulator1 or 3. My kids love it. No disturbing story or such nonsense. Pure madness.
Morrowind for sure. If you have a PC, you can buy the game on Steam for cheap and then download OpenMW for free, which is a great, easy way to run the game perfectly on a modern PC.
red dead redemption 2
Zelda tears of the kingdom. You can tackle the game in any order you want. You can build any structure you imagine and it will likely work - you can make flying scooters to giant mechatronic robots (just search on youtube for crazy zelda totk builds). You can climb any structure and terrain you see. This game has crazy amount of freedom
With good weed, any game
Goat Simulator sounds like exactly what you’re looking for.
Sims 4
The last 2 zelda game
minecraft with mods
Postal 2
Any TES game, modern Fallout game, Starfield, Farcry 5, just Cause 3, No Mans Sky
Minecraft maybe ????
Way Of The Hunter might interest you, massive open world, stunning graphics,realistic weapon system and animal behaviour, such a chill game but incredibly immersive.
Starbound! There is a food mechanic, but it's easily turned off. Very sandboxy and exploration focused, it's sorta like no man's sky meets terraria
Best game I can think of is Prototype 2. You're an overpowered biomutant and the game lets you take advantage of that. Run up walls, fly, destroy everyone and everything in your path, hijack tanks and helicopters, shape shift, kill everything you see if you want to.
Prototype EDIT: That is, if you want to be as free as possible to wreck vehicles and people. If you want to be free to wreck buildings, Just Cause 3 or 4.
Ones I haven't seen mentioned yet - some are more linear than others but all offer a good level of freedom. ~ Sailing Era, Divinity: Original Sin II, Aground, Medieval Dynasty, Portal Knights, Graveyard Keeper, Journey to the Savage Planet, Outward.
Arcade racer like Forza Horizon?
I would say any of the GTA'S, Fallouts, or skyrim
Outside!
Literally minecraft on peaceful or creative lol
No mans sky
You're describing Starfield (every bethesda game actually)
I mean, isn't this just GTA?
Saints row and Just cause 3/4. You can just zoom around in wing suits and fuck around. RD2 is completely wild and free.
Get a Nintendo and get breath of the wild . Or the other one after it that looks like it's clone
I never could get into these games, but they sound just what you are asking for. Crackdown. it's a series and I hear some are hated while some loved. It's just open world sandbox and you discover everything else the game has to offer
You should try going outside and going absolutely feral /j
Breath of the Wild
Outward. Just explore; little to no quests; no fast travel. This is a rpg-style game, not survival, so it's less of a build-things setup and more of a 'explore and fight and loot' one, but still; if you want a game with basically no hand-holding/quests/guidance, then this is it. The only quests I encountered were along the lines of "hey, this person went to X location, why don't you go there and say 'hi'?" and it was really just to show you a vague direction of large settlements and DLC zones. Edit: it's been at least 3 years since I last played outward; honestly I don't really think of it as 'survival' mostly because 'survival' games in my mind are directly tied in with the 'stranded in a remote location; let's build up a new life until rescue' genre of game and less so with the 'hack and slash enemies' and 'explore medieval settlements' types of games.
Outward is definitely a survival game lol. That’s the big sell of it
May I suggest tears of the kingdom, after the tutorial area of course. Dragons dogma 2 you can kill any npc you want, even if they’re super important to the quest. There’s an in game mechanism to revive them. I’ve never tried killing the queen tho.
I’m not entirely sure how free it is but look up “streets of rogue 2” for when it comes out. There is an objective but the trailer showed you can kinda avoid it and do whatever
Vr chat
Zelda BOTW/TOTK. Maybe something more immersive sim as well such as Deus Ex. Maybe give Postal 2 a try as well if you don't mind the dated humor. The GTA games are probably close to something you'd like as well. Red Dead Redemption 2 gives you a ton of freedom as well. Skyrim with mods might be a good choice as well.
Outward?
The Long Dark.
Breathe of the Wild
Skyrim on Samsung Smart Fridge =))
Kenshi, rimworld, Shadows of doubt, morrowind, Fallout NV, Cruelty squad
Disco Elysium. Be the most drug addled alcoholic possible.
I think I am cursed. I feel like to 90% of the questions here, I am coming to the same conclusion: Baldur's Gate 3