Best Open-World Games For Fun Mindless Action

It’s fair for players to expect video games not to waste their time. After all, most fans only have so much time to sink, and nothing feels worse than making decent progress in a game before players feel like they’re wasting their time and are better off trying out something else instead. This is especially true in the realm of open-world games, which are so abundant in the market that most players would want to spend their time playing the best games that make a conscious effort to add as much meaningful content as possible.

However, there are times when players don’t mind playing a mindless action-packed open-world game with all style and no substance. As long as these people know what they’re in for, it’s quite entertaining for players to spend their time blasting through foes and experience numerous set-pieces as they use a wide array of weaponry and abilities to smash enemies into the ground in the most cathartic manner possible.

1 Far Cry 5

An Action-Packed Game That Isn’t Subtle About Its Approach At All

Far Cry 4 was a disappointing experience in the eyes of many fans who saw little to no improvement from the previous game, and Primal didn’t help things either. It was clear that Ubisoft needed to switch things up to ensure that the next numbered entry would deliver exactly what fans wanted, and Far Cry 5 didn’t disappoint. It made exploration more organic and free-form as players tackled the members of the Seed family in whatever order they wished.

The action in this game was off the charts, with players loving the idea of either taking out cultists from the shadows or using all their skills to tackle these enemies head-on in impressive firefights. The story can be all over the place and the spawn rate of enemies is ridiculously high, but Far Cry 5 is the perfect game for players to explore a beautiful world rife with enemy encounters and unique locations while being rewarded with some impressive cutscenes from time to time.

2 Middle-Earth: Shadow Of Mordor

A Bloody, Entertaining LotR Game With An Excellent Take On Arkham’s Combat

Shadow of Mordor is a game that came out of nowhere and established itself as one of the best Arkham clones fans could get their hands on. While it took some liberties with the Lord of the Rings IP, all of it served to enhance the entertainment factor of the game as players were graced with a Nemesis System that rewarded players for indoctrinating as many orcs as possible to join their cause, featuring organic gameplay where players could enjoy some much-needed backup or be betrayed in amazing action set-pieces.

It helps that Talion’s abilities are incredible and do a great job of making both melee and ranged combat immensely satisfying. As long as players are willing to forgive some of the title’s generic trappings, they’ll be rewarded with an amazing experience fueled with gory action and cathartic moments as players lop off heads and turn comrades against each other in a dark and engaging action-adventure open-world game.

3 Saints Row 4

Causing Untold Destruction And Mayhem With Superpowers Is A Blast Every Single Time

Saints Row 3 was a huge tonal shift for the series, leaning into its goofy moments extensively and turning this title into a fun romp as players controlled the leader of the 3rd Street Saints and established their dominance in Steelport by engaging in a wealth of entertaining missions full of rampant action. Saints Row 4 needed to up the ante to keep fans entertained, and this was achieved by adding superpowers to the mix that made the moment-to-moment action more ridiculous and over-the-top than ever before.

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While weapons and vehicles became more of an afterthought because of this shift in the game design, fans who wanted to enjoy mindless action and wallop their enemies in style didn’t mind. Players only need to focus on the gameplay, especially since the game takes place in a simulation and all but admits that players don’t need to think too much about the story. This is easier than most people would assume, especially once players unlock their superpowers and go crazy in the simulated city of Steelport.

4 Just Cause 3

This Game Is All About Creative Explosions And Grapple Hook Shenanigans

A video game franchise synonymous with explosions, destruction, and action set-pieces, it’s easy to see why Just Cause has a loyal group of fans. It helps that the developer knows what its fans want, with player feedback and mods for the first two games shaping their development process. This led to Just Cause 3 being one of the most satisfying video games players can get their hands on if causing reckless explosions and taking out enemies in style is all players care about.

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Even with the performance tanking on consoles and the story being threadbare at best, all of this is forgiven when players liberate a region by causing so much destruction that it puts most other action-focused open-world games to shame. Traversal is also a blast if players focus on using the wingsuit to travel great distances and using the grappling hook to facilitate smooth movement, giving the game more depth as players master the gameplay loop and throw a wrench in Di Ravello’s plans time and time again.

5 Prototype

Players Use Superpowers To Cause Untold Carnage In A Massive Open World

It’s a shame that fans haven’t enjoyed a new game in the Prototype series for quite some time. Both games in the series feature a wealth of incredible powers and shape-shifting shenanigans as players cause untold carnage while taking out enemy forces that are hell-bent on stopping the player. The first game in the series is filled to the brim with so many ridiculous powers that it stretches the limits of the button combinations that one must nail to trigger some moves, which is a good problem to have in a mindless action-packed game.

Alex Mercer is a dark and brooding protagonist, with his motivations being simple enough for fans to buy into the rampant destruction he causes during any combat scenario. The open world aids the power fantasy of players taking on the role of a dark anti-hero with impressive superpowers as they use a wealth of shape-shifting abilities to lay waste to anything standing in their way. The over-the-top action of this series is a huge reason why players can turn off their brains and enjoy a simple, unadulterated gameplay loop without any problems.

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7 Linear Games That Feel Like An Open World

Well-made linear video games like these are more than capable of making an enclosed level feel like it’s a fully-explorable open world.