Open-world games offer a chance to explore vast and foreign lands, filled to the brim with incredible things that only happen in fantasy, sci-fi,or even in some cases, horror movies. But some games offer players the possibility of meeting unique and quirky characters, who are capable of stealing their hearts if they lower their guard.
This list has some of the coolest character developments in Open-world games, that make playing them a wholesome experience. From a segregated Alien warrior raised in a reclusive matriarchal society, to a monster hunter who hanged up his sword to manage a wineyard, this games would make fans wish they met some of these fellows IRL.
Despite all the criticism and poor overall performance, Mass Effect: Andromeda has one hidden jewel,a character who is also a romance optionof either gender to boot: Jaal. A natural born of the Andromeda Galaxy, from the planet Havarl, he was raised among a matriarchal family nucleus as the youngest of his siblings and cousins. Jaal has that “youngest-child” vibe that makes him quite unique, desperately struggling to be recognized. He is also quite nerd-ish, and since he was little, he loved to tinker with technology and is a self-taught technician.
But perhaps, the best thing about this character is his philanthropic nature, and his capability to see beyond race and creed, making him the perfect link between the new arrivals and the already crowded (and restrictive) circle of sentient species in Andromeda. He went from feeling oppressed by the shadow of his hateful, xenophobic brother, to leading his entire society into changing their archaic and stagnant traditions. He is the true revolutionary, hidden behind a sensitive and wise demeanor.
Even beforeDying Light 2: Stay Humanwas a part of the plans for Techland,Dying Light: The Following had alreadypresented the idea of a world where the little things and the little actions are the ones that will eventually save society. Even in the face of utter destruction, humanity resists extinction, with solidarity and communal work, struggling, but managing to survive.
And it is in this title that we meet several incredible characters, like Ezgi, for example, who fought tooth and nail against the lurking oppression and the “fake” protection The Mother provides to the settlers. Questioning everything, from his father wishes, to the rules of a dystopian society, Ezgi and several other incredible characters like Fidan and Troy, give sense and solidity to the plot. This DLC is in reality, a whole new story that deeply expands on the character development of the series, even taking Kyle (the protagonist) towards the edge of his own humanity. All for the greater good.
From its incredible worldbuilding to the vast, futuristic, and riddled with neon streets,Cyberpunk 2077has been the talk of sci-fi open world games fans since it got out. WithPhantom Libertyit reached its peak, introducing an underworld hidden behind the already existing underworld of Night City, which, of course, included many incredible characters. And speaking about them, the game has a myriad of characters that steal the spotlight from V, and even from Keanu Reeves himself (aka Johnny Silverhand) which seems lackluster in comparison with great side-chars like Judy, Takemura, Panam, or the underrated River Ward.
Their stories not only give support to the main mission, but breathe life into an otherwise stagnant and chrome-plagued metropolis, who doesn’t care who lives or dies next, and even openly jokes about it. Every one of thesecharacters, who also are romance options, are a sliver of hope in V’s journey for survival. A lifeline that makes him/her disconnect with the harsh reality of his seemingly unavoidable fate.
In a Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopian future, a group of Androids fight against the unavoidable destruction of mankind at the hands of a other androids who have been brought by space invaders to exterminate all humans. Throughout the story, we follow 2B, 9S, and A2, in their quest to protect humans, even if it means being constantly destroyed and re-assembled.
The remnants of the Androids created by humanity to defend from the invaders are often more human that their creators, and this gets reflected in their actions, the progression of the story, and the relationship they build among each other.NieR: Automatais a storytelling masterpiece, with even greater character developments than what it might seem at first, and if fans gobeyond all its hack’n’slash zany combat, its attention grabbing designs, they’ll probably stay for its great characters. Even if they cannot solve a captcha (in theory).
The Witcher 3 is overall, a masterpiece, not only by its groundbreaking combat and neatly polished RPG elements, but by its vividly reproduced fictional open world, drawn from the imaginary of Sapkowski’s Wiedzmin tales. But, if we gotta nip the bud, and keep one of the best elements of the game, that would be its character developments. Not only Ciri, Yennefer, and even Triss have a powerful and complete development throughout the main story, but Geralt starts to feel human-like again.
Players bear witness of Geralt’s transformation from brutal monster hunter, the Butcher of Blaviken, into a loving and caring father, and this time, they won’t read about it but feel it as they play. And what better ending for a warring, justice-seeking Witcher, than his own retirement dream house in a wineyard. The Witcher universe always described the “ideal retirement” of a Witcher in death, either by an angry farmer’s pitchfork in the back, or under the claws of some rampaging monster. But in Blood & Wine, we don’t see any of that: we see a man finally getting closure, peace, and tranquility,after a life of struggling for survival, and that is priceless.
