Looting has become a major component in most open-world games that fans either love or hate. While scouring the land for loot that may not even be all that worthwhile can be annoying, players appreciate it when certain titles do a great job of making looting effortless and making it impactful in a way thatencourages players to explore.

Given how most open-world games try to become a jack-of-all-trades to keep everyone satisfied, it’s easy to see why looting has become predominant in the genre. It’s a simple yet satisfying way to keep players on the progression curve and give them the dopamine rush they need as they explore every nook and cranny of this sandbox.

Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 Tag Page Cover Art

The very fact thatThe Division 2is a looter-shooter should make it clear why scouring every inch of this open world is recommended. It helps that this game learned from its predecessor, allowing players to enjoy a quality third-person shooter that felt rewarding to play out of the gate.

Consistent updates have ensured that players will always find new and interesting loot to gather in this game. If players want to check out a shooter with a multiplayer focus that prioritizes both PvP and PvE combat, thenThe Division 2is the perfect game for them.

Diablo 4 Tag Page Cover Art

One of the most famous action RPG franchises with a major focus on looting, the shift to a sandbox was only naturalforDiablo 4. It helped the game world feel more rewarding to explore as players controlled their chosen character and went berserk all across the open-world landscape.

As one would expect, players should kill and loot everything in sight in the hopes that they’ll find that one special piece of gear that will help their character reach greater heights. It may seem like a predatory gameplay loop at times, but the satisfaction of finding ultra-rare gear is unmatched and ensures that players can clock in hundreds of hours worth of gameplay with different characters simply because of how engaging the loot grind is.

7 Days to Die Tag Page Cover Art

One of the better modern survival games players can check out,7 Days to Die,can be brutal for beginners. Zombies aren’t all that simple to handle, especially with limited resources, and the first week’s assault is so deadly that most players will die to this horde over and over again before they finally figure out what’s going wrong.

Eventually, looting everything in sight will become second-nature. Players need all the resources they can get to fortify defenses and enhance their options of self-defense, allowing them to withstand the aggressive zombie hordes for multiple weeks if they play their cards right.

Borderlands 2 Tag Page Cover Art

Most people considerBorderlands 2to be the best title in the series, and for good reason. The humor is off the charts in this title, and the gameplay is just compelling enough without getting too grindy.

Getting a piece of equipment that’s perfect for the chosen character is immensely satisfying, and this focus on loot persists all the way till the end. Eventually, friends will be scrambling to get a particularly rare piece of loot as opposed to their friend, which adds a fun social dynamic to the usual rigmarole of looting everything in sight.

Fallout 4 Tag Page Cover Art

The wayFallout 4shows off its quickloot menu makes it clear what a major chunk of the game is going to be like.Exploration in this game is rewarding, and the loot can be obtained with ease, satisfying players as long as they don’t get overencumbered.

As the Sole Survivor becomes stronger, so does the quality of loot in the open world. This is something most fans of Bethesda games are familiar with, allowing players to become dealers of death once they acquire high-quality gear at later levels.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl Tag Page Cover Art

It’s only a given that theSTALKERseries would be all about looting everything in sight. The same goes forHeart of Chornobyl, although players do need to be picky about what they acquire if they’re not near a place where they can drop off or sell their loot.

This makes exploration and looting quite thought-provoking, with players having to decide the best course of action to take while exploring. Sometimes, it’s better to clear out a few locations and head back to a safe zone instead of spreading oneself thin across multiple locations where players have to make compromises over and over again.

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Skyrimis one of the greatest open-world games ever made, with a simple yet satisfying progression loop. The Dragonborn gets stronger during their journey and can eventually loot high-value gear from dungeons and enemies to make their journey easier.

Sure, this game may lack the quickloot menu fromFallout 4, but there’s a mod for that. In fact, players who download a curated list of mods for this game can make every gameplay pillar more engaging than ever, including the act of looting treasure.

stalker 2 heart of chornobyl players spots shadow of chernobyl easter egg

Looting has been an integral part of the FromSoftware experience, with players being encouraged to find secrets in the form of rare items or gear.Elden Ringis no exception here, withexploration in this game feeling especially rewardingbecause of how meaningful every nook and cranny of the open world feels.

Sure, there are a few recycled boss fights, but the loot that players find for their troubles more than makes up for any repetitive content. Eventually, players who farm the right enemies or go to the best areas will find some ultra-powerful loot, ensuring that they will be able to tackle late-game challenges without being flattened to a pulp.

Boozer Bartender Trader In the Garbage Region of Stalker 2-1

stalker 2 heart of chornobyl player discovers glitch that lets you fly across the map