The Witcher 3 is one of the most impressive games I have ever had the pleasure to play through.
The way the story is written and then how the voice actors carry it all out is truly fantastic stuff. It may sound cheesy, but I would go as far to say that this is better than what some big budget Hollywood movies offer in terms of the writing and the story.
I never played the first Witcher game, but I loved the second and this one here is even better.
The large open world, interesting characters, a great story, and awesome gameplay make The Witcher one of those games that once it gets its hooks into you there is no turning back. I have spent a couple of hours playing The Witcher 3 just doing side quests. What is weird about that is that I fired it up with the intention of continuing the story.
While it is a pretty unique game. Today I am sharing with you some other fantastic game alternatives like The Witcher 3.
Assassin’s Creed Origins
Ok so you may have moved onto Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, but I have not played enough of that yet to comment.
However, I can tell you that the previous game, Assassins Creed Origins is a truly epic game. This really brought the series back to where it needed to be.
I think that Bayek is a really cool character and the fact this is a prequel meant that it really is not bogged down with the convoluted Assassins Creed lore like some of the past games have been. Actually, I would say that Assassins Creed Origin is the perfect game to jump into the series with.
Assassins Creed Origins is just a really fun game and one that you can turn on and mess around in the open world for an hour or so. Ubisoft’s take on ancient Egypt is amazing and there is always something new in the world that you are discovering. Even if you feel that you have been burned by the Assassin’s Creed franchise the last few years, I highly recommend that you play this game.
It is one of those rare games that I have never really heard someone say a bad word about.
Skyrim
Skyrim was actually my first experience with The Elder Scrolls series of video games. I certainly think that this has to be on this list as it has a fantasy style to it.
Even though Skyrim is now the better part of a decade old, I still think that this is one of the best open world games that has ever been created. You create your own character from a number of different races and each one has many designs that you can pick. Then you are thrust into the world where you can become the kind of hero (or even a villain) that you want.
I never actually beat the main story of Skyrim first time around on the Xbox 360 as I spent most of my time just screwing around.
When Skyrim was released on PS4 and other current gen systems I jumped back in and this time I got more invested in the lore and the story. I do think that the story is as strong as some other more recent open world games, but there is so much to do in the world of Skyrim that you will never be bored.
Horizon: Zero Dawn
I have said it a million times, but one of my favorite games of this console generation is Horizon Zero Dawn. I would easily put this in my top 2 of PlayStation 4 exclusives so far.
You play as Aloy, a young woman from a primitive tribe who is a badass hunter, smart and thanks to her high tech Focus device she can see the world around her in ways that not many others can.
The open world of Horizon Zero Dawn is one of the best I have ever encountered. It has a forest, snowy mountains, a jungle and everything in between.
One of the most amazing things in Horizon Zero Dawn is the “wildlife” the world has really changed and it is filled with these mechanical animals. Aloy has to hunt these down, all the while finding out who killed her father figure, who she really is and also try to save the world! It is a story that I really cannot do justice and one of the best I have ever played through.
If I had to come up with a list of the best video games of this console generation, Horizon Zero Dawn would be very, very close to the top….. that is how good this game is!
Pillars of Eternity
Now here is a game that I never actually knew existed until last year. Pillars of Eternity is brought to us by the good folks at Obsidian so you know right off the bat that it is going to have a certain quality about it.
What really interested me about Pillars of Eternity was how it has an old-school soul. At a glance, it looks like Baulders Gate and the X-Men Legends series. It is a top down/isometric viewpoint dungeon crawling RPG style game.
Actually, I say dungeon crawling, the levels are far better than that and you will be fighting and exploring some epic looking fantasy settings. You have different character classes and different skills that you can make use of.
The story is pretty good and you actually have a lot of control over the way that it plays out. I know at first glance some people may think that Pillars of Eternity looks a little bit primitive, but I loved this game and found it to be one of the most enjoyable RPG’s I had played in some time.
Mass Effect
The Mass Effect trilogy is awesome! Yes, I said trilogy because I refuse to acknowledge Andromeda! While it may seem odd to have a sci-fi RPG on a games on this list.
I think the large open world, expansive story, and interesting characters make this very comparable to The Witcher 3. I loved the original trilogy, but I will be honest and say that going back to play that first Mass Effect game now would be a bit rough. I think that you could just jump in at Mass Effect 3 and have a great time.
If it was the open world aspect as well as the story that you loved about The Witcher 3. Then you will really like Mass Effect 3. It has a lot of action and you can be a fair, kind and heroic Commander Shepard or a brutal, kill anything that gets in your way, Commander Shepard. I really hope that at some point they remake the first game and give us a Mass Effect collection.
Until then though I would recommend you just start with the third game as it for me is the best in the series.
Dragon’s Dogma Dark Arisen
I missed out on Dragon’s Dogma the first time around. However, I did pick up the “definitive version” Dragon’s Dogma Dark Arisen when it was released on PlayStation 4.
If you love the open world aspect like The Witcher 3 then that is what you are going to enjoy in Dragon’s Dogma. It has a very deep fantasy setting and it reminds me of The Lord of the Rings series in its art style.
Dragons have returned to the world and if that was not bad enough the whole world could be coming to an end. You need to step up and become the chosen Arisen so you can play a role in the fate of the world.
This is a very large open world for you to play in and I actually had a lot of fun with the main story. There are lots of side quests as well which are great for leveling up and getting more powerful items.
This version of Dragon’s Dogma did apparently add in some new content, but as I did not play the original I really cannot speak to that. What I can say is that I had a lot of fun with this and one of the things I enjoyed the most was the combat and also how you can have AI companions that you can tweak so that they will serve you the best way they can.
Bloodborne
Bloodborne was one of the big early PlayStation 4 exclusives. It is a game that is from the Souls series of video games. I was never the best at the Dark and Demon Souls games, but I did have a lot of fun with them.
Bloodborne though was a game I went the extra mile to put more effort into and I am glad I did. The art style is all gothic and horror inspired and I love it. This is one fantastic looking game and I think that it looks like something that came out of a Tim Burton nightmare.
As this is part of the Souls series, Bloodborne is hard as nails. However, I felt that the difficulty while sometimes brutal was rather fair. For example, if an enemy keeps beating you, you go away, level up for a bit, get some new equipment and then you will be able to beat him. Bloodborne is not a game that holds your hand and you will have to roll your sleeves up and dig deep, but with that comes a real sense of accomplishment when you do actually defeat an enemy.
I really enjoyed my time with Bloodborne, but I never did finish, but writing this today has made me want to go back and see if I can do it!
Fallout New Vegas (Wild Card)
I know that I have this listed as a wild card, but I do think that when it comes The Witcher 3 alternatives, Fallout New Vegas does have some similarities. Mainly with how well it is written and its large open world. Which if that is what you loved about The Witcher 3, I feel you will love about Fallout New Vegas.
Now as this is set in the remains of Las Vegas, it has more of a sci-fi setting than The Witcher 3, but I really loved this messed up take on the city of sin. There are other people that want you dead and lets not even talk about the mutants!
Fallout New Vegas is one of my favorite game in the Fallout series. The main story is going to take you a very long time to get through and you will actually want to do it as the story is genuinely interesting.
The side quests offer a nice distraction and more often than not you will start a main quest and end up competing three side quests instead. There is a lot to do in New Vegas and it can be picked up dirt cheap these days.
Cyberpunk 2077 – (Coming Soon)
Look, Cyberpunk 2077 is not out yet, but as this is being made by the guys at CD Projekt Red the same folks who did The Witcher 3 it has to be on this list.
Cyberpunk 2077 feels like it has been in development forever and it was actually quite a few years ago we saw the first teaser images for the game. At E3 2018 they showed off far more of the game than we have seen and it looks awesome.
While this is a futuristic RPG it has a large open world just like The Witcher 3. Actually, the world is going to have six large different regions in it.
Cyberpunk 2077 is a first person RPG game where you play as a character called V who is a mercenary.
There are all kinds of upgrades that you can make use of, weapons and traveling around the world looks like it is going to be a lot of fun as well. While we still do not know as much as I would like about Cyberpunk 2077, this is one of my most wanted games and I am sure it is going to be a lot of fun.
Thanks for checking out my games like The Witcher 3 list. To be completely honest with you guys I do not feel that there is a bad game on this list and they are all worth checking out. If Geralt had a sword at my neck and told me I had to pick just a few of these games.
Well, I would have to go for Horizon Zero Dawn first of all. It does have some RPG elements, but it is more the open world and the story that make it like The Witcher 3 in my opinion.
Skyrim also has to be mentioned as I really think that The Witcher 3 took some of the elements that Skyrim has. Last, but not least I would recommend, Assassin’s Creed Origins (or maybe Odyssey) as it is a large open world, tons of side quests and a wonderful story.
If any of these games peak your interest in the slightest give them a try.
Most of the ones I have suggested today can be picked up fairly cheap which is a nice bonus.