Top 10 Video Games That Let You Do Almost Anything

In the months leading up to launch, “No Man’s Sky” was starting to sound like a game that was too good to be true. One quintillion planets to visit? No true main story? And multiplayer? Yeah, it blew up in the faces of developer Hello Games. However, the game has significantly expanded since launch. “No Man’s Sky” today truly lets you do just about anything you want to do. You can spend all your time simply exploring planets and collecting data on wildlife. You can make a name for yourself as a bounty hunter and blast any ship that gets in your way. You can even go into real estate and build bases if that’s all you want to do.

The “Yakuza” and “Like a Dragon” games all offer a wealth of activities for you to do throughout each game. We promise we aren’t playing recency bias, but “Infinite Wealth” truly has the most diverse and in-depth set of activities in the series. Of course, you have a wealth of substories to experience between the main missions. But you also have the arcade where you can spend hours playing “SEGA Bass Fishing”, “SpikeOut”, and “Virtua Fighter 3tb”. Then, there’s Dondoko Island, which lets you run your own resort in a manner similar to “Animal Crossing”, not to mention the “Pokemon” parody trading card game “Sujimon Battle”. Oh, and did we mention you can go on dates via the Miss Match in-game dating app? Consider this game a second life for you.

One of the best aspects of “Baldur’s Gate III” is how it doesn’t play like most mainstream RPGs. Whereas the usual will keep you generally restricted to one path, “Baldur’s Gate III” will play alongside you. Whatever build you’re going for, the game will play that build with you, and it goes beyond simple dialogue choices. It can affect your relationships with certain characters or even open up new opportunities for skill checks which could lead to other adventures not seen in your initial playthrough. And if you want to off a certain character and be a total menace, well, you can do that, but it isn’t advised.

On the surface, “The Witcher III” doesn’t seem like a game deserving to be on this list. This is a game where you only ever get to play as Geralt, and your mission remains the same each playthrough: find Yennefer, slay monsters, etc. Thing is that there are a ton of other things to experience here. You can easily get sidetracked from the main story because you saw something strange a few feet away or your overheard NPCs talking about a rumor floating around. Heck, maybe you got caught up in becoming the greatest Gwent player in the land. Whatever your heart desires, it can be done here despite being the same old Geralt every time.

We’re trying to keep survival games to a minimum for this list, but “Kenshi” is not like most survival games. When you spawn into the world, it can be hard to figure out what exactly you should be doing. But that’s the thing - there is nothing you should be doing. What has drawn so many players to “Kenshi” is how the game lets you live out whatever second life you want. Just go on forums, and you’ll see so many players talking about how they are amassing an army to become a warlord or simply journeying across regions as a courier. It’s almost hard to find something you CAN’T do in this game.

Many of the “Final Fantasy” games offer a ton of activities for you to take part in, but “Rebirth”, the second part of “Final Fantasy VII’s” remake trilogy, is loaded to the brim. At first, it starts off as just your standard RPG fare of inventory and party management. Then, they introduce Queen’s Blood and get you hooked in the first game. But once you get to the Gold Saucer, it’s all over. You’re going to spend so much time in Chocobo races, combat challenges, Cactuar Crush, piano performances, Pirate’s Rampage… There is going to be at least ONE minigame you’re going to keep coming back to.

Much like “The Witcher III”, the freedom in “Tears of the Kingdom” isn’t in how you get to portray Link or how expansive and malleable the story can be. No, the freedom in “Tears of the Kingdom” is in how much you want to mess with the game’s physics. Once you gain the ability to mesh objects together, you can create all kinds of tools and weaponry. Create rafts, railways to ride minecarts on, deadly clubs made of sticks and blades, even flamethrowers! The objects of the world are yours to toy with and use however you see fit.

Now, if you want an RPG that gives you total freedom within its own world, you can live out medieval times in “Kingdom Come: Deliverance”. Sure, you do have to build your character just as you would in “Baldur’s Gate III”. Yet there is a lot more at play in terms of how the world reacts to your actions. Different crimes warrant different punishments, and your participation in castle siege’s can determine how certain towns perceive you. In other words, reputation and interactivity is how you live in the world of “Kingdom Come: Deliverance”.

We could easily say that “Minecraft” deserves a spot because of Creative Mode. Thing is that even in Survival Mode, the world is your oyster. You can focus on something as simple as building extravagant houses or operating a huge farm. Or you can venture out and storm into haunted mansions or villages to steal resources for your personal gain. Or maybe you want to summon the Wither and watch it destroy you and your world. Regardless of what you do, “Minecraft” basically lets you decide what direction you want your adventure to take.

What even is GTA? It is classified as an “action-adventure” game, but in reality, it kind of is a life sim. You do have a main story to follow generally. However, there are so many activities that can bleed into each other and shape your character’s stats. The more you drive, the better your stats are in racing challenges. Eating too much food can affect your stamina. Play various slots and card games at casinos. Go on a date. Go bowling with a cousin. Call a certain phone number to summon a tank. Every game has so many different things to do that calling GTA an “action-adventure” game is kind of a disservice to what the game actually is. Well, when you look at GTA3 and the games that came after it anyways.

Which of these games did you live a second life in? Let us know in the comments below!