Summary
Open-world games are generally packed with content and let players decide for themselves whether they will journey off the beaten path or just engage with the story. For some gamers, the wealth of options available up until the credits is still not enough.
This is where the games below shine. They all offer some wildly expansive and unique post-game options, whether that be a compelling new game plus, or whole new missions and quests that only open up once players beat the game. When reaching the credits alone takes dozens of hours, the post-game content shows the developer’s dedication to appreciating the time and money players spend on the medium.
FromSoftware topped their already stellar catalog of games by bringing their formula into an open world withElden Ring. The beauty of the studio’s titles is the circular nature of their new game plus mode.
Players can conquer these games endlessly,and each subsequent run gets harder and harder. Going through New Game+ inElden Ringthe first time is easy at first, but the difficulty ramps up quickly once players reach the latter half. For a game enjoyed by many for its distinct difficulty, new game plus offers an increased challenge in every NG+ for players eager to further hone their skills.
It is recommended to play the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC before jumping into new game plus, since the DLC’s difficulty is also bumped up in later runs.
Final Fantasy 15has a strange structure. It is mostly open for the first handful of chapters before the final stretch of the game zips quickly toward a conclusion. It is a good thing, then, that the game lets players clean up side quests after beating the game.
Noctis and the party will also be able to use the Sealbreaker’s key, which unlocks eight new dungeons. Finally, the Pitioss Ruins as a part of the Stealing the Past quest will also take up a good chunk of time.
Bethesda games traditionally let players explore the world after the ending.Fallout 3initially did not allow this, much to the chagrin of some fans.They rectified this with theBroken SteelDLC,which takes place directly after the game’s events.
The DLC’s main quest is big enough on its own, but it is doubly special for letting players see the ending’s impact on the Capital Wasteland. Of all the DLCs inFallout 3,Broken Steelis by far the biggest and most involved.
Death Stranding’spost-game fits neatly into the narrative. Right off the bat, it is simply interesting to hang out in the world for a few more hours pondering the events of the game.
As players complete more deliveries, they are treated to more narrative tidbits about what certain characters are doing and where they might have gone. It serves as an epilogue to the grand tale. In addition to that, it is endlessly satisfying to easily complete deliveries that were once so arduous.
The originalMafiais set in an open-world environment, but there is not a lot to do other than the main missions. That does not stop it from having a wild post-game, though. Free Ride Extreme is unlocked only after beating the game.
Once the game is over, players can enter a free-roam mode where new missions open up that are unrelated to the main story. Unlike the main game, these missions can be tackled in any order. They are harder than the main missions, so anyone interested in them should be prepared for a challenge.
This mode is only available in the original PC release ofMafia.It is not included in the remake,Mafia: Definitive Edition.
One could argue thatMetal Gear Solid 5:ThePhantom Paindoes not have an ending at all due to the scandal around the end of its development. However, credits eventually roll, and there is more to do afterward.
New bonus missions open up, andVenom Snakealso receives a ton of new cassette tapes to listen to that do their best to wrap up the plot. Some of the new missions also include harder versions of older ones, where Snake drops into the world with none of the gear players procured throughout the journey.
BeatingFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthis an accomplishment in and of itself. It is a massive JRPG epic that magnifies a chunk of the seminal classic, essentially becoming a dream come true for die-hard fans.Rebirthneatly sets up its huge post-game contentfor players to dig through.
In addition to a hard mode, there are also tons of new fights in theShinra Battle Simulatoralong with new quests to take on. The new content varies in difficulty, but the harder bouts are among some of the most challenging fights in any RPG of recent memory.
