Summary
Video games tend to involve a lot of killing, and it makes sense to anyone with a little experience with the medium. Violence is visceral, easy to program, and makes for great trailer footage, which is important for studios when everything rides on their games' sales numbers. That said, wanton murder can become repetitive, especially in huge open-world games with long run times.
It can be nice to approach a challenge without a firearm or a blunt object. Whether it means avoiding enemies, talking around them, or finding a way to neutralize a threat without personally getting dirty hands or a sweaty brow, these games offer quests that can be completed in many ways besides combat.
A gun isn’t the only way to do damage inCyberpunk 2077’s Night City. Some of the flashier tech might involve enhancing muscle strength or firing rate, but there are also mods that allow V to overheat or short-circuit their enemy’s gear from a distance.
Hacking terminals and sneaking around is always an option, and easier with optical camo, which makes the playerinvisible to the naked eyefor a short time. While some quests are explicitly combat-oriented (for example, taking out a cyber-psycho), a V with high social cred will find other options besides confrontation arise more often.
This game is not technically an open-world game but an open-worlds (plural) game, with plenty of exotic biomes and environments to explore and quest around. The design philosophy of the originalFallout’s creator, Tim Cain, is on show withThe Outer Worlds,as the game offers bothnon-lethal RPG optionsand highly lethal options in the same measure. Most XP is rewarded for a quest’s completion, meaning that the Stealth, Lie, Intimidation, and Persuasion skills, among others, have a chance to shine.
Players adept at mechanical contraptions can find a way to release toxic gas against their enemies. Those with high leadership skills can let their crew do the shooting. LikeFallout, it is possible to sneak and silver-tongue a path through the game without taking a single life, but some side quests (like cutting out people’s tongues for the authorities) will require violence.
Tamriel is sometimes called “The Arena,” and although the land of Morrowind is known for its unforgiving environment and people, it is possible to smooth-talk and spellsling through most quests, at least if the player stays away fromMorrowind’s Fighters' Guild or more murderous factions.
Most quests allow the player to partake in some form of diplomacy, even if it means sacrificing coin or doing extra legwork. With Illusion spells, mages are able to charm and pacify aggressive enemies wherever they go. With enough personality (above 100), a charming Nereverine can expect to find friends in even the angriest of bandits out in the wild.
The originalDeus Exis legendary in its commitment to allow players to take the approach they want in any given mission, but it wasn’t quite open-world.Human Revolutionfollows in this legacy by giving players the ability to hack, sneak, talk, or shoot their way through the various tasks they will take on in their time inyellow-tinted, cybertech-centricfuture Detroit.
The Director’s Cut edition extends the open-ended problem-solving approach offered in quests into boss fights, where many were previously only beatable through combat. LikeHuman Revolution’s quests, there is now a way out through words or a stealth resolution.
This first-person open-world RPG might look like a psychedelic PS1 game likeKing’s Field, but it offers surprisingly sophisticated questing for anindieElder Scrolls-like project. The Oneric Isles are a gruesome place filled with wretches, abominations, and horrors, butDread Delusionoffers a shockingly nuanced open world where dialogue, stealth, and exploration are just as viable as swordplay.
Set in a broken sky-world of magic and madness, the game rewards players who read notes, talk to NPCs, and pay attention to its strange lore. Combat is often the quick way to find a resolution in a quest, but the player’s skills are also frequently called upon during these moments. For example, a farmer might task the player with shutting down a machine that found its way to his farm. Hitting it with a sword will do the trick, but with high enough Guile, players can fix its problem and receive an additional reward for doing so later.
Kingdom Come: Deliverancelets players navigatethe medieval landof Bohemia through dialogue, stealth, and strategy. With high Speech and Charisma stats, Henry can talk his way out of fights, settle disputes diplomatically, or gain advantages that make combat unnecessary altogether. Quests frequently offer alternate routes like sneaking into a camp, donning a disguise, or bribing the right guard.
It’s a game where social status, reputation, and how Henry is dressed all affect play options, making pacifist play surprisingly deep and immersive, especially for those looking to embody the “loving Christian” archetype, or for those who can’t stand to see a hapless Henry turn to the dark side.
The quest design behindFallout: New Vegasis somewhat more hopeful than the games that have come since. Rather than implying that humanity is doomed to violence,NVallows its player to resolve conflicts, find solutions, and save the day without shedding a cartoonish amount of blood, or, if the player wishes, even a drop.
That said, there are plenty of moments throughout the game when the player is able to complete quests by ordering others (or setting others in motion) to commit acts of barbarity. Besides playing sides against each other, the player’s courier can, withthe right skill investment and build, sneak and talk their way to the end of a mind-boggling number of quests, a commitment to player agency that makesNew Vegasone of the all-time greats.
