Best Story-RPGs with Open World Freedom but Linear Narratives

Widely regarded as a masterpiece of modern RPG design, it features a vast open world where players can roam freely, engage in dynamic combat, and uncover side quests, yet the central plot follows a fixed, emotionally charged trajectory. The game excels at blending player freedom with a deeply crafted, cinematic narrative experience.

This title offers an incredibly detailed, living open world where players can hunt, ride, and explore at their own pace. However, the main story is strictly linear, guiding Arthur Morgan through a tragic, predetermined arc that unfolds regardless of how much time is spent in the sandbox elements.

Set in a dense, futuristic metropolis, this game allows for significant freedom in how players approach combat, hacking, and exploration. Despite the open-world mechanics, the core narrative about V’s struggle for survival follows a specific, branching but ultimately linear path defined by key story beats and character arcs.

While it offers multiple endings and faction interactions, the main plot against Mr. House, the NCR, or Caesar's Legion follows a structured progression. Players enjoy vast desert exploration and modular character builds, but the central conflict and major story events are tightly scripted to deliver a cohesive political drama.

This action RPG lets players conquer territories, manage an army, and explore diverse landscapes at their leisure. The main storyline, however, revolves around stopping the Blight, with key plot points and character introductions following a linear structure that ensures narrative consistency across different playstyles.

Players can explore the Citadel, manage ship upgrades, and interact with crew members freely before embarking on the mission. The recruitment and preparation phases offer open-ended sandbox elements, but the final assault on the Omega Four Relay is a linear, scripted climax that resolves the overarching story.

Although technically an action-adventure game, its RPG elements allow for extensive naval exploration and side activities in a vast ocean world. The main narrative follows Edward Kenway’s transformation into an assassin along a fixed, linear historical path, providing a structured story amidst open-sea freedom.

This medieval RPG offers realistic, open-world survival mechanics and non-linear skill progression in a fully explorable Bohemia. Despite this freedom, the protagonist Henry’s journey to avenge his family follows a strict, linear narrative arc that integrates historical events into a cohesive, story-driven experience.

This looter-shooter RPG allows players to traverse vast planetary environments and tackle side missions in any order. The main plot against the Calypso Twins remains linear, with key story missions acting as checkpoints that guide the narrative progression while allowing freedom in how players approach combat and exploration.

As a live-service RPG, it offers open-world zones like Europa and Venus where players can explore freely and complete activities. The main campaign missions, however, are linear story experiences that advance the overarching lore and character arcs, providing a structured narrative backbone to the open-gameplay loops.

Players can roam the world of Eos, drive cars, fish, and engage in random battles at their own pace. The central quest to retrieve the Regalia and defeat Ardyn follows a linear, road-trip style narrative structure that ensures all characters reach key plot destinations together in a predetermined sequence.

This action RPG features a vast, open field where players can explore ruins and engage in combat freely. The story, told through multiple perspectives and endings, is linear in its progression of chapters and plot revelations, guiding the player through a philosophical, pre-written narrative arc.

While players can explore the island of Tsushima, hunt, and complete side shrines at will, the main storyline follows Jin Sakai’s transformation into a samurai-hunter along a fixed, linear path. The narrative structure ensures that key historical battles and character developments occur in a specific, scripted order.

This game allows players to explore a lush, post-apocalyptic world filled with robotic creatures and ancient ruins. The main plot about Aloy uncovering her origins and stopping the Faro Plague follows a linear narrative structure, with story missions acting as focal points amidst the open-world exploration.

Although often cited as a non-linear RPG, its main quest to defeat Alduin follows a linear progression of main story missions. Players can spend hundreds of hours exploring, crafting, and engaging in side quests, but the central narrative arc remains structured and sequential.

This action-adventure RPG features interconnected open-world areas that players can explore freely, completing side quests and finding secrets. The main story follows Cal Kestis’s journey to stop the Empire, following a linear narrative path that guides the player through key plot points and character developments.

Set in a shifting, brutalist office building, players can explore the Oldest House and uncover its mysteries at their own pace. The main narrative follows Jesse Faden’s rise through the hierarchy and her battle against the Hiss, following a linear, scripted storyline that reveals the building’s secrets progressively.

This parkour-heavy action RPG allows players to explore a vast, open-world city and decide the fate of various factions through quests. However, the main storyline involving Aiden’s search for his sister follows a linear, predetermined path that ensures the core narrative remains intact despite player choices in the world.

Building on the open-world mechanics of its predecessor, this game allows players to dominate the fortress system and explore Middle-earth freely. The main plot follows Talion’s struggle against Sauron, following a linear narrative arc that incorporates player-created Nemesis system interactions into a structured story.

This shooter-RPG hybrid features an open hub world where players can complete missions and engage in combat freely. The main campaign follows a linear narrative about humanity’s war against the Settled Alliance, with key plot points and character arcs unfolding in a predetermined sequence.

Although primarily a shooter, its narrative mission structure is linear, guiding players through a specific storyline involving pilots and Titans. The open multiplayer maps offer freedom in combat style, but the campaign provides a tightly scripted, story-driven experience that cannot be deviated from.