Games that provide the player with full autonomy

[OverdriveOtaku]

***This thread is posted on behalf of Hedonism Bot, via the Adopt-a-User Thread***

A common feature of games that are praised for having outstanding gameplay such as Breath of the Wild and MGSV The Phantom Pain is that they essentially give the player all the tools to make their own success, and makes the player entirely responsible for getting from A to B, or achieving C without making them feel restricted in anyway. It almost feels like the less games try and do for you, the better the experience is.

For instance, I feel like Destiny 2 would have been improved by not having lost sectors marked on the map, instead maybe having just a checklist. It would have been more engaging if I had to find them myself, and yes I know I don't have to use the map to help me.

What other games provide the player with so much freedom that they genuinely feel that it is their achievement for succeeding as opposed to feeling like they just followed instructions correctly?

 

[Deleted member 249]

I want to argue Soulsborne does this exceptionally well.

 

[GameChanger]

I never played it but Minecraft sounds like the best answer to this question.

 

[Valkyr1983]

The OT doesn't match what I expected the title to mean....

Was going to post Trespasser for its crazy physics and the fact you could control each limb and even rotate wrists often to hilarious effect

 

[Chojin]

Lots of older crpgs were like this. Take Ultima, first three Elder Scrolls games, fallout 1 and 2.

Most roguelikes are like this as well. They plop you in the world and you are left to your own devices.

 

[Iva Demilcol]

You mean like not having a map in Dark Souls and yet you know exactly where to go because you somehow memorized how the whole world is structured?

 

[absolutbro]

Fallout: New Vegas seems like a top contender here. There are so many ways to resolve (or not resolve) the main quest line its crazy.

 

[Deleted member 1839]

Minecraft?

 

[TissueBox]

Fallout: New Vegas seems like a top contender here. There are so many ways to resolve (or not resolve) the main quest line its crazy.

Click to shrink...

Such an encompassing choice-driven sandbox.

 

[HyperFerret]

Dwarf Fortress Adventure Mode

Want to murder an entire village, children and all? Or gather up a party of randoms to kill a dragon? Wanna climb that nearby tree only to accidentally fall to your death? Do you want to complete quests and become a badass to where NPCs will recognize you for your achievements? Do you want to rip off a man's arms just to beat him to death with them?

Or do you want to forgo all that and just write poetry and become a bard, entertaining NPCs you meet with song?

You can.

 

[Every Time I Die]

I read the title as full anatomy, expected something far different.

Deus Ex is a solid example of a game with a large space of choices to complete your tasks, and feels rewarding when you succeed in thinking outside of the box

 

[DukeBobby]

The Hitman series does this well, especially the latest one.

The game offers you some guidance via the opportunities, but you can simply ignore these and complete the objectives any way you wish.

 

[Ghos]

I thought we had a ResetEraBot for a second.

 

[Speely]

There is a game on Steam called Caves of Qud that affords more freedom than one could ever want. SO much freedom. Additionally, there is literally no sense of progression handed to the player. The player has to earn all of it. Sandiest sandbox ever.

Caveat: It has ASCII-esque graphics.

If you want full autonomy, shit like this is your only real option.

 

[Hedonism Bot]

Minecraft is a good shout. I was also thinking about how this is another one of Half Life 2's strengths in that it managed to feel like I had crafted my own paths forward despite the game being linear.

What other games would have benefited from some restraint on the developer's part, and leaving more decision making to the player?

 

[Truant]

Mount Your Friends

 

[Deleted member 15457]

Terraria. Every tile is destructible. Create your own boss arenas!

 

[MoeGamer]

There is a game on Steam called Caves of Qud that affords more freedom than one could ever want. SO much freedom. Additionally, there is literally no sense of progression handed to the player. The player has to earn all of it. Sandiest sandbox ever.

Caveat: It has ASCII-esque graphics.

If you want full autonomy, shit like this is your only real option.

Click to shrink...

Caves of Qud is excellent. Hard as balls, though, but one should expect that with that aesthetic :3

 

[Deleted member 8852]

Divinity: Original Sin 2.

You still get quests and objectives, but you're completely free to figure out how to best complete them.

 

[MatrixMan.exe]

I never played it but Minecraft sounds like the best answer to this question.

Click to shrink...

Definitely, Minecraft is probably the poster child for the kind of autonomy that OP is talking about.

 

[ara]

Definitely checking Caves of Qud out when I get home.

Dwarf Fortress Adventure Mode

Want to murder an entire village, children and all? Or gather up a party of randoms to kill a dragon? Wanna climb that nearby tree only to accidentally fall to your death? Do you want to complete quests and become a badass to where NPCs will recognize you for your achievements? Do you want to rip off a man's arms just to beat him to death with them?

Or do you want to forgo all that and just write poetry and become a bard, entertaining NPCs you meet with song?

You can.

Click to shrink...

I've played a bunch of the main fort mode, but I've never tried adventure mode in DF. Sounds like I really should.

 

[Legacy]

I feel MGSV did this quite well

 

[ZixlerBavala]

Such an encompassing choice-driven sandbox.

Click to shrink...

According to legend Todd Howard himself came from the distant past of 2013 to read this post and make sure that Fallout 4 was the exact opposite of this.

 

[Yohane]

Caves of Qud

Click to shrink...

This looks amazing! Is it playable by discovering thing by yourself or needs hours of tutorials?

 

[petran79]

Princess Maker 5

You can either become a Princess of the 5 realms (Earth, Heaven, Spirit, Hell, Fairy), a Princess of just one realm, marry or marry not the Prince etc

Or you can ignore the adventure, focusin real life and become an office lady, a gravure model, a cabaret hostess, a singer, a soldier etc

Or win a medal in sports

You can also marry different guys, form friendships with guys and girls, face rivals. Or you can be bullied at school.

Or join the manga club, play video games, read erotic comics, play erotic games, wear Evangelion plug suit and become an Otaku.

The city you live has cinema, festivals, beach cleaning, hitch hiking, test of courage, department stores and restaurants etc

Or debt collectors might force you out of your home and its gameover.

Choose various jobs and lessons, from helping the elderly and child nursing to cabaret hostess.

If you read a lot or work on computers, vision will worsen. If you eat too much fat milk chocolate breast will grow and it will increase stress.

 

[Speely]

This looks amazing! Is it playable by discovering thing by yourself or needs hours of tutorials?

Click to shrink...

Totally playable without tutorials... It's actually better that way, but it is hard as hell and there's LOTS of trial and error.

 

[Hella]

Mount&Blade. You make your biography, and then decide your future. Man or woman, pauper or noble; you can be a trader, an outlaw, a mercenary, a gladiator, a lord, a Liege, and everything inbetween. You can be the best warrior in Calradia, or incompetent; a leader or a loner. You're able to choose your allegances and allies, or just forge your own kingdom. Whatever is in Mount&Blade is yours; nothing is denied to the player.

It's not actually as all-encompassing as it sounds, but it really is that free-roam It extends into the combat as well, since it has what is probably the best third-person melee (and mounted) combat in the 'biz. Physics & movement-based melee is a thing to treasure.

Mount&Blade 2: Bannerlord is going to be an event.

 

[Jessie]

The Hitman series does this well, especially the latest one.

The game offers you some guidance via the opportunities, but you can simply ignore these and complete the objectives any way you wish.

Click to shrink...

Oh my god yes. I did a blind first playthrough with hints turned off and it was stellar

 

[MoeGamer]

Princess Maker 5

You can either become a Princess of the 5 realms (Earth, Heaven, Spirit, Hell, Fairy), a Princess of just one realm, marry or marry not the Prince etc

Or you can ignore the adventure, focusin real life and become an office lady, a gravure model, a cabaret hostess, a singer, a soldier etc

Or win a medal in sports

You can also marry different guys, form friendships with guys and girls, face rivals. Or you can be bullied at school.

Or join the manga club, play video games, read erotic comics, play erotic games, wear Evangelion plug suit and become an Otaku.

The city you live has cinema, festivals, beach cleaning, hitch hiking, test of courage, department stores and restaurants etc

Or debt collectors might force you out of your home and its gameover.

Choose various jobs and lessons, from helping the elderly and child nursing to cabaret hostess.

If you read a lot or work on computers, vision will worsen. If you eat too much fat milk chocolate breast will grow and it will increase stress.

Click to shrink...

Thumbs up for Princess Maker. The first two are on Steam. See also: Long Live the Queen, though that's a little more restrictive in that it has a VN-style "plot" that adapts as you go through rather than being completely freeform.

 

[hotcyder]

The title makes me want to say QWOP

but the post itself definitely feels like Mario Odyssey and MGSV fit the mould.

 

[RdN]

I don't think any game can beat Minecraft on that..

 

[Paul]

Fallout: New Vegas seems like a top contender here. There are so many ways to resolve (or not resolve) the main quest line its crazy.

Click to shrink...

Fallout 1 and 2 as well. Brilliant masterpieces at player agency.

 

[Plumpbiscuit]

Mount&Blade. You make your biography, and then decide your future. Man or woman, pauper or noble; you can be a trader, an outlaw, a mercenary, a gladiator, a lord, a Liege, and everything inbetween. You can be the best warrior in Calradia, or incompetent; a leader or a loner. You're able to choose your allegances and allies, or just forge your own kingdom. Whatever is in Mount&Blade is yours; nothing is denied to the player.

It's not actually as all-encompassing as it sounds, but it really is that free-roam It extends into the combat as well, since it has what is probably the best third-person melee (and mounted) combat in the 'biz. Physics & movement-based melee is a thing to treasure.

Mount&Blade 2: Bannerlord is going to be an event.

Click to shrink...

This so much, M&B:W is one of the most replayable single player games ever made. No game is ever the same.

 

[Deleted member 5593]

Fighting Games, Starcraft

 

[borges]

As other mentioned, Minecraft is the game to go.

Another great, great example is Elite:Dangerous.

 

[Mona]

Mount&Blade. You make your biography, and then decide your future. Man or woman, pauper or noble; you can be a trader, an outlaw, a mercenary, a gladiator, a lord, a Liege, and everything inbetween. You can be the best warrior in Calradia, or incompetent; a leader or a loner. You're able to choose your allegances and allies, or just forge your own kingdom. Whatever is in Mount&Blade is yours; nothing is denied to the player.

It's not actually as all-encompassing as it sounds, but it really is that free-roam It extends into the combat as well, since it has what is probably the best third-person melee (and mounted) combat in the 'biz. Physics & movement-based melee is a thing to treasure.

Mount&Blade 2: Bannerlord is going to be an event.

Click to shrink...

great post for a great game

 

[Barberetti]

Minecraft and 7 Days to Die.

 

[Deleted member 7450]

I've read as anatomy and got so ready to make a naughty joke.

Anyways, good examples here, I'm going with Nethack.

 

[ara]

Totally playable without tutorials... It's actually better that way, but it is hard as hell and there's LOTS of trial and error.

Click to shrink...

You don't say

Lol. Very first game and I die within a minute. Literally all I did was spawn, talk to someone, die. I think I accidentally threw my gun at the guy when I was talking to him or something.

Seems like it has the potential to be a ton of fun, though. Will definitely dive in properly on Friday or Saturday.

 

[Deleted member 7450]

Oops, sorry.

 

[Beje]

To certain point, Super Mario Odissey. Aside for the mandatory Power Moons that are shown with a column of light and the ones that unlock post-game, you're completely on your own to find them all, and you only get hints if you especifically ask for them (talking to the parrot, paying Toad or using amiibo). Besides, there's no "correct" way to get certain Moons because Mario's moveset is so varied that there are several different approaches for a lot of puzzles.

 

[gcwy]

The Hitman series does this well, especially the latest one.

The game offers you some guidance via the opportunities, but you can simply ignore these and complete the objectives any way you wish.

Click to shrink...

Yep, being a bit worried about this after Absolution, I think they pulled this aspect quite well, even if not completely up there with Blood Money.

 

[fantasyGG]

Divinity Original Sins 2 did this very well, and they are a new game!

 

[TTLAgent]

We need a new Splinter Cell please.

 

[4859]

This is going to be a very limited thread. Most of the responses will be the same, most of them will be for games older then a decade. Even narrower than that, the op seems to be looking for a certain kind of Autonomy, which isnt just a generated world where anywhere you go might as well be anywhere else, and where how you choose to use your mechanical autonomy to get there actually means a unique and engaging experience, as opposed to a pointlessly interchangeable one you simply slog through to check the box off on the quest list. This, was the path we were headed on at the end of the sixth generation. Before the seventh gen detour.

I would suggest dwarf fortress adventure mode, however that requires a considerable time and imagination investment, as the game has no graphical front end, and you literally have to learn how to read the matrix to even get an idea of what you are looking at. However, if you do crack into it and start enjoying it, you will find an experience quite unlike anything else in the regaurds you are looking for. For example, your epic failure, which ended in you pathetically killing yourself in front of a pack of goblins and getting hung on a pike, could very well be found in books and depicted on artwork by another character hundreds of years in the future.

Minecraft may or may not whet your whistle, if it doesn't.... then pretty much no intrinsic heavy (Systemic games with little external structure) then you are going to be looking at REALLY slim pickings.... And you are looking for games with strong intrinsic systemic design AND high quality extrinsic design (So generated worlds really dont do it for you, you need handcrafted worlds, and probably pretty dang good ones that take into account all the tools at your disposal to boot)...

Savor every second of any game you find on this list that scratches your itch. Suck the marrow from its bones like you wont be getting another meal until who knows when, because once you have exhasted the tiny stockpile you may or may not find in here.... you wont.

Welcome OP, to my personal hell of the past 15+ years. Population us.