Cinematics and cutscenes are commonly used as a means of storytelling in games, often used to convey special emotions and scenes behind epic moments that cannot be conveyed through simple gameplay. However, some games do not use cutscenes at all and instead rely solely on environmental storytelling.
7 open world games that will teach you the art of slow exploration
There have been some truly breathtaking open world games over the years, and these titles allow you to explore them at your own pace.
Sculptures carved into walls, audio logs from abandoned facilities, old books in long-forgotten caves, and hand-placed objects from around the world tell the stories the developers wanted to tell in an immersive way in a non-intrusive way. Players feel as if they are unearthing the story through each discovery through their own efforts.
Subnautica
A story buried in the deep sea
Subnautica is an underwater survival base-building game that doesn't rely on cutscenes at all, but relies almost entirely on environmental storytelling to gradually reveal the hidden depths of the ocean. As a result, players are free to explore the depths of the ocean, slowly uncovering the truth about the new worlds they discover, the dangers they contain, and the opportunities that lie deep beneath the waves.
There are no explanatory cutscenes after the opening sequence. The entire story is told through lost recordings and logs found in abandoned life pods, crashed ships, and secret underground facilities spread across the ocean floor.
external
Knowledge gained through exploration
external It's an indie open-world game with a wealth of lore and an expansive setting, and it doesn't have a single cutscene worthy of its name. The main story is experienced primarily through conversations with NPCs in major hubs such as Cierzo, Berg, Levant, Monsoon, and New Sirocco.
Knowledge of enemies, factions, magic, and politics can be learned by the player if they look closely enough, but they are not forcefully conveyed through a linear narrative sequence. But the lack of traditional quest markers makes exploration more active and discovering new things so rewarding. external.
project zomboid
Against the background of a world ending quietly
project zomboid It is an open world isometric game where players must survive the zombie apocalypse using any means necessary. The game has no quests or missions that directly address the story. The player's primary concern is ensuring his own survival, and finding out how the rest of the world is doing is entirely optional. As a result, most people don't pay attention to the hints the game gives about what's happening outside the exclusion zone.
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For players who want to decipher the story themselves, these open-world games keep the story vague and provide cryptic clues as guides.
But curious players can discover what's happening around the world as the zombie apocalypse spreads. It is possible to piece together parts of a story using scattered information in the form of radio logs, TV programs, old magazines, etc. The environmental storytelling is well done and there aren't a single cutscene to boot.
Valheim
Norse mythology carved in stone
Valheim It takes players into a harsh, unforgiving, procedurally generated land, inspired by Norse mythology where almost all of the storytelling is told through the world itself. After a brief introductory sequence where the player is told that he is a warrior brought to life in Midgard, Valheim No more information is provided to defeat Odin's enemies, the Forsaken, so players must gather the rest on their own.
ValheimA deeper story is told through rune stones, huge magical rocks scattered throughout. Valheim Odyn ordered his warriors to lead the Forsaken. The inscriptions on the rune stones tell the stories of previous warriors sent by Odin to kill the Forsaken, clues to treasures, descriptions of vague dreams, folk tales, and declarations of heroes.
Kensi
A world that changes with every choice
Kensi is an open-world RPG with a deep story told not through cutscenes or traditional narrative elements, but through exploration and environmental storytelling. Players uncover the truth about the world around them by talking to NPCs, exploring abandoned cities, liberating slave camps, and discovering forgotten places.
What makes it KensiWhat makes ’s story stand out is that it’s not all about the past. It also evolves as you play. Locations change, new factions arrive, new conflicts arise, and new stories unfold in real time as players side with different factions and help them take control of their territories.
The land of Nord holds many secrets
Skyrim Rather than grand cinematic cutscenes, the story is told through NPC dialogue, books, and the physical layout of the world itself. From ancient Norse ruins to Dwemer caves and dragon tombs, Skyrim It is not an empty expanse of snow and tundra, but a living, breathing land where the footprints of those who came before are still on display, proudly displayed to anyone who wants to go looking for them.
Hundreds of books, letters, journals, and notes are scattered throughout the library. SkyrimIt explains Tamriel's past and present reality in pieces that players can piece together to understand the full picture. Players who want to learn more about deep knowledge Elder Scrolls The franchise allows you to spend hundreds of hours exploring the world. Skyrim You still need to find something new.
While there is a scripted sequence SkyrimThese aren't strictly cutscenes, such as the cart ride at the start of the game or the conversation with Jarl Balgruuf when the dragon attacks the Western Watchtower.
Elite Dangerous
A living galaxy created by players
Elite Dangerous It provides players with a 1:1 procedurally generated recreation of the galaxy, including deep lore about humanity's expansion into space, conflicts between various political groups such as the Federation and Alliance, and major alien threats such as the Targoids. Elite Dangerous It is a sandbox game with no quests or missions, giving players the freedom to choose their own path and what they want to do, rather than providing a linear plot that tells them what to do. Those who want to discover that story will have to look for it themselves.
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In addition to the large-scale events occurring in the Milky Way, Elite Dangerous It evolves in real time. Each action the player takes affects something or someone in a meaningful way. Attacking a faction's facilities in a system will reduce that faction's influence on that system, and if that influence is low enough, it is very likely that the faction will be expelled from the system entirely. Likewise, every mission completed for a faction increases that faction's influence. This means that through their actions, players can and do help a faction become the dominant force in the system.
outside wild
A solar system built on questions
outside wild It's a rare example of a game where the entire narrative is told through the environment. There are no cutscenes explaining what's happening, no hand holds or quest markers telling the player where to go and what to look for. outside wild It throws players into a solar system where they are trapped in a 22-minute time loop. Here, players must use limited time to explore the system and discover secrets one step at a time to uncover the entire mystery and reach the finish line before the world ends.
At the end of each time loop, the player is returned to the starting point, the world automatically resets, and the only thing that changes is what the player discovered in the previous loop. As you piece together clues across multiple loops, the full picture slowly emerges. Clues can be obtained in any order, so each play is unique to every player based on the order in which they find the clues.
Elden Ring
Environmental Storytelling Masterclass
Elden RingThe story was conceived with the help of legendary author George RR Martin, and is largely told through fragmentary storytelling. Fragments of lore are found throughout a vast open world that seems to have no rhyme or reason. This is very important information to get the full picture. Elden Ring's mythology is hidden in item descriptions, cryptic NPC dialogue, and environmental details that are so easily missed that it took a collective effort from the entire community to discover a few secrets.
It's up to the player to piece this information together, one piece at a time, and slowly but surely understand what's really going on in the Lands Between, the truth behind the struggle to become an Elden Lord, the connections between NPCs scattered across the world, and the motivations of the various factions and religious organizations that call it home. Trying to understand the legend Elden Ring It can be an exercise in frustration, but the reward when it all comes together and the player finally understands the connection between seemingly random events and the dialogue heard around the world is truly exquisite.
Most major trading companies in Korea Elden Ring There is a minor cutscene involving them. But since 99% of storytelling happens through environmental storytelling, we decided this game deserved a spot on this list.
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