If you want an open-world RPG that gives you reasons to keep playing after the main story ends, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is the strongest default. Its side quests carry real narrative weight, and your choices change how the game ends. Elden Ring suits players who care more about exploration and demanding combat than about story threads. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a grounded option for players who enjoy slow, everyday medieval life, though the specific activities it is praised for rest on thinner evidence than the other two.
Choose by the kind of engagement you want
“Long after the story” can mean three different things: following narrative side threads, exploring a hostile world and mastering its combat, or simply living inside a setting and improvising. Map size and advertised hours tell you little about which of these will hold your attention. The table below sorts the three picks by the kind of engagement each one offers.
| Game | Lasting draw | Best fit | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition | Narrative side quests and consequential choices | Players who want story-driven reasons to keep going | Physical edition stock and availability vary by platform and country |
| Elden Ring with Shadow of the Erdtree | Open exploration, dungeons, bosses, and build experimentation | Players who enjoy challenge and discovery | The expansion requires the base game |
| Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 | A grounded medieval setting with everyday activities | Players who prefer immersion to objective markers | Specific activities come from a 2026 editorial ranking rather than primary product material |
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Side quests and choices
The publisher’s product page from Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe, which lists the game’s release as 19 May 2015, describes over 100 hours of core and side-quest gameplay. That figure is the publisher’s content estimate, not a promise of how long any individual player will take. The world spans Novigrad, Skellige, and No Man’s Land, and the game’s choices unlock endings tailored to how you act. Player discussion on Reddit tends to make the same point in informal terms: the side quests stay consistent, and the main story can still be followed on its own. Those comments are community impressions, not a survey.
Which edition to buy
The Complete Edition packages the base game with the two major story expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, which makes it the simplest way to get the whole experience in one purchase. Before buying a physical copy, check the listing for your platform and region, because stock and packaging differ between markets and digital storefronts.
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- 192-page full color hardcover packed with tools and guidance to help gamemasters run immersive campaigns.
- Includes expert advice for new and experienced GMs tailored to the Warhammer The Old World roleplaying system.
- Features campaign-building tools like Grim Portents, Contacts, and Dark Threads to create dynamic narratives.
- Expanded setting details for Talagaad with guidance for adapting adventures to other regions and stories.
- Contains bestiary, magic items, downtime events, and corruption paths to enrich gameplay and surprise players.
Elden Ring and Shadow of the Erdtree
Elden Ring is built around discovery. Its official Shadow of the Erdtree page describes an expansion that adds the Land of Shadow, along with new weapons, equipment, skills, magic, enemies, bosses, and plotlines. The expansion is not a standalone game. It requires the Elden Ring base game, so the base game is the true starting cost. The official material describes what the content contains, not how long it takes to finish, so treat it as a measure of scope rather than a completion estimate.
This is the pick for players who enjoy learning enemy patterns, experimenting with builds, and finding their own routes through difficult terrain. If you prefer a story to pull you forward, the Witcher 3 is the better fit.
Rank #2
- Explore the grim and thrilling World of Legend with this 192-page full-color hardback RPG book for Warhammer: the Old World, ideal for players and collectors alike.
- Create iconic characters using six Origins and 30 Careers, from cunning Rat Catchers to noble Knight-Exiles, with full rules for advancement, Skills, Talents, and Lores.
- Fast-paced, easy-to-learn d10 dice pool system delivers high-lethality gameplay true to the Old World, offering combat, adventure, and peril for every session.
- Customize your hero with trappings, Assets, Endeavours, magical spells, and improvised spellcasting, plus divine Favours, prayers, and miracles from ten gods.
- Perfect for players seeking epic adventures, survival, and glory; this book contains everything needed to explore the Old World, complementing the Gamemaster’s Guide.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 as a qualified pick
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is recommended here for readers who want the consequences of ordinary actions rather than a steady stream of objectives. A 2026 GamesRadar+ ranking describes wandering the countryside, playing tavern dice, and practising alchemy as the activities that keep players engaged. Primary-source confirmation of those specific activities was not available when this article was written, so read them as an editorial description of the game rather than a verified feature list. Players who want a fixed structure of quests and rewards will probably find the Witcher 3 easier to commit to.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Current developments: Songs of the Past
CD PROJEKT RED has announced The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Songs of the Past for 2027 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The company describes it as a new adventure, and the PlayStation game page describes a new region, quests, points of interest, and several hours of additional content. Launch timing and preorder status can change, so check the publisher’s current listings before buying on the strength of the announcement.
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Rank #3
- ENTER THE WORLD OF SKYRIM: Experience the legendary open-world RPG as a tabletop adventure, exploring Tamriel through branching quests, iconic factions, and rich Elder Scrolls lore.
- COOPERATIVE OR SOLO PLAY: Designed for 1–4 players, allowing you to adventure solo or team up to face dragons, uncover conspiracies, and shape the fate of Skyrim together.
- OPEN-ENDED QUEST SYSTEM: Choose how you approach each mission—diplomacy, stealth, or combat—as your decisions permanently impact the story and the world around you.
- DEEP CHARACTER PROGRESSION: Build unique heroes with evolving skills, gear, and abilities inspired by the video game’s iconic progression systems.
- HIGH REPLAYABILITY: Modular scenarios, multiple quest paths, and varied character builds ensure every campaign feels fresh and every journey through Skyrim is different.
The same company’s 2026 corporate announcement states that The Witcher 3 has sold more than 60 million copies since its 2015 release. That is a publisher-reported figure, not an independent audit, but it does indicate how long the game has stayed in the conversation.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Welcome to the new world: taking on the role of a Hunter, players are tasked with going on a research expedition to a newly discovered continent known only as “new world”.
- Living and breathing ecosystem: utilize the surrounding environment and wildlife to your advantage;Subgenre:Action role-playing game (RPG)
- Online drop-in multiplayer: when the battle is too daunting to take on single-handedly, hail up to three other hunters to assist during quests by sending up a sos flare to a worldwide server.
- Hunt to craft new Gear: defeat monsters and collect loot from fallen foes to craft equipment and weapons styled after the monsters that have been slain.
- SEAMLESS gameplay: players and monsters can move from One map area to another freely and without loading screens whilst gameplay also dynamically transitions between night and day.
Rank #4
- The outer worlds is a new single-player first-person sci-fi rpg from obsidian entertainment and private division
- In the outer worlds, you awake from hibernation on a colonist ship that was lost in transit to halcyon, the furthest colony from earth located at the edge of the galaxy, only to find yourself in the midst of a deep conspiracy threatening to destroy it. As you explore the furthest reaches of space and encounter various factions, all-vying for power, the character you decide to become will determine how this player-driven story unfolds. In the corporate equation for the colony, you are the unplanned variable
Recommended reading order for each kind of player
- Story and side quests: Start with The Witcher 3 Complete Edition, which bundles both major expansions.
- Exploration and combat: Start with Elden Ring, then add Shadow of the Erdtree once you have the base game under your belt.
- Immersion over objectives: Try Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 if you can accept less guidance and a slower pace.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
