Metal Gear Solid V: The Definitive Experience is the closest match if you want an open-world game that lets you choose how to carry out missions. Konami describes the series’ open-world mission design as leaving execution to the player, while its Phantom Pain materials show both stealth and more overt action. For a larger role-playing world with stealth and combat options, consider Cyberpunk 2077. Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Hitman: World of Assassination also offer notable mission freedom, but their world structures are not the same as a continuous open world.
How to choose a game with mission freedom
“Multiple ways” can mean more than picking a different weapon. The most useful distinction is whether a game lets you change how you reach an objective, such as sneaking past guards, engaging them directly, hacking systems, or using social options. Also consider whether missions take place across a continuous world, a set of hubs, or separate sandbox levels.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Open World: Video Games and Contemporary Art | $60.25 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Ghost of Tsushima - PlayStation 4 | $22.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Mad Max - PlayStation Hits (PS4) | $18.79 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Just Cause 4 - PlayStation 4 | $11.80 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Elden Ring - PlayStation 4 | $33.62 | Buy on Amazon |
- World structure: Is exploration continuous, hub-based, or divided into individual mission spaces?
- Tactical range: Which approaches are supported, such as stealth, combat, hacking, or social interaction?
- Mission flexibility: Do different approaches alter how you accomplish objectives, rather than only changing your equipment?
- Replay value: Can you revisit missions and try a meaningfully different plan?
These are practical ways to compare the games below, not a shared scoring system or a controlled ranking. The official descriptions establish different features for each title, so the recommendations are best read as distinct fits rather than directly measured equivalents.
Best games for choosing how to carry out missions
Metal Gear Solid V: The Definitive Experience — closest match
Konami’s Ground Zeroes description explicitly connects open-world gameplay with player discretion over mission execution, making Metal Gear Solid V the clearest fit for this topic. The Phantom Pain portion of the game supports both stealth-focused and more action-oriented play, as shown in Konami’s demonstrations of different approaches.
Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchPC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11#1 Best Overall
Choose it if you want to plan an operation and decide how cautiously or aggressively to pursue its objectives. The recommendation is for the combined Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain experience; Konami’s description identifies Ground Zeroes as the first Metal Gear Solid title with open-world gameplay.
Cyberpunk 2077 — open-world RPG with stealth and combat
CD Projekt Red describes combat options that include guns-blazing attacks, ranged tactics, and stealth through guarded locations. That gives players several ways to handle encounters in Night City, particularly if they enjoy building a character around a preferred mix of combat and infiltration.
Rank #2
- Available Now - Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, a new cooperative multiplayer experience inspired by Japanese folk tales and mythology.
- Beyond war, ancient beauty endures: Uncover the hidden wonders of Tsushima in this open-world action adventure.
- The rise of the Ghost: Forge a new path and wage an unconventional war for the freedom of Tsushima.
The studio also highlights dynamic open-world missions and consequential choices in its Phantom Liberty description. Treat that as evidence of varied missions and choices, not a promise that every main-story mission has equally broad solutions. The expansion’s features apply to Phantom Liberty; check the specific edition or listing before assuming it is included with a copy of the base game.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution — stealth, hacking, social options, and combat
Eidos-Montréal’s description of Deus Ex: Human Revolution supports a range of approaches, including stealth, hacking, social interaction, and combat. It is a strong adjacent recommendation if your priority is solving situations in different ways rather than exploring a large continuous landscape.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Rank #3
- Be Mad Max - Become the iconic post-apocalyptic warrior, crafting and upgrading Max's equipment and weapons to survive by combining melee combat, gunplay and tactical techniques. Gamers must form alliances as they work towards the goal of building their "Magnum opus."
- Immersive savage Wasteland - Explore the gritty, dynamic world while braving the treacherous landscapes, hostile weather patterns and deadly marauders.
- survive the open-world landscape - Staying alive isn't easy. Players clash with deadly factions and gangs through scores of dangerous side-missions and quests in the dynamic open-world full of exploration.
- intense vehicular combat - Engage in dynamic inter-vehicular combat, taking down enemy vehicles with a range of powerful weapons. Car combat is entirely physics-based, so no two battles are ever the Same.
- build the ultimate survival machine - Players design, customize and upgrade their ultimate vehicle-the Magnum Opus-choosing from different car chassis and a slew of upgrades including mounted weapons, armour and engines to survive another day
The official material cited here does not establish Human Revolution as a fully open-world game. Pick it for its approach variety, not on the assumption that its world has the same structure as Metal Gear Solid V or Cyberpunk 2077.
Hitman: World of Assassination — freeform missions in separate sandboxes
PlayStation’s description of Hitman: World of Assassination supports freeform play in mission sandboxes. It is a fit if you like observing a location, experimenting with plans, and replaying a mission to try another route to your objective.
Rank #4
- Day One Edition includes Neon Racer Pack with these DLC items Neon Racer Supercar, Neon Racer Wingsuit, Neon Racer Parachute; see description for full details
- Bring The Thunder Soar through the skies with your wingsuit Skydive, Base Jump and Free Dive, as you fight your enemies harnessing extreme weather to your advantage
- Rico’s Ultimate Mission Spearhead the rebellion and defeat a hi tech private military organization; Face off against the most capable adversary yet; Uncover the mystery behind Rico’s Father’s past
- Huge South American World 100 square kilometers to explore from rainforest to desert, and across snowy mountain peaks as you explore the world of Solis from bustling cities to rural grasslands
- Creative destruction at its best Customize your new grapple hook with evolved and new capabilities; Experiment with military jets, helicopters, turbo fueled sports cars, and construction vehicles
Its locations are discrete sandbox missions, not one continuous open world. That distinction matters: Hitman can offer substantial freedom within a level without being an open-world game in the same sense as the two lead recommendations.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- ELDEN RING is a fantasy action-RPG adventure set within a world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki—creator of the influential DARK SOULS video game series; and George R.R. Martin—author of The New York Times best-selling fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire
- Danger and discovery lurk around every corner in FromSoftware’s largest game to-date
- HIDETAKA MIYAZAKI: President and Game Director of FromSoftware Inc. Known for directing critically-acclaimed games in beloved franchises including Armored Core and Dark Souls
- GEORGE R. R. MARTIN: the #1 The New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including the acclaimed series A Song of Ice and Fire—A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast For Crows, and A Dance with Dragons
Which one should you play?
- For the closest combination of open-world structure and player-directed mission execution: start with Metal Gear Solid V: The Definitive Experience.
- For an open-world RPG with both stealth and direct combat options: choose Cyberpunk 2077.
- For varied stealth, hacking, social, and combat solutions in a more contained structure: try Deus Ex: Human Revolution.
- For replayable, self-directed assassination missions in separate locations: choose Hitman: World of Assassination.
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.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →
