5 best endlessly replayable games like GTA 5

To understand the impact of open-world titles on today's gaming industry, one need only look at the most popular ones in the market right now.

Nearly every franchise, however linear its origins may have been, has strived to adopt some form of the open-world structure in order to bring more players into the fold.

The open-world genre presents an extremely appealing prospect to the player, as it essentially represents an endless amount of content and possibilities. Franchises like GTA have been able to bank on this appeal of "endless replayability" since there is so much to do even on repeat playthroughs.

However, the GTA franchise is far from the only game to present such a proposition as there have been plenty of studios that have caught on. Here are five other games that players can sink massive hours into and have repeat playthroughs.

5 best replayable games like GTA 5

#5 Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Considered one of the biggest gaming franchises and bona fide industry royalty, the Elder Scrolls franchise represents the best of Western RPGs.

The gaming world was set ablaze with the release of Skyrim, and its impact is felt to this day as the title continues to be a truly beloved modern classic.

If one were inclined enough, Skyrim would have absolutely no end as there is simply so much to do. The number of side quests, the ways in which players craft their character, and the number of branching storylines in the game is absolutely astounding.

Even on a 5th repeat playthrough, players are liable to have an extraordinarily different experience than their previous playthroughs. It simply doesn't get much more expansive than Skyrim, and it rightfully sits atop the throne of modern AAA classics.

#4 Mass Effect Trilogy

The Mass Effect trilogy, when played in its entirety, is possibly one of the best space opera stories ever told. In this title, players take control of Shephard and craft their story with choices and actions which will directly impact the game world.

BioWare loves to attach a sense of finality and consequence to the player's actions and choices, and this is on full display in Mass Effect. Favorite characters and allies can perish if the player makes a bad call. These sorts of stakes add an unbelievable amount of pressure on the player.

Repeat playthroughs will uncover different ways to tackle the same problem as well as multiple outcomes that players had never seen before. Mass Effect truly is one of the best trilogies in gaming and one that will continue to draw fans purely on the back of its quality.

#3 Fallout: New Vegas

Hipsters, enthusiasts, die-hard fans, and series stalwarts will have differing opinions as to which is the definitive Fallout experience. Whatever they choose, it is undeniable that the franchise is home to some truly masterful RPGs of the modern era.

Fallout presents an unbelievably rich world that reacts to the player's actions and choices in a visceral way. Each mechanic of the game is built with the purpose of making the player feel as immersed in the world as possible. One wrong move from the player could lead to the loss of allies and other NPCs.

Fallout: New Vegas is definitely one of the better titles in the series and is also a good introduction to the franchise.

#2 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Much like Skyrim, The Witcher 3 can seemingly go on for ages, and the player would never see the end of it. With a substantially long campaign, The Witcher 3 presents 100+ hours on a standard playthrough that includes completing a healthy bunch of side quests and other activities.

Add a couple of 50-hour plus expansions, and The Witcher 3 is liable to go on for years before the player can truly say they're done with the game. Each mission and activity in the game has been crafted to a frankly insane degree, with proper animations, voice acting, and cutscenes.

#1 Monster Hunter: World

Monster Hunter: World is one of those games that can almost feel sadistic in the way that it crushes the player every few minutes. However, the true value of the game is extracted after the player puts in a considerable amount of prep and finally vanquishes a Monster. The satisfaction felt by having killed an especially tough boss is one that players rarely find in games.

The title's exceptionally well-made and deep combat loop will reward the players for learning, re-learning and prepping hard for a specific enemy type.

Each monster presents a puzzle for the player to solve using the tools they have been given. Players can experiment and try out all sorts of combinations that work for them.

This endlessly enjoyable gameplay loop will have players coming back to Monster Hunter: World.