Open-world games where building a base is part of the story

base building Can be many An important feature in the open-world genreEspecially when talking about sandbox or survival games that are completely dedicated to gathering resources and then making the best of them through crafting or building. While many gamers love to create and build anything, some fan creations are so impressive that they can be a piece of art in their own right. However, beyond survival and sandbox titles, some Story-driven games implement base-building mechanics And can make them surprisingly important to the story.

Naturally, players shouldn't expect the same depth of crafting and building mechanics as, say, Minecraft From story-driven open-world games. As a rule of thumb, such titles offer decent depth and customization options, but try to make them easy and flexible, so that players aren't too overwhelmed or distracted by other elements. That said, building a base or settlement can be very important to the stories of such games rather than just an optional activity. Sometimes, players cannot advance the story without building and customizing their base to complete certain missions and objectives, which can unlock entirely new features or important characters. Below are some examples of open-world games where Building a base is not only possible, but actually a part of the story.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla

Expand the Ravenshorpe settlement

Assassin's Creed Rarely deals with base building mechanics, but later entries have made some convincing steps in that direction. Assassin's Creed Valhalla It was the first of its kind. In previous entries, viz black flag or the odysseyPlayers can only customize and upgrade their ships, AC Valhalla It's taken a step further, making players the new leaders of a growing Viking settlement and needing to build and expand them. Ravensthorpe Settlement in the course of the story to unlock new gameplay features, upgrades, missions, and even game modes.

Ravensthorpe plays a big part Assassin's Creed Valhalla Story, serving as a new home for the Raven Clan, where Eivor constantly returns to talk to his mentors, meet new side characters who can give new quests, improve their gear and ship, train mounts, relive side adventures with loved ones, or simply make a feast or celebrate with his people. Construction is relatively simple ValhallaPlayers have no choice about where to place certain buildings, are not customizable except for decorative statues and other small elements, and all resources needed are easily collected through river raids. However, despite such simplicity, Ravensthorpe really starts to feel like home over the course of the game, and seeing it grow and bustle with different people is rewarding in itself.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Adapting the van der Linde gang camp

A large-scale revelation like a road movie, Ma Red Dead Redemption 2Van der Linde's gang finds themselves on the run, forced to travel across the country, constantly looking for new places to set up temporary settlements. The entire story is also divided into chapters tied to new camp locations. Players need to first scout around to find the best place, and then play through the entire mission of the gang, establishing a new base in a new place – be it an untamed wilderness, a cave, or even some abandoned building.

It is worth noting that, despite the great impact on the story, the players can not really build anything major Red Dead Redemption 2Outside small extensions such as stables or chicken houses, as each member of the gang has its own tent and place for the night by default. However, players can customize and improve many places throughout the camp, from kitchens to personal spaces, and decorate them with hunting trophies, and even perform tasks throughout the camp from time to time to make life easier and be more respected by the community. Players can set up their own little camps anywhere in the wilderness, where they can rest, cook or prepare ammunition, adding a bit of a survival layer. RDR 2.

See The Mother Base Grow

Perhaps one of the best examples of base-building mechanics being important to an open-world game, both in terms of gameplay and story, is yes. Metal Gear Solid 5: Phantom Pain mother base. This offshore headquarters serves as a base for the game's progression, as players gradually populate the base with new personnel drawn from open-world missions to develop gear and unlock new features needed to progress the story. Mother Base also represents the narrative layer of Diamond Dogs' rebuilding and emphasizes Bigg Boss's army-building revenge arc, becoming the scene where some of the story's key events unfold.

Mother Base is less about structural freedom and “building” and more about management, as players have little or no access to the base's layout — they can only choose the build order, e.g. Valhalla. Some customization is available, though, including color options and custom symbols. What makes the mother base MGS 5 What matters, however, is how much story-related content there is: from parasite outbreaks and staff funerals to full-on enemy attacks, important story cutscenes and character interactions, and possible skirmishes or desertions if players neglect the base too much.

Tibba: Awakening

Solido Construction System

Tibba: Awakening It's easily the most survival-like open-world game on the list, as players can largely ignore story campaigns and missions in favor of a sandbox existence on Arrakis on their own terms. The game requires base building and base running, as players claim their territory, build their headquarters from scratch with complete freedom, collect resources and blueprints to expand and power it, and must constantly monitor its systems for proper functioning — even in the background while the game is playing, or they risk losing their equipment.

Owning a base, with strong crafting and building mechanics to rival the most popular sandbox survival games Tibba: Awakening Also important to the progression of the story, serving as a direct gateway to some mandatory quests that require players to build special structures. For example, without spice storage, certain faction quests are locked to the Atreides or Harkonnens, and if players can't craft essential items like steelsuits or sandbikes, many of the game's mission deals can't be tackled at all. To put it simply: Arrakis is impossible to survive without a house – or much.

Assassin's Creed Shadows

A fully customizable hideout

The settlement was established for the first time, continuing the construction mechanics AC Valhalla, Assassin's Creed Shadows Makes another confident step in this direction. As Nao embraces her role as an assassin, dedicated to stopping Onrio throughout Japan, she needs a place to hide and gather allies. A place to hide It becomes a place, unlockable relatively early in the story. Unlike Ravensthorpe, though, Hideout is a completely flexible, player-driven environment, where each building can be set anywhere desired and extensively customized inside and out — and so can the surrounding area.

A hiding place is equally important Assassin's Creed Shadows' Story at Ravensthorpe Valhalla Serving as various NPCs to gather and give players side quests, train allies, unlock new combat features or mechanics, improve gear, progress assassination hunts, and much more. Players are recommended to return to the Hideout after each season change: to claim their rewards from scouts, talk to their allies, or watch random interactions between them, allowing them to explore their relationships, or spend some time with Junjiro. It truly feels like a safe haven where players can catch their breath between combat, stealth, and exploration.