Summary
Factions can be an important part of a game’s setting, and though not all games emphasize working with allied factions — or fighting against rival factions — they are always present in some of the most appealing games from a wide variety of genres.
This catalog contains several open-world games that havethe best faction systems. These grant players agency in the main story and encourage them to change the world by cooperating with some of the coolest groups of skilled individuals they’ll find in a fictional world. From survivors in post-apocalyptic worlds to adventurer guilds in a vast and ancient realm, joining these diverse factions is a crucial part of players immersing themselves within these open-world video games.
The fifth iteration of theElder Scrollsfranchise,Skyrim, is perhaps the one thathas overhauled the faction system the most, with a faction conflict so intertwined with the main storyline that, one way or another, you end up picking a side and sticking to it for the rest of the game.
The Imperial/Stormcloak conflict is not the only great thing aboutSkyrim’s faction system, however. Players have a lot of freedom of choice, and they can interact with and join several other factions in the game, from the Winterhold’s Mage College to the shady Thief Guild and its legendary Nightingales.Skyrimis one of the best open-world games in which you’re able to be practically whoever you want to be.
Even beforeDeath Strandingwas even conceived, another game with a mailman as the main protagonist revolutionized the gaming world:Fallout: New Vegas, where players assume the role of Courier Six, a delivery man (and soon to become a warlord) who was ambushed and stripped from his parcel, while left for dead with a bullet to the head. But this story was far from over since Courier Six rose from the grave and started a one-man war against the wastelands to track and find the package stolen from him (or her).
Along the way, theplayers can join several factions,like theGreat Khans, the Brotherhood of Steel, The Cesar Legion, or the mythical NCR Rangers. It is up to the players to decide which ones to join, and each of these choices has a deep impact on the progression of the story, as well as the quests, items, and many other paraphernalia the players encounter throughout their journeys.
Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlordexplores traditional cavalry combat like no other game has ever done, with a vast and intricate faction system to boot. The game haseight main factions, each of them with several minor factions inspired by the many European/Mid-Eastern cultures with kingdoms and clans, each with their own unique units and combat tactics.
However, the main attraction is thatas players lead their band of mercenaries, they can switch allegiances and participate in several wars and skirmishes as they forge their reputation as fearsome warlords.
Cyberpunk 2077has an incredibly detailed setting, and one of the main aspects of the game is a no-allegiance faction system that is introduced right at the start of the game. When players create their characters, their identity (and starting mission) will be determined by which background they choose:Corpo, Street Kid, or Nomad.
But after that, they will be thrown into the ruthless world of Night City as freelancers, and that means they will be free to sell their skills to anyone who has the Eddies for it. Since you don’t have any attachments, you canpick several game-changing choicesthroughout the adventure while still experiencinga fully immersive faction systemthat plays a deep role in the resolution of the main storyline.
Dying Light 2is the ideal game for players who love to destroy zombies by the dozens and lovea fully immersive open-world experience, where they will have to choose to support one of the two factions in the game: theSurvivors or the Peacekeepers. Each faction has its own identity, and the entire map will begin to change as the player supports each of the factions.
The militaristic Peacekeepers will be more focused on cleansing the streets and maintaining order, constantly patrolling and waging war against the ruthless Renegades. If the player chooses to support the Survivors, their quality of life will improve while also reshaping the world into a more human-amicable place, with more safehouses and ways to avoid the dangers of the Night in Old Villedor. It isup to the player who they’ll support, encouraging replayability to see all the content the game has to offer.
