Most worthwhile exploration game?

DArtagnan said:

Divinity was pretty good for this aspect, IIRC. I didn't care much for TW1 exploration, though, as most areas seemed quite void of content.

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Was thinking Divine Divinity also.

Morrowind, Baldurs Gate, and Fallout New Vegas. Arcanum had fine exploration too.

Korplem said:

Until just now I thought that Conquest of the New World was a Sid Meier game. I was about to tell you about an expansion for Civ IV called Colonization which I thought was a recreation of CotNW. But, I guess it's a recreation of Sid Meier's Colonization from the same era as CotNW. I only ever played the demo for CotNW but I loved the exploration in that.

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CotNW was awesome as an exploration game. I havent played any other game where you get to name the geographic features you discover.

Terraria

GothicGothicness said:

Yeah, the combat system is the weakness. However unlike many other games, the main thing about this game is not combat. Also ones you get a lot of spells and equipment and a hang of everything. Combat becomes better + it is better in part 2 the serpent isle.

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I loved that game dearly and one of the reasons was probably "the awful combat system" that wasn't the focus of the game at all. This is in sharp contrast to pretty much every other RPG that seems to focus first on combat and then secondary on everything else.

I think Ultima 7 needs to be viewed as an exploration adventure game and in that context it really excels. There's just so much to see and do. Every single npc, and there are many, is unique and has their own dialog. Many of them have a lot to say if you really go digging too.

I don't think there has been a game of this caliber before and there certainly hasn't been after. I am always searching for the next Ultima 7. I have been searching 20 years for that! I can't say enough good things about it.

I would say Morrowind had the most worthwhile exploration. You were constantly finding little hidden secrets everywhere. Whether it was a new book to read, or a sword, or a legendary item, you were always finding something. I love the handplaced feel of Morrowind, where you can find a mummy who's holding a glass halberd, or has a book between it's hands. And then exploring houses and where people lived was great too. You never knew when you find some interesting book or potion laying about. Morrowind is the ultimate exploration game.

Divinity 2 has worthwhile exploration as well. It seemed every nook and cranny of the map had something to find if you searched well enough. Could be a wishing well that grants you an experience bonus, or a new quest, or a storage shed with goodies inside. There was always something to find and you were rewarded for scouring every little bit of the map.

I'd also mention Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon as being cool to explore. NPCs were a big reason to explore, to talk to people you normally would miss if you just rushed through the game. But also finding hidden items in urns, chests, cabinets, etc. There was always a chest to find in some remote location on the map that had something worthwhile in it. Both these games had a lot of stuff you could miss if you weren't thorough with your searching.