No Map for the Soul: How to Forge Real Character Arcs in Open-World Games
David Gallaher
People-Centered Narrative Leadership | Building Stories, Teams & Worlds That Inspire | Award-Winning Digital Storyteller | Marvel, Ubisoft, MTV, Warner Bros. Alum
by David Gallaher
Listen, bub. There’s a reason people love a good redemption story. A reason we get chills when Arthur Morgan stares down the end of the road in Red Dead Redemption 2 or when Geralt of Rivia finally finds a sliver of peace. It ain’t just about big set pieces or cool weapons—it’s about who the character becomes.
But here’s the rub: in open-world games, there’s no set path. No three-act structure hand-holding the player from downfall to triumph. Just endless roads, side quests, and the constant temptation to ignore the main story in favor of punching chickens in a backwater town. So how do you craft real, gut-punching character growth in a world where players can go anywhere, do anything, and screw around for 20 hours before remembering the actual plot?
Let’s break it down.
1. Make Growth Personal, Not Just Progression
XP bars and skill trees ain’t character arcs. If leveling up is the only thing that changes, your protagonist is just a fancy murder machine, not a living, breathing soul.
Take Red Dead Redemption 2. Arthur doesn’t just unlock new guns and horses—his entire worldview shifts. If you play him like a ruthless outlaw, people treat him like a walking corpse. But if you play him with honor, his journey is tragic, not just inevitable. The choices feel like they shape the man, not just the stats.
Tip: Tie gameplay changes to emotional and moral consequences. Let NPCs remember actions. Let the world shift. Make players feel the weight of who they’ve become.
2. The World Should Challenge the Character, Not Just the Player
A great character arc isn’t about what a hero does, but what they realize. That’s tricky when players are doing all the decision-making. The secret? Make the world itself a mirror for their struggles.
In The Witcher 3, Geralt isn’t just running errands—he’s constantly confronted by a world that forces him to choose between being a cold-blooded killer or someone who still believes in something. The world grinds him down. It makes him question himself.
Tip: Use side quests to reinforce themes. Make players reflect on their choices without yanking them out of the world with cutscenes.
3. Let Actions Speak Louder Than Dialogue Trees
Character arcs are built on change. Not just in what a hero says, but in what they do—and what they stop doing.
Think about Ghost of Tsushima. Jin Sakai starts the game as an honorable samurai. But as war crushes his ideals, he’s forced into stealth, deception, and assassination. The game doesn’t just tell you he’s changing—it makes you play it. And it hurts. Every ghost kill is a gut punch. The gameplay is the arc.
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Tip: If a character is struggling, let the gameplay force that struggle on the player. Make them feel it.
4. Give the Player a Say—But Make Every Choice Cut Deep
A good open-world character arc isn’t about offering a million choices. It’s about making every choice hurt.
In Cyberpunk 2077, V can chase immortality, revenge, or freedom. But no matter what, the choices stick. Characters remember what you’ve done. Some doors never reopen. Some relationships never heal. That permanence makes the journey real—it’s not just a checklist of “good†or “evil†decisions. It’s life.
Tip: Limit choices, but make them matter. Let players see the cracks forming as they go.
5. Endings Should Hit Like a Freight Train
An open-world game can let players run wild, but when it’s time for the final act, you gotta land the punch. A great ending should feel like a culmination of everything the player has done—not just a cutscene reward.
In Red Dead Redemption 2, Arthur’s fate isn’t just a story conclusion—it’s a consequence. In The Witcher 3, your choices shape Ciri’s future. In Ghost of Tsushima, your final duel with Lord Shimura is inevitable, tragic, and earned.
Tip: Make the ending personal. Make it feel inescapable, yet earned. Make players sit there, controller in hand, staring at the credits, feeling something real.
Final Thoughts: Make the Player Care, and They’ll Remember
A great open-world character arc isn’t about forcing a linear story onto an unpredictable player. It’s about shaping the world, the mechanics, and the consequences around the character so that every action feels like it matters.
Players won’t always remember the XP they earned. But they’ll remember the moment Arthur Morgan looked at the sunset, knowing his time was up.
That’s the kind of storytelling that stays with you.
Now go make ‘em feel it.
Voice Actor (for when Cumberbatch is busy) | Clients inc. Google, BMW & Warner Bros Interactive.
3 周All great points. An early mission in RDR2 that really demonstrates the power of CHARACTER choices is Exit Pursued by Bruised Ego, where you hunt a bear with Hosea. The genius touch being that if you successfully hunt the bear and claim the legendary pelt, you then encounter a woman trapped under a horse stranded in the middle of nowhere, and have to make a decision - sacrifice the pelt or her... you can't carry both. It doesn't transform the narrative of the game, but it immediately shapes the perception of character and brings consequences of actions to the fore. And THAT is the stuff I want to be playing and making!
Creative Director & Immersive Experience Designer (Ex Meow Wolf) · Playwright & Screenwriter · Creativity Guide · Keynote Speaker
3 周Fantastic! Thanks for sharing.
Video Game Writer/ Narrative Designer/ Video Game Researcher/ Gamer
4 周Wow, magnificent writing - it is inspiring. I like your game examples, witty headings and your thought-provoking ideas. Accentuates my current reading into game narrative, thank you! Have shared with my current project team.
Writer & Narrative Designer
4 周Loved this, David! Some great points. So many open-world games struggle to maintain intrigue throughout because they don't place sufficient focus on these strongly emotive moments. As you say, those are the events that live long in the memory when the credits roll. But the climax has to be earned or it lands flat.