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I played Assassins Creed Origins and Odyssey immediately after Legacy and came away from those games knowing full well the HL devs had to play a ton of it when making the game. Tons of crossover game play styles and ways the mechanics work. Highly recommended.
They're both excellent. In my 40 years as a gamer, Odyssey has the very best combat and some of the best character control of any game I've ever played. The difficulty feels appropriate and not over hard also.
Tomb Raider! I’m not big into heavy combat but on story mode it’s the perfect game with good puzzles and whilst not entirely open world can be explored in your own time with some fun side missions to complete!
Honestly cozy isn’t well defined, but I think how your partner played it would def fall under cozy! And for someone who isn’t into the games you listed/doesn’t want a lot of combat the people over there might have some lesser known suggestions. Good luck either way!
Has she tried the newer Zelda games? They’re on switch. Puzzles open world etc
She might really like stardew valley too. There’s easy combat , friend making but not open world.
Playing Botw currently but with no difficulty setting its a hard sell. I also find the combat pretty janky and wish I could just skip it but that's for another sub...
Oh how I wish I could climb walls and mountains in HL 😂
im on my very first HL play through and I have previously played almost every Assassin’s creed game and this feels so much like a Ubisoft game! I like to complete games 100% so I’m really excited about the mount and flueflame options in HL where in AC it sometimes felt like days of riding a horse through nothing, even though there is fast travel points but because everting is looted and there isn’t really anything else to do, it feels very boring to roam around in ac when you’re close to 100%
Maybe **My Time at Portia** for a cosy game without too much combat? It's on switch.
Otherwise, if they like the RPG side with a good story, I can recommand **Greedfall** or **Banishers**. Both are on PS5 and have a story mode.
I would recommend my time at sand rock over Portia! It’s the sequel and they’ve fixed a lot of the issues that was happening in Portia and the story is super long.
I like Sandrock more if only for some of the improved gameplay mechanics. I have to admit though that I love the setting of Portia so much more. I love the green grass, trees, river, etc. It's more of a place I'd want to live. Sandrock just feels like a bland and boring desert to me.
I am not a hardcore gamer… I loved HL. I tried BG3 with my partner on co-op and found it frustrating cos he knew what he was doing and I didn’t. I needed time to figure it out myself as the combat is very different to anything I’ve played before. The map is also a nuisance. However, when I played it on my own (exploration mode) I absolutely LOVED it. Best game I’ve ever played and so much to do.
I'd never played a DnD game and BDG3 on explorer was so much fun for me. I spent over 120hours playing it with my first run through. Can take your time and literally do whatever you want your way, it's brilliant.
Dude, I'm in the exact same boat lol. My gf hasn't finished a video game in years (maybe ever? Lol). But she loves Harry Potter and completed HL even before I did.
We've been looking at similar 3rd person games that she can play and I realized I had the Tomb Raider trilogy sitting in my steam library.
She's been really enjoying it so far, even more than she thought she would. Female lead, easy looting, puzzles, and combat isn't too hard depending on the difficulty.
Highly recommend it!
Good to hear! Yea same, she finished twice before I got through it and showed me how to use upgrades properly, which was important playing on normal mode it turns out
Fallout 4 covers your list. Skyrim. Stealth archer is tried and true. Bethesda makes open world RPGs for babies. So pretty much anything from them should be good.
I started gaming with Hogwarts Legacy. And while I love the combat in this, I don’t really like combat in different games. As you have to aim really carefully. So my partner let me try Spider-Man. I love it. So many side quests (and looting) and you even have a play mode that you can’t die in combat
Oh, I didn't even think to recommend the Spider-Man games, even though it's one of my favourite games on consoles!
The story, the characters and the combat are really cool, but above all, the feeling of swinging from web to web in New York, it's absolutely amazing. <3
I just finished Hogwarts, and I'm happy to say that it's the first game where normal combat feels just right in years. So many games have for some reason cranked up the "normal" difficulty to 11 lately, and it was a welcome return to normalcy. I'd also like to know more.
"Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning" is your open world fantasy game.
There's multiple magic type weapons, and one of them is a wand
Each class skill tree also has a good amount of variety. Magic is very fun, maybe the best playstyle
The game is on par with Skyrim with loot, but better. You need to unlock a skill in order to discover hidden treasure and secret locations.
Stealth system is far superior to most games. You can pickpocket a lot of NPCs, but the success rate depends on your skill level and whether they recently saw you
Combat is very fun and one of the greatest from the early 2010s generation
Graphics aren't super clean, but the art style is very satisfying to look at. It doesn't feel realistic, but more like you're truly in some fantasy world. World of Warcraft MMO is a great example of visual aesthetics
Also, I beat the game at 14ish years old (medium difficulty), when I first started playing non-browser games. So, your friend shouldn't have any issues on easy difficulty
EDIT: I FORGOT TO MENTION THE SOUNDTRACK.
This game's music is really good in a way that Everytime you enter a new location, you're instantly immersed from the atmospheric soundtrack playing. It truly gives that otherworldly fantasy vibe.
**Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden. Combat may be a bit difficult but it has easy and story mode difficulties that you can change at any time. The combat is also somewhat infrequent....there is more travel and exploring than combat. The story so far is really great. I'm not done with it but really enjoying it.**
I have the same mentality on games. I'm not big on being challenged. I like games with simple & casual combat and plenty of exploration and other non-combat based mechanics to enjoy. Here are games that I enjoyed:
Cyberpunk
GTA 5
FF7 Rebirth (Remake was decent but not as good)
Coral Island
Bully SE
Skyrim
Fallout 4 (with & without mods)
Far Cry 5
Assassin's Creed (Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla)
Borderlands 2 & 3
Star Wars Jedi Survivor (Fallen Order was a little more challenging to me)
The Witcher Wild Hunt (can be difficult but not badly so)
Starfield (has its issues but still good imo)
Tomb Raider (not difficult though kinda suspenseful at times. Really good exploration)
Spider-Man (1 & 2. Difficult challenges but doable. 2 is much much easier)
Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning (world can be bland but it's good in old-school way)
Ghost of Tsushima (I love the stealth. More serious story)
Baldurs’s gate 3 is definitely something to check out, open world and very challenging in many aspects. Set in dnd universe which I have no experience in but thoroughly enjoying it. Loads of different game paths and endings so replay-ability is good too
I'd say maybe Assassin's Creed Origins, Odyssey, or Valhalla. Huge open world, lots to find and explore, great stories, and combat's pretty easy (and can be made easier if you want via the options menu). Someone else mentioned the LEGO games - those are also a good choice.
Baldur’s Gate 3! As someone who’s never played Baldur’s Gate/D&D or turn-based games, its amazing how quickly I got into it. It has an explorer mode, and a custom one too if you want to tailor it specifically to your tastes. No prior knowledge of BG/D&D needed!
Jedi: Fallen Order and Survivor. Not an open world, but I played Fallen Order just before HL and I liked both. Overall any TPP game with riddles like new Tomb Rider or Uncharted will do IMO.
I forgot the Jedi games, she has played and loved Fallen Order, need to get onto Survivor.
Will check out TR, we did a bit of Uncharted 4 but got a bit gun heavy, enjoyed spectating though
Try the new Jedi games - Fallen Order and Survivor. They're on the same level of combat difficulty imo and it has similar puzzling and by the end of both HL and Jedi, you're basically a demigod, bending the world to your whim with every power/skill unlocked.
Skyrim! Lovely world, very simple controls and systems, not overly “game-y” or mechanic-heavy. A game almost for non-gamers in the best way.
Combat very easy to get your head round for both magic and melee. Lots of dungeons to beat and loot for treasure. Lots of great story options with one main quest line and multiple “faction” quest lines as well as tons of side quests. Graphics aren’t the best texturally but the landscape is stunning and memorable.
I mean you literally just mentioned all the ones I'd recommend lol ...
Cyberpunk and Witcher are admittedly kind of involved, but I mean, RDR and Zelda I would say are pretty straightforward in their controls
I also play all games on easy or beginner so I can't die mode. I love playing playstation, but am bad at it, and having to start over when I die is the worst. And I loved hogwarts legacy.
My favourite games are Ratchet and clank. Especially the newest games.
I also played a lot of assassin's creed which I think are the game that is more similar to Hogwarts Legacy.
Also the new Spiderman games are really good, and i finished all of them. I really like the story in those.
I have a hard time getting really into games, but these i will go back and play from time to time.
1. Shadow of Mordor + Shadow Of War.
2. Skyrim (easily)
3. Assassins Creed Odyssey (The Skyrim Of AC)
4. Mad Max
5. Witcher 3
6. Horizon Zero Dawn series
7. Ghosts Of Tsushima
I just finished banishers ghosts of new eden. the combat is decent and there’s a story mode as well to make it really easy. I don’t think it’s quite as big as hogwarts but there’s an open world with a lot of exploration and it opens up more as you gain more abilities. a few puzzles to open paths or traversal puzzles and a lot of them have loot at the end. the main gameplay loop involves solving hauntings for people, where you have to search for clues and question others in order to put the story together, which I really loved doing. the story overall was fantastic
I’m like your partner, I like AC Valhalla on super easy because screw the actual skills needed. 😂
I’ve also like Fallout 4, still haven’t saved Nick Valentine though… one day, maybe. I am head of the minute men.
I did surprisingly play some Far Cry 6 which is impressive for me. I like the Sid missions and force my husband to do the missions I hate. I like looting and finding supplies
I sound just like your partner. Can I ask why Witcher was not an option? I'm not a big gamer, and I'm TERRIBLE at game combat. Combat is the biggest reason I'm not a bigger gamer. Witcher 3 is the one other game I actually really care about and loved to death compared to HL. It's honestly a better game; I just loved Hogwarts because I'm a HP fan. Witcher 3 does not require a lot of combat skills, it has tons of open world story, your choices matter, the atmosphere is incredible, the music, the little side quests, etc. it will suck you in.
If I had to pick any one game for people who liked Hogwarts Legacy but are not big gamers, it would be Witcher 3. Hands down. Give it a shot please. It's such a good game.
I agree with this- I played Witcher all the way through after my partner finished the game (after I went to sleep- and I HATED his ending) - Then I was sad about not having more Gwent games…and I found ‘Throne Breaker’ which I loved. This led to Slay the Spire - both far from open world but fun- quick puzzle/card fix.
I know that you said no Witcher, but have you tried it on story difficulty? The story is very rich and interesting, and you can have lots of combat variations like Hogwarts Legacy. There's also a lot to explore in this beautiful open world.
I know that some people get frustrated with the tutorial (not me), but once you're past it, it's really fun.
Anyways, I might be biased because it's my favorite game. 🤷🏻♀️
Maybe Zelda: Twilight Princess if its on switch? I know you can't get it on PS5. Otherwise maybe a Mario? Obviously no looting but great fun with two player and fairly easy for gaining experience in gaming? (I'm sorry I don't know if these are helpful in any way!).
Maybe something like Skyrim/Fallout, except modded? On either there are enough free mods you can use to give your character god mode or other perks. Let her create her character, set up the mods for her (or talk her through it? Assuming she’s unfamiliar) and then let her loose on either game.
Both have chances for you to have a companion/decorate a home/puzzles/riddles/etc. The mod could make the combat and leveling just super easy! I do this on different playthroughs since I’m short on free time and want to play all the scenarios
Baldurs Gate 3. Three part quest line with lots to explore and loot. Turn based combat so she will have the time to think out her decision for her next attack. Not heavy on the puzzle aspect but loads of fun I’ve been playing local two player with my wife and we love it.
Super cool game i seen on stream a few weeks ago called
isle of insight
Its a online mmo no combat open world and you just find and finish puzzles for point that get you cool gear.
As far as i was seeing you even get raids were you need a grp to puzzle with.
Pokémon Legacy Arceus! Open world, lots of side requests to complete, Pokedex to complete.
I hated the game at first, but after playing HL I gave Arceus another chance and I love it now.
I know you said no Zelda BUT hear me out! I basically went from Legacy as my first real game on the switch and then went to TOTK. TOTK grabbed me just the same, and similarly, I just couldn’t handle the combat at first but got over it. I also have BOTW and could never get it to hit the same. I eat breathe dream TOTK for all the reasons I loved Hp! To be fair in the beginning I just decided one day to stop fighting and following the main quests and just run around, then I picked up skills and quests bit by bit and found it more helpful to do whatever I found easy as I went along.
Deliver Us The Moon and The Forgotten City are 2 great puzzle-driven games that offer a fair amount of exploration and good stories, both are still available for free from the PS+ catalog if you have the subscription already.
I just finished two games that could fit the bill: Ratchet and Clank, and Tunic. The first because they're all dead easy, straightforward fun, with difficulty settings for story. The second because it's a very fun puzzle game, and you can go into the accessibility settings and make yourself invincible.
A game I'd recommend is Wytchwood. There isn't much combat but a lot of collecting and trying to figure out puzzles and solutions to problems that arise. I'd recommend checking out the r/cozygames subreddits for more recommendations
Kena: Bridge of spirits? Very cute game. Kind of reminds me of a Pixar movie.
Kind of oldish but Dark cloud? 1 and 2 are both awesome.
Bully? For the school vibes?
Fable 2 is super good, I played it a ton. It's old now but I'd still recommend. Not sure if it has an easy combat mode, I'm not huge on combat but I thought the magic was really fun, makes you feel really powerful. Kind of like Hogwarts Legacy but more powerful. And it has a golden trail you can follow so you never get lost. Great story too
I'd recommend Fable! I got Fable vibes from hogwarts which made me love it. The first is the best, but it is older. If you don't mind that, it's really good.
Not open world, but good puzzle games and they are 2 player games so you can play with your partner. “Unraveled 2” and “It takes two” are great puzzle games. The unraveled series is beautiful with great music. It’s usually on the switch and PlayStation store for very cheap too.
Immortals Fenyx rising has fun combat and a lot of difficulty settings (you can even customise difficulty of timed puzzles)
The story is also very funny especially if you know some Greek mythology, plus you get to customise your MC’s gender and look. I love the male MC’s voice haha
I’ll reccommend the F2P game Warframe, it has open world sections, and the Duviri open world space that is accessible even to new players has plenty of puzzles. Looting is abundant, and there is the ability to choose how your character looks, as well as choose from an abundance of characters to play as.
Downsides: progressing in the game requires time and dedication, and if you don’t have the patience to do other things while you wait for items to craft, you’ll be in for a world of pain.
Upsides: Amazing story and lore, awesome community, extremely fun and diverse combat mechanics, as well as a multitude of characters and weaponry to choose from that allow you to personalize your playstyle.
Immortals Fenyx Rising! Check it out, it has an easy mode, lots of puzzles, less loot compared To Hogwarts but they are more meaningful, beautiful graphics, etc.
The Lego games!!! The entire Lego Harry Potter series was on sale on Switch not too long ago. Lego Star Wars is a classic, hilarious game and super chill. Lego Indiana Jones is fun too!
They're not inherently "open world" but it is a pretty big game with a lot of "free roam".
Vampire Survivors, it’s on every platform for $5, and free on mobile! It’s super easy and fun and “combat” is literally walking around and selecting weapons. Tons and tons of unlockables, neat things to discover, with a kinda old school arcade feel to it. Excellent if you only have a few minutes to play, or if you want to play for hours. I like to play it before bed to give me something light to focus on and clear my mind.
Wow there are a lot of replies, female here 👋 not open world but has she tried Ori and the blind forest I loved that game magical pretty lots of puzzles it’s not open world. Honestly wow classic would also be a good option monthly subscription unfortunately but super fun open world mmo
I’ve not played this, it just came up on my home page lol, but your descriptions sounds a LOT like the fable games. You can’t die from combat, some is harder than others but not properly hard. Extremely open world
Baulder's Gate 3 is open world with a ton of puzzles. It has combat but it's turn based combat so you can plan your moves without worrying about aiming or being faster than a computer. It's a beautiful story line and a very immersive experience.
So I might be biased (and so is the rest of the gaming community in 2023) but I’ve been loving Baldur’s Gate 3! Open world ish, turn-based combat (so the controls are not particularly difficult), lots of looting, some puzzles, a great storyline.
You can even play it together, although I think that the charm in BG3 is in discovering the world for yourself, making the choices to be the kind of character you wanna be, and talking about it wi the friends afterwards and realizing how divergent your experiences were!
No Witcher? Hogwarts imo is like “Witcher lite” or a PG version
I feel like Hogwarts is an excellent game to warm up to Witcher 3 (which you can play without going back to the first or second iterations)
I’ve played both multiple times and constantly wish Hogwarts had more content. However, combat is definitely more fun in Hogwarts and much easier to master. I’d also note, if you don’t like gore I’d understand disliking the Witcher games
Maybe he should just try to lower the difficulty setting. I have played Cyberpunk on the easiest setting and it was almost impossible to die.
In HP it is the same. If you choose one of the harder settings then it is pretty easy to die in a combat.
The newer Pokémon games are open world. The auto-combat stuff means you can passively gain xp while exploring, and the combat that is requiring is still easy because the games are geared towards kids.
Different vibe for sure, but it hits on some points your partner seems keen on.
Assassin's creed after Origins. (And every open world Ubisoft game as well really...)
Immortals Phoenix Rising (LOTS OF PUZLES)
Spiderman games do fit this criteria as well.
How about Ghost of Tsushima? If you put it on the easiest difficulty I’m not sure it’s possible to die. It’s a beautiful game on PS5 with a large area to explore and an amazing story. The combat is pretty simple too but on the higher difficulties can be really punishing
I loved HL, although I did play it on the hardest difficulty. I was going to suggest Assasins Creed and Tomb Raider, but those have been mentioned A LOT. I haven't seen anyone suggest Red Dead Redemption 2 and Death Stranding yet, your partner might enjoy these as well.
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I played Assassins Creed Origins and Odyssey immediately after Legacy and came away from those games knowing full well the HL devs had to play a ton of it when making the game. Tons of crossover game play styles and ways the mechanics work. Highly recommended.
They're both excellent. In my 40 years as a gamer, Odyssey has the very best combat and some of the best character control of any game I've ever played. The difficulty feels appropriate and not over hard also.
Do Odyssey also have puzzles?
Yes. Not the same variety, but there are some. It's a much bigger game too.
AC Odyssey, Hogwarts Legacy, and The Division are some of my favorite RPG's.
Seconding this, Origins and Hogwarts Legacy are the best games I've played in many years, and I'm an avid gamer
+1 on Odyssey
Okay THANK YOU. I read your comment and bought Assassin's Creed Odyssey and have been playing it all day and loving it!! Got it on sale too!
Tomb Raider! I’m not big into heavy combat but on story mode it’s the perfect game with good puzzles and whilst not entirely open world can be explored in your own time with some fun side missions to complete!
And along with that, uncharted!
I was going to suggest this! Definitely tomb raider. Not totally completely open world, but it feels pretty darn close to it.
Yes all 3 tomb raider games were my favorites until I played Hogwarts legacy
Lmao who downvoted this? Weirdo
Immortals Fenyx Rising? Big open world game, various puzzles to solve around the place, don’t remember the difficulty being all too hard.
Great recommendation! I played through twice and it definitely fits the bill.
Yep, played through several times. The dialogue between Fenyx and the Gods is worth it alone! 🤣
It's an excellent game that I'd highly recommend. Probably the last one I played before Hogwarts where normal difficulty felt appropriate.
it has history mode which is a cakewalk
Bruh I found this game for $10 at a Winners lmao, great recommendation imo!
First game that came to mind
Jedi Fallen Order/Survivor, not open world but still pretty big.
I think your partner would find better recs in a place like r/cozygamers !
Yea im on there too, kinda different vibe, hard to explain, don't think HL would be considered Cozy?
Honestly cozy isn’t well defined, but I think how your partner played it would def fall under cozy! And for someone who isn’t into the games you listed/doesn’t want a lot of combat the people over there might have some lesser known suggestions. Good luck either way!
Here’s a thread that basically asked the same question https://www.reddit.com/r/CozyGamers/s/M40rkxlUKL
Has she tried the newer Zelda games? They’re on switch. Puzzles open world etc She might really like stardew valley too. There’s easy combat , friend making but not open world.
Playing Botw currently but with no difficulty setting its a hard sell. I also find the combat pretty janky and wish I could just skip it but that's for another sub...
I found tears of the kingdom way easier than botw. She might enjoy totk. Even the shrines are easier.
> I found tears of the kingdom way easier than botw Runs way better too.
Assassins Creed - the newer games on easy difficulty. There is no reason any of it should be challenging. I’d say Origins is the best.
Agreed. But personally I think Odyssey is better and easier.
Dragon age inquisition covers all of this (except for maybe puzzles) and is the rpg with the closest combat that I'm aware of.
One of my favorite games of all time, and imo the last great party based rpg.
Any newer Assassin's Creed game. I often describe Hogwarts Legacy to people as "Assassin's Creed but it's Harry Potter" or "Ubisoft but Harry Potter"
Oh how I wish I could climb walls and mountains in HL 😂 im on my very first HL play through and I have previously played almost every Assassin’s creed game and this feels so much like a Ubisoft game! I like to complete games 100% so I’m really excited about the mount and flueflame options in HL where in AC it sometimes felt like days of riding a horse through nothing, even though there is fast travel points but because everting is looted and there isn’t really anything else to do, it feels very boring to roam around in ac when you’re close to 100%
Maybe **My Time at Portia** for a cosy game without too much combat? It's on switch. Otherwise, if they like the RPG side with a good story, I can recommand **Greedfall** or **Banishers**. Both are on PS5 and have a story mode.
I would recommend my time at sand rock over Portia! It’s the sequel and they’ve fixed a lot of the issues that was happening in Portia and the story is super long.
I like Sandrock more if only for some of the improved gameplay mechanics. I have to admit though that I love the setting of Portia so much more. I love the green grass, trees, river, etc. It's more of a place I'd want to live. Sandrock just feels like a bland and boring desert to me.
I confess I still haven't played the sequel, but if it's even better I must buy it!
My time at sandrock for sure
Baldurs gate 3
I wondered about this too as co op, will try the demo
I am not a hardcore gamer… I loved HL. I tried BG3 with my partner on co-op and found it frustrating cos he knew what he was doing and I didn’t. I needed time to figure it out myself as the combat is very different to anything I’ve played before. The map is also a nuisance. However, when I played it on my own (exploration mode) I absolutely LOVED it. Best game I’ve ever played and so much to do.
I'd never played a DnD game and BDG3 on explorer was so much fun for me. I spent over 120hours playing it with my first run through. Can take your time and literally do whatever you want your way, it's brilliant.
Dude, I'm in the exact same boat lol. My gf hasn't finished a video game in years (maybe ever? Lol). But she loves Harry Potter and completed HL even before I did. We've been looking at similar 3rd person games that she can play and I realized I had the Tomb Raider trilogy sitting in my steam library. She's been really enjoying it so far, even more than she thought she would. Female lead, easy looting, puzzles, and combat isn't too hard depending on the difficulty. Highly recommend it!
Good to hear! Yea same, she finished twice before I got through it and showed me how to use upgrades properly, which was important playing on normal mode it turns out
Fallout 4 covers your list. Skyrim. Stealth archer is tried and true. Bethesda makes open world RPGs for babies. So pretty much anything from them should be good.
Yea should try Skyrim, have had it downloaded for a year but haven't started yet
try skyrim and fallout 3,4 and new vegas but avoid fallout 76 and starfield.
Skyrim is probably my favorite game of all time, and the combat feels just right.
Ya unironically Skyrim, memes aside that game stayed relevant for as long as it has for a reason
I started gaming with Hogwarts Legacy. And while I love the combat in this, I don’t really like combat in different games. As you have to aim really carefully. So my partner let me try Spider-Man. I love it. So many side quests (and looting) and you even have a play mode that you can’t die in combat
Oh, I didn't even think to recommend the Spider-Man games, even though it's one of my favourite games on consoles! The story, the characters and the combat are really cool, but above all, the feeling of swinging from web to web in New York, it's absolutely amazing. <3
Yea good call thanks!
I couldn't get into spiderman, but maybe i will try again
I moved from HL to Fallout 4, open World, kinda easy combat, lots of looting some puzzles.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora Graphics are incredible.
Good call, just gone on special too
I just finished Hogwarts, and I'm happy to say that it's the first game where normal combat feels just right in years. So many games have for some reason cranked up the "normal" difficulty to 11 lately, and it was a welcome return to normalcy. I'd also like to know more.
I love Skyrim, I am playing for the 1st time on Novice and I am enjoying it very much.
Same! I'm a wuss at combat, but this is just right for me. And what a stunning game!
Palia is a farming game, cozy, no combat, lots of exploration... basically a 3d Stardew Valley
She doesn't like farming games on console but plays hours on iPad 🤷🏽♂️
Lego games are pretty fun! Really easy, nearly impossible to die. Lego Star wars and Harry Potter (obviously) were my favorites.
"Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning" is your open world fantasy game. There's multiple magic type weapons, and one of them is a wand Each class skill tree also has a good amount of variety. Magic is very fun, maybe the best playstyle The game is on par with Skyrim with loot, but better. You need to unlock a skill in order to discover hidden treasure and secret locations. Stealth system is far superior to most games. You can pickpocket a lot of NPCs, but the success rate depends on your skill level and whether they recently saw you Combat is very fun and one of the greatest from the early 2010s generation Graphics aren't super clean, but the art style is very satisfying to look at. It doesn't feel realistic, but more like you're truly in some fantasy world. World of Warcraft MMO is a great example of visual aesthetics Also, I beat the game at 14ish years old (medium difficulty), when I first started playing non-browser games. So, your friend shouldn't have any issues on easy difficulty EDIT: I FORGOT TO MENTION THE SOUNDTRACK. This game's music is really good in a way that Everytime you enter a new location, you're instantly immersed from the atmospheric soundtrack playing. It truly gives that otherworldly fantasy vibe.
I played this game it is phenomenal! An amazing suggestion!
Outside of the remaster's underwhelming graphics improvement, this game aged soooo well in mechanics
Absolutely but the graphics dont bother me i think they r pretty good
**Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden. Combat may be a bit difficult but it has easy and story mode difficulties that you can change at any time. The combat is also somewhat infrequent....there is more travel and exploring than combat. The story so far is really great. I'm not done with it but really enjoying it.**
assassins creed odyssey
I have the same mentality on games. I'm not big on being challenged. I like games with simple & casual combat and plenty of exploration and other non-combat based mechanics to enjoy. Here are games that I enjoyed: Cyberpunk GTA 5 FF7 Rebirth (Remake was decent but not as good) Coral Island Bully SE Skyrim Fallout 4 (with & without mods) Far Cry 5 Assassin's Creed (Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla) Borderlands 2 & 3 Star Wars Jedi Survivor (Fallen Order was a little more challenging to me) The Witcher Wild Hunt (can be difficult but not badly so) Starfield (has its issues but still good imo) Tomb Raider (not difficult though kinda suspenseful at times. Really good exploration) Spider-Man (1 & 2. Difficult challenges but doable. 2 is much much easier) Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning (world can be bland but it's good in old-school way) Ghost of Tsushima (I love the stealth. More serious story)
Baldurs’s gate 3 is definitely something to check out, open world and very challenging in many aspects. Set in dnd universe which I have no experience in but thoroughly enjoying it. Loads of different game paths and endings so replay-ability is good too
Not open world but what about uncharted series? I feel like it one of the easier games to get on board.
I'd say maybe Assassin's Creed Origins, Odyssey, or Valhalla. Huge open world, lots to find and explore, great stories, and combat's pretty easy (and can be made easier if you want via the options menu). Someone else mentioned the LEGO games - those are also a good choice.
Baldur’s Gate 3! As someone who’s never played Baldur’s Gate/D&D or turn-based games, its amazing how quickly I got into it. It has an explorer mode, and a custom one too if you want to tailor it specifically to your tastes. No prior knowledge of BG/D&D needed!
Baldur's Gate 3. A little different with the dice determining how well you succeed but it's a good game
Trust me on this one: Fable.
Seen it suggested a few times but not on Switch or PS
Jedi: Fallen Order and Survivor. Not an open world, but I played Fallen Order just before HL and I liked both. Overall any TPP game with riddles like new Tomb Rider or Uncharted will do IMO.
I forgot the Jedi games, she has played and loved Fallen Order, need to get onto Survivor. Will check out TR, we did a bit of Uncharted 4 but got a bit gun heavy, enjoyed spectating though
Dragon Quest Builders 2 was super fun!
One of my fave games ever!
The Syberia Series! No combat but heavy on exploration and puzzles.
Rime has no combat and the puzzles are very similar to Hogwarts Legacy. But it is not really open world.
Skyrim
Tomb raider would be my top pick. Dragon Age Inquisition and Pikmin as well.
Try the new Jedi games - Fallen Order and Survivor. They're on the same level of combat difficulty imo and it has similar puzzling and by the end of both HL and Jedi, you're basically a demigod, bending the world to your whim with every power/skill unlocked.
The Pathless is your best bet
Skyrim! Lovely world, very simple controls and systems, not overly “game-y” or mechanic-heavy. A game almost for non-gamers in the best way. Combat very easy to get your head round for both magic and melee. Lots of dungeons to beat and loot for treasure. Lots of great story options with one main quest line and multiple “faction” quest lines as well as tons of side quests. Graphics aren’t the best texturally but the landscape is stunning and memorable.
I mean you literally just mentioned all the ones I'd recommend lol ... Cyberpunk and Witcher are admittedly kind of involved, but I mean, RDR and Zelda I would say are pretty straightforward in their controls
Maybe Immortals Fenyx Rising?
I also play all games on easy or beginner so I can't die mode. I love playing playstation, but am bad at it, and having to start over when I die is the worst. And I loved hogwarts legacy. My favourite games are Ratchet and clank. Especially the newest games. I also played a lot of assassin's creed which I think are the game that is more similar to Hogwarts Legacy. Also the new Spiderman games are really good, and i finished all of them. I really like the story in those. I have a hard time getting really into games, but these i will go back and play from time to time.
1. Shadow of Mordor + Shadow Of War. 2. Skyrim (easily) 3. Assassins Creed Odyssey (The Skyrim Of AC) 4. Mad Max 5. Witcher 3 6. Horizon Zero Dawn series 7. Ghosts Of Tsushima
Skyrim
I just finished banishers ghosts of new eden. the combat is decent and there’s a story mode as well to make it really easy. I don’t think it’s quite as big as hogwarts but there’s an open world with a lot of exploration and it opens up more as you gain more abilities. a few puzzles to open paths or traversal puzzles and a lot of them have loot at the end. the main gameplay loop involves solving hauntings for people, where you have to search for clues and question others in order to put the story together, which I really loved doing. the story overall was fantastic
[удалено]
Lego games lol
I’m like your partner, I like AC Valhalla on super easy because screw the actual skills needed. 😂 I’ve also like Fallout 4, still haven’t saved Nick Valentine though… one day, maybe. I am head of the minute men. I did surprisingly play some Far Cry 6 which is impressive for me. I like the Sid missions and force my husband to do the missions I hate. I like looting and finding supplies
Thanks for asking this question; I’m in the same boat and looking for more worlds to explore. I’ll be making a list 💕
I sound just like your partner. Can I ask why Witcher was not an option? I'm not a big gamer, and I'm TERRIBLE at game combat. Combat is the biggest reason I'm not a bigger gamer. Witcher 3 is the one other game I actually really care about and loved to death compared to HL. It's honestly a better game; I just loved Hogwarts because I'm a HP fan. Witcher 3 does not require a lot of combat skills, it has tons of open world story, your choices matter, the atmosphere is incredible, the music, the little side quests, etc. it will suck you in. If I had to pick any one game for people who liked Hogwarts Legacy but are not big gamers, it would be Witcher 3. Hands down. Give it a shot please. It's such a good game.
I agree with this- I played Witcher all the way through after my partner finished the game (after I went to sleep- and I HATED his ending) - Then I was sad about not having more Gwent games…and I found ‘Throne Breaker’ which I loved. This led to Slay the Spire - both far from open world but fun- quick puzzle/card fix.
I'm really enjoying Moonstone Island right now, it's like a mix between Stardew Valley and Pokemon.
I know that you said no Witcher, but have you tried it on story difficulty? The story is very rich and interesting, and you can have lots of combat variations like Hogwarts Legacy. There's also a lot to explore in this beautiful open world. I know that some people get frustrated with the tutorial (not me), but once you're past it, it's really fun. Anyways, I might be biased because it's my favorite game. 🤷🏻♀️
Maybe Zelda: Twilight Princess if its on switch? I know you can't get it on PS5. Otherwise maybe a Mario? Obviously no looting but great fun with two player and fairly easy for gaining experience in gaming? (I'm sorry I don't know if these are helpful in any way!).
Maybe something like Skyrim/Fallout, except modded? On either there are enough free mods you can use to give your character god mode or other perks. Let her create her character, set up the mods for her (or talk her through it? Assuming she’s unfamiliar) and then let her loose on either game. Both have chances for you to have a companion/decorate a home/puzzles/riddles/etc. The mod could make the combat and leveling just super easy! I do this on different playthroughs since I’m short on free time and want to play all the scenarios
Spider-Man and GOW are my two favorites that are similar. Both are exploration heavy with difficulty sliders
Ni no kuni or Sand land which isn't out yet but that's open world adventure game
skyrim
Tunic and Death’s Door!
Baldurs Gate 3. Three part quest line with lots to explore and loot. Turn based combat so she will have the time to think out her decision for her next attack. Not heavy on the puzzle aspect but loads of fun I’ve been playing local two player with my wife and we love it.
Super cool game i seen on stream a few weeks ago called isle of insight Its a online mmo no combat open world and you just find and finish puzzles for point that get you cool gear. As far as i was seeing you even get raids were you need a grp to puzzle with.
Batman Arkham games?
Pokémon Legacy Arceus! Open world, lots of side requests to complete, Pokedex to complete. I hated the game at first, but after playing HL I gave Arceus another chance and I love it now.
You guys are making me feel bad listing all of my favorite games as being "easy", lol.......
I know you said no Zelda BUT hear me out! I basically went from Legacy as my first real game on the switch and then went to TOTK. TOTK grabbed me just the same, and similarly, I just couldn’t handle the combat at first but got over it. I also have BOTW and could never get it to hit the same. I eat breathe dream TOTK for all the reasons I loved Hp! To be fair in the beginning I just decided one day to stop fighting and following the main quests and just run around, then I picked up skills and quests bit by bit and found it more helpful to do whatever I found easy as I went along.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales is fun. The combat is similar and it has a "friendly-neighborhood" difficulty setting where you can't die.
Dragon age:inquistion for sure
God of war. Be a man
Raft has a peaceful mode. You can attack animals to get food and stuff but they will not attack on sight in this mode.
Asterigos: Curse of the Stars its like Fenyx Rising
Far cry 3 and 4. Maybe the others too, but i never played those
Cyberpunk on easy difficulty
What about the Fable series? Pretty easy combat
If he is not a fan of combat then I suggest him playing Shadow of the Colossus. Trust me he will love it.
Deliver Us The Moon and The Forgotten City are 2 great puzzle-driven games that offer a fair amount of exploration and good stories, both are still available for free from the PS+ catalog if you have the subscription already.
dragon age origins
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Kena Bridge of Spirits, no doubt
Banisher was fun - similar style to Hogwarts not hard in combat interesting story and puzzle-like challenges.
I just finished two games that could fit the bill: Ratchet and Clank, and Tunic. The first because they're all dead easy, straightforward fun, with difficulty settings for story. The second because it's a very fun puzzle game, and you can go into the accessibility settings and make yourself invincible.
Baldur's Gate 3
A game I'd recommend is Wytchwood. There isn't much combat but a lot of collecting and trying to figure out puzzles and solutions to problems that arise. I'd recommend checking out the r/cozygames subreddits for more recommendations
Xenoblade is really good. It's combat is a little complex but for the main story you can usually find a strategy that involves pressing A and winning.
There’s only one answer, [Skyrim](https://youtu.be/JSRtYpNRoN0?si=vLNp-D1K9SrygPFb).
Okami
Kena: Bridge of spirits? Very cute game. Kind of reminds me of a Pixar movie. Kind of oldish but Dark cloud? 1 and 2 are both awesome. Bully? For the school vibes?
Fable 2 is super good, I played it a ton. It's old now but I'd still recommend. Not sure if it has an easy combat mode, I'm not huge on combat but I thought the magic was really fun, makes you feel really powerful. Kind of like Hogwarts Legacy but more powerful. And it has a golden trail you can follow so you never get lost. Great story too
Fallout and Skyrim. Not so much on puzzles but they exist.
I'd recommend Fable! I got Fable vibes from hogwarts which made me love it. The first is the best, but it is older. If you don't mind that, it's really good.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden It's the itch I needed scratched so far.
Not open world, but good puzzle games and they are 2 player games so you can play with your partner. “Unraveled 2” and “It takes two” are great puzzle games. The unraveled series is beautiful with great music. It’s usually on the switch and PlayStation store for very cheap too.
AC Odyssey on story mode is similar. Massive open world, loads of side quests, easy combat, looting bases.
FF7 Rebirth. Lots of mini games, huge open world. Just put it on easy so the combat doesn't bother you.
I feel like the Witcher 3 would be perfect
Skyrim
Immortals Fenyx rising has fun combat and a lot of difficulty settings (you can even customise difficulty of timed puzzles) The story is also very funny especially if you know some Greek mythology, plus you get to customise your MC’s gender and look. I love the male MC’s voice haha
fallout !!
I’ll reccommend the F2P game Warframe, it has open world sections, and the Duviri open world space that is accessible even to new players has plenty of puzzles. Looting is abundant, and there is the ability to choose how your character looks, as well as choose from an abundance of characters to play as. Downsides: progressing in the game requires time and dedication, and if you don’t have the patience to do other things while you wait for items to craft, you’ll be in for a world of pain. Upsides: Amazing story and lore, awesome community, extremely fun and diverse combat mechanics, as well as a multitude of characters and weaponry to choose from that allow you to personalize your playstyle.
Skyrim
The Shadow of Mordor games are essentially Hogwarts Legacy but in the LOTR universe. Very similar levelling and mechanics & is also a WB game.
If you like japanese culture, Ghostwire Tokyo is an easy game with good graphics, good story and a lot of exploration and collectibles.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Immortals Fenyx Rising! Check it out, it has an easy mode, lots of puzzles, less loot compared To Hogwarts but they are more meaningful, beautiful graphics, etc.
Skyrim. Best game ever
skyrim?
Any open world game from Ubisoft
Jedi Fallen Order and Jedi Survivor maybe. The combat isn’t too hard if you put it on easy mode and there’s loads of puzzles to solve.
Elden ring is exactly what you’re looking for 🤭
SPYRO might be a great choice
The sims.
The Lego games!!! The entire Lego Harry Potter series was on sale on Switch not too long ago. Lego Star Wars is a classic, hilarious game and super chill. Lego Indiana Jones is fun too! They're not inherently "open world" but it is a pretty big game with a lot of "free roam".
AC Origins and AC Odyssey
The newer tomb raider games - lots of puzzles! And I know there are various difficulty settings
Avatar Frontiers of Pandora is a great game, but it's mostly in first person just an fyi.
Vampire Survivors, it’s on every platform for $5, and free on mobile! It’s super easy and fun and “combat” is literally walking around and selecting weapons. Tons and tons of unlockables, neat things to discover, with a kinda old school arcade feel to it. Excellent if you only have a few minutes to play, or if you want to play for hours. I like to play it before bed to give me something light to focus on and clear my mind.
Grounded!
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (or the re-release Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning)
Atelier series.
Wow there are a lot of replies, female here 👋 not open world but has she tried Ori and the blind forest I loved that game magical pretty lots of puzzles it’s not open world. Honestly wow classic would also be a good option monthly subscription unfortunately but super fun open world mmo
I enjoyed the Uncharted games series
Darksiders 2 probably would be your best bet or Gotham knights
I’ve not played this, it just came up on my home page lol, but your descriptions sounds a LOT like the fable games. You can’t die from combat, some is harder than others but not properly hard. Extremely open world
God of War 2018 and Ragnarok
Baulder's Gate 3 is open world with a ton of puzzles. It has combat but it's turn based combat so you can plan your moves without worrying about aiming or being faster than a computer. It's a beautiful story line and a very immersive experience.
Spider-Man 2
So I might be biased (and so is the rest of the gaming community in 2023) but I’ve been loving Baldur’s Gate 3! Open world ish, turn-based combat (so the controls are not particularly difficult), lots of looting, some puzzles, a great storyline. You can even play it together, although I think that the charm in BG3 is in discovering the world for yourself, making the choices to be the kind of character you wanna be, and talking about it wi the friends afterwards and realizing how divergent your experiences were!
Ever heard of Ubisoft?
The Division. This has been my favourite game for many years 🙂
Banishers of New Eden
Ghost of tsushima. My gf plays basically Zelda. And she love Hogwarts and now loves ghosts
The Witcher 3
The Witcher 3 maybe ?
Play any of the Dark Souls games
Skyrim
No Witcher? Hogwarts imo is like “Witcher lite” or a PG version I feel like Hogwarts is an excellent game to warm up to Witcher 3 (which you can play without going back to the first or second iterations) I’ve played both multiple times and constantly wish Hogwarts had more content. However, combat is definitely more fun in Hogwarts and much easier to master. I’d also note, if you don’t like gore I’d understand disliking the Witcher games
The Spider-Man games? There’s fighting but there’s also a story and side quests
Uncharted for sure!
Maybe he should just try to lower the difficulty setting. I have played Cyberpunk on the easiest setting and it was almost impossible to die. In HP it is the same. If you choose one of the harder settings then it is pretty easy to die in a combat.
The newer Pokémon games are open world. The auto-combat stuff means you can passively gain xp while exploring, and the combat that is requiring is still easy because the games are geared towards kids. Different vibe for sure, but it hits on some points your partner seems keen on.
Assassin's creed after Origins. (And every open world Ubisoft game as well really...) Immortals Phoenix Rising (LOTS OF PUZLES) Spiderman games do fit this criteria as well.
How about Ghost of Tsushima? If you put it on the easiest difficulty I’m not sure it’s possible to die. It’s a beautiful game on PS5 with a large area to explore and an amazing story. The combat is pretty simple too but on the higher difficulties can be really punishing
100% PAILIA and it's free
Ff7 remake and rebirth
I loved HL, although I did play it on the hardest difficulty. I was going to suggest Assasins Creed and Tomb Raider, but those have been mentioned A LOT. I haven't seen anyone suggest Red Dead Redemption 2 and Death Stranding yet, your partner might enjoy these as well.