Highlights

• New Game+ modes add replay value by offering new challenges in open-world games with retained upgrades and XP.
• The Witcher 3’s NG+ mode adjusts enemies to Geralt’s level and offers new loot and challenges, making it ideal.
• Yakuza 0 and Horizon Zero Dawn offer unique NG+ experiences with features such as Premium Adventure and NG+ loadout customization.

The problem with Open world games is that once the player has done everything, there isn’t much left to do in the world. Beat up more gangsters, run across more rooftops, maybe play a minigame or two to get the last few achievements or trophies. But that’s it. Players would have to start a new game to do it all over again.

That is, if the title does not offer a New Game+ modewhich allows them to replay the game with all their upgrades and XP. Then they can get through the previously tricky parts with ease or face new, more interesting challenges in the best New Game+ modes. Here are some of the best NG+ modes in open world games.

8 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

A new hunt with better prey

The Witcher 3: Wild HuntNG+ mode does something similar, as each of Geralt’s enemies levels up. When he’s at level 53, the basic henchmen are around level 50. Upon restarting, players also lose their books, crafting diagrams, some of their alchemy formulas, and their Gwent cards, aside from the basic Northern deck. Map exploration is also reset.

However, they retain their old XP, skills, gold, etc., so it won’t take players long to find everything again, plus a few bonuses. The tougher enemies drop more gold and better loot, like legendary armor that can outperform their old gear and make the higher difficulty a little easier. It’s perhaps the ideal NG+ mode, as it takes away enough to provide a fresh experience, while also giving enough extras to stand out.

7 0

Replay the game in style

The title says 0but almost all Yakuza/Like a Dragon Games offer a New Game+ mode. Some do it better than others, but with Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is probably the worst, as there is no scaling of enemies/items and it is locked as DLC. The older games, including 0, It was made available once the player won the game and allowed players to increase the difficulty level if they wanted a new challenge.

They also offer Premium Adventure Mode, which can only be unlocked by completing the game, but can be played fresh or with the player’s old data. It’s basically a free-roam mode where players can tackle side stories, mini-games, etc. without having to replay the story. Players can change outfits, change the time of day, and do whatever they need to do to 100% complete the game. So if players want to roam around Sotenbori with Majima in his pop star outfit, they can do that in Premium Adventure.

6 Horizon Zero Dawn

Immerse yourself in the world of the best weapons and outfits

Horizon Zero Dawn works a little differently than other New Game+ modes in that players can instead create an NG+ loadout. This allows the player, once they’ve completed multiple games, to choose a different save to draw their inventory and leveling abilities from. By default, one save or the other will be used, but players can change this if they want a different loadout.

Additionally, all early tutorial missions featuring Aloy as a child are skipped and start directly at The Spearhead. From there, players can use their new abilities to collect Machine Overrides, Bluegleam, collectibles, and more, as well as new Adept weapons and costumes. They’ll also receive new face paint and Focus Skin cosmetics, with different difficulty levels offering different unlocks.

5 Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey

Tougher opponents, easier grinding

The only disadvantage Assassin’s Creed: OdysseyIn New Game+ mode, players must first complete the base game to access it. Not that the regular game is bad; it’s just less of a hassle to replay the game in NG+ mode than it was the first time. In addition to the usual skills and XP gains, there are increased rewards for completing quests and defeating larger enemies.

This makes upgrading the player ship, the Adrestia, much easier as they earn more money and items than in the normal game. Also, getting the rare items needed to do so becomes a little easier as the player can sail to any island they want since they keep their level rather than hanging around on Kephalonia until they are strong enough to go to Megaris etc. The harder challenges are a fair price to pay for less grinding.

4 Ghost of Tsushima

Get new items and amulets by replaying

Ghost of Tsushima offers a similar boost, as all of Jin’s equipment gets an additional upgrade level to make it stronger. He also gets a new, NG+ exclusive horse to race and a new vendor. Baku the Voiceless is exclusive to NG+ and appears on the island in Lake Izuhara. He only takes Spirit Flowers as currency, which players will often collect in this mode anyway.

The merchant offers a wide variety of armor, armor dyes, hats and masks, as well as new spells and curses. Want to charm the Mongols’ dogs and use them against the enemy? Only Baku’s Dog Recruitment spell can do that. Her Distraction spell can help attack enemies with hornets and wind when they need to use Iron Will to restore some health. These are nice little things that can spice up a second playthrough.

3 Elden Ring

Offers multiple runs to obtain exclusive runes and items

Many New Game+ modes leave the difficulty unchanged even if the player is super strong with all their new upgrades, weapons, etc. Others increase the difficulty while adding additional rewards, as in Elden Ring. Based on its less open predecessors, Dark Souls games, players retain everything from their first playthrough and their enemies become stronger.

But when defeated, they offer the player more runes to surpass their level. Then, if they win the game again, they can replay it on NG++ and continue up to NG+9 and beyond. This can be useful for tricky side quests, as while the game resets their progress, players can tackle them at a higher level with more skills, talismans, and other equipment that can make the game more fluid.

2 Borderlands 2

The only way to become a real Vault Hunter

After Borderland Given the poor reception of the film, fans may want to go back to the classic games to see what they were like at their peak. In particular Borderlands 2the most popular entry in the series, and its True Vault Hunter mode. It’s basically an NG+ mode where the player advances to a higher difficulty level while retaining all of their old gear, levels, etc.

They’ll face tougher enemies, including more bad-ass variants and new enemies like the Psycho and Armored Maniac. They’ll also scale with the player’s level, so even lowly grunts will have more health and strength. However, they’ll be less resistant to their elemental weaknesses (and stronger to those they’re resistant to), and offer more loot and XP when defeated. For players who take the high risk, there’s a high reward.

1 Batman: Arkham City

The ultimate Batman faces the ultimate challenge

Every Arkham game from Batman: Arkham City onward features an NG+ mode where Batman can practically race through Gotham, as he has mastered all of his moves and gadgets by this point. Players can also use the additional Bat costumes without entering a cheat code. To compensate for this, NG+ mode is played in Hard mode. Enemies are faster, more aggressive, and have no counter icons above their heads when they want to attack.

The enemy lineup has also been changed, so that the Predator sections, for example, feature more armored enemies. Then Mr. Freeze has to pass virtually every unique takedown to win, testing players’ knowledge of every gadget and environmental advantage they can get. It’s a nice challenge for players who want to know the game inside and out.