Summary
Open-world games have increasingly become the norm over the past decade or so, with games likeThe Elder Scrolls 5: SkyrimandRed Dead Redemption 2helping to show how engaging expansive exploration can be.At the same time, a lot of open-world titles end up falling prey to repetitive design elements and lackluster environments. When an open-world game does click, it’s because it rises above these pitfalls with consistent creativity and a meaningful world to explore.
Although RPGs are particularly common among the greatest open-world games, they certainly aren’t the only option, with action-adventure titles and more proving viable contenders.All of these games would be great even if they offered less freedom and content, but the fact that they’re bursting at the seams with things to do helps them rise to the top.
10 Best Co-Op Games, Ranked
There have been a lot of great co-op games over the years, and the best of the best cover a wide variety of genres while maintaining the fun.
10Xenoblade Chronicles 3
An Expansive JRPG
TheXenoblade Chroniclesseries has always pushed boundaries with huge worlds to explore, starting with the absurdly impressive showing that the first game made on the Wii.Xenoblade Chronicles 3might be the most show-stopping yet, with an enormous map full of gorgeous vistas and varied terrain. It isn’t the biggest in the series, an honor that still belongs toXenoblade Chronicles X, but it feels like the most complete package overall.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3follows the series tradition of marrying philosophical concepts with familiar Japanese RPG narrative elements, and how appealing that package sounds will definitely define how enjoyable the game is. For anyone who loves that sort of thing,Xenoblade Chronicles 3packs in engaging combat, excellent music, and a lengthy adventure. Whether it’s the best game to ever bear theXenotag is a hard question to answer, but as far as open worlds go, this one’s hard to beat.
9Horizon Forbidden West
Refines The Formula
TheHorizongames didn’t reinvent the open-world wheel, building off the basic formula popularized by Ubisoft games likeFar CryandAssassin’s Creed.They did hone it into something that stands out, however, andHorizon Forbidden Westmight be the best game of its sort. A post-apocalyptic future where machines roam like wild animals makes for a unique setting, and the protagonist, Aloy, is an engaging character with plenty to do and discover throughout the course of her journey.
Horizon Forbidden Westis also a technical showcase of the highest order, and it’s easy to spend hours in its photo mode capturing the stunning detail of its world. It might not be the best place to start Aloy’s story, soplayingHorizon Zero Dawnfirstis definitely the way to go, but it’s a sequel that improves on many of the first game’s strengths.
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores Review - Unprecedented Machine Mayhem
Burning Shores is a monumental chapter in Aloy’s journey and an incredible follow-up to Horizon Forbidden West, even if its story is a bit rushed.
8Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
Sandbox Stealth
TheMetal Gear Solidseries is iconic for a reason, and the massive open-world finale ofMetal Gear Solid 5:The Phantom Painis no exception. The game might not feature as tight of a story as other entries in the series, but it more than makes up for it with endlessly engaging gameplay opportunities. Stealth can often be at its best in tight corridors with linear design, butThe Phantom Painproves that a stealth-oriented sandbox can be an incredible alternative.
The open world ofThe Phantom Painisn’t the most impressive ever created, and a lot of it basically comes down to outposts strewn across a desert environment. What keeps it from ever feeling stale is how much ingenuity can be put into progressing across that landscape, and deciding to experiment with the tools at hand is almost always rewarding.
7The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
Defines Open-World Gaming
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimmight be the ultimate mascot of open-world games, releasing to enormous popularity in 2011 that’s been sustained across years of ports and re-releases. All this time later, it’s still easy to see why it made such a splash.An interesting fantasy world is filled to the brim with memorable side quests and characters, and although it might not be quite as richly complex asThe Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind, the streamlining of the formula only enhances its broad appeal.
What really elevatesSkyrimis itsvast world of modding, with a community that’s constantly coming up with new add-ons and changes for the game. It’s possible to playSkyrimover and over and never get bored thanks to these options, and it’s unlikely that the well will dry up anytime soon.
6The Witcher 3
A Carefully Crafted RPG
LikeSkyrim,The Witcher 3is a vast, open-world fantasy RPG, but it’s also a very different game in ways that matter.The Witcherfocuses on a more intimate, character-driven story that picks up after the events of both Andrzej Sapkowski’s book series and the two previous video games, telling the tale of Geralt of Rivia as he slays monsters and navigates a complex world of politics and schemes that he’d rather stay out of.
Among open-world games,The Witcher 3stands out thanks to its surplus of bespoke content, with locations, quests, and challenges that consistently feel unique and exciting. Years later, it also remains a gorgeous game, with a saturated world that has just enough style to stand out and just enough realism to convey the gritty and grounded aspects of a setting that isn’t always as fantastical as it might seem.
5Fallout: New Vegas
Tells A Great Open-World Story
Fallout: New Vegaswas well-received upon its release, but it wasn’t immediately heralded as one of the greatest open-world games of all time, with poor performance and bugs that resulted from a rushed development distracting from its strong points. Time has been kind toNew Vegas, however, and the excellence of its storytelling is now more commonly recognized than its faults.
Published by Bethesda but developed by Obsidian Entertainment,Fallout: New Vegasis the perfect blend of systems set in place byFallout 3with the rich identity of the original isometricFalloutgames. If excellent dialogue, meaningful choices, and fascinating factions sound like the best way to fill out an open world, it’s hard to do any better thanFallout: New Vegas, and there’s a reason why it remains a common favorite in the series today.
New Vegas Or Fallout 4: Which Fallout Is Best For You & Why
Fallout 4 and New Vegas provide two very different RPG experiences, with both titles excelling in different areas like roleplaying and graphics.
4Grand Theft Auto 5
A Bit Of Everything
TheGrand Theft Autoseries has been a big part of pushing open-world design forward sinceGTA 3rocked the market in 2001, andGrand Theft Auto 5might be the most impressive open-world experience that the franchise has yet offered.The unbridled nature ofGTAmakes for an incredible amount of potential mission diversity, andGTA 5fully capitalizes on that with a lengthy campaign and plenty to do on the side.
GTA 5’s sense of variety is heightened by the use of three protagonists, all of whom have very different personalities and satirize American culture in unique ways. TheGTAseries has been so consistently great that there’s no easy way to crown an uncontested winner, butGTA 5certainly makes a strong case. WhetherGTA 6can surpass the franchise’s past heights remains to be seen, but for now, it’s hard to go wrong with this one.
A Western Masterpiece
AlthoughGTA 5can be incisive at times, it’s also a fundamentally goofy game, and its main intent isn’t to tell a deeply compelling story. For that, it’s better to turn to another hit from Rockstar Games,Red Dead Redemption 2.The tale of Arthur Morgan is complex, emotional, and consistently engaging, and the other characters that fill out the narrative all have their own nuances and memorable qualities.
The American West is also an inherently great setting for an open-world game, andRed Dead Redemption 2leans into all of its strengths, delivering stunning landscapes that make even a quiet horseback ride feel worthwhile. Of course, there are plenty of exciting chases and action-packed shootouts to be found as well, andRed Dead Redemption 2can be as relaxed or as fast-paced as any player wants it to be.
2Elden Ring
Tough But Beautiful
FromSoftware’s challenging games have been consistently garnering critical acclaim since the release ofDemon’s Souls, andElden Ringis no exception. As the studio’s open-world flagship,Elden Ringtakes grueling, intricately designed enemies and litters them throughout a less linear landscape, offering the opportunity to meet many of its difficulties in whatever order feels best.
How Hard Is Elden Ring?
The reputation of Soulsborne games alone carries strong implications for Elden Ring’s difficulty, and the game proves itself more than worthy of it.
Equally important to the FromSoft experience is how good the studio is at managing the quieter, smaller moments, and there’s a consistent beauty to be found in the harsh world of the Lands Between. Rich lore that George R. R. Martin contributed to can be carefully reconstructed to paint a fascinating bigger picture, but there’s plenty to enjoy based on atmosphere alone.Elden Ringis worth playing even for those who don’t love hard games, but for those who do, it absolutely can’t be missed.
1The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
An Iconic Entry To A Legendary Series
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildfelt like a leap into the future for open-world games when it released in 2017, but it’s possible that the wider industry will never catch up. While many open-world games can come across as a jumbled bag of parts,the game design ofBreath of the Wildis extraordinarily unified. Features like weapon-breaking might not be for everyone, but there’s enormous intention behind every piece of the equation, and they all add up to something that works in perfect harmony.
What really makesBreath of the Wildspecial is how even empty fields don’t feel like a waste of time,with slower moments tapping into a hypnotically meditative cadence that’s always syncopated by new discoveries. When it comes to its challenges, a robust physics system and enormous player freedom make it possible to overcome even seemingly linear puzzles and straightforward fights in unexpected ways.
Tears of the Kingdomthrows even more on top of the open-worldZeldaexperience,butBreath of the Wildtook the initial plunge and emerged as something that might ultimately be closer to cohesive perfection.
