Best Open-World Games

Whether single-player or multiplayer, open-world games tend to attract a lot of attention. On paper, the genre sounds ideal since these projects can keep a user engaged for potentially months. In practice, these releases fluctuate significantly in terms of quality and scale; more importantly, bigger is not always better.

2023 was an exciting year for open-world titles, producing a few titles that could cement themselves among the best open-world games of all time. Even somewhat divisive titles like Diablo 4 and Starfield could easily land among a player's favorite games. So far, 2024 has been shaping up to be a fantastic sequel.

Updated June 11, 2024 by Mark Sammut:The last few months were not backed with open-world games, although Little Kitty, Big City is relentlessly charming. By the end of the year, the genre should be receiving new projects like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Assassin's Creed Shadows, Where Winds Meet, and Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown, so things should pick up soon.

Galleries were added for each game.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call Of Pripyat

Metascore: 80

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. can only tentatively be described as open-world since the games are divided into hub areas, so they are not set in a continuous map. However, they do contain elements that define the genre, and Call of Pripyat is arguably a better open-world experience than Shadow of Chernobyl. In the campaign, players are granted (eventual) access to three large areas (and a few smaller ones), and they are given relatively free rein to explore these zones as they see fit. Set in a nuclear wasteland, Call of Pripyat's world is fittingly desolate, and survivors are not only in short supply but also spend most of their time alone and isolated.

Like all the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games, Call of Pripyat is rough around the edges, which can be off-putting to new players who are taking their first steps into the series. That said, they are fantastic in their own right, and they have some of the tensest atmosphere in the post-apocalyptic genre. Even though the 2010 release was highlighted in this discussion, newcomers should consider starting with Shadow of Chernobyl.

Dead Rising

Metascore: 85

Capcom has given little indication that Dead Rising will be making a comeback anytime soon, a side effect of the franchise's fourth entry garnering a mixed reception. Paying homage to classic zombie flicks, the series is renowned for its sense of humor, versatile weapon system, and free-roaming nature. The first three numbered releases and Dead Rising 2: Off The Record all have their positives, and Dead Rising 3 wins out in terms of scale and minute-to-minute combat; however, the original title is arguably still the most impressive overall experience.

Frank West finds himself stuck in a mall with a few other survivors and a bunch of flesh-eaters. Tasked with completing missions, the journalist must run through the location while turning all sorts of random objects into zombie-killing weapons. The main campaign infamously utilizes a timer that forces Frank (and players) to be prudent with how they spend their time, so this is an open-world game that punishes unnecessary exploration. Frustrating as this system can be, it does fit the narrative.

Gothic 2

Metascore: 79

Since the early 2000s, Piranha Bytes has specialized in open-world games, serving as an AA alternative to their contemporaries. While janky and rough around the edges, the studio's releases have their charm, and 2022's Elex 2 is probably Piranha's most complete package. However, 2002's Gothic 2 holds a special place in the hearts of many people.

Quaint as the title might seem in this day and age, Gothic 2 was an impressive and ambitious release back in the day. Khorinis is a fully realized world that grants players a lot of freedom in crafting their adventure, and this aspect of the game holds up well.

Dying Light

Metascore: 75

While an argument could be made that Dying Light 2 Stay Human deserves to be mentioned among the best open-world games, its predecessor is generally regarded as the superior game, particularly the Enhanced Edition that includes The Following expansion. Techland's survival game takes place in Hassan, a city that has been quarantined due to an outbreak. On paper, this is not a particularly original concept for a zombie game; in execution, Dying Light nails its world, characters, and gameplay.

Densely packed and fairly unique, Hassan works beautifully as a sandbox. However, what sets Dying Light apart from other open-world projects is its focus on parkour. Simply put, movement in the game is incredible, and the map takes full advantage of it. The Following features an entirely new area to explore, and it is just as good as the base game's Hassan.

Death Stranding

Metascore: 86

Directed by Metal Gear Solid's Hideo Kojima, Death Stranding envisions a post-apocalyptic world devoid of human civilization. While peppered with a couple of settlements, this version of Earth largely consists of a barren wasteland, and the game specifically concentrates on instilling a sense of isolation through its gameplay and presentation.

Tasked with delivering packages across the United States, Sam also sets out to install a communication network in an attempt to start humanity's recovery. Death Stranding is the definition of an acquired taste; the campaign has an almost contemplative pacing, all the while delivering splashes of Kojima's trademark storytelling.

Kenshi

Metascore: 75

Kenshi is a ridiculously ambitious project, not just in the indie sphere but in gaming in general. Set in a Mad Max-style world, the game drops players in its post-apocalyptic world and challenges them to make something of themselves. What that entails is largely left in the hands of the player, and that freedom is Kenshi's greatest feature.

Although not much of a looker, Kenshi makes up for its lackluster presentation by offering quality mechanics that prioritize diversity. The sandbox game has survival mechanics, role-playing potential, base building, and a lot more; in most cases, such a wide scope would result in a shallow overall experience, but Kenshi somehow makes it work.

Subnautica

Metascore: 87

Subnautica and its sequel, Below Zero, stand out from other open-world projects due to their environments. Except for a few locations, the games largely take place underwater, a creative decision that pays off beautifully. Set on an alien planet, Subnautica is a survival game that encourages the player to explore the sea to their heart's content. This journey produces both gorgeous vistas and nightmarish encounters, while simultaneously revealing snippets of lore and plot beats.

Reflecting the studio's name, Unknown Worlds crafted a constantly unpredictable sandbox that truly comes across as alien. Both Subnautica titles are great, but newcomers should start with the first game before moving on to Below Zero.

Shenmue 2

Metascore: 80

Shenmue and its sequel were extremely ambitious projects that pushed the Dreamcast to its limits. They helped shape the open-world genre by fully immersing players in their settings, and Shenmue 2's depiction of Hong Kong is particularly impressive. When viewed through a modern lens, the game's slow-paced nature and sim-like qualities can be disregarded as tedious rather than satisfying, but its attention to detail is still remarkable all these years later.

Many open-world games focus on quantity and immediate gratification, constantly rewarding players with trinkets and side quests for every action they make. There is nothing wrong with that, but Shenmue 2 is not that sort of experience. Its main priority is to make Hong Kong's district feel real rather than sandboxes designed around the protagonist's actions.

Dragon's Dogma 2

Metascore: 88

Similar to 2012's Dragon's Dogma, Capcom's belated sequel is an action RPG set in an open-world that primarily focuses on combat. While its very good predecessor gained a cult following over time, Dragon's Dogma 2 garnered far more attention straight out of the gate, most of which was positive. For better or worse, the 2024 release is unquestionably a Dragon's Dogma sequel. That's not to say the game brings nothing new to the plate, but it is very much an expansion of the original release's ideas rather than an evolution.

Set in two kingdoms, Dragon's Dogma 2's world is fairly traditional in aesthetic, design, and execution. Capcom expects players to take things relatively slow, so much so that fast travel is implemented in a way that encourages on-foot travel. This decision complements DD2's tendency to lean into random encounters that reward players who are willing to explore and go off the beaten path. While its open-world is impressive, Capcom's RPG is mainly worth playing for its combat, vocation system, and Pawns. The game shines in these particular areas.

Satisfactory

Steam User Rating: 97%

In early access, Satisfactory is already fantastic. Open-world games do occasionally blend together, which is not necessarily a terrible thing if they emphasize components that have proven to be successful. That said, Satisfactory is cut from its own cloth and offers an experience that is fairly unique for the genre. Players take on the daunting role of a company woman who is charged with mining an alien planet for resources.

The process starts reasonably small, but each development allows more and more complex buildings to be developed. In due time, players will be monitoring an expansive factory that can automatically strip this planet of its natural resources. Satisfactory complements its simulation gameplay with exploration and combat. Even though neither of these elements is especially amazing when compared to other great open-world games, they offer a fun change of pace.

Cyberpunk 2077

Metascore: 86

CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 had a notoriously rough launch, to the point that the game was removed from the PlayStation Store. This reception hurt the developer's reputation at the time, but CD Projekt Red has done an admirable job of rehabilitating its name. Rather than just abandoning the sci-fi game, the company set out to right most of the launch version's wrongs, including releasing multiple significant updates.

Nowadays, Cyberpunk 2077 is in a much better state, even if the last-gen versions are still difficult to recommend. Focusing solely on the open-world, Night City is phenomenal, detailed, and dense. The map showcases CD Projekt Red's talent for environmental storytelling and world-building, and Night City's sci-fi aesthetic sets it apart from The Witcher 3's world. While still not perfect, Cyberpunk 2077 has come a long way since 2020 and now deserves to be mentioned among the best open-world games.

Shadow Of The Colossus

Metacritic: 91 (PS2 Or PS4 Version)

Be it Team Ico's PS2 original or Bluepoint's 2018 remake, Shadow of the Colossus is an impressive and atmospheric open-world game that strikes a different feel than most of its contemporaries. Rather than stuffing content at every corner, the map is generally empty except for colossi, giant beasts that are being hunted by the protagonist in an attempt to save a girl. Most of the campaign consists of traveling across empty plains in pursuit of these entities, a creative decision that provides ample time for players to consider what they are being asked to do.

Shadow of the Colossus barely feels like a modern open-world, instead offering a fairly linear experience with no optional content. The game(s) nails its sense of scale, both in the design of the colossi and the overall environment. It completely immerses players in its setting.

Far Cry 3

Metascore: 91

The Far Cryfranchise has gotten a bit long in the tooth in recent years, and the series has struggled to fully recreate the magic of its third main entry. Far Cry 3represents the pinnacle of the Ubisoft formula, an open-world game that expertly blends addictive gameplay with memorable characters (aka villains) and busywork that feels rewarding.

The FPS takes place on Rook Islands, a gorgeous tropical paradise that is not that welcoming of outsiders. The simple act of exploring this terrain is a joy, and the open-world is big without being overwhelming.

Outer Wilds

Metascore: 85

Size tends to dominate conversations relating to open-world games, but it does not determine a map's quality. Outer Wilds is nowhere near as expansive as many other entries in this genre, but the title uses its terrain extremely well. Revolving around a 22-minute time loop punctuated by an exploding star, players must travel to different planets in a solar system in search of information regarding the Nomai race.

Outer Wilds has an overarching narrative that guides the player's actions, providing some structure to the experience. That said, the game encourages exploration and investigation, rewarding people who are willing to soak in the atmosphere and interact with NPCs who are simply living their lives.

Yakuza 0

Metascore: 90

Sega's Yakuza (or Like a Dragon) franchise has mastered the art of crafting small but dense cities that deliver immersion without over-relying on realism. Yakuza 0 is generally regarded as the license's best game, and it features two cities in Kamurocho and Sotenbori. These maps can be traversed in a few minutes, but they feel far bigger since each street is packed with minigames, side quests, stores, restaurants, and enemies.

Along with a stellar open-world, Yakuza 0 tells an awesome story that balances action, character growth, tragedy, and epicness. Furthermore, the optional quests do a splendid job of highlighting different aspects of the cities that might otherwise go unnoticed. Everything combines to create a world oozing with personality and substance.

Fallout: New Vegas

Metascore: 84

Except for perhaps Fallout 76, all the entries in this franchise could feasibly rank among the best open-world gamesever; however, Fallout: New Vegasstrikes the ideal middle-ground between Fallout 1& 2's player-driven campaigns and Bethesda's 3D entries. Technical issues aside, New Vegasbrings to life a post-apocalyptic world that is drenched in culture, history, and socio-political ideologies.

This entry has one of the strongest narratives in the series, and that goes beyond just the main quest. While somewhat rudimentary in a post-Witcher 3landscape, New Vegas' side quests were a touch above the game's contemporaries and played a crucial role in shaping the world.

Sons Of The Forest

Metascore: 86

Endnight Games' The Forest is a great open-world survival horror game that lives up to both the survival AND horror genres. Sons of the Forest is even better. Taking place on a different island than its predecessor, the 2024 sequel offers players a far wider sandbox to survive in, and they will need to work hard to see the next morning.

The story has a simple setup that casts players as a character sent to look for a family that has gone missing on an island, and it does not take long for things to start to go wrong. Sons of the Forest does an admirable job of creating a breathing world that will be able to keep most people constantly on edge. Not only is the island's dense forest packed with threats that often are just beyond view, but it also has plenty of caves that are far more dangerous.

Ghost Of Tsushima

Metascore: 83

Helping to bring the PS4's time as Sony's main platform to a satisfying close, Ghost of Tsushimais a painfully gorgeous game set during the 13th Century in Japan. After becoming occupied by Mongols, Tsushima Island evolves into a war zone as Japanese rebels try to strike at the invaders. Players are cast as Jin Sakai, a samurai who fails to protect his master but is given an opportunity to make things right when he avoids death.

Ghost of Tsushima's world is lavish, reasonably big, and filled with gripping content that is just waiting to be discovered. Even though the main story is nothing to write home about, the title makes up for it with an incredible setting.

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain

Metascore: 95

Kojima Productions' Metal Gear Solid 5 had a notoriously troubled development and launch, which resulted in Hideo Kojima and Konami ending their long-running partnership. While garnering criticism in places, The Phantom Pain is nevertheless a triumph that features undoubtedly the strongest gameplay in the series. The 2015 release marked the franchise's first attempt to use an open-world, dropping Punished "Venom" Snake in a desert landscape that stretches for what seems like forever.

Due to its setting utilizing quite a lot of empty mileage, The Phantom Pain's world can get repetitive after a while, and players will spend extended stretches traveling to their next target. The campaign also uses a mission-based structure that is not too far removed from Metal Gear's linear routes, although players are granted plenty of freedom in how to approach missions.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Metascore: 93

Square Enix has tried a few times at craft open-world projects, and the results have not been consistently great. Final Fantasy 12 is a classic but its world is not as open as most traditional entries in the genre; meanwhile, Final Fantasy 15 delivers a beautiful but generally empty map. Forsaken was among 2023's more polarizing games, and that divisiveness extended to its open-world.

While Final Fantasy 7 Remake was a relatively linear experience, its sequel opted to go down the full open-world route, and it represents Square Enix's most successful effort to adopt this gameplay style. Set after AVALANCHE leaves Midgar, Rebirth quickly emphasizes its scale, granting players access to several wide-open regions throughout a lengthy campaign. The main missions are spectacular and can be focused on to an extent; however, players are encouraged to engage with the world's optional content as much as possible, and the activities are generally quite a lot of fun. Although not quite on the same level as something like The Witcher 3 or a few of the Yakuza games, the side quests consistently provide useful rewards, making them worthwhile.