9 Open-World Games Worth Playing Just For Their Setting

People play video games for a lot of reasons. Some like the challenge that comes with some of the hardest video games, and others like to enjoy some casual games after a hard day at work. Video games don’t need to have a great story to be successful, and sometimes, all a player needs is an escape from the real world into a virtual world of their choice.

If that virtual world is well-crafted, immersive, and creates a believable setting, it’s more than enough for most gamers. It only gets better if that setting is open-world and allows players to freely explore and experience everything for themselves and at their own pace.

Assassins Creed Origins

Sadly, There Are No Mummies

The first time Ubisoft took two years instead of one to develop a mainline entry for the Assassin’s Creed franchise, they completely changed the gameplay systems in the game.

Assassin’s Creed Origins takes players way back in time to ancient Egypt in 49 BC, following the story of Bayek of Siwa and his wife Aya. Not only is the story and the new RPG-like combat system fun, but the world and the Egyptian setting of the game are nothing short of memorable.

Ubisoft masterfully captured the authenticity of the locale, from the giant Pyramid of Giza, the sprawling desserts, and the water-filled oasis sparingly scattered around the map to the Egyptian NPCs, their language and daily routines, and the major cities like Alexandria and Memphis.

The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

Hyeeh Kyaah - Link

Introduced with the Wii U but getting real recognition with its release on Nintendo’s latest console, the Switch, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild puts players into one of the most beautiful renditions of Hyrule in any Zelda game. Nintendo didn’t go for realism with this game, knowing the limited capabilities of their hardware well, but opted for a more stylized, cel-shaded look. But to round that off, they added so much more detail to the world that sometimes it's hard to remember what Link is supposed to do in the first place.

The different cities and settlements housing different races, like the Zora in Zora’s Domain and the Gerudo in Gerudo Town, exude lore and personality. Each race has a different backstory, its own customs and heroes, and even has some reservations against other races. If not for the story and the excellent combat and exploration system in the game, every Zelda fan should at least play Breath of the Wildjust to experience its world and setting.

Cyberpunk 2077

John Wick In A Dystopian Future

CD Projekt Red’s newest RPG took its sweet time in the oven, and when it came out back in 2020, it was a bit rough around the edges. However, the glitches and technical issues in the game cannot disregard the beautiful but uncanny Night City.

This near-futuristic, dystopian city reeks of every vice possible: theft, corruption, rampant murder, lawlessness, and cybercrime. And this dark side of Night City is apparent when you take a closer look at its people, its streets, and its politics. CD Projekt Red might not have created the perfect cyberpunk setting, but their version comes very close to this science-fiction sub-genre.

Fallout 4

War Never Changes

There are not a lot of games that explore a post-nuclear fallout world, but that’s not an issue because Bethesda’s Fallout franchise easily scratches that itch. The fourth entry into this franchise is the biggest, if not the best, of the bunch. The world is derelict with mutated animals and humans-turned-ghouls, rad-infected food, water sources, and even weapons.

The American dream still exists, but in this world, it means having a soft bed to sleep in at night and food to eat that doesn’t infect the player with life-threatening radiation. Fallout 4 falls a bit short in the story department but its broken world, morally questionable cast of characters, and beautifully executed post-apocalyptic setting more than make up for it.

Grand Theft Auto: 5

A Virtual America

Rockstar is a master when it comes to crafting ultra-realistic renditions of actual cities in their games, and GTA 5’s Los Santos, which takes inspiration from Los Angeles, is a beautiful mockery of all that is wrong with this metropolis.

Players also get to explore Blaine County in all of its wilderness, lakes, mountains, and people. Even though this game is a decade old, a more believable world that puts players in the shoes of three protagonists and takes them on a joyride through not just its excellent plot, but also its masterfully executed world, characters, and culture, is yet to be created.

Ghost of Tsushima

Swords and Stances

Taking place during the Mongol invasion of 1274, players get to see, take vengeance, and restore peace after the samurai of Tsushima suffer defeat. But if fans take a moment to breathe, the open world of Tsushima is nothing short of breathtaking.

Riding his loyal steed, Jin takes it upon himself to face off against the Mongol invasion despite all the odds stacked against him. But he also takes part in the religion and culture of his people, sees the sprawling vistas adorning the island of Tsushima, and uncovers the rich, storied past of the land through ancient shrines, forgotten legends, and the wisdom of the island's elders.

Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim

Dohvakiin

Bethesda hit the bullseye with their fifth installment in the long-running Elder Scrolls series by creating a purely fictional, fantasy world that rivals the one created by J. R. R. Tolkien in his Lord of the Rings anthology.

There are 10 different races in Skyrim including Elves, Humans, Khajiit, and Argonians. And then the world also has dragons, giant spiders, undead draugrs, magic, alchemy, rich lore and history of the land, and anything else players could wish for in a purely fantastical world. It’s no wonder that people still go back to Skyrim, not for its story and gameplay, but to simply be present in its world.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Get Ready To Cry. A lot.

Rockstar’s sequel to the original Red Dead Redemption expanded upon the old game in every conceivable way. The game is accurately praised for how it takes story-telling and immersion in a single-player video game to the next level. But what arguably stands out even more is how believable and lived-in of a world it is that Rockstar has managed to create.

Hailing as one of the most realistic-looking video games ever released, the game puts the players in the shoes of Arthur Morgan and sends them not only on a journey of betrayal, friendship, and redemption but also to the 5 virtual U.S. states at the very tail-end of the Wild West era. Players can meet people going about their lives, trying to make ends meet, take part in a bunch of different mini-games, do side quests for various characters, and see how the Industrial Revolution effectively changed America forever. Such a well-detailed and immersive Wild West setting has never been seen in a video game before, and Red Dead Redemption 2 is hands-down the best way to experience it.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Woah There, Roach

If there is a video game setting that transcends this medium and even gets explored in movies, books, and TV shows, it’s the world of Geralt of Rivia. The latest entry into the trilogy, Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt expands upon the previous two titles in every possible way, making the world more believable, the stories and lives of its people more relatable, and the lore deeper than ever.

The game is no less than a masterpiece, and the major reason for getting this accolade is its beautiful, immersive, but equally dangerous and vile open-world setting.