Best Immersive & Historical Open-World Games

Open-world gaming has become all the rage in modern times. With gaming hardware getting better and better day by day, open worlds have slowly become the norm in mainstream gaming due to how accessible the sandbox style of games really is. Players absolutely adore the freedom that comes from traversing a vast and dense open world that is full to the brim with content.

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Some of these open worlds become even more engaging when they focus on a historical setting as opposed to a fictional one. That way, players can expand their knowledge of world history while also enjoying the perks of a game as well. Keeping this in mind, there are many open-world games with the most engaging and immersive historical settings that players will love to check out for themselves.

Updated on June 15th, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: Open-world gaming has become all the rage in modern times, and it's easy to see why so many players love how this genre explores numerous settings that strike their fancy. Fantasy, sci-fi, and modern-day settings are all great backdrops for open-world games to thrive in, but there are times when players would like a touch of history to spice up these games. Not only does it make these sandboxes feel authentic, but some would argue that it serves as an educational glimpse into the past that becomes all the more memorable because of how interactive things are. The historical open-world games continue to jump into the gaming world, and a few more of them have made their way onto this list as well.

23 Assassin's Creed Mirage

Time Period: 9th Century Baghdad

The fact that Ubisoft heard the public demands of fans and decided to bring Assassin's Creed back to its roots is something that players absolutely loved, and the conversation around Assassin's Creed Mirage made it clear that fans just wanted the simple assassination gameplay of the series back instead of having to deal with intensive RPG elements and less-involved parkour. This game brings players back in time to the city of Baghdad, letting them enjoy some classic Assassin's Creed gameplay with a fresh coat of paint.

Despite the game's unfocused narrative making the story hard to follow or be invested in at times, that shouldn't stop players from enjoying the core gameplay of this title, coupled with a fresh look at a setting that has been recreated with painstaking detail. The city of Baghdad is a joy to explore, with the game making it a point to educate players about the culture and landmarks of the time in optional lore that they can access to broaden their understanding of this city during the 9th century.

22 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

Time Period: 1986 Miami

Grand Theft Auto 6 is a game that fans can't wait to check out, with the debut trailer adding to the hype of a brand-new title in the series after a waiting more than a decade for a new entry. This experience is bound to be all the more rewarding for fans of Vice City, who get to explore the same city they terrorized as Tommy Vercetti so many years ago.

Vice City is clearly based on Miami, with the game taking place in the mid-1980s. Exploring the city and all its retro goodness makes for a great time and is one of the biggest reasons why players love GTA: Vice City, and rank it as one of the best games in the series. While exploring this beloved city with a fresh coat of paint in Grand Theft Auto 6 will be a blast, players should keep in mind that the new game takes place in the modern era, meaning that a lot of changes will have taken place in the nearly 40 years that will have passed. For that reason alone, it's worth going back to Vice City for a glimpse of how this setting looked many decades ago.

21 Assassin's Creed Odyssey

Time Period: 431 BC - 422 BC

When it comes to playing video games set in historical time periods, pretty much every Assassin's Creed game makes the cut. Odyssey is no exception to this golden rule, with this title encompassing the oldest time period any game in the series has taken place in by around 400 years. This sets the stage for what is easily one of the most unique Assassin's Creed games to date, even if the lack of the series' staples and the bloated open world didn't sit right with some die-hard fans.

Still, that should take nothing away from the amazing detail in the world and how it lets players explore Ancient Greece to their hearts' content. As players progress through the ambitious story and engage in numerous combat encounters, they can slowly learn about the state of Greece during this time period, and the Peloponnesian War that shaped the future of this region.

20 Mafia: Definitive Edition

Time Period: 1930s America

Most people unfamiliar with Mafia wrote it off as a historical GTA clone, which couldn't be further from the truth. Fans of well-organized crime syndicate stories will love what the first Mafia game brings to the table.

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It helps that this game recently received a remake that serves as the best way to experience it. Mafia is a simple open-world game with a riveting tale centered around the elusive mafia. It's been a fantasy for everyone to roleplay as a member of the mafia after watching The Godfather, after all, and the Mafia series does the best job of simulating that experience.

19 Assassin's Creed Syndicate

Time Period: Victorian London

Assassin's Creed Syndicate is set in Victorian London and offers players the chance to engage in some classic assassinating goodness while operating during the onset of the Second Industrial Revolution. Players take on the role of twin assassins, Evie and Jacob Frye, as they fight to liberate the city from the corrupt Templar Order.

The game offers a sprawling open-world map of London, with a wealth of historical landmarks to explore and important figures to meet. The game's intricate storyline and attention to historical detail make it a standout title in the series, and it's a shame that this game didn't sell that well.

18 Mafia 3

Time Period: 1960s New Orleans

• Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, macOS, Google Stadia
• Release Date: October 7, 2016
• Developer: Hangar 13

Mafia 3 allows players to take on the role of Lincoln Clay, a Vietnam veteran seeking revenge against a vengeful Mafia group for killing his family. The game is set in the fictional city of New Bordeaux, a recreation of 1960s New Orleans.

The open world is pretty diverse, featuring a mix of urban and rural environments such as swamps, bayous, and city streets. Mafia 3's depiction of the Civil Rights Movement and its exploration of themes such as racism and police brutality make it a unique and thought-provoking entry in the genre, even if the repetitive open-world activities do get somewhat grating after a point.

17 Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord

Time Period: Medieval

Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord is set in the fictional continent of Calradia, which is littered with real-life medieval influences. Players take on the role of mercenary as they navigate the complex political landscape of the game's world, joining leaders and making rivals along the way.

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The game features a massive open-world map that offers players a chance to engage in battles, interact with characters, and build powerful armies. The game's attention to detail and historical accuracy make it an immersive experience for players looking to explore a medieval-inspired world.

16 Way Of The Samurai 3

Time Period: Sengoku

Way of the Samurai 3 is easily one of the most underrated and forgotten titles on this list. It's set in feudal Japan during the Sengoku period and offers players a chance to explore and engage with Japanese culture and history, which is a draw for many people.

Players make major choices that impact the game's storyline and ending, with a whopping total of 22 endings. The mix of open-world exploration, role-playing elements, and combat mechanics makes Way of the Samurai 3 a unique and engaging title that fans of historical open-world games should definitely check out.

15 Red Dead Redemption

Time Period: The Dying Days Of The Wild West

Red Dead Redemption is one of the greatest open-world games ever made, and a modern port of this title can't come soon enough. Set in the dying days of the Wild West in the early 1900s, players control former outlaw John Marston as he tries to track down members of his former gang to save his family.

The game offers a massive open-world map of the American frontier, with a mix of environments such as deserts, forests, and mountains. The attention to detail in the game world and the riveting historical setting make it a standout title to experience the end of an era in American history.

14 Dynasty Warriors 9

Time Period: Three Kingdoms

The Dynasty Warriors franchise is something that fans have really mixed opinions on. For the most part, this series seems like nothing more than a way for players to deal a ton of damage to mindless opponents who almost never attack the player.

However, Musou games can be engaging if players approach these titles with proper expectations, and Dynasty Warriors 9 is a great example of the same. It's the first open-world game in the series that has attracted a mixed reception, but there's no denying that the gameplay of Dynasty Warriors 9 can be pretty fun when everything clicks.