Summary
- Open-world games allow players to explore at their own pace, rewarding meticulous exploration.
- Tears Of The Kingdom offers a refined open-world experience with minimal hand-holding.
- Elden Ring provides challenging open-world exploration with diverse playstyles for exploration.
Open-world game design offers players the ultimate freedom to move beyond linear experiences and discover something truly special. Players can explore at their own pace, which is a major part of the appeal, since there’s no rush. Searching every nook and cranny of colossal world maps, uncovering secrets, and finding special items feels highly rewarding.
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Often synonymous with post-apocalyptic settings, these dying open worlds create a palpable atmosphere of loneliness and constant danger.
That said, not every open-world game nails the balance. Some end up bloated with tedious tasks that drag things down. However, when done right, open-world gameplay becomes so engaging that players naturally lose track of the main story—and honestly, that’s one of the best things about the genre.
8 The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom
Nintendo’s Flagship Franchise Has Truly Refined The Art Of Open-World Games
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Released
- May 12, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Rated E for Everyone 10+ for Fantasy Violence and Mild Suggestive Themes
- Genre(s)
- Adventure, Action, Open-World
Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda series is no stranger to open-world gameplay, as exploration is a core aspect in every entry. However, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom redefines that formula by giving players agency and the bare minimum. The game has no hand-holding or patronizing reminders. The best part is that it doesn't have the constantly annoying waypoint markers either, although the option is still available. For a more fun time, players are better off relying on intuition and game logic to figure everything out.
While Breath of the Wild championed this format, Tears of the Kingdom fine-tuned it. Players will feel a surreal sense of adventure as they traverse the different regions of the world. It’s not just made up of vast empty spaces, because everything feels part of a vibrantly colorful ecosystem with distinct environments.
7 The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
The Mainstay Of Bethesda’s Most Popular Video Game Series Is A Genre-Defining Title
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Released
- November 11, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, or simply Skyrim, needs no introduction. It’s become the go-to example of a game that’s been re-released more times than anyone can count. Jokes aside, Skyrim paved the way for other open-world games with spectacular exploration that’s better than the main story. The sheer breadth of the game was a industry-changer, and with community mods, the experience has only grown even further.
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Players can literally bypass the main path and head off into uncharted territory at any time without worry. There’s never a rush to get back to the plot-relevant missions. Instead, there are all sorts of dungeons, caves, and towns to explore. From Skyrim’s massive world and skill-based leveling system to non-linear questlines and complex crafting, this is the ultimate fantasy RPG.
6 Elden Ring
A Soulslike Flavored With A Rich, Complex, And Dangerous World That Will Captivate Players
Elden Ring
- Released
- February 25, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
Elden Ring is expressly made for open-world enthusiasts who enjoy exploration but want it to be more challenging. This game is the gift that keeps on giving. It’s up to the players to decide how and where they wish to proceed. If a particular enemy or location feels overwhelming, they can just walk away and come back stronger. That’s what makes Elden Ring feel more welcoming than other Soulslikes. Not because it’s easy (it absolutely isn’t), but because it politely lets players suffer on their own terms.
With different build customizations, players can create diverse playstyles to tackle specific areas for exploration. Experimenting with various combinations of weapon arts and equipment makes it easier to clear choke points in Elden Ring’s level design. This helps players master the game’s combat mechanics and learn to pay attention to their surroundings for extensive exploration, not that the game gets any kinder about it.
5 Subnautica
Discover A Seamless Open World With The Breathtaking Beauty Of An Alien Ecosystem
Subnautica
- Released
- January 23, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
Fans who enjoy boundless exploration in their video games, along with a touch of Lovecraftian existential crisis, will love Subnautica. The first-person perspective adds an even greater level of immersive dread while exploring the oceanic abyss—not just any ocean, but one on an alien planet—and the entire goal is to escape.
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Players must carefully explore the depths, scavenging resources to craft gear and vehicles for survival. The alien flora and marine life are equal parts fascinating and terrifying, making every encounter absolutely tense and horrifying. Tons of secrets and logs are scattered everywhere that players can find to make sense of the main story. The seamless transition from land to sea helps Subnautica subvert expectations of open-world exploration with ease.
4 No Man’s Sky
One Of The Pioneers Of Open-World Exploration Games That Continues To Deliver
No Man's Sky
- Released
- August 9, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
If Subnautica taps into existential dread, No Man’s Sky is its complete opposite. It evokes a sense of wonder and joy. No Man's Sky completely silenced its critics by delivering on its premise, which seemed too good and grand to be true—endless exploration. Players get to see and unearth the cosmos with an infinite, procedurally generated in-game galaxy. There are literally no limits to where players can go, and no invisible walls or boundaries exist.
A hallmark feature of No Man's Sky is the level of interactivity with the various species and how that snowballs into its own thing. Players can focus on exploration while finding resources for crafting better spaceships and weapons. The constant discovery of new terrain and learning how to navigate its perils are all part of the journey in No Man’s Sky.
3 Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
Explore Gorgeous Locales And Live The Pirate Life
Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag
- Released
- October 29, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Open-World
If players ever dream of vacationing in the Caribbean, they can vicariously live out that fantasy through Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag. Ubisoft struck gold again after wrapping up the excellent Ezio Trilogy of Assassin’s Creed games. Black Flag is the ultimate pirate simulator. Players will dive into treasure hunts in deep waters overrun with sharks. On land, lush forests, caves, and pirate outposts present a different set of challenges to scale and maneuver through.
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For many players, Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag’s spectacular exploration sidelines its already fantastic main story. The gameplay is flawless from the get-go thanks to the series' open-world, exploration-heavy design. It’s a must-play for fans who love the original crop of Assassin’s Creed titles, before the franchise delved into the RPG format.
2 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
A Masterclass In Open-World Exploration With Equally Compelling Storytelling
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Released
- May 19, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt essentially set the standard for in-depth quest design flexibility and top-notch open-world exploration. The game is a phenomenal, one-of-a-kind example of how to keep players engaged. While the world of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is already complex and lore-heavy, it’s within the vast landscapes and caverns that it truly shines. Players need specific monster parts to make decoctions and potions, which, in turn, requires scouring the map to locate said monsters.
Special Witcher swords and armor from different clans grant various bonuses and stat increases and are hidden in cleverly concealed locations. It’s up to the players to locate them, and all of it is optional. The fun prospect of exploration goads players to chart the massive open world in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
1 Dragon’s Dogma 2
An Ambitious, Exploration-Driven Open-World Game With Quirky Combat And Traversal
Dragon's Dogma 2
- Released
- March 22, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Language, Sexual Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is perhaps the most niche AAA open-world game on this list, but it deserves its flowers. For one thing, its story is its weakest link, much like its predecessor, Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen. However, another similarity the game shares with the original is the deeply satisfying combat and extremely fun open-world exploration.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 has many secrets hidden in its uniquely crafted world, and its design discourages fast travel for maximum immersion. Players are better off traveling on foot alongside their posse of pawns, which evokes an adventurous D&D vibe. Random beast encounters feel more organic and intense, and the unique traversal system using skills is half the fun. Several rewarding dungeons and unexplored regions in Dragon’s Dogma 2 will comfortably divert players' attention from the main story.
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