Summary
- Rich worlds in open-world games allow for dynamic and engaging exploration that players can get lost in.
- Some games offer a blend of immersive world-building, varied gameplay, and compelling stories, making for a captivating gaming experience.
- Open-world games can be diverse and engaging, offering endless possibilities for exploration and gameplay.
Open-world games are undoubtedly one of the broadest and most beloved genres, encompassing a wide range of titles from first-person shooters to puzzle games. Anyone who's played an open-world game will know that there are few things as captivating as being given a whole new world to explore. The possibilities are endless in such titles. As such, it's all too easy to get lost in exploring dungeons, completing quests, and delving into complex lore in these games.
Gamers on the hunt for a new open world to lose themselves in should give the following titles a try. The sheer amount of content these games offer is sure to impress, and for those who prefer quality over quantity, many of them offer truly captivating gameplay. Enchanting world-building, compelling stories, and varied gameplay await all those who dive into these worlds.
8 Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord
A Dynamic World With Immersive Combat
Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord
- Released
- October 25, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Strategy
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
- Set in a realistic medieval world.
- Features dynamic and immersive combat.
- Lacking variety in the late game.
In Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord, players set out on an epic adventure across the realistic medieval world of Calradia. Starting with only a handful of pennies to their name, it's up to players to build themselves up from rags to riches. Become a caravan plundering brigand, a ruthless mercenary, or a wealthy noble; the choice is up to the player.
Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord boasts an expansive and dynamic open-world map. From nobles to bandits, everyone and everything is constantly changing. Nations declare war on each other, kings are defeated and imprisoned, and rogue armies grow ever larger as the game progresses. Combat in Bannerlord is also incredibly engaging. Especially on higher difficulties, players must immerse themselves in the chaos if they are to lead their army to victory.
Bannerlord's dynamic world adds some fantastic variety to gameplay for sure, but unfortunately, its late game can become quite repetitive. Players looking to carve out their own kingdom will soon find themselves stuck in a loop of conquering a location, placing their army in there to defend it, and recruiting and training a new army.
7 The Elderscrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
Organic Exploration
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
- Released
- April 22, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action, RPG, Open-World, Adventure
- Platform(s)
- Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PlayStation 5, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
- Adventure across the vast, high fantasy region of Cyrodiil.
- Exploration is incredibly organic, and there are loads of dungeons.
- Its dungeons can become repetitive after a while.
Players are free to explore the sprawling high fantasy region of Cyrodiil in this visually stunning remastering of The Elderscrolls 4: Oblivion. After a brief tutorial, they are unleashed onto the world almost entirely without restriction. Even by open-world standards, exploration in Oblivion Remastered is very organic.
Even players who roam the lands of Cyrodiil goallessly are sure to stumble across a myriad of dungeons, from ancient crypts to bandit-infested caves. Exploring these locations will also have players picking up all manner of quests, making for some truly organic interactions with the world. NPCs are far from the only way players can find quests, and Oblivion Remastered's gameplay is all the stronger for it.
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While Oblivion Remastered has a huge number of dungeons, many are lacking in variety. There are certainly some standout ones, though. Delving from dungeon to dungeon, however, some players will find gameplay becoming repetitive; many of them feel, look, and play disappointingly similarly.
6 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
An Immersive World With A Lot Of Variety
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Released
- May 19, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- Play as a Witcher in an immersive and brutal dark fantasy setting.
- Offers a massive amount of content for players to get lost in.
- Its combat quality is lacking in some areas.
In The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, players play as Geralt of Rivia, a man despised by most for being a genetically modified monster hunter known as a Witcher. While it is a fantasy series, the world of The Witcher 3 is far from idyllic. When gruesome monsters aren't preying on the innocent, ruthless bandits and selfish nobles are.
It's easy to get lost in the sheer amount of content The Witcher 3 has to offer. From hunting towering monsters and delving into compelling quests to exploring the width and breadth of its beautiful landscape, there are all sorts of things to do. The world of The Witcher 3 is also very immersive. It's a brutal world to live in for most, and The Witcher 3 certainly doesn't pull any punches when it comes to showing it.
Unfortunately, the game’s combat doesn't quite live up to expectations. It's engaging and varied enough at first, especially with the addition of potion usages and signs into the mix, but it can get repetitive after a while. The enemy AI is neither particularly intelligent nor challenging either.
5 The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom
Near Endless Exploration And Limitless Creativity
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
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo
- Genre(s)
- Adventure, Action, Open-World
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- Explore the expansive fantasy land of Hyrule as Link.
- Boasts hundreds of hours of content for players to immerse themselves in.
- The story is rather lackluster.
Most gamers will already be familiar with the open-world game that is The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. In this title, players are let loose in the truly expansive land of Hyrule, receiving access to everything from its highest sky islands to the deepest depths of its underground.
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It's easy to get lost in the vast amount of content this game offers. Hyrule is brimming with things to do, whether it's completing quests, finding collectibles, or interacting with a colorful cast of characters. There are hundreds of hours of content for players to lose themselves in. Tears of the Kingdom also gives players a great deal of freedom, even allowing them to create their own vehicles from scratch.
While it might not be a problem for everyone, especially for those who haven't played Breath of the Wild, it's worth noting that Tears of the Kingdom reuses Breath of the Wild's map. Of course, there are plenty of new additions. For story-orientated players, Tears of the Kingdom's arguably lackluster narrative might also be a sticking point.
4 Fallout 4
An Immersive World And Engaging Lore
Fallout 4
- Released
- November 10, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M FOR MATURE: BLOOD AND GORE, INTENSE VIOLENCE, STRONG LANGUAGE, USE OF DRUGS
- Developer(s)
- Bethesda
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- Venture out into a brutal world ravaged by a nuclear apocalypse.
- Has an incredibly immersive world for players to lose themselves in.
- The drip feeding of lore adds excitement to every dungeon.
In Fallout 4, players awake from cryogenic sleep to a world ravaged by a nuclear apocalypse. As one might expect, this world is far from pleasant. When nuclear radiation isn't trying to kill the player, bandits, giant mutant wildlife, and deadly robots are.
Few can disagree that Fallout 4 has anything but a highly immersive world. In every aspect, the player will feel like they are walking through a post-nuclear apocalypse landscape, even down to the details of different areas having different environments and enemy distribution. Towns are crawling with ghouls, while wetlands are full of mutated crustaceans.
Lore is another area where Fallout 4 excels, especially for players new to the franchise. Bit by bit, the game drip-feeds players with information leading up to and following the nuclear apocalypse, adding extra excitement to every dungeon and every questline. It's easy to get lost in the search for answers, whether it be about specific quests or the world as a whole.
3 Elden Ring
Weeks Worth Of Content In An Expansive And Rich World
Elden Ring
- Released
- February 25, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- Fight through the epic dark fantasy world of the Lands Between.
- Packed full of content to explore and bosses to defeat.
- Its difficulty rarely breaks players' immersion.
Elden Ring is another title that countless gamers will be all too familiar with. In this title, players journey through the dark fantasy world of the Lands Between on an epic quest to become the new Elden Lord. In their way stands a whole host of enemies that will stop at nothing to thwart the player.
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This open world is packed full of dungeons to explore, bosses to defeat, and NPC quests to complete. What sets it apart from other open worlds is that it is massive yet never feels overly cluttered or repetitive. There's always a new cave to jump into or a ruin to explore, but many of them are hidden in cliff faces out of clear sight.
Elden Ring is also home to some truly amazing sweaty-handed combat. Like most soulsbornes, its combat can be intensely punishing, of course, but it doesn't have to be. Where regular soulsborne games kick players out of their immersion with sheer frustration, Elden Ring has many mechanics that help players conquer difficult areas and immerse themselves back into the world.
2 Minecraft
Endless Creativity And Infinite Possibilities
Minecraft
- Released
- November 18, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Mojang
- Genre(s)
- Sandbox, Survival
- Platform(s)
- 3DS, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Wii U, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PS Vita, Xbox One, Xbox 360
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- A highly creative survival game for players to get lost in.
- Offers near-limitless and highly varied mechanics for players to engage with.
- Gives players near-unparalleled levels of creative freedom.
Almost every gamer has at least heard of the beloved survival game that is Minecraft. It's been capturing imaginations and satisfying wanderlust for years with its charming graphics and diverse gameplay.
Anyone who's played Minecraft before will already be familiar with how easy it is to get lost within it. It's such a common phenomenon that there's even a meme about it: the "Minecraft" phase. It's not hard to see why this game is so addictive. It offers near-limitless things for players to do across a broad spectrum of interests. If players don’t like one element of gameplay, they can simply choose not to engage with it, as there are many ways to achieve most goals.
It's not a stretch to say that Minecraft gives players some of, if not the most creative freedom of any open-world title to date. There's no one right way to play the game, allowing players to experiment to their heart's content, whether on the smaller scale of unique builds or on multiplayer servers.
1 The Long Dark
A Dynamic And Brutally Realistic World
The Long Dark
- Released
- August 1, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Blood, Language, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
- Survive in a brutal and inescapable icy wilderness.
- Has an incredibly dynamic and expansive world.
- Players must get lost in the game if they are to survive.
Few open worlds are quite so enthralling as the icy isolated wilderness that players find themselves stranded in in The Long Dark. The Long Dark offers players a massive and incredibly dynamic world to explore. From the weather and the wildlife to even the character's own needs for food, water, sleep, and warmth, the world changes second by second. When a game looks, acts, and feels as realistic as this, it's impossible not to get completely lost.
Getting lost in the depths of The Long Dark's world is all but a prerequisite to survival, especially on harder difficulties. A single mistake or a moment's lapse in judgment can end in death. Deadly wildlife and blizzards can also set in at a moment's notice, so players need to always be alert to their surroundings, lest they want to meet an untimely end. The same can be said of looting and hunting wildlife, where remaining immersed in the game's world can reap massive rewards.
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