It's hard to believe, but July is already over and August is here, which means summer has almost come to a close. For some, that heralds the coming of the fall semester and heading back to school, which makes the upcoming weekend a perfect time to dive into a new open-world game. The best open-world games offer players expansive worlds to get lost in and craft their own stories, and some of them even get the brain working in ways that could prove beneficial, whether bracing for the fast-approaching school year or not.
This past week has been flush with games in the survival genre experiencing a massive spike in popularity, from the sci-fi-leaning Abiotic Factor hitting its stride after its 1.0 launch to the Early Access debut of Obsidian Entertainment's Grounded 2. But the open-world framework is used by a lot of genres other than just survival, with some of the other titles we're highlighting this week running the gamut from RPGs to action-adventure games. Whether old or new, in co-op or solo, these are some of the best open-world games to hop into this weekend.
Grounded 2 Reveals Early Access Roadmap
Obsidian Entertainment unveils an early access roadmap for Grounded 2 that outlines what players can expect from future content updates.
Once Human
Open-world survival game Once Human just celebrated its first anniversary since hitting 1.0 on July 9, and it almost commemorated the occasion with the release of the 2.1.0 update on July 29. That latest update brings one of the biggest additions to the game yet via the new RaidZone mode, which transforms the Once Human experience into a massively multiplayer PvP battle for survival. Accordingly, Once Human is currently creeping up Steam's Top Sellers chart, meaning now might be one of the best times to check this free-to-play survival game out.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 74 /100 Critics Rec: 54%
- Released
- July 9, 2024
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Starry Studio
- Publisher(s)
- Starry Studio, NetEase, Inc.
- Engine
- Once Human engine
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Survival, Shooter, Open-World
Abiotic Factor
Abiotic Factor was already a major success in Early Access, and its recent transition into 1.0 has seen it explode in popularity. One of the most impressive things about Abiotic Factor is how effective it's been at pulling new players into the survival/crafting genre, which says a lot about how well-crafted and finely-tuned of an experience it is, especially when playing in co-op. And since it supports crossplay, interested gamers can rest assured that they'll be able to survive the sci-fi-tinged thrills of Abiotic Factor with friends, regardless of platform.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 84 /100 Critics Rec: 83%
- Released
- July 22, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Crude Humor, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Deep Field Games
- Publisher(s)
- Playstack
WHERE TO PLAY
Grounded 2
One of this week's biggest releases also happens to be an absolutely massive open-world game, with Grounded 2's map positively dwarfing its predecessor's in size. The original Grounded was a survival game with a unique premise that only continued to improve during Early Access, so it's nice to see Obsidian Entertainment taking the same approach with the sequel. With plenty of players diving in at the outset and the opportunity to provide valuable feedback to shape its growth, right now is perhaps the best time to dive into Grounded 2 and fight alongside some insect companions.
- Released
- July 29, 2025
- ESRB
- Teen / Violence, Blood
- Developer(s)
- Obsidian Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Xbox Game Studios
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
WHERE TO PLAY
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
When it first launched on the original Nintendo Switch, the technical state of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet left most players wanting. And while Nintendo and Game Freak did continue to improve the title post-launch, Scarlet and Violet have finally reached a state befitting the series' legacy with the latest Switch 2 update. Coinciding with the new free update to improve Scarlet and Violet's resolution and performance on the Switch 2 are a new series of Tera Raids and Pokemon outbreaks, which makes this weekend a perfect time to head back to the Paldea region.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 71 /100 Critics Rec: 48%
- Released
- November 18, 2022
- ESRB
- E For Everyone Due To Mild Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Game Freak
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo, The Pokemon Company
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- no
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Monster Hunter Wilds
While data concerning Monster Hunter Wilds' console performance isn't readily available, Steam charts indicate that it's experienced quite the drop in player counts since its impressive launch window peak. But in just two weeks, on August 13, Monster Hunter Wilds will be getting one of its biggest post-launch updates yet via the 1.021 patch, which will add a new quest difficulty tier, new rewards, and other exciting additions to the already strong endgame content on offer. One of the best ways to prepare might be linking back up with a squad and brushing up on some high-level hunts, making a return to the Forbidden Lands one of the most appealing ways to spend the weekend.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 89 /100 Critics Rec: 95%
