Best Open-World Mecha Games

There's nothing quite like the feeling of having free rein to pilot a giant robot as far as the eye can see. While there's currently no system in place for average folks to live out their wildest Pacific Rim fantasies in the real world, video games have provided the opportunity. Yet, the limitations of these games can be somewhat frustrating for some fans.

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By  Colin Tanner

Still, there are video games where piloting a giant mecha isn't just fun, but players also get to use it to explore a vast, open world. These six games are exactly what gamers might be looking for in a free-spirited sci-fi adventure, although getting to the part where fans get to pilot a mech may be a challenge on its own in some.

6 Phantom Galaxies

Its Full Release Promises Limitless Exploration

Phantom Galaxies has been in early access since November 2023, meaning that there are still a lot of kinks to be worked out for the final version. It makes sense, given how ambitious this Steam release is, allowing players to freely explore a sci-fi universe piloting giant mechs and battling others they come across on their journeys.

The game features four distinct classes of mech fighters: Assault, Lancer, Buster, and Breacher, each offering different specs. While it may not be as polished as some of the other games here, keep an eye out for its full release!

5 Sand Land

Live Out Your Fantasies As Beelzebub

Sand Land is a video game adaptation of the iconic manga and anime series created by Akira Toriyama. Released earlier in 2024, the game is an action RPG allowing players to explore the open desert world. However, much like the anime, most of the game revolves around players building tanks and machinery to battle fearsome enemies.

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By  Tristan Jurkovich

What makes this an especially strong mecha game is the customization involved in creating players' vehicles, from Gundam-esque robot suits to fully loaded race cars. Particularly for fans of the anime, there's a lot to love about this action-packed RPG, but even for those unfamiliar with the source material, it's still fun to play around in giant machines.

4 Steambot Chronicles

If Only Audiences Had Appreciated Its Innovation

For fans of mecha games, Steambot Chronicles is a certified classic. The PlayStation 2 game was released back in 2005 and was incredibly ahead of its time in terms of offering a sandbox adventure featuring giant robots. Players inhabit "Trotmobiles" for a variety of purposes, from transportation to battling.

Like Sand Land, Steambot Chronicles even featured a wide array of customization options that can change aspects of a player's Trotmobile, making them slower and stronger or faster and frail. It's a shame the series never took off, as fans could only imagine how expansive the series would be on current-gen consoles.

3 Warframe

The Possibilities Are Endless In This MMO

Among the more notable mecha games is 2013's Warframe, which has had a steady life on current-gen consoles over the years, and even made its way to iOS earlier in 2024. The MMO shooter places a heavy emphasis on the titular giant mechs, offering a variety of game modes, including PvP shooter, RPG, and parkour levels.

What's especially fascinating about Warframe is how updates included new open-world areas, like the Plains of Eidolon, allowing players to explore in their mech suits. Despite being over a decade old, Warframe continues to age extremely well for an open-world mech game that's free-to-play, aside from pesky microtransactions.

2 Horizon Zero Dawn

Monster Hunter Goes Cyberpunk

There was a lot of hype around Horizon Zero Dawn when it was first released in 2017 for PS4. While the series has since been updated with sequels for PlayStation 5 (as well as ports for PC), the original game is the most straightforward and flawless experience the franchise has yet to offer, though it has one major difference to other games mentioned already.

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Namely, Horizon Zero Dawn centers on a hunter named Aloy who ventures through an open world filled with mechanical creatures known as Machines. Rather than an adventure in a giant mech suit, players spend most of the game taking on quests where they must fight these giant robots, though some creatures can be rewired into mounts to ride around on.

1 Xenoblade Chronicles X

This Wii U Gem Deserves More Respect

The Xenoblade franchise has always been massive in scale, even from its first installment on the Nintendo Wii. Xenoblade Chronicles X, however, blows all the others out of the water, as players can operate giant mechs known as Skells to explore the vast and diverse open world of Mira. However, Skells can't be unlocked until close to halfway through the main story.

While the first half of the game is exciting enough as an open-world action RPG, getting to battle and explore in Skells completely changes how players interact with the environment. Overall, Xenoblade Chronicles X is the perfect game for those wanting an open-world mecha experience, though sadly for now it's exclusive to the Wii U.

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