Open-world games started to get big because of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim in 2011. There were open-world games before that, but they increased after Skyrim for better and for worse. Some developers just don’t know how to make good open-world games that are engaging, while others have surpassed Skyrim and helped innovate the open-world game market.
10 Incredible Open-World Games You Won’t Believe You Missed
They may not be Skyrim, but these oft-forgotten open-world games are well worth your time.
Let’s look back at the past ten years of open-world games and go through what games have helped the industry. It’s not a popularity contest, as the best of the best will not always be chosen. Sometimes, a smaller game can help innovate, too. From a wide array of consoles and genres, here are the game changers.
10 Assassin's Creed Origins
From Stabs To Stats
Assassin's Creed Origins
- Released
- October 27, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Open-World
Assassin's Creed Origins changed the Assassin’s Creed franchise in 2017 as the first game to include RPG mechanics. Players could now level up their characters, and there was a more extensive loot system. Before this, players could upgrade health and various other elements of gear through crafting, but Assassin's Creed Origins made this series an RPG more clearly, and it hasn’t changed since, except with Assassin's Creed Mirage, which was an attempt to harken back to the good old days.
9 Pokemon Legends: Arceus
The Franchise Evolves At Last
Pokemon Legends: Arceus
- Released
- January 28, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Game Freak
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch
Pokemon Legends: Arceus brought to light changes in the Pokemon series fans had been requesting for decades. Set in the past, the premise is like an Isekai anime wherein a present-day Pokemon Trainer is sent back to a feudal era-like timeline wherein capturing Pokemon is a new concept. In the world, which is more open than ever before, players can catch Pokemon without battling, and then in battle, there’s almost a real-time effect to it. Its spiritual sequel, Pokemon Legends: Z-A, goes further, wherein the combat is more action-like, and these are changes for the better.
8 Death Stranding
The First Strand Game
Death Stranding
- Released
- November 8, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Kojima Productions
- Genre(s)
- Action
- Platform(s)
- iOS, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
Death Stranding is a one-of-a-kind game, featuring a reimagined and exaggerated post-apocalyptic version of the U.S., which can be traversed on foot. Players were a courier, Sam, who delivered packages to underground bunkers and reconnected society to a new network. The coolest thing about the game was the crafting system, as players could use materials to rebuild structures they found in the world, from bridges to highways. With the asynchronous multiplayer, other players could affect the world too, so it was a team effort. Besides the sequel, there’s no other imaginative open-world game like Death Stranding, but hopefully that changes.
7 Cyberpunk 2077
GTA But Cooler
Cyberpunk 2077
- Released
- December 10, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
Cyberpunk 2077 took what Grand Theft Auto 5 did for open-world games set in a city and made it better. It also expanded the ideas introduced in the Deus Ex series, as players had missions that were open-ended.
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Though these open-world games are good, the lack of traversal options makes them somewhat hard to navigate.
As a cyborg, players could create their character and then upgrade them as they went along, adding cybernetics to change how they played. Better vision should help with shooting, and hacking skills could get players into hard-to-reach places without the need for conflict. There hasn’t been an open-world city game quite like this, but maybe Cyberpunk 2077 will influence Grand Theft Auto 6, minus the cyberpunk aura.
6 No Man’s Sky
An Open-Universe Game
No Man's Sky
- Released
- August 9, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Hello Games
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, Nintendo Switch 2
No Man’s Sky did not start out as a massive success in 2016, but with full support from the developer, Hello Games, they have upgraded it to be one of the most unbelievable games of all time. Minecraft’s auto-generated worlds were mesmerizing in 2011, but No Man’s Sky expanded that idea and applied it to the universe. Thanks to its internal engine, the game can create limitless planets players can fly to, explore, make homes on, and more. While there are other space sims out there, No Man’s Sky is still in a league all its own.
5 Genshin Impact
Free To Play And Here To Stay
Genshin Impact
- Released
- September 28, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Teen / Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items), Users Interact
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Action, Adventure, Gacha, Open-World
Free-to-play games existed way before Genshin Impact, but this is the one game that changed the perception for a lot of people. There were still plenty of gacha-based mechanics from buying characters to materials, but it was less obtrusive. Also, for an open-world game, it gave players a lot to do before it ever really tried to milk money out of players. Now, there are tons of high-profile free-to-play games of this ilk, and for better or worse, Genshin Impact plain and simply impacted the market.
4 Palworld
Freakonomics
Palworld
- Released
- January 19, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Violence
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Shooter, Survival
Monster-catching games existed before Pokemon, but they were never as blatantly obvious with their designs compared to Palworld. Still in Early Access, this is another game that addressed some issues Pokemon fans had with that franchise. The monsters, Pals, could do more than battle, from serving as mounts to weapons to workers at base camp. There were building mechanics as well since it was a survivor game, and thanks to its success, more open-world monster-catching games are on the way.
3 Ghost Of Tsushima
Samurais Are Back!
Ghost of Tsushima
- Released
- July 17, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
There are a lot of genres or motifs that were used to flood the market in the 80s and 90s, like ninja and samurai games, but they eventually lost traction. Enter Ghost of Tsushima, a return to form for samurai games that helped elevate the genre in a big way.
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These open-world games offer freedom beyond expansive areas to explore by letting you customize almost everything in sight.
Not only could players slay enemies like they were in one of their favorite samurai movies, but they could also be a stealthy ninja as well. With an impressive world to explore that paid homage to the real-life island of Tsushima and its history, Ghost of Tsushima was a big win for samurai fans everywhere. Beyond the bloody combat was a tranquil open-world game teaming with beauty like no other.
2 Elden Ring
A Bold Move For Soulslikes
Elden Ring
- Released
- February 25, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
FromSoftware changed video games when they released Demon’s Souls on the PS3 in 2009, thus awakening the Soulslike genre. Over a decade later, they were finally ready to change the landscape again with Elden Ring, an open-world Soulslike. While it might seem obvious now, it’s amazing that no one else thought of this concept until FromSoftware had to do it themselves, and they did it well. With branching areas, it was a more accessible Soulslike while still being challenging and brutal beyond belief for anyone not paying attention.
1 The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
Take My Breath Away
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Released
- March 3, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the king of kings when it comes to changing the ways people engage with open-world games. While there was a story to follow along with side quests, there wasn’t a lot of hand-holding and pushing in any one direction. Players were quickly given the keys to the kingdom to explore to their heart’s content. What’s more, the ability to climb nearly any surface and then glide back down was a thing of beauty. While many games have borrowed these features, many more strangely haven’t, and it’s a bit mind-boggling. This is without a doubt THE poster child for open-world games of the last decade.
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