The realities of daily life tend to dictate how much or little time we have for gaming during the week, which makes the weekend one of the best times to hunker down and spend longer stretches of time with titles we might not otherwise have a block in our schedules for. Open-world games can be prohibitive for anyone with limited gaming time based on the sheer size of most and the time commitment they represent, but a longer weekend gaming block could potentially be the perfect time to dive into a new one and discover a story or gameplay loop worth getting lost in. There's no shortage of great open-world games available across every modern platform, but the following 5 titles should be top priority for anyone looking to check one out this weekend.
Borderlands 4
A week after its release, Borderlands 4 seems to be holding on as one of the most popular and widely-played games across both PC and consoles, even in the wake of some very real performance concerns that Gearbox is actively trying to address. For those who've been able to enjoy Borderlands 4 without many technical hiccups, it presents some of the best gameplay the series has seen in years, largely thanks to its incorporation of new movement abilities that blur the line between past Borderlands gameplay and something like Destiny 2. The campaign of Borderlands 4 is also great fun that's only better in co-op, making it one of the best options for some weekend gaming with a friend group.
Borderlands 4
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 82 /100 Critics Rec: 88%
- Released
- September 12, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Gearbox Software
- Publisher(s)
- 2K
WHERE TO PLAY
Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion
The recently released sequel to Daemon X Machina, Titanic Scion, ditches the mission-based structure of the first game in favor of a fully open-world, and it does a great job of making almost all of its content fun to access and satisfying to complete. The highlight of Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion is its combat, which leans far more in the direction of arcade action than what you might find in something like Armored Core 6, and offers up an impressive amount of flexibility and variety in how you build out your Arsenal and approach each encounter. Plus, as far as open-world games go, Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion is a little on the shorter side, with most players clocking in at around 15-20 hours to beat the main story plus extra content.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 70 /100 Critics Rec: 45%
- Released
- September 5, 2025
- ESRB
- Teen / Blood, Drug Reference, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Marvelous
- Publisher(s)
- Marvelous
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Action, Shooter, Open-World, Exploration
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition
Given the shorter length of a game like Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion, it felt prudent to pivot from one open-world mech game to another, this time one that's a much longer and more varied experience. Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is the best way to play one of the Wii U's best exclusive games, and that it runs even better on the Switch 2 without any need for a paid upgrade pack is the icing on the cake. Any Switch 2 owner looking for a great open world game to keep them occupied until some of the year's upcoming bigger releases has a perfect option in Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition.
- Released
- March 20, 2025
- ESRB
- Teen // Animated Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Monolith Soft
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
WHERE TO PLAY
Assassin's Creed Shadows
This week saw the launch of the first major story expansion for Assassin's Creed Shadows with the Claws of Awaji DLC, making this weekend a great time to hop back into Ubisoft Montreal's open-world version of feudal Japan. Anyone who's already beaten Assassin's Creed Shadows' main campaign now has new content to check out that takes Naoe and Yasuke to a brand-new open-world map, while those who've yet to check out the latest game in the series can do so at a discount across multiple digital storefronts. And with the launch of Ghost of Yotei just weeks away, Assassin's Creed Shadows feels like an ideal warm-up for yet another open-world adventure set in Japan.
Assassin's Creed Shadows
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 82%
- Released
- March 20, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft Quebec
- Publisher(s)
- Ubisoft
WHERE TO PLAY
Voyagers of Nera
Open-world co-op survival game Voyagers of Nera entered into Early Access this week and is already making a splash among players as one of the more enjoyable new games in the genre. It currently has a "Very Positive" user rating over on Steam, where it's getting plenty of glowing comparisons to genre favorites like Valheim. As an Early Access title, there's still plenty of room for Voyagers of Nera to grow and improve over the coming months, and diving in now gives players the opportunity to become a critical contributor to its development by providing feedback to Treehouse Games and influencing the iterative process.