Open-world games are known for having big and expansive areas that players are able to explore at their leisure, but most of the time, the developers of these titles will inevitably end up minimizing the scope after a few entries. Whether this is because the worlds are simply becoming too large to deal with, or simply due to the developers wanting to focus on a more linear story, there are many reasons why an open-world franchise will start getting a little smaller over time, but that's not to say that every open-world franchise out there has followed this trend.
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In stark contrast, there are some that just keep getting bigger with every new installment, not just in terms of the world they offer, but also the amount of content and activities that players can partake in along their adventure. It's gotten to the point where it's hard to imagine how these franchises can get even bigger, considering how bold and ambitious they have already become, but if anything, this only gets fans more excited to jump into each new entry, which is especially the case with these popular open-world franchises listed below.
Grand Theft Auto
Rockstar Continues Creating Giant Worlds Full Of Side Activities And Characters To Meet
- Number Of Mainline Games: 5
- Developers: Rockstar Games
Many people credit Grand Theft Auto 3 for being the game that ushered the open-world genre into the mainstream, and while it definitely deserves this prestigious reputation, it's honestly kind of funny looking back at just how small that world actually was compared to modern-day standards. With the map containing just over 1.45 square miles of land, Rockstar clearly realized they needed to make the cities even bigger for future games, to make players feel as if they're truly living in a believable and realistic area where they can cause as much chaos as they like.
While Grand Theft Auto 4 and San Andreas began adding in a plethora of new mission types and specific areas across the city could be visited, it was really the fifth mainline entry that took the size and scope of the world to a whole new level. To put it simply, Los Santos is absolutely huge, to the point where exploring every part of it, from the bustling streets to the lush mountains, can end up taking several days, or even weeks, but this is a big reason why the game has become such a smash hit, since it's just such a blast uncovering the staggering amount of content Rockstar has packed into this game.
Far Cry
Bigger Worlds, More Radio Towers, So Much Chaos
- Number Of Mainline Games: 6
- Developers: Ubisoft
While Ubisoft may have decided to cut down the size of their maps with Assassin's Creed Mirage for that series specifically, in the case of Far Cry, the worlds are only getting bigger with every new game. In Far Cry 2, players were free to explore a visually stunning, but also dangerous, country in Africa, which was littered with treasure to obtain and an abundance of deadly weapons to acquire. With Far Cry 3, it was clear that Ubisoft wanted to give the player more things to do while exploring, and thanks to the introduction of radio towers, it allowed players to reveal what activities they could get involved with in each area of the map, ensuring there was always something to get up to as a result.
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As the series has gone on, the maps have only been getting bigger, but thankfully, the addition of new content allows these areas to feel like places that are truly lived in, rather than just empty sandboxes. For example, in Far Cry 5, players are able to recruit companions to help them take out enemy bases, while in the sixth game, there are also plenty of Unique Weapons that can be uncovered if the player takes the time to traverse as much of the map as possible in order to find them.
Horizon
Aloy's Adventures Are Becoming Longer And More Adventurous With Each New Game
- Number Of Mainline Games: 2
- Developers: Guerrilla Games
Despite following the traditional open-world gameplay formula, Sony's Horizon games are actually considered pretty unique in a few particular respects. A prime example of this is the enemy types being giant robotic dinosaurs that the protagonist, Aloy, must destroy by using an arsenal of makeshift weapons, including explosive arrows and deadly spears. In the first game, Horizon Zero Dawn, players could encounter all kinds of different dinos as they explored the giant open world, while also having the opportunity to help out a few of Aloy's friends along the way with their own personal struggles.
The hotly anticipated sequel, Horizon Forbidden West, decided to go even bigger in pretty much every aspect to give fans a sequel that built on what made the original so special. For example, the map is larger, and it contains a healthier variety of environmental diversity to ensure the journey never feels boring or predictable. Not only that, the number of dinosaurs has also been greatly expanded, along with the weapons and skills that Aloy can acquire once she sets off on her grand adventure.
Spider-Man
The Two Spideys Have A Few More Areas Of New York To Swing Through In The Sequel
- Number Of Mainline Games: 2
- Developers: Insomniac Games
While Insomniac's first open-world Spider-Man featured a huge map that would take several hours to fully explore, it was difficult to tell how big it was, considering the blistering speed at which Spidey can shoot through the city using his webs. With that being said, though, when looking at the absurd number of collectibles and extra missions that are dotted on the map, players will quickly realize that Manhattan is far from a small place, but in time, they will eventually be able to explore even more areas of New York City in the sequel, Spider-Man 2.
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This time around, Brooklyn and Queens have also been added to the game world, opening up brand new areas for players to explore, while still featuring iconic locales from the first game. While Peter Parker makes a return to save the city from danger once again, in the sequel, he's also joined by Miles, with players being able to switch between the two pretty much instantly in the middle of gameplay. Pair this with a longer story, way more exciting abilities to unlock, and a ton of unique boss enemies, and it's evident that Insomniac wanted to go as big as possible for the sequel. Whether they can go even further with the third game, only time will tell.
Red Dead
Rockstar's Cowboy Simulators Feature Giant Maps And Tons Of Content To Enjoy
- Number Of Mainline Games: 3
- Developers: Rockstar Games
The first game in the Red Dead franchise, Red Dead Revolver, flirted with the idea of going open-world, but was ultimately a fairly linear experience that primarily revolved around a single town. By the time that Rockstar started thinking about creating Red Dead Redemption, they had become one of the most popular and well-renowned developers in the industry, so going all in with the open-world formula was necessary to ensure the game didn't feel like an entry that belonged to a bygone error.
When crafting the world of Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar did an excellent job at making it as believable as possible by striking a balance between having areas that are full of chaos and combat, and those that are quieter and serene. They would build upon this with Red Dead Redemption 2, which, to this day, contains one of the biggest open worlds ever seen in a game. With plenty of stranger missions to complete and a frankly jaw-dropping amount of side activities which are completely optional, Red Dead Redemption 2's world never comes across like a giant chunk of empty space, but instead, a wild wasteland full of opportunities.
Watch Dogs
A Bigger City Simply Means More Gadgets For Players To Hack
- Number Of Mainline Games: 3
- Developers: Ubisoft
On the surface, Watch Dogs may seem like any other open-world game and how it looks and plays, but there's a specific mechanic that allows this series of games to feel drastically different from anything that has come before, and that's the ability to hack. In the first game, players were able to hack most of the gadgets and electronics in the environment to take down their enemies in creative ways, such as flicking on and off the traffic lights or simply tapping into someone's phone to distract them before sneaking for a fatal attack.
The truth is, though, the number of ways that players could actually use the hacking ability felt a little limited, so for Watch Dogs 2, Ubisoft granted even more player freedom by greatly expanding the playable area, while also adding in new ways to mess around with the map. Watch Dogs Legion took this even further by granting the ability to switch characters on the fly, with players being encouraged to create their own mini-army of hackers to take over the City of London. What started out as Ubisoft's niche little experiment has blossomed into a massively popular open-world franchise that's only been growing in size over time, so it will be interesting to see how the developers take it to the next level in future installments.
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