Summary
- Some open-world games improve the endgame experience to keep players engaged after completing the main story.
- Red Dead Redemption offers players control of John's son in the end, adding new missions and exciting content.
- In Death Stranding, players can optimize routes and continue delivering parcels post-game, exploring the world further.
Some of the best open-world games are a blast to play through, to the point where players will rue the moment when their favorite video game rolled credits. However, given how most modern games are usually loaded with content, fans may no longer need to dread the ending of their favorite games.
8 Best Open-World Games That Revolutionized Player Freedom, Ranked
From Minecraft to Red Dead Redemption 2, open-world games have continued to innovate the freedom of how consumers choose to play.
After all, some games make a valiant effort to make the endgame as captivating as possible. From changes in the sandbox to the addition of new high-level content, there are many ways that some of the best open-world games around captivate fans.
Spoiler Warning: Due to the nature of this list topic, each entry will delve into endgame spoilers for their respective games.
8 Red Dead Redemption
Controlling John's Son At The End Is Novel (If Somewhat Divisive)
Red Dead Redemption
- Released
- May 18, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar San Diego
- Publisher(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Adventure
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Android, iOS
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
The ending of Red Dead Redemption will leave fans with a tear in their eye as their favorite outlaw is gunned down in cold blood by the Pinkertons. However, they'll be equally shocked to see that they get to control Jack Marston at the end of the game.
It's impressive just how much effort was put into turning Jack into a playable character. He has his own dialogue for any Stranger Missions players missed out on, and anyone who wants to see the credits roll after having their fill of playing Jack can find an aging Edgar Ross and gun him down in a satisfying duel.
7 Death Stranding
Completing Deliveries And Optimizing Routes Feels Great
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
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Death Stranding is one of the most unique open-world games fans can get their hands on. Delivering parcels may not seem like the most interesting thing in the world, but it's how Death Stranding structures this central gameplay loop that will keep fans engaged after rolling credits.
If the core gameplay loop clicks with players, then they can comfortably spend hours after the ending just exploring the world. It helps that the endgame features new delivery missions and the opportunity to connect the entire world using ziplines.
6 Street Fighter 6
The World Tour Mode Involves A Decent Amount Of Grind At The End To Unlock Stuff
Street Fighter 6
- Released
- June 2, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Publisher(s)
- Capcom
- Genre(s)
- Fighting
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC, Arcade
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
The idea of a Street Fighter game with an open world felt odd, but SF6 did a great job with its World Tour mode, making fans come back for more. Even after completing all the unique content in the game, fans can still spend a ton of time in the post-game.
7 Best Open-World Games That Play Like GTA
Grand Theft Auto is a game franchise that did a lot to promote the adoption of open-world maps, which these other titles used as inspiration.
It takes a substantial grind, but players can unlock additional content in the game and also figure out the best way to optimize their XP and money gains. The mere fact that the term endgame can be used for a Street Fighter game shows how far this series has come.
5 Monster Hunter Wilds
Players Can Unlock Several High-End Weapons And Gear In Tough Post-Game Fights
Monster Hunter Wilds
- Released
- February 28, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Publisher(s)
- Capcom
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Every Monster Hunter game prides itself on its endgame, and the first open-world game in the series is no exception. The story-heavy approach gives players another reason to invest time in their hunter and make them stronger than ever.
After reaching the end of the game, players will still have so much content to complete that it's mind-boggling. Hunting down tougher monsters and crafting even better gear will help players slowly but surely transform into an impressive hunter revered by many in Monster Hunter Wilds.
4 Dragon's Dogma 2
The World Changes And New Things Are Unlocked In The Apocalyptic Endgame
Dragon's Dogma 2
- Released
- March 22, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Publisher(s)
- Capcom
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Not many games aim to make their endgame as unique as Dragon's Dogma and its sequel. The latter does precisely what fans expect after the Dragon is defeated, plunging the world into an apocalyptic state as the skybox changes to reflect this.
Along with this, players can access new areas after certain water bodies dry up and face off against strong enemies who will push players to the very limit. This approach to the endgame is so unique that fans can easily spend dozens of hours after beating the Dragon, which is no mean feat.
3 Tom Clancy's The Division 2
The Endgame Boasts A Ton Of Substantial Content
Tom Clancy's The Division 2
- Released
- March 15, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
Live-service games will usually edge out other open-world games when it comes to endgame content, but this isn't a bad thing in the slightest. As long as players don't mind dealing with a bit of a grind, The Division 2 is intensely compelling even after players have "completed" the game.
7 Best Open-World Games That Don't Have Huge Maps
Open-world games don't have to be massive to be immersive. These games offer pint-sized open-world maps jam-packed with content to explore.
Players are given endless opportunities to go on special high-difficulty missions and take out other players in PvP zones. This healthy flow of content will keep players busy for a long time, highlighting why many fans were impressed by The Division 2 and consider it to be a vastly improved sequel.
2 Diablo 4
Took A While To Make Its Endgame Satisfying
Diablo 4
- Released
- June 5, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Blizzard
- Publisher(s)
- Blizzard
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Hack and Slash
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
An amazing open-world take on the Diablo formula, the fourth mainline entry took a while to get going. Some people were worried that Diablo 4 wouldn't live up to previous games in the series, but all it required was a bit of patience for Blizzard to show why this franchise had transformed into something special.
The game was pumped with a steady flow of updates and content packs, giving players endless reasons to come back to this game over and over again. Players can try out different builds and check out endgame content with high-level characters, allowing them to invest hundreds of hours in this ARPG with relative ease.
1 Caves Of Qud
A Challenging Title Where The Endgame Is The Ultimate Test Of A Player's Build
Caves Of Qud
- Released
- July 15, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
An open-world roguelike game that is brimming with content, Caves of Qud is a game that doesn't hold the player's hand at any step of the way. This can make for a major learning curve as players die over and over again and try to figure out what is going wrong.
Once players get the hang of things, making progress in the game and befriending factions feels great. The best part is that the endgame respects players for coming so far by ramping up the challenge once again, forcing players through yet another journey of learning as they figure out how to deal with these immense threats without losing a character they've invested a lot of time in.
Best Open-World Games All About Building A Strong Community
For those who enjoy forming alliances in video games, here are some of the best open-world titles that allow players to build communities.