Open-World Games With The Most Freedom, Ranked

Most players would rightfully assume that open-world games offer players a ton of freedom in several departments, but this isn't always the case. The genre has become so saturated that some titles have open worlds for the sake of it, without letting players enjoy a much-needed level of freedom when it comes to gameplay.

Thankfully, a lot of open-world games understand what makes this genre tick, letting players explore massive sandboxes where they can accomplish anything they set their minds to. This freedom is a huge reason why some open-world games break records and become some of the most popular titles in gaming.

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8 Grand Theft Auto 5

A Massive Sandbox With A Ton Of Things To Do

Grand Theft Auto 5 may have its fair share of rigid, linear missions, but the game is completely different when players decide to explore the sandbox instead. The landscape is massive, varied, and full of things to do.

Players can help strangers, engage in various immersive open-world activities, find high-speed cars to zoom around in, and discover secrets that are a joy to uncover. When the game is allowed to flex its open world, Grand Theft Auto 5 can be a technical marvel to experience.

7 Elden Ring

Players Can Explore Another Corner Of The Map If They Need To Get Stronger

The template of a FromSoftware action-adventure game was perfect for an open-world title, and Elden Ring blew every expectation out of the water. Players loved how much fun it was for them to explore The Lands Between and find avenues to get stronger if a boss was getting on their nerves.

The open-ended exploration and excellent combat go hand-in-hand to let players enjoy a beautiful open-world game where the sense of discovery is palpable. Every corner hides a secret and lets players acquire more Runes, making it intensely rewarding to explore the world and see how players can benefit from its content.

6 The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim

A Mind-Boggling Number Of Things To Do

There's a reason why Skyrim took the gaming world by storm and established itself as one of the best open-world RPGs of all time. The Dragonborn starts pretty weak before leveling up their stats and turning into the strongest character in the world of the game.

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The numerous explorable locations, endless build variety, and unique races ensure that players can have a great time trekking through these Nordic lands and completing quests. It's an open-world game that lets its sandbox speak for itself as players make the most of the boundless freedom afforded in this title.

5 No Man's Sky

Endless Opportunities For Discovery

No Man's Sky deserves recognition for turning a title that was broken at launch into one of the most immersive sci-fi adventure games available tofay. The galaxy is massive and full of unique content, even if the vast majority of it is procedurally generated.

The sheer amount of content players can explore in this title is mind-boggling. While the Traveler is tasked with reaching the center of the galaxy, there's nothing stopping players from ignoring this goal and enjoying the limitless freedom afforded in this relaxing game.

4 The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom

Bigger And More Layered Than Its Predecessor

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a massive improvement over its predecessor, Breath of the Wild. The addition of the Sky Islands and the Depths added a ton of verticality to the game, which made the title's exploration more dynamic than ever before.

Tears of the Kingdom also embodies elements of immersive sims, letting players interact with the environment in sensible ways to figure out unique solutions to a problem. This sequel was a huge hit that enhanced the freedom afforded by the gameplay.

3 Caves Of Qud

An Open-World Roguelike Full Of Endless Opportunities

Caves of Qud is one of the most unique roguelike games of all time. Every playthrough generates a randomized open world, a sign of the gameplay freedom players are afforded in Caves of Qud once they get over a ridiculous difficulty curve.

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Players must choose their race and figure out the best way to get into the good graces of certain factions while trying to survive in a brutal world that takes no prisoners. Once players go through a few deaths, they'll understand the freedom in this title. Players can choose to pursue numerous avenues to make their character stronger and barrel through foes that were giving them a tough time.

2 Kenshi

Players Form Their Own Goals In A Post-Apocalyptic World

Kenshi doesn't give players any goal to focus on, and just drops them in the middle of a brutal post-apocalyptic open world. This is a testament to how confident this title is about its emergent gameplay. As one would expect, the learning curve of this game is brutal and can force players through many frustrating deaths before things click for them.

But after learning the ropes, the world is the player's oyster in Kenshi. They can choose to be whatever they set their mind to, ranging from simple merchants to opportunistic thieves who salivate at the prospect of making a quick buck. Once a player's ambition grows, they can even set up a base and serve as its ruler, opening a new array of gameplay options players weren't even aware of.

1 Minecraft

The Freedom In This Sandbox Is Mind-Blowing

It would be impossible to talk about freedom in open-world games without mentioning the indie giant that is Minecraft. This revolutionary title dropped players into randomly generated open worlds with a focus on survival and crafting.

Players can go all-out in creating massive worlds that are a joy to traverse. Some of the most impressive servers show the hard work put into making certain fictional worlds come to life. The terror of surviving in the night against tough enemies is something players can disable at will, and the focus on creative building means that players can spend hours on their creations.