Open-World games are full of content to explore, and there are titles that submerge their players so deeply in their lore and worldbuilding that they might be reluctant to leave. And, so, these games are also prepared to host their players during prolonged periods of time, without forcing the plot to advance. Some might even offer an enormous post-game or New Game + modes to explore even more, and enjoy endless hours of committing to a single universe.
These titles have taken the joyride part of the adventure to the extreme. Games that reward you for staying, instead of forcing players to leave: What else could be better? This list spotlights five of these Open-World games from various genres, from RPG to Adventure, and even Survival. Beware, dear readers, you might lose yourselves in these incredible worlds.
10 Open-World Games That Are Quality Over Quantity, Ranked
Sick of open-world games that are loaded with vapid side content? These games put quality over quantity, while still offering huge worlds to explore.
1 The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt (& DLCs)
An Enormous Game, That Has Yet Another Story To Tell
The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 92 /100 Critics Rec: 99%
WHERE TO PLAY
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
The vastness of The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt is comparable to that of games like Skyrim or Red Dead Redemption 2. With that said, it is also true that the DLCs bring forth lots of extra content, especially Blood & Wine, with the marvelous region of Toussaint opening for the first time in the series. Little is said about how The Witcher 3 compels the players to stay in its world, but here are some examples: The incredible lore, the sheer amount of secondary quests and encounters, and, well, how about some Gwent?
Needless to say, with the news of yet another expansion, which will probably send players to explore the remote region of Zerrikania (for the fans of the book series, it's the place where Borch Three Jackdaws, also known as Villentretenmerth is from), reinforces the idea of this ever-expanding world. But the game, in its current state (even more if you mod it), offers tons of hours of enjoyment and monster-slaying adventures. Just don't get too caught in it, since it can become quite addictive.
2 Valheim
Never Cease To Amaze Players Who Lose Themselves In Its World
Valheim
- Released
- February 2, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- r
- Genre(s)
- Sandbox, Survival
Valheim has something magical; there's no denying it. Its vastness is due to its procedurally generated worlds, based on seeds, that players can renew constantly to add an extra layer of replay value to the title. But every one of these worlds has enormous lands to explore, with biomes so different from each other that every step of the journey looks like the beginning of a new adventure. Since the main goal of the game is to hunt down one boss per biome, players might feel pressed to move forward, but the reality is that there's no need to rush. In fact, players are invited by the game to linger and move around as much as possible.
10 Best Open-World Games If You Want To Live Off The Land
Survival mechanics in open-world games can be hit or miss, but for those who want to live off the land, these open-world games will scratch that itch.
Some might even take dozens of hours to move between bosses, and that is perfectly fine. The distribution of resources between biomes (especially in the Meadows and Swamp areas) is also one of the main factors Valheim uses to prolong the game experience. Getting the lay of the land before even settling down, and the many ways to build a base (or reclaim existing buildings), is another key point of the world, asking the players to stay, explore, survive, and thrive.
3 Red Dead Redemption 2
A Beyond And After This Game, There's No Point In Denying It
Red Dead Redemption 2
- Released
- October 26, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
They say a good journey is one filled to the brim with a sense of discovery, and in Red Dead Redemption 2, this is made fairly obvious by the fact that no matter where players go, there's always something new to see. Be it by its lush environments, or its beautifully designed scenarios, or randomized encounters, vicious predator AI, and the hundreds of activities to complete, RDR2 is the best title of the series (so far). Even its most hardcore detractors have to admit the game looks incredible. Imagine how great it would be if you could live forever inside it.
As a matter of fact, there's a possibility to keep going around and forgetting about the main story altogether, especially for those who are aiming to platinum the game before they grow too tired of it. It's a challenging endeavor, and fans might shudder at the idea of getting all the unlockables (like the Legend of the East outfit), though that might also require players to end the main story. Since the Epilogue and the Main Story are also two separate (yet interconnected) experiences, some players will also feel reluctant to play that last mission (Our Best Selves) and say goodbye to Arthur for good. Thankfully, there's no rush, no pressing timer over our heads, no need to end the journey before players are satisfied with the experience. And the rewards are, of course, being able to see everything this world has to offer before closing the curtain to one of the greatest games of the last 20 years.
4 Subnautica
There's No End For This Game (If You Want It That Way)
Subnautica
- Released
- January 23, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
Subnautica is one of the best underwater exploration games players can find nowadays, and a challenging experience that will test their willpower, patience, and propensity to suffer thalassophobia. If players have been looking for a game that grips them down and never lets them go, then this is it: It doesn't get better than Subnautica. Beyond countless hours of deep diving and exploration, discovering new species (some might not be friendly at all), upgrading gear, and surviving this alien ocean world, there's yet another pressing matter to deal with: escaping or staying?
Sure, abandoning their 'stranded in an alien world' status might seem like the logical final step to take, but players are also invited to keep exploring, learning about this incredibly beautiful world, and, why not, get eaten by a Leviathan (or two). In Subnautica, the deeper you go, the harder it is to let go.
5 The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
This World Goes Beyond Open-World
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Released
- March 3, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E for Everyone: Fantasy Violence, Use of Alcohol, Mild Suggestive Themes
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Wii U, Switch
In The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Nintendo did a wonderful job at demonstrating the potential this franchise can have as an Open-World adventure. It's not just that it has tons of content to enjoy in a huge world, but it also has some of the most challenging side-objectives in all Zelda games. One out of three players of BOTW has never defeated all the sub-bosses in the game, and most definitely has not completed the 76 side quests the game has.
Needless to say, BOTW has a core gameplay loop that glues players to the screen for hours, and most of them will never let go unless there's something really pressing them forward. If not for the fact that Tears of the Kingdom exists, Breath of the Wild could have been one of the titles with fewer players reaching the endgame and defeating the final boss in the history of the franchise. Its world is simply perfect, and there's no way to get tired of exploring it. No wonder this is one of the best Zelda games ever made.
7 Open-World Games That Mastered The Art Of Slow Exploration
There have been some truly breathtaking open-world games over the years, and these titles let you explore at your own pace.