This list contains spoilers!
The best open-world games draw players into an immersive map that they can, in some cases, spend hundreds or even thousands of hours exploring, learning every bit of lore, and exploring every corner. The level of detail and sheer amount of content in these games have led to the genre becoming a cornerstone of the modern gaming industry.
Longest Open-World Games
Even the most sophisticated gamer will be bewildered by the sheer scale of these games. These are the open-world games that take the longest to beat.
However, some criticize open-world games or say that they have "open-world fatigue" as having a giant map to traverse and numerous quests to keep track of can get repetitive. The games on this list, though, ensure that players are kept on their toes with ingenious world designs or gameplay mechanics that offer fresh and memorable experiences.
The Witness
It's All Puzzles
The Witness
- Released
- January 26, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E For Everyone due to Alcohol Reference
- Genre(s)
- Puzzle
The Witness was game designer Jonathan Blow's follow-up to Braid, the 2008 indie puzzle-platformer that, along with games like Spelunky and Super Meat Boy, shot indie gaming into the mainstream. The Witness stands out for its beautiful world that bursts with colour and minimal hand-holding. Players have no understanding of why they are on the vibrant island and no instructions on how to solve puzzles; they must simply press on with solving the initial easy puzzles to work out the rules of each puzzle type so that they can solve the hardest in a given area, activating a laser.
Initially, these line puzzles seem to be all that the game has to offer. They're tremendously well designed, particularly when entering the mountain, though the game's world is constantly hinting at more, especially with the hidden tape recordings dotted around, so some players are disappointed when they believe the line puzzles are all the game has to offer. For some unfortunate players, they will never discover anything else about the game. For more observant players, however, they will sooner or later - most likely at the hint at the top of the mountain - realise that the puzzles aren't confined to grids, but they are all over the world itself, amongst the clouds, foliage, architecture, and more. Discovering one's first environmental puzzle in The Witness is akin to some of the most authentically brilliant moments in gaming history, and the joy of discovering just how intricately designed the world is is one that all puzzle fans should experience.
Subnautica
What Lurks Beneath?
Subnautica
- Released
- January 23, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
Subnautica is best experienced without having any prior knowledge of what the game is all about, though this is both a gift and a curse. The game begins with the player's ship crashing, and they have no choice but to dive into the water that surrounds them as far as they can initially see, giving a great sense of wonder as to what might be below. For the opening hours, the game may seem to be a sci-fi version of Endless Ocean, where players are simply learning about unique fauna while gathering parts to leave the planet.
6 Best Open World Games That Don't Hold Your Hand, Ranked
These open-world games refuse to guide you, as getting lost is the point. From STALKER to Morrowind, they reward the bold and punish the careless.
However, unsuspecting players may start to pick up on the signs that something more sinister may be lurking below the depths with them, or perhaps they won't realise until they hear a leviathan's roar, and see one of the Lovecraftian horrors darting toward them, inflicting sheer terror into players who were just searching for a new type of plant. The build-up and execution of the game's descent into horror is brilliantly done, and makes delving deeper into the ocean a psychological challenge as well as a gameplay one. The player's first meeting with a leviathan is one that will live in their memory for many years, though it may deter them from ever going into a game blind again.
Shadow of the Colossus
Does the End Justify the Means?
Shadow of the Colossus
- Released
- October 18, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
The concept of an action game flipping the script on players by saying "all the killings you committed throughout the game make you the villain" is one that has been done many times at this point, though Shadow of the Colossus was one of the first major releases to do it, and arguably executed it the best. The protagonist is told by a mysterious voice known as Dormin that he must kill sixteen colossi to revive a girl named Mono. Defeating these Colossi is the game's only objective, and players will feel like conquering heroes when they take down each of these powerful beings.
The player's victory after defeating the colossi is short-lived, though, as although Mono is resurrected, it becomes clear that the colossi players killed were not just some evil, insignificant monsters. This is hinted at on multiple occasions, such as the first colossus the player kills having its back turned when they first approach it, seemingly minding its own business before a tiny guy with a sword starts stabbing it over and over again. The twist, leading to an ending where the protagonist is referred to a "possessed" before being killed and their body controlled by Dormin, gives a whole new perspective on the experience during repeat playthroughs, and adds an underlying sadness to the beautiful but empty world.
Outer Wilds
A Mystery Like No Other
Outer Wilds
- Released
- May 28, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ due to Fantasy Violence, Alcohol Reference
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
Outer Wilds initially seems to be little more than a charming, cartoonish space exploration game that would be appreciated as a heartfelt indie adventure, but nothing else. However, players will soon be thrown through a loop, quite literally, when they discover that the universe resets every 22 minutes, turning this cozy adventure into an ingeniously designed puzzle game. The story's mystery blends so well into the gameplay that the 15-20 hour adventure is one that players will never forget.
Outer Wilds is today recognised as one of the best indie games of all time, boasting an Overwhelmingly Positive user review score on Steam and the Seumas McNally Grand Prize. Some felt the game didn't reach the level of mainstream success it deserved, but it will always have a special place in the hearts of those who were drawn into its world.
8 Best Open-World Games To Play If You Are Tired Of Open-Worlds
These great games offer interesting open worlds that provide unique experiences, ideal for those who think open-world games have become cookie-cutter.