Summary
- Most open-world games use basic travel; a few reinvent movement with supernatural abilities or powerful gadgets that allow players to move really fast.
- Infamous Second Son, Saints Row 4, Prototype 2, and Forspoken enable blistering speed in the open world via supernatural abilities.
- Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and Just Cause 3 use advanced gadgets and special suits to shape exploration differently.
Despite having huge maps available for exploration, the majority of open-world games don't reinvent the wheel when it comes to fast player movement or unusual traversal mechanics. Aside from walking, running, and occasional climbing, some games may feature horseback riding or various vehicles to speed things up, but that's about it.
8 Open-World Games That Let You Fly
While some open-world games have players walking or riding horses, other games allow players to simply fly to get around.
Fortunately, there are a few open-world games that offer far more creative ways to move around their vast worlds quickly, often without the need for high-speed vehicles. Primarily relying on supernatural abilities, extreme gadgets, or a mix of the two, the open-world games below feature some of the fastest movement in the genre, so let's take a closer look.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2
Web-Swinging and High-Speed Gliding
Marvel's Spider-Man 2
- Released
- October 20, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Drug Reference, Mild Language, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action-Adventure, Superhero
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 significantly expanded on the already excellent web-swinging mechanics from the original game and Spider-Man: Miles Morales, while also adding wingsuits to both playable characters, Peter and Miles. Using wingsuits allows players to cross the vast map of New York City in minutes, if not seconds, and can be very useful during specific chase sections in the sequel.
However, by adding wingsuits with little to no restrictions, the devs might have unintentionally made Marvel's Spider-Man 2's traversal overly fast, with some players even recommending not using them too much. Instead, leaning more toward classic web-swinging makes traversal more enjoyable, thanks to its fluid animations and numerous ways to interact with the surroundings while exploring the map.
Just Cause 3
A Classy Grappling Hook and Wingsuit Combo for Fast Traversal
Just Cause 3
- Released
- November 30, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Third-Person Shooter
Probably the most beloved entry in the action-packed open-world series, Just Cause 3 brought the mayhem to never-before-seen levels while also significantly expanding players' possibilities for fast traversal. Rico Rodriguez can use vehicles to get around quickly, but there's almost no need to do so thanks to his combination of grappling hook and wingsuit.
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By mastering movement in Just Cause 3, players can move almost like Spider-Man, never touching the ground, and utilize the hook and wings for fast and convenient navigation around the world. The protagonist can even grapple toward moving cars, planes, and helicopters for some insane moves. Even today, few open-worlds can compare to the flexibility and speed of movement in both Just Cause 3 and Just Cause 4.
Sunset Overdrive
Dynamic Movement Based on Grinding, Jumping, and Wall Running
Sunset Overdrive
- Released
- October 28, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Open-World
To this day, Sunset Overdrive features one of the most unique traversal systems in any open-world game, despite entirely lacking vehicles. Instead, players are encouraged to use “grinding” — fast sliding moves on almost any surface around the city, combining this core mechanic with other special moves like zipping, wall running, or using various city elements as trampolines.
What's special about Sunset Overdrive's traversal is that it's very skill-based, so players must actively learn how to master each move to breeze through environments with maximum efficiency, rather than just pressing a single button. Even water is used creatively, as players can briefly slide on its surface or perform dives and high rises to quickly gain speed and momentum.
Infamous Second Son
Smoke and Neon Superpowers Enhance Movement
inFAMOUS Second Son
- Released
- March 21, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
While not as fast as in Insomniac's Spider-Man games and not as unique as Sunset Overdrive, Infamous Second Son's traversal stands somewhere in between, offering a creative mix of superhero abilities to enhance and speed up the protagonist's movement. In addition to the parkour moves from previous entries, Delsin Rowe can use Smoke and Neon superpowers to navigate Seattle with speed and style.
From supernatural sprints, jumps, and glides to using environmental features like ventilation systems to quickly rise to rooftops, Infamous Second Son's traversal also benefits from stunning visuals during every move, allowing for breathtaking and fluid combinations in the air.
Saints Row 4
Supernatural Jump, Sprint, and Even Flying
Saints Row 4
- Released
- August 20, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Open-World
Starting with Saints Row 3, the series began to lean into the supernatural, with this aspect peaking in Saints Row 4 — arguably the most popular game in the series. To fuel its extremely unrealistic nature, Saints Row 4 is primarily set in a simulation, where players gain overpowered supernatural abilities and twisted weapons to conquer the virtual version of Steelport.
The array of superhero perks is fairly standard in Saints Row 4, combining blazing-fast sprinting and gliding with super jumps, and even granting flight at certain points in the game. Notably, it remains one of the rare open-world games that allows unrestricted flying around the map rather than some variation of prolonged gliding.
Prototype 2
High-Speed and Fluid Jumping, Sprinting and Gliding
Prototype 2
- Released
- April 24, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature - Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- Action, Open-World
Prototype 2 builds on the already robust mutant-fueled traversal from the first game, playing somewhat similarly to Saints Row 4. The protagonist can use superhero-like parkour moves to cross New York City in seconds, relying on high-speed sprinting, jumping, and gliding.
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With that in mind, there are very few controllable vehicles available to players, as they are simply redundant, unable to move as fast as the character himself. While the movement in Prototype 2 is very fast and fluid, it lacks the creativity of some other games and is too easy to perform automatically, as the developers seemingly shifted the focus toward unstoppable action.
Forspoken
Fast-Paced Magic Parkour Full of Spectacular Acrobatics
Forspoken
- Released
- January 24, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Strong Language, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Forspoken might not be the most well-received open-world game of recent times, yet there is plenty of originality in its combat and traversal systems, designed to feel unlike any other game. Fueled by diverse and spectacular magic abilities, Frey can move across Athia at high speed, utilizing flow-based moves with a touch of magic for lengthy jumps, zip grapples, unrestricted dashes, occasional mid-air floating, and even gliding across water.
Despite its vast map and the absence of vehicles or mounts, there are no obstacles capable of stopping players from high-speed “Magic Parkour” in Forspoken once all traversal abilities are mastered. The navigation system offers plenty of potential to combine acrobatics with more complex maneuvers as players see fit, unleashing quick and spectacular ways to move and fight in the open world.
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Gliding across a large open-world map in games like Batman: Arkham Knight or Just Cause 3 often leads to satisfying visuals and gameplay elements.