The Greatest Open World Video Games To Explore (2024)

In recent years, gaming has become known for a ton of standout open-world games that are both gorgeous and gripping. Players openly admit to spending hundreds of hours at times roaming these open worlds, sometimes even after they've completed all the quests, looking for secrets, taking in the environment, or messing around with mods.

Players often seek open-world games not just because they want a beautiful world, but because of just how much there is to do. While some fans might find it overwhelming, open-world games continue to sell because so many fans just want to immerse themselves in a different world.

Updated on June 18, 2024, by Michael Colwander: Open world games are everywhere and each bring amazing new ideas to the table. This list has been updated with new games.

30 The Saboteur Is An Underrated And Forgotten Gem

While some open-world games stick around and produce numerous sequels, others are quickly brushed away and mostly forgotten by the video game masses. The Saboteur falls more in the latter, but it doesn't deserve to be.

The Saboteur takes place in occupied France during World War II. Sean Devlin, an Irish race-car driver based on William Grover-Williams, joins the French Resistance and works to liberate France from the clutches of Nazi Germany. The Saboteur features a unique take on liberation, as districts begin in black and white and only receive color once liberated. Overall, The Saboteur is a wonderful game that should be high on EA Games' list of games that deserve a remaster, remake, or reboot.

The Saboteur

Platform(s)

PC , PS3 , Xbox 360

Released

December 8, 2009

Developer(s)

Pandemic Studios

Publisher(s)

Electronic Arts

Genre(s)

Action-Adventure , Open-World

How Long To Beat

11 Hours

29 Death Stranding Is A Harrowing Journey Across The Former United States

Death Stranding comes from the bizarre mind of Hideo Kojima of Metal Gear fame. Death Stranding stars Sam Porter (Norman Reedus) as he travels across a post-apocalyptic United States in order to reconnect the country under a unified network.

On the surface, Death Stranding seems like one big glorified fetch quest, but it's so much more. Death Stranding is full of fascinating characters from a star-studded cast like Fragile (Léa Seydoux), Lockne (Margaret Qualley), and Clifford Unger (Mads Mikkelsen). On top of that, deadly enemies, fun gadgets, and puzzle-like environments ensure there's never a dull moment in Sam's adventure.

Death Stranding

Death Strandingis anaction gameset in anopen world, and includes asynchronousonlinefunctions. Kojima refers toDeath Strandingas the first "strand game", an original genre characterized by the game's incorporation of social elements.

Platform(s)

PS4 , PS5 , PC

Released

November 8, 2019

Developer(s)

Kojima Productions

Publisher(s)

Sony , 505 Games

Genre(s)

Action

Engine

Decima

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Strong Language

How Long To Beat

40 Hours

Release

2022-03-30 (PC)

Metascore

85

PS Plus Availability

Extra & Premium

28 Fallout: New Vegas Is Arguably The Best Fallout Game

With Prime Video's Fallout proving to be a big hit, new Fallout fans may be wondering which Fallout game is the best. Many Fallout fans seem to be in agreement that Fallout: New Vegas takes the cake.

New Vegas is set in the Mohave Wasteland across California and Nevada. New Vegas brings with it grotesque mutants, complex factions, and plenty of secrets to secrets to discover. For PC players, New Vegas also has a host of amazing mods to enhance the experience and ensure the game runs much more smoothly than its console counterparts.

Fallout: New Vegas

Franchise

Fallout

Platform(s)

PS3 , Xbox 360 , PC

Released

October 19, 2010

Developer(s)

Obsidian Entertainment

Publisher(s)

Bethesda

Genre(s)

RPG

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs

How Long To Beat

28 Hours

Metascore

84

PS Plus Availability

Premium

27 Horizon: Forbidden West Is An Impressive Sequel To One Of PlayStation's Flagship Exclusives

Horizon: Zero Dawn was one of the best exclusives on any console during the previous console generation. It was a breath of fresh air in a sea of sequels, reboots, remasters, and remakes. Aloy's story in Zero Dawn was followed up by its own sequel, which improves on its predecessor in nearly every conceivable way.

Horizon: Forbidden West takes Aloy out west toward post-apocalyptic California where she must discern the source of a mysterious blight that is ravaging her homeland. Forbidden West's world is vast and beautiful and full of deep lore with amazing gameplay to boot. Forbidden West was followed up by a marvelous DLC in Burning Shores, which sets up the series' third mainline entry, which, by the way, is not the upcoming LEGO Horizon Adventures.

Horizon Forbidden West

Franchise

Horizon

Platform(s)

PS4 , PS5 , PC

Released

February 18, 2022

Developer(s)

Guerrilla Games

Publisher(s)

Sony

Genre(s)

Action , RPG

Engine

Decima

ESRB

T for Teen: Blood, Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence

How Long To Beat

29 Hours

Metascore

88

PS Plus Availability

Extra & Premium

See at Playstation Store$36 at AmazonSee at WalmartSee at Best BuySee at Steam

26 God Of War: Ragnarök Is Kratos' Best Tale Yet

Both Kratos and the God of War series have received one of the most impressive glow-ups in gaming history. This says a lot because Kratos' journey of revenge in Greece was phenomenal.

God of War (2018) brought Kratos to a Norse region where he had to contend with their gods. In the process, Kratos unintentionally triggers Ragnarök, which sets the stage for God of War: Ragnarök. Ragnarök opens up each Norse realm for exploration, bringing with it varied environments and plenty of reasons to explore. Ragnarök is a meaty game and one that players will have a difficult time putting down.

God of War: Ragnarok

God of War: Ragnarok is the sequel to 2018's God of War and sees Kratos and Atreus return as Fimbulwinter begins to claim the Norse lands they call home. As Ragnarok, the great war approaches, Kratos and Atreus scour the nine realms in search of help to face off against Odin's might.

Franchise

God of War

Platform(s)

PS4 , PS5

Released

November 9, 2022

Developer(s)

Santa Monica Studio

Publisher(s)

Sony

Genre(s)

Action , Adventure

ESRB

M For Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language

How Long To Beat

26 Hours

Metascore

94

PS Plus Availability

N/A

25 Dragon Age: Inquisition Features BioWare Fantasy At Its Best

Dragon Age: Inquisition might not reach the heights of Dragon Age: Origin, but it's still one of the best and most underrated fantasy RPGs of the last decade. Players receive more responsibility than ever when they're given control of the Inquisitor, a person with the power to seal off rifts in reality and stop demons from the Fade from entering the regular world. With that power, they're placed in charge of a massive organization fighting a battle to restore the world to normal.

Dragon Age: Inquisition provided beautiful and diverse open-world biomes for players to explore and go questing in. As ever though, BioWare's trademark of well-written character moments carries the game, with great friendships and romances that fans cherish a generation later. What keeps it from the upper echelons is how some side quests can feel like pointless filler to justify the large world. Dragon Age: Inquisition is worth revisiting before Dragon Age: The Veilguard releases.

Dragon Age: Inquisition

When the Conclave is destroyed, leaving only one survivor, demons are loosed up on the world. In an attempt to restore order and save the world, the survivor--now the inquisitor-- instigates the long forgotten inquisition.

Franchise

Dragon Age

Platform(s)

PS4 , PS3 , Xbox One , Xbox 360 , PC

Released

November 18, 2014

Developer(s)

BioWare

Publisher(s)

Electronic Arts

Genre(s)

Action RPG

Engine

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language

24 Dragon's Dogma 2 Is A Dangerous Adventure For Most

Fans have been waiting for a Dragon's Dogma 2 for years, and fortunately, they got everything they could've hoped for. To be clear, Dragon's Dogma2 isn't going to be for everyone. Some people will find the game's challenging combat and even the mechanics a bit too much work, and will tap out early on. However, others will look beneath the surface to find one of the greatest open-world RPGs in years.

Few things can compare to the nervousness of traversing between cities in the middle of the night. Dragon's Dogma 2's focus on emergent gameplay means at any moment a player might have to battle monsters they didn't know existed. Mastery of the game's combat mechanics and having the foreknowledge to be prepared will pay huge dividends for players who approach the game with that in mind.

Dragon's Dogma 2

The deep, explorable fantasy world of Dragon's Dogma... Dragon's Dogma is a single player, narrative driven Action RPG that challenges players to choose their own experience from the appearance of their Arisen, their vocation, their party, how to approach different situations and more. On your journey, you'll be joined by Pawns, mysterious otherworldly beings, in an adventure so unique you will feel as if accompanied by other players while on your own adventure.

Franchise

Dragon's Dogma

Platform(s)

PC , PS5 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S

Released

March 22, 2024

Developer(s)

Capcom

Publisher(s)

Capcom

Genre(s)

Action RPG

ESRB

Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Language, Sexual Themes, Violence

Prequel(s)

23 Enshrouded Combines Open World Gameplay With Survival Elements

Despite being one of the most wish-listed games on Steam ever, Enshrouded was overlooked at the beginning of 2024 due to the other major games that were released at the same time. Nonetheless, Enshrouded has found its audience among people who love open-world titles and survival games. The game focuses on a world where humanity has been all but wiped out because of a mysterious Shroud, with the player asked to help restore the world again.

Enshrouded is for people who place a premium on freedom. It doesn't hold players' hands but rather allows them to find and complete quests at their leisure. However, it also means enemies that might be more powerful can show up to squash players at any moment. But that's part of the fun; when players aren't building vast castles or manors, they can challenge themselves as much as they want.

Enshrouded

Platform(s)

PC , PS5 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S

Released

January 24, 2024

Developer(s)

Keen Games

Publisher(s)

Keen Games

Genre(s)

Survival , Open-World , Action RPG

Engine

Holistic

Steam User Rating

85%

See at Steam

22 Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Improves In Every Way

The follow-up to Final Fantasy VII Remake, Rebirth, finally lets players step outside Midgar. Cloud and Avalanche try to deal with both the threat of Sephiroth and Shinra, but these quests send them all across the planet. Much like Remake, Final Fantasy VIIRebirth had a lot to live up to, and it might have actually exceeded most people's expectations.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is gorgeous enough that players can spend hours just wandering around, amazed by how well Square brought every major area to life. It's filled with more minigames than most people will ever be able to finish, but for most, the fun from each minigame will distract them from thinking there are too many. Nearly every aspect of Rebirth is upgraded from the prior game, from offering plenty of cool, new combat abilities to introducing even more awesome summons. Players won't be able to put Rebirth down for weeks.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

9/ 10

Cloud and his comrades escape the city of Midgar in pursuit of the fallen hero, Sephiroth. As they travel across the world, they find themselves on a journey that will decide the fate of the planet

Franchise

Final Fantasy

Platform(s)

PlayStation 5

Released

February 29, 2024

Developer(s)

Square Enix

Developer

Publisher(s)

Square Enix

Genre(s)

RPG

Engine

ESRB

T for Teen

How Long To Beat

Prequel(s)

21 Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth Takes The Series To A Tropical Locale

Yakuza: Like A Dragon was already one of the best games of its time, yet somehow RGG studio found a way to outdo themselves again. In Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the lovable Ichiban Kasuga travels to Hawaii with the hope of meeting his mom. Of course, nothing is ever that simple, and Ichiban's short trip turns into yet another massive adventure.

Infinite Wealth is the first time RGG Studios has set a mainline game outside of Japan, as players venture to Hawaii. As fun as a trip to Hawaii already is, it's even better with Infinite Wealth. The game has the same compelling story and characters as ever, but levels up by offering some pretty in-depth new side games. Dondoko Island is an entire Animal Crossing parody, while there's also an unbelievably in-depth knock-off Pokémon game involving the random enemies (Sujimon) from the last game. Despite having so many different elements present, Infinite Wealth excels with all of them.

Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth

$40 $70 Save $30

Franchise

Yakuza

Platform(s)

PS5 , PS4 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , PC

Released

January 26, 2024

Developer(s)

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio

Publisher(s)

Sega

Genre(s)

RPG

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Simulated Gambling, Strong Language

How Long To Beat

60 Hours

Metascore

93

PS Plus Availability

N/A

$40 at Amazon

20 Forza Horizon 5 Is The Most Complete Open World Racer

Forza Horizon has been one of the premiere racing games for several years now. However, Forza Horizon 5 takes things to the next level, taking players into an open-world Mexico to experience their most diverse landscapes ever. The title is even welcoming to fans who aren't great with single-player, since it offers a lengthy campaign mode for players to go through.

While racing games often go underrated, Forza Horizon 5 is a superb experience anyone who remotely enjoys racing should be able to enjoy. It's easily one of the most beautiful open worlds, making it easy for casual fans to lose themselves in it, while car fans can spend hours customizing to create their perfect ride.

Forza Horizon 5

Forza Horizon 5is a racing video game set in anopen worldenvironment based in a fictional representation of Mexico.

Franchise

Forza Horizon

Platform(s)

PC , Xbox One , Xbox Series S , Xbox Series X

Released

November 9, 2021

Developer(s)

Playground Games

Publisher(s)

Xbox Game Studios

Genre(s)

Racing

ESRB

E for Everyone

19 Watch Dogs 2 Takes Hacktivism To The Middle Of Silicon Valley

The first Watch Dogs was a polarizing game, partially because it failed to deliver on the next-gen feeling, but mostly because its lead protagonist had the personality of a brick. Watch Dogs 2 fixed that instantly by introducing the charismatic Marcus Holloway and a more likable group of hackers in DedSec. Framed for a crime he didn't commit, Marcus works with DedSec to bring down the city's corrupt ctOS system for good.

Watch_Dogs 2 improves on the original in nearly every way, and it offers a more colorful, fun city to explore. When navigating San Francisco, there's a nice variety of cool side quests that develop the characters in that world. Best of all, there are more hacker tricks to rely on, allowing players to handle missions however they like. If there's a weakness in this game that keeps it out of the Top 20, it's the weaker gunplay that forces players to play only one way.

Watch Dogs 2

Watch Dogs 2is anaction-adventuregame withstealthelements and played from athird-person perspectiveasMarcus Holloway, a young hacker.

Franchise

Watch Dogs

Platform(s)

PS4 , Xbox One , PC , Stadia

Released

November 15, 2016

Developer(s)

Ubisoft Montreal

Publisher(s)

Ubisoft

Genre(s)

Open-World , Action , Adventure

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs

18 Assassin's Creed Origins Makes Egypt Look Glorious

Ubisoft decided to shake up its Assassin’s Creed formula with the 2017 title Assassin’s Creed Origins. This new game took place before the Assassin order existed, and instead focuses on a husband and wife’s attack on a vast order.

Taking place in beautiful Egypt, Origins felt more like an RPG like The Witcher than it did the prior games. As Bayek, the player completes quests for people around the country, all while leveling up and gaining better gear over time. Visually stunning, it’s a massive title many players can get lost in for dozens of hours doing side quests, or just cleaning up a bunch of bandit camps. That said, some of its content can get repetitive, which will detract from the game in ways that keep it just on the outside of the Top 20.

Assassin's Creed Origins

A prequel to the Assassin's Creed Franchise set in Egypt from 48 BC where Bayek, a Medjay, begins the foundation of the Assassin's Brotherhood.

Franchise

Assassin's Creed

Platform(s)

PS4 , Xbox One , PC , Stadia

Released

December 15, 2020

Developer(s)

Ubisoft

Publisher(s)

Ubisoft

Genre(s)

Action RPG , Open-World

Engine

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol

Mode

17 Starfield Sets Players Loose In A Galaxy Where Anything Can Happen

Starfield is Bethesda’s latest gaming masterpiece. It’s their first original IP in over twenty years, and absolutely impresses. Players begin as a simple space miner until they discover a fragment of ancient metal with mysterious origins. This sends them on a journey throughout the galaxy, searching for answers to one of humanity’s ancient questions.

With the ability to travel nearly anywhere in the galaxy at any moment, Starfield is an experience that feels unreal. It is held back from reaching a higher tier in open-world gameplay because of some of Bethesda’s curious design choices. However, for people who can look past those, they’ll find a game completely unlike anything on the market, especially when there are so many incredible side missions.

Starfield

Set 300 years in the future, the player will assume the role of a customisable character who is a member of Constellation, an organization of space explorers.

Platform(s)

PC , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S

Released

September 6, 2023

Developer(s)

Bethesda

Publisher(s)

Bethesda

Genre(s)

Action , RPG

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs, Strong Language, Violence

16 Batman: Arkham City Offers The Peak Batman Experience

With Batman: Arkham City, Rocksteady created a perfect version of Batman, of Gotham City, and its denizens. Taking place months after Arkham Asylum, Arkham City expands into an open world after part of Gotham’s slums get locked off and given to Arkham's residents. Forced into Arkham City after being kidnapped as Bruce Wayne, Batman finds himself up against his biggest challenge yet: Hugo Strange and his Protocol 10 plan.

Arkham City allows players to truly feel like Batman as they take to the skies, becoming a terror to criminals everywhere. The rhythm-based combat system has a low enough floor for anyone to play, but a high enough ceiling for nearly anyone to find challenging. Combine that with some superb character writing for the main story, and it's easy to see why so many people think Batman: Arkham City is one of the greatest video games ever. For Batman fans, nothing will ever top this experience. For others, this game's lower spot on the list is explained by other titles simply surpassing it, largely because they learned some of its lessons.

15 Xenoblade Chronicles X Is The Perfect Giant Robot Game

For the Wii U, Monolith Software decided to go in a different direction with their "Xeno" franchise. Instead of doing another fantasy-inspired game like Xenoblade, they went full science fiction. After Earth is destroyed in a war with aliens, humanity is forced to migrate to a new planet. Crash-landing on the alien world Mira, the remaining people of Earth are forced to try to build a new life for themselves — while also preparing to fight the aliens they were running from.

Xenoblade Chronicles X offers an open-world experience unlike any other, with vast alien biomes to explore on a single planet. Exploration is perfect thanks to all the different movement options offered, and the lack of level gating means danger lurks around every corner. Plus, few RPGs allow players to fly giant robots anywhere they want to go. It's just too bad this game isn't available on the Nintendo Switch. What keeps this game on the lower end of the Top 20 is an unfinished story and some questionable character models, things that would hopefully be fixed in a potential definitive edition.

Xenoblade Chronicles X

Xenoblade Chronicles Xis anaction role-playing video gamein which the player controls a customizable avatar; they can adjust the avatar's gender, facial features, build, and voice.

Franchise

Xenoblade Chronicles

Platform(s)

Wii U

Released

December 4, 2015

Developer(s)

Monolith Soft , Nintendo SPD

Publisher(s)

Nintendo

Genre(s)

Action RPG , Open-World

ESRB

T For Teen Due To Animated Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence

14 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Offers A World So Fun Players Forget About The Main Quest

In 2011, Bethesda set a new bar for fantasy RPGs with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Set hundreds of years after the previous Elder Scrolls, the player is the Dragonborn — the only being with the power to kill a deadly dragon threatening the world.

Skyrim isn’t lauded for its main story but for everything else about its world. Players had endless options in combat thanks to the ability to dual-wield both weapons and spells. Meanwhile, every nook and cranny of the world seems packed with new challenges, quests, and opportunities for treasure, making Skyrim a bestselling game.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

The Elder Scrolls V:Skyrimis a single-player role-playing video game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks.

Franchise

The Elder Scrolls

Platform(s)

PC , PlayStation 3 , PlayStation 4 , PlayStation 5 , Nintendo Switch , Xbox 360 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S

Released

November 11, 2011

Developer(s)

Bethesda Game Studios

Publisher(s)

Bethesda Softworks

Genre(s)

RPG , Action , Adventure

Engine

Creation Engine

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol

Expansions

Skyrim: Dragonborn , Skyrim: Hearthfire , Skyrim: Dawnguard

How Long To Beat

35 Hours

Prequel(s)

Sequel(s)

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is often overlooked because it was released in a crowded year, competing with titles like Bloodborne and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. However, Hideo Kojima’s last entry in the Metal Gear Solid franchise delivers an amazing open-world stealth adventure. Taking place in Soviet-controlled Afghanistan in the 1980s, The Phantom Pain features Punished Snake looking for revenge after the events of Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes.

As an open-world stealth game, Phantom Pain presents players with unique challenges not found in any other stealth game. However, it also provides them with enough tools that there’s rarely any “right” way to complete missions, resulting in a game that can be replayed endlessly. Though Kojima’s storytelling may leave more questions than answers, Phantom Pain keeps players hooked from the very beginning. What keeps it on the lower end of the Top 20 is it feels like there's more to the story that can't ever be told in DLC or future installments.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Painis astealthgame in which players take the role ofPunished "Venom" Snakefrom athird-person perspectivein anopen world.

Franchise

Metal Gear Solid

Platform(s)

PS4 , PS3 , Xbox One , Xbox 360 , PC

Released

September 1, 2015

Developer(s)

Kojima Productions

Publisher(s)

Konami

Genre(s)

Action , Open-World

Engine

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language

12 Cyberpunk 2077 Features One Of The Greatest Cities In Gaming

While Cyberpunk 2077 's launch left much to be desired, the past two years have been filled with updates and patches to improve the overall player experience. Even with all of its flaws, there's no other cyberpunk experience that's as visually impressive and immersive as that of Night City.

Players take on the role of V, a mercenary whose background, appearance, and overall outlook completely depend on player choice. While going through the story, players traverse through four distinct Night City districts, each with their own visual style and unique atmosphere. The more recent Phantom Liberty expansion combined with the 2.0 update brings this closer than ever to CDProjekt's original vision for the game.

Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077is anaction role-playing gameplayed from afirst-personperspective as V,a mercenary whose voice,face, hairstyle, body type andmodifications, background, and clothing are customisable.

Franchise

Platform(s)

PC , Xbox One , Stadia , PS4 , PS5 , Xbox Series S , Xbox Series X

Released

December 10, 2020

Developer

Publisher

Genre(s)

RPG , Action

Engine

REDengine 4

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol

11 Genshin Impact Is A Beautiful And Ever-Expanding Fantasy World

For a free-to-play game, Genshin Impact feels like too good of a game. MiHoYo gives players a massive world to explore, one that’s constantly adding new characters, cities, and countries as the game goes on.

At this point, the player can go through a story lasting dozens of hours long, all without paying a cent. Every new country is beautifully rendered, offering breathtaking sights that will stick with players long after they stop playing. The one thing that holds Genshin Impact back is the game's gacha elements, which force players to deal with an exhausting level of grind.

Genshin Impact

Set in the fantasy world of Teyvat, each of the seven nations is tied to a different element and ruled by a different god. Following an interstellar adventurer known as the Traveler, the character is separated from their twin sibling and sets out across Teyvat to reconnect with them.

Platform(s)

Mobile , iOS , Android , PC , PS4 , PS5

Released

September 28, 2020

Developer

Publisher(s)

HoYoverse (Formerly miHoYo)

Genre(s)

RPG , Action , Adventure , Gacha

Multiplayer

Online Multiplayer

Engine

Unity

ESRB

T for Teen - Fantasy Violence, Alcohol Reference