Summary
Open-world games are undoubtedly one of the broadest and most beloved genres, encompassing a wide range of titles from first-person shooters to puzzle games. Anyone who’s played an open-world game will know that there are few things as captivating as being given a whole new world to explore. The possibilities are endless in such titles. As such, it’s all too easy to get lost in exploring dungeons, completing quests, and delving into complex lore in these games.
Gamers on the hunt for a new open world to lose themselves in should give the following titles a try. The sheer amount of content these games offer is sure to impress, and for those who prefer quality over quantity, many of them offer truly captivating gameplay. Enchanting world-building, compelling stories, and varied gameplay await all those who dive into these worlds.
InMount & Blade 2: Bannerlord, players set out on an epic adventure across the realistic medieval world of Calradia. Starting with only a handful of pennies to their name, it’s up to players tobuild themselves up from rags to riches. Become a caravan plundering brigand, a ruthless mercenary, or a wealthy noble; the choice is up to the player.
Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlordboasts an expansive and dynamic open-world map. From nobles to bandits, everyone and everything is constantly changing. Nations declare war on each other, kings are defeated and imprisoned, and rogue armies grow ever larger as the game progresses. Combat inBannerlordis also incredibly engaging. Especially on higher difficulties, players must immerse themselves in the chaos if they are to lead their army to victory.
Bannerlord’s dynamic world adds some fantastic variety to gameplay for sure, but unfortunately, its late game can become quite repetitive. Players looking to carve out their own kingdom will soon find themselves stuck in a loop of conquering a location, placing their army in there to defend it, and recruiting and training a new army.
Players are free to explore the sprawling high fantasy region of Cyrodiil in this visually stunningremastering ofThe Elderscrolls 4: Oblivion. After a brief tutorial, they are unleashed onto the world almost entirely without restriction. Even by open-world standards, exploration inOblivion Remasteredis very organic.
Even players who roam the lands of Cyrodiil goallessly are sure to stumble across a myriad of dungeons, from ancient crypts to bandit-infested caves. Exploring these locations will also have players picking up all manner of quests, making for some truly organic interactions with the world. NPCs are far from the only way players can find quests, andOblivion Remastered’s gameplay is all the stronger for it.
WhileOblivion Remasteredhas a huge number of dungeons, many are lacking in variety. There are certainly some standout ones, though. Delving from dungeon to dungeon, however, some players will find gameplay becoming repetitive; many of them feel, look, and play disappointingly similarly.
InThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, players play as Geralt of Rivia, a man despised by most for being a genetically modified monster hunter known as a Witcher. While it is a fantasy series,the world ofThe Witcher 3is far from idyllic. When gruesome monsters aren’t preying on the innocent, ruthless bandits and selfish nobles are.
It’s easy to get lost in the sheer amount of contentThe Witcher 3has to offer. From hunting towering monsters and delving into compelling quests to exploring the width and breadth of its beautiful landscape, there are all sorts of things to do. The world ofThe Witcher 3is also very immersive. It’s a brutal world to live in for most, andThe Witcher 3certainly doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to showing it.
Unfortunately, the game’s combat doesn’t quite live up to expectations. It’s engaging and varied enough at first, especially with the addition of potion usages and signs into the mix, but it can get repetitive after a while. The enemy AI is neither particularly intelligent nor challenging either.
Most gamers will already be familiar with the open-world game that isThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. In this title, players are let loose in the truly expansive land of Hyrule, receiving access to everything from its highest sky islands to the deepest depths of its underground.
It’s easy to get lost in the vast amount of content this game offers. Hyrule is brimming with things to do, whether it’s completing quests, finding collectibles, or interacting with a colorful cast of characters. There are hundreds of hours of content for players to lose themselves in.Tears of the Kingdomalsogives players a great deal of freedom, even allowing them to create their own vehicles from scratch.
While it might not be a problem for everyone, especially for those who haven’t playedBreath of the Wild, it’s worth noting thatTears of the KingdomreusesBreath of the Wild’s map. Of course, there are plenty of new additions. For story-orientated players,Tears of the Kingdom’s arguably lackluster narrative might also be a sticking point.
InFallout 4,players awake from cryogenic sleep to a world ravaged by a nuclear apocalypse. As one might expect, this world is far from pleasant. When nuclear radiation isn’t trying to kill the player, bandits, giant mutant wildlife, and deadly robots are.
Few can disagree thatFallout 4has anything buta highly immersive world. In every aspect, the player will feel like they are walking through a post-nuclear apocalypse landscape, even down to the details of different areas having different environments and enemy distribution. Towns are crawling with ghouls, while wetlands are full of mutated crustaceans.
Lore is another area whereFallout 4excels, especially for players new to the franchise. Bit by bit, the game drip-feeds players with information leading up to and following the nuclear apocalypse, adding extra excitement to every dungeon and every questline. It’s easy to get lost in the search for answers, whether it be about specific quests or the world as a whole.
Elden Ringis another title that countless gamers will be all too familiar with. In this title, players journey through the dark fantasy world of the Lands Between on an epic quest to become the new Elden Lord. In their way stands a whole host of enemies that will stop at nothing to thwart the player.
This open world is packed full of dungeons to explore, bosses to defeat, and NPC quests to complete. What sets it apart from other open worlds is that it is massive yet never feels overly cluttered or repetitive. There’s always a new cave to jump into or a ruin to explore, but many of them are hidden in cliff faces out of clear sight.
Elden Ringis also home to sometruly amazing sweaty-handed combat. Like most soulsbornes, its combat can be intensely punishing, of course, but it doesn’t have to be. Where regular soulsborne games kick players out of their immersion with sheer frustration,Elden Ringhas many mechanics that help players conquer difficult areas and immerse themselves back into the world.
Almost every gamer has at least heard of the beloved survival game that isMinecraft. It’s been capturing imaginations and satisfying wanderlust for years with its charming graphics and diverse gameplay.
Anyone who’s playedMinecraftbefore will already be familiar with how easy it is to get lost within it. It’s such a common phenomenon that there’s even a meme about it: the “Minecraft” phase. It’s not hard to see why this game is so addictive. It offers near-limitless things for players to do across a broad spectrum of interests. If players don’t like one element of gameplay, they can simply choose not to engage with it, as there are many ways to achieve most goals.
It’s not a stretch to say thatMinecraftgives players some of, if notthemost creative freedom of any open-world title to date. There’s no one right way to play the game, allowing players to experiment to their heart’s content, whether on the smaller scale of unique builds or on multiplayer servers.
Few open worlds are quite so enthralling as the icyisolated wilderness that players find themselves stranded ininThe Long Dark.The Long Darkoffers players a massive and incredibly dynamic world to explore. From the weather and the wildlife to even the character’s own needs for food, water, sleep, and warmth, the world changes second by second. When a game looks, acts, and feels as realistic as this, it’s impossible not to get completely lost.
Getting lost in the depths ofThe Long Dark’s world is all but a prerequisite to survival, especially on harder difficulties. A single mistake or a moment’s lapse in judgment can end in death. Deadly wildlife and blizzards can also set in at a moment’s notice, so players need to always be alert to their surroundings, lest they want to meet an untimely end. The same can be said of looting and hunting wildlife, where remaining immersed in the game’s world can reap massive rewards.
