Nothing quite compares to the feeling you get when an open world successfully steals your attention. You begin thinking about it at work or school, an itch to play more develops, and you count the seconds until you can return to that world. It’s a great feeling that many gamers actively search for.
Recently, rumors began cropping up that the PS4 exclusive Horizon: Zero Dawn may be hitting the PC scene soon. As such, it might be a good time to take a good look at the top 10 open worlds that are definitely worthy of visiting for hundreds of hours.
Horizon: Zero Dawn
The open world featured in Horizon: Zero Dawn stands tall as one of the greats in gaming. From the gorgeous setting, to the deep and intriguing combat, to the fascinating stories and characters. There’s much to experience with Aloy as she delves into the secrets of the world’s tragic past. Hopefully PC players get to experience this fantastic journey soon!
Grand Theft Auto V
Grand Theft Auto V offers an open world that’s really going to be hard to beat. The city of Los Santos is gorgeous and filled with interesting architecture, while the outskirts of Blaine County offer a better look at nature and small town life. Naturally, the updated version of San Andreas has plenty to do, whether you’re playing solo or online.
Marvel’s Spider-Man
New York City has been the setting for countless films, games, and novels. This makes the fact that Marvel’s Spider-Man has one of the most accurate portrayals of the city quite impressive. While this PS4 game is limited to Manhattan for the entirety, it’s a tight, detailed open world, one that that is overflowing with side content and collectibles to be found. The fact that the game features an incredible story doesn’t hurt, either. All fans of Spidey should try this one out.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey features an outstanding look at the various city-states of Greece. Set during the Peloponnesian War, this open world could be said to have too much content, really. This doesn’t change the fact that the game has moments of true beauty, enjoyable characters, and enough RPG mechanics to please fans of the genre.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
At this point, the memes that have become associated with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim are more familiar than its open world. You shouldn’t let knee-bound arrows and overused jokes deter you from visiting Skyrim, though!
Years after the 2011 launch of the game, there are still plenty of secrets and good times to be had. With all of the releases and ports across various systems, it is definitely an accessible game, at least.
Fallout: New Vegas
Much like it’s sister series, The Elder Scrolls, the Fallout games offer some terrific open worlds to explore. Fallout: New Vegas in particular has a little something for everyone to enjoy. Well-written characters give the world depth, and intriguing locations or events spread across the Mojave make the trek across the desert worth it. Plus, the gameplay mechanics found in the game give true variety to the player. This makes coming back to New Vegas nearly a decade later much easier.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption offered players the chance to become a bonafide outlaw in the Old West of America. Sadly, that game never quite made it to PC. Fortunately, its big brother of a sequel, Red Dead Redemption 2, hit Steam last year.
There’s no real reason to rob yourself of experiencing the frankly incredible open world that places the game a few notches above all of the rest. While the slow and methodical gameplay may turn quite a few off, the setting and story are well worth trying it out anyway.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
As a launch title for the Nintendo Switch, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was easily a console seller. The eye-popping colors of Hyrule draw you into whatever is happening on screen, and the world that they represent is capable of inhabiting your thoughts well after you put the game down.
The newly revamped gameplay and sprawling open world setting of Breath of the Wild was exactly what the Zelda series needed. While the story content of the game may be a bit lacking, there’s still plenty to do around Hyrule for dozens, if not hundreds, of hours.
God of War
In the old days of the PlayStation 2, the name “Kratos” was synonymous with overbearing rage and intense violence. These qualities followed the Greek god well into his outings on the PlayStation 3 and PSP.
Therefore, when an E3 press conference for God of War showed off an aged Kratos with a softened yet grumpy demeanor, people took notice. The change in character for the god of war also brought changes in gameplay and setting.
Exploring the semi-open world of Midgard with Kratos and his son Atreus is easily one of the best experiences that can be found on PlayStation 4. From being told stories by the stoic Kratos, to discovering new secrets, and even conquering new and fascinating enemies. The 2018 reimagining of God of War will stick with you for a while after the credits roll.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
It’s difficult to mention open world games without tossing a coin or two to your witcher.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is one of the most fully realized open world games that can be found these days. The story and gameplay are enough to sell this game on their own. However, the setting of The Continent is something that makes Wild Hunt a contender for game of the decade.
Beautiful, brutal, and varied, the locations that the player travels with Geralt are easy to be lost in for days. It also helps that the music is on point, the side content is often as good as the main plot, and the Gwent mini-game is fun enough to distract players for hours.
What are your favorite open worlds? Tell us in the comments below!
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