‘The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’
The standard by which other open-world games have been measured since its release in 2011, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is the best game Bethesda Game Studios has ever made – and given the number of ports it has received on everything from the Nintendo Switch to PlayStation VR, the company knows it.
Set in an unforgiving and often frozen world filled with undead creatures, giants, and plenty of fire-breathing dragons, Skyrim is so packed full of memorable lore and quests that it’s almost impossible to see the game in its entirety. Of course, that hasn’t stopped players from trying.
‘The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’
The illusion of immersion can often be broken in games that show their limits too clearly, such as locking off certain areas until you’ve reached a certain level or acquired a certain tool. In The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Nintendo hardly ever says “No.”
If you want to blow past the majority of a dungeon by performing an odd trick with your bombs, or you want to circumvent the “correct” way of solving a puzzle by lining up your metal weapons and running electricity through them to complete a circuit, you can. If you even want to skip the entire game and just jump straight to the final boss, you can do that too, and Nintendo manages to do all of this without losing the heart and soul that made the series so popular.
‘Grand Theft Auto V’
Rockstar practically invented the modern open-world game with Grand Theft Auto III, and the series was never better than it was in 2013’s Grand Theft Auto V. Set in the gorgeous Los Santos and surrounding metropolitan area, Grand Theft Auto V features everything from bank robberies to a full-scale tennis simulator, and you can do any of them for hours on end.
With three protagonists to switch between at nearly any time, you can jump from destination to destination in a hurry, and the game’s online component lets you cause mayhem with your friends, as well.
‘Horizon Zero Dawn’
Take robot dinosaurs, futuristic bows, and a civilization fractured to the point of being unrecognizable, and you get Horizon Zero Dawn. A full-fledged role-playing game and one of the best action titles of the generation, Horizon Zero Dawn gradually presents you with even more terrifying and difficult threats as you explore its destroyed post-apocalyptic world, and the mix of overgrown foliage and cold, sharp metal is nothing for of stunning.
With plenty of points to climb and multiple ways to approach combat scenarios, it makes the most of its space to deliver as a stealth game or an all-out action-packed shooter.
‘Red Dead Redemption II’
It’s reductive to call Red Dead Redemption II a western version of the Grand Theft Auto series, but that’s only because you get even more freedom in Rockstar’s latest open-world adventure. The prequel offers a massive southwestern world to explore on horseback or foot, with different quest lines emerging naturally as you interact with locals or spot a dangerous outlaw in the wild.
Simply heading off in any direction almost always results in finding something interesting to do, whether it be a new animal to hunt, a bounty target to bring in, or a house to burglarize.
‘Minecraft’
An open-world so large, you’ll never see the entire thing, Minecraft became every child’s obsession because its gameplay loop is so engrossing and addictive.
Finding resources while trying to fend off the elements and a variety of spooky monsters, your goal is to continue building a larger and more formidable home for yourself, and just when you thought you couldn’t make it any fancier, you discover a new element or construction technique to take your architectural abilities a step further.
Fun by yourself but even more enjoyable with a friend, Minecraft can become your only game – and it will if you let it.
‘The Witcher III: Wild Hunt’
CD Projekt Red has a knack for telling intimate and grounded stories despite magic and fantasy elements so prevalent in its work, and this has never been more apparent than in The Witcher III: Wild Hunt. Set in an absolutely enormous open world filled with countless quests, The Witcher III somehow avoids having any filler.
The characters you meet are all interesting, the smallest side quests have unique and often funny twists and turns, and the environments are stunningly realized. It can be rather overwhelming, but those who only plan on playing one game for the next few years can do a whole lot worse.
‘Batman: Arkham City’
The best-realized version of Rocksteady Games’ Batman adventure, Batman: Akrham City has everything a fan could want in a video game. Gotham City’s closed-off prison has expanded into the streets, with gangs and famous villains free to commit heinous crimes with little repercussion.
The odds are stacked against the Caped Crusader, whose battle with the Joker reaches a climactic boiling point. Soaring through the air, throwing gadgets, and just pummeling enemies into oblivion feels amazing, and there are a ton of collectibles hidden in the city’s many nooks and crannies.
‘Middle-Earth: Shadow of War’
The groundwork for Middle-Earth: Shadow of War lies in its predecessor, Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, but the sequel expands its massive Middle-earth setting with varied areas that show off the fiery, twisted mountains as well as the (slightly) more tranquil plains.
With the Nemesis system, you can run into a previous duel partner at nearly any moment, and they can strike you with an ambush attack in the middle of a different mission. Have your own supply of allied orcs, however, and you can strike fear into the heart of Sauron’s army and take the land for yourself.
With satisfying combat inspired by the Arkham series and plenty of gear customization options, it’s a can’t-miss open world game.
