The best open-world games that capture the true spirit of freedom and exploration

When designing an open world experience, balance is a difficult concept. Players don't want big, empty vistas that are a chore to travel between, or they'll be fast-traveling between each objective and there might not even be a big world. Dynamic events, side quests that pop up, and collectibles to obtain are just a few valuable ways to keep things interesting as we explore. There's nothing like wiping out an enemy stronghold and making the land a little safer altogether.

A world full of towns and cities is a world that is inhabited, and this is the kind of feeling these titles strive to convey. At the same time, if it's full of mysterious cave systems and areas that can hide valuable loot, that's all well and good. Many of those who enjoy open-world games are looking for the combined concepts of freedom and exploration, and these games offer both in spades.

7

Immortal: Phoenix Rising

Become an ancient Greek legend

One of the most loved open world games, The Witcher 3: Wild HuntRevolves around the concept of sticking to a fantasy world with monsters and puzzles. If you're looking for the same basic concept but in a less dark and predictable package, Ubisoft's 2020 adventure Immortal: Phoenix Rising A solid recommendation. Many passed on this title upon its release, and it deserves a second look.

There are many great games inspired by Greek mythology, and in this one, Phoenix is ​​a seemingly-mortal warrior tasked with shattering Typhon's grip on the Olympian gods and restoring the Golden Isle to its former glory. Needless to say, the Golden Isle is a vast area with various biomes, vaults of Tartaros to explore (think Breath of the Wilds shrines), collectibles to find, and enemies to battle. Those vaults can be puzzle or combat focused, and the Far Sight mechanic (through which Fenix ​​has to 'find' certain hidden places on the map before he can use them as waypoints) keeps you exploring the world instead of marking checkpoints on the map. Different-themed areas, designed after the Olympians who lived there, keep the adventure varied as it progresses, and the Phoenix's limited ability to fly through Daedalus' wings gives the movement an exciting feel.

6

Ghost of Yotei

A frustrating journey through a stunning part of Japan

Like the predecessor Ghost of Tsushima ((fans are still divided on whether Jin can defeat Atsu), Sucker Punch's latest open-world hit avoids the lure of fantasy and opts for realism instead. Atsu's harrowing journey of survival and revenge is set in Izo, in the north of Japan, and as he travels through the various regions where the Yotei Six live, the scenery changes from harsh shores to wide open plains and snow-covered mountains. The latter area introduces a survival mechanic, in which Etsu begins to freeze when away from a heat source and his maximum health is cut to simulate his condition. Scrambling down muddy slopes (and NPC companions join you in doing so on several occasions) also highlights the challenge the elements pose without too much hampering the player's experience.

Additional survival elements like cooking are also included more lightly, and not all players enjoyed the DualSense implementation to light a fire and so, it was another way to emphasize that Atsu lives off the land and is connected to it. The small details are incredible: if you open the map while it's raining, you'll see tiny drops falling on it as if Atsu is physically holding it. The actions of scoping out locations using the Spyglass and placing Isaburo's Traveler's Maps on your own to determine the location keep things interesting, as well as giving the player the sense that they are manually learning more about the world and trying to do so. It's a joy to explore this harsh yet stunning world.

5

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

A unique new way to explore Hyrule

the latter The Legend of Zelda titles, Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdomare very similar in some ways but very different in others. With the former, the focus is the same Ghost of Yotei: Finding your place in the vast world, gathering food to cook for certain buffs, and piecing together map information as you go. These elements are not absent Tears of the KingdomTakes place in Hyrule, but there is an incredible freedom of creative freedom that is quite unique among open worlds of its kind.

If you can see an area, you can usually figure out a way to get there. Whether underground, via floating islands, or creating some sort of absurd vehicle, Hyrule is as much a playground here as it is an open world to explore. There is different terrain and steepness Breath of the Wild Cannot match, based on its design. Fans continue to debate the merits of another game in that regard, but Tears of the Kingdom takes its independence in a different direction. The Zonai appliances were a fantastic addition.

Wonders of Skyrim

Now, it's true Skyrim Started back in November 2011. So, the vanilla experience is a bit dated today, and the thriving modding community is doing a lot of heavy lifting to keep the title more palatable for today's tastes (and lessen the impact of some of the game's more unfortunate bugs and issues). Even so, this vast slice of Tamriel is still absolutely awe-inspiring in its own way. It was the game that gave many their first taste of open-world adventure.

What an opening. You are given a short chance to choose your character's race and some other attributes. A devastating but timely dragon attack stops your execution. You then escape to Blight Helgen, where you can largely explore to your heart's content. You get the sense from the start that this is a game that's going to be full of drama, that it's going to let you make your own choices, and it more than delivers on that promise on both counts. From battling skeletal enemies in terrifying caverns to screaming enemies scaling clifftops on one of the land's tallest peaks, there's nothing quite like your first journey through Skyrim. The exact skills you like, point by point, allow for amazing customization.

3

Alden Ring

You need to do good git

Of course, with any Soulsborne game, there's an important caveat: to see all the content the game has to offer, you're going to have to settle for some powerful Soulsborne bosses. Alden Ring That was the game that introduced fans to the Lands Between, a true open world instead of a series of vast, often interconnected areas that they were usually used to in Soulsborn games. It was fun mounting the torrent and venturing out into this new territory, because most of the time you never knew what you might find, or more importantly, whether you were prepared to meet it.

FromSoftware works on the mysterious nature of the game Alden RingWho's grace, perhaps, is allowing you to slowly piece together the knowledge and history of the world. As always, those who take the time to observe the seemingly-ordinary things they pick up and read the details will really benefit from doing so. You really feel like you're exploring the Middle Lands as you go, especially since, unlike most open-world titles, there isn't a neatly-organized quest journal that points you from objective to objective.

2

Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag

“It's a good day for any kind of devil”

There is something about the storybook image of pirates that just screams exploration and freedom. The Pirates of the Caribbean The movies also tell us that those two concepts were completely central to the life of a pirate. Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag With historical moments beginning in 1715 in the Caribbean Sea, it goes to considerable lengths to explore them. It is a vast field, open in the true sense of the word, and Edward Kenway and his jackdaw are free to roam as much as they please.

While the controls for ship-to-ship battles can be finicky, it was quite creative to keep the action moving, especially since the types of attacks (launching flaming barrels from the broadside) were more practical as the relative positions of the two ships differed. Hunting other ships on the water for resources or to bolster your crew was often actually a reason to do so, and the chance to board other ships provided some exciting variety to the proceedings. Who loved before Assassin's Creed That iconic feeling of hopping from rooftop to rooftop and grabbing collectibles was also well-served, but much of the joy of Black Flag is jumping off a boat to find treasure on a small island, or sailing long seas as your crew sings to pirates. The atmosphere is incredible, and meeting so many legendary pirates through the game's story only added to it.

1

Terraria

A small but mighty world

Terraria is a different animal. It doesn't boast a gorgeous, amazing-feeling world Alden Ring or Ghost of Yotei. It's easy to underestimate it based on one glance at its pixelated style. Still, it has a lot in common with these titles and, in its way, the feel of everything a good open-world experience should be.

Like Alden RingYou're not dictated by a front-and-center quest log, and can see as much of the world as your combat abilities allow (there are some annoying bosses). Procedural generation means that, even if you've played before, this new world will likely be completely different. On top of that, if you want to develop your character and become stronger, Terraria You can be hit that way Minecraft Couldn't manage it well. Even so, you're still free to build some impressive structures, and the incentive to do so is to need NPC houses. There's a wonderful sense of freedom and bond that comes with not just crafting things for the sake of it, but developing homes for the residents. It has that Stardew Valley A quality that tackles many different genres and lets the players do everything.