Nothing hits the spot like a masterfully created open-world game. A true adventure that takes you through the emotions of the character, wonderful scenarios and beautiful moments in general. These games stand out in one or more aspects: some can have an engaging narrative, others can abandon a story developed by unlimited gameplay possibilities.
It’s interesting to see how open world games can go in different directions, empowering you with endless sandbox tools or giving you a predefined specialized character to play. This genre has slowly established itself as one of the best outlets for single-player games, and for good reason.
10 Ghost Of Tsushima
First of all, you should know that this game won Art Direction and Player Choice at the 2020 Game Awards. It also launched a free multiplayer mode for game owners, complete with cooperative missions, survival and a three-part attack. Ghost Of Tsushima takes place in feudal Japan during the period of the Mongol invasion.
The gaming community needed an open world Samurai game, and this title went above and beyond to offer an experience that was worth your time. The open world is vast and full of activities that will make you want 100% of everything, as you constantly improve your skills as an honorable Samurai or a deadly assassin. This game is only on PlayStation, where it received an 83 according to Metacritic, although the user’s score is much higher with 9.2.
9 Death Stranding
Death Stranding is a great example of a game that sees a deeply specific character injected into an equally niche world. Hideo Kojima’s latest creative mix resulted in what he defined as “the first Strand-type game”. What does that mean? Metacritic’s aggregate scores for this game averaged 86 on PC and 82 on PS4.
Fans of the creator of Metal Gear were confused when this title was released, hoping for something so visionary that it would put other games in the shoes. Death Stranding is undoubtedly revolutionary in how it rethinks conventional game mechanics and loops, and manages to offer you a challenge that makes you say, “I can find the best way to deliver this package.” This is a title that you like or completely forget, but it is an open currency for most people.
8 Subnautica
Some games aim to explore depths that others have never reached before. Subnautica is literally about that. Its universal magnetism depends on the game’s scenario: an alien planet for you to explore, which is completely submerged. We saw games taking us to regions around the globe, fantasy worlds and even space – but the depths of the ocean are a very original way of exploring the very concept of the open world.
If you like to gather resources, build a base and fight the creatures that try to make you a snack, then you will like this game very much. For some, the ocean represents a deep source of primordial fear. There is always a bigger fish, and you are the size of one of the smallest beings swimming. This game won 87 on PC (its original launching platform), 81 on Xbox One and 80 on PS4, according to Metacritic.
7 Marvel Spider-Man
What an incredible return our neighbor friend Spider-Man had in the past generation. After the success of the Batman Arkham games, it seemed that no other hero could receive the proper video game treatment that the cover crusader had. Marvel’s Spider-Man was a pleasant surprise for all those who wanted a change of pace from DC’s more serious tone, and the game provided a fantastic experience.
The progression in this title is linked to the concept of becoming increasingly and significantly more powerful, so that, in the end, you will have a literal arsenal of gadgets at your disposal. You can also wear some of Spidey’s most iconic suits, even one of Sam Raimi’s films, which makes for a great interpretation experience. This game scored 83 on Metacritic and is only available on PS4.
6 Fallout 4
Before the dark times brought by Fallout 76, the franchise had one last cry to celebrate. Fallout 4 was Bethesda’s next big game during the time Skyrim was busy relaunching on all platforms, including his microwave. Both games have the same engine, so Fallout 4 feels like a familiar open world to get your hands on, except with weapons instead of melee weapons. According to Metacritic, this game reached 88 on Xbox One, 87 on PS4 and 84 on PC.
Despite not having graphics 16 times bigger than the details, Fallout 4’s open world is extensive and worth exploring. Combining this with your narrative that can end in a variety of ways based on your choices, you have one of the best open world games out there.
5 Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain
Few games can achieve the same degree of freedom as this Metal Gear when it comes to approaching situations. The tactical espionage gameplay is rarely as good as in Phantom Pain, and it is the main reason why this game is worth learning. The story is quite intriguing, although left unfinished, but you’ll be too busy expanding your Mother Base and recruiting the best soldiers to notice.
Stealth and the open world work extraordinarily well in this title, you wouldn’t necessarily think that these two things go hand in hand. Metacritic added scores for Metal Gear Solid V averaging 93 on PS4, 95 on Xbox One (although only 10 critics contributed to that rating) and 91 on PC.
4 Minecraft
Minecraft is admittedly a game from the previous generation, but it continues to expand every year, more and more, so it would be unfair to think of this incredible title as a thing of the past. This beloved sandbox scored 93 points on PC, 89 on PS4 and 88 on Xbox One, according to Metacritic’s analysis.
After all, this is the best-selling game of all time, and it doesn’t charge you money with each new update, which actually adds new content instead of minimally retexturing football players like some other games. The open world of Minecraft has become so vast that it would take centuries to fully explore a particular seed, and your imagination is the only limitation you will encounter.
3 Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Witcher 3 undoubtedly contains one of the longest campaigns in any open world game to date. Going beyond the main story missions, a wealth of side missions and activities accompany you through Geralt’s world full of monsters, moral dilemmas and plentiful plunder. You can spend hours on end with this game and still not witness all that it has to offer.
The choices you make throughout your journey impact both the end of the game and the world around you, so even if you win the game once, you can always take advantage of the included New Game + mode and make different choices in a second or even third playthrough. Witcher 3’s score was 93 on PC, 92 on PS4 and 91 on Xbox One, according to Metacritic.
two Red Dead Redemption II
This is the type of game whose world seems literally alive as you interact with it and it interacts with you. Despite the mechanics of shooting straight out of the dark ages (also known as 2010, the emergence of the era of first-person shooters) and missions that have a mandatory hand everywhere, the game world is a technical masterpiece .
Yes, it is possible to build a large map where you can talk to virtually any NPC, without experiencing the rendering and frame dropping disadvantages found in Cyberpunk 2077. Red Dead Redemption II is proof of the achievements a developer can achieve, if any. The game won 97 points on PS4 and Xbox One, and 93 on PC, according to Metacritic.
1 The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
Whoever played this game knows that they have to say goodbye to friends, family and life in the real world, because it is the best form of escapism you can imagine.
Go on your own adventure, forget to save Zelda (although at some point you probably should) and try one of the best games ever made. It is worth buying a Switch in Breath Of The Wild, its reach is beyond anything that tried to imitate it after the success it had. The game added rating scores that reached an average of 97 on the Nintendo Switch, with extremely positive user ratings.
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