Many games have open worlds, but only a few of them stand out from the rest. The feeling of freedom is exhilarating while playing a game with an open world. It allows you to explore some magical worlds as a player, which can only be experienced inside a video game. So what makes games like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim so unique and timeless?
Note: The games below are not ranked in any order.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has a massive world filled with a lot of interesting activities and locations like caves, small villages, factions that you can join, and many more. It is great at building atmosphere and allowing you to play however you want, which is a true stamp on the game’s Role-Playing aspects.
The gameplay is mostly oriented around melee combat or casting spells, but you can also shoot with a bow and arrow. There are many mechanics like stealing, sneaking, bartering, trading, and much more to immerse yourself under any class in the vast world of Skyrim.
Available on: PC, Xbox One X/S, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch.
Fallout 4
Fallout is an old-time classic series that was a huge success with every installment. Fallout 4, especially, introduces some new mechanics into the series like camp building.
Fallout 4 offers a huge post-apocalyptic wasteland world with many factions that you can join or betray, improvised weapons, strange NPCs (like Whitechapel Charlie or Cricket) that are very original and interesting. You can impact the world and characters in various ways, from dialogue choices to more complex chains of actions.
The gameplay relies on classic ranged gun combat, with some melee options as well like hammers or blades. A stand-out in the series is the Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System (VATS). It allows players to pause the game, scan the enemy for weak points and calculate the probability of a hit. Keeping within the atmosphere, there are some radiation-specific weapons. Every piece of gear is rustic and fits perfectly within the post-apocalyptic world destroyed by nuclear wars.
Available on: PC, Xbox One X/S, PS4, and Xbox Series X/S, PS5 via backward compatibility.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is one of the best games ever created, with amazing stories and narration, and memorable characters. You can really feel like a witcher in this world, who travels from village to village, battling various monsters, and fighting them for money.
The Continent (name of The Witcher 3’s world) is filled with a Slavic atmosphere. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is also full of pop-culture references like Tyrion Lannister (a character from Game of Thrones) in an open jail cell, rabbits from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and much more for you to discover.
After finishing the game, there is loads of lore and additional DLC’s to dive into, like the Hearts of Stone, and the Blood & Wine expansions.
Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 might not have been the game that everyone wanted it to be due to technical issues, but over time it became more playable than at its release. However, we cannot exclude it from being one of the best open-world RPGs ever created, due to characters, story, and mainly the world itself.
Cyberpunk 2077 takes place in the future that emphasizes the division between social classes. The story focuses around V and Johnny Silverhand, the latter portrayed by Hollywood actor Keanu Reeves. You meet various characters filled with futuristic body modifications. Some of them just live their lives without the expensive technology, and others devote their life to body customization.
Night City is definitely the highlight of the game with huge skyscrapers, busy streets, and a world filled with neon lights. Every district is very unique, and represents other social class groups, from various gangs, to people just plain down on their luck, and all the way up to the higher levels of corporate scum.
The world might seem a little empty at times, but the artistic aspects and deep lore of the entire universe make Cyberpunk 2077 well worth a try.
Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Zelda is an amazing series that sold many Nintendo systems in the past, and it is no different in the case of Breath of the Wild. The action takes place in the Hyrule kingdom and follows the adventures of Link, the main protagonist of the series. It has a gorgeous open world that is very eye-pleasing to explore.
What stands out the most is the freedom you are given in this game. You learn about your main objectives but the approach you take is totally up to you. There are even ways to finish the game quickly with enough skill and knowledge about the game by skipping most of the world and reaching the final boss. It just showcases how much control you have in the game.
One of the most notable additions to the gameplay of this Zelda game is the introduction of the paraglider, which started a whole evolution with many games after Breath of the Wild released introduced a paraglider to aid traversal, even the upcoming Horizon: Forbidden West.
Available on: Wii U, and Nintendo Switch.
The Outer Worlds
The Outer Worlds is created by veterans in the genre Obsidian Entertainment (known for Fallout New Vegas or Pillars of Eternity). It is set in the retro future, and although it does not have one huge open world, it consists of smaller planets that are quite big and open for exploration.
It is full of vivid and colorful characters, plants, and animals. You will stand between many factions fighting over power. Outer Worlds’ world is the highlight here with a great, original vision of the future, without the technological advancements of the past decades.
Available on: PC, Xbox One X/S, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series X/S, PS5 via backward compatibility.
Honorable Mentions
Grand Theft Auto V / Red Dead Redemption 2
Grand Theft Auto V was a huge success, and the ongoing GTA Online is an amazing place to role-play thanks to the endless possibilities to the player’s imagination. There are many servers and groups that only perform role play in this game, which is simply inspiring. The game’s modern setting allows for a lot of creative freedom for everyone.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is very similar in the matter of gameplay but takes us to completely different times, the Old American West. It is a huge open-world western game, and Red Dead Online was expanded upon the concept of being a cowboy after the game was released.
Available on: PC, Xbox One X/S, PS4, and Xbox Series X/S, PS5 via backward compatibility. GTA V was also released on PS3, and Xbox 360.
For more articles and lists make sure to check out Top 5 Best Dinosaur Games on PC (2021) on Pro Game Guides.
