Aleksha McLoughlin is Techopedia's Gaming Editor. She brings over many years of experience in the gaming and technology scene. She has previously held senior positions…
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When it comes to the best open world games, we’re careful about what made this list. We know how disappointing it is to pour hours into a game only to find it’s not that great – which is why we’ve handpicked these top titles that are sure to keep you hooked.
In this list, we’re bringing you the top 25 best open world games available on PS5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC – but they aren’t ranked in any specific order, so feel free to choose based on what excites you most! You’ll find unforgettable experiences offering hundreds of hours of gameplay spanning a wide variety of genres, so there’s something for everyone.
Key Takeaways
The best open world games can be considered among the most popular genres.
Open world games like Ghost of Tsushima and Red Dead Redemption 2 showcase the best visuals on their respective platforms.
First-person games have adopted the open world formula, such as Dying Light, Sea of Thieves, and Far Cry 6.
Open world RPGs like Elden Ring, The Outer Worlds, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt have huge storylines spanning dozens of hours.
Every platform, including the PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Nintendo Switch, feature a wealth of open world experiences in 2024.
The open world in Ghost of Tsushima offers an immersive experience of feudal Japan. The landscape includes lush forests, peaceful mountains, and villages affected by war, all waiting to be explored. The changing weather, seasons, and various animals make the open world feel alive.
Follow the main story, complete side quests, or just wander around – the world changes based on your actions, reflecting your journey. The detailed environment is what makes Ghost of Tsushima one of the best open world games on PS5.
24. Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Source: Nintendo
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom builds on the success of the previous game, offering an even bigger and more interactive open world. Players can explore the vast land of Hyrule, which now includes Sky Islands and deep underground areas.
The game encourages creativity and freedom, letting players solve challenges in different ways, such as using new abilities or discovering hidden places. The world is full of secrets, puzzles, and stories that reward exploration, which is why it won The Game Award for Best Action/Adventure in 2023.
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The large open world invites players to keep exploring, making every adventure unique and full of new discoveries – making The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom one of the best open world Switch games.
23. Subnautica
Subnautica. Source: Steam
Highlights: Survival, underwater exploration, open world
If you don’t like the idea of exploring the depths of the ocean, I’d stay away from Subnautica. But if that’s something that interests you – this one offers an exciting open world experience in an alien ocean. The game encourages exploration and survival as you move through a huge underwater world with different biomes, each full of unique creatures and hidden resources.
The open world is both beautiful and dangerous, giving players the freedom to dive into the unknown, find mysterious wrecks, and uncover the planet’s secrets; it even won Game of the Year at the 2018 Golden Joystick Awards.
You’ll need to manage resources, craft tools, and build bases to survive while exploring deep underwater caves, coral reefs, and trenches. Subnautica’s ocean provides endless chances for discovery and adventure, making this one of the best open world survival games.
NieR: Automata takes you to a deserted Earth, where a detailed open world invites you to uncover its secrets and explore its various landscapes. You’ll explore spaces taken over by nature, with ruins of cities, deserts, and forests full of hidden secrets, side quests, and challenging enemies, encouraging you to explore beyond the main path.
Each area has a unique atmosphere, adding to the game’s narrative and emotional impact, for which it won the 2017 Game Award for Best Narrative. Bonus points for its genuinely incredible music (it also won The 2017 Game Award for Best Score and Music), setting the mood wherever you go.
The smooth transitions between environments and the freedom to explore the story at your own pace make NieR: Automata one of the best open world RPG games.
21. Sea of Thieves
Sea of Thieves. Source: Steam
Highlights: Pirate adventure, cooperative ship management, open world exploration
Sea of Thieves is one of the best open world multiplayer games, offering a large, pirate-themed world where players can explore oceans, islands, and hidden treasures. You’ll need to use teamwork to sail ships, fight enemies, and complete quests in a constantly changing open world, with weather and random encounters making the game exciting.
Whether you’re looking for treasure or fighting in ship battles, Sea of Thieves provides an engaging and thrilling open world adventure that makes it one of the best open world co-op games.
The universe in No Man’s Sky is as limitless as your curiosity. The universe is made up of countless procedurally generated planets, each with its own landscapes, ecosystems, and weather – and the whole point of the game is to explore, with the narrative portion of the game existing mostly to let you learn about all the things you can do in-game.
The game also supports VR, allowing for an even more immersive experience as you travel between planets, discover alien species, gather resources to survive and grow, build bases, upgrade your machinery, fight in space battles, and much more. With VR support, No Man’s Sky gives you a sense of infinite adventure, with its expansive open world that’s full of possibilities making it one of the best open world VR games.
19. Dying Light
Dying Light. Source: Steam
Highlights: Parkour, zombies, survival, open world
Dying Light throws you into a city full of zombies, where the open world changes dramatically between day and night, forcing you to adapt your survival strategy. During the day, you can explore the city, gather supplies, and complete missions, using parkour to move across rooftops and avoid danger. At night, the world becomes much more dangerous as stronger and more aggressive zombies come out.
The freedom to explore the city, combined with the survival elements and parkour, makes Dying Light’s city of Harran both immersive and challenging, easily earning it a spot on any list of the best open world zombie games.
Atlas Fallen: Reign of Sand is not just a DLC for Atlas Fallen; it also serves as a rebranding of the game, and it’s now available on Xbox Game Pass, making it one of the best open world games on Game Pass. This update adds new areas, challenges, and story elements to the already vast desert world. The rebranding with Reign of Sand highlights the game’s stronger focus on sand manipulation and exploring the desert, so you will find more dynamic environments and exciting combat options.
The open world remains a key part of the game, with new secrets to discover and enemies to face. This rebranding and DLC are an important step forward for the Atlas Fallen universe.
17. Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077. Source: Steam
Highlights: Futuristic city, immersive storytelling, RPG elements
Night City in Cyberpunk 2077 is a huge, dystopian place where every corner holds a story, making it one of the best open world games on Steam. The game’s world is full of detail, with busy streets, tall skyscrapers, and different districts, each with its own unique style. Players can freely explore this massive city, taking on missions and side quests that add to the rich story.
The open world design allows for deep immersion, with choices that affect the world around you and various ways to handle every situation, making Cyberpunk 2077 a standout game in the genre. That’s due in part to CD Projekt Red’s excellent eye for detail, and it’s a game that’s only gotten better with steady updates, and the incredible Phantom Liberty expansion, introducing the deadly Dogtown into the mix.
16. Elden Ring
Elden RIng. Source: Steam
Highlights: Critically acclaimed RPG, deep exploration, tough combat
In Elden Ring, the open world design gives you an unparalleled sense of discovery, with the vast Lands Between inviting you to uncover its many secrets and face its challenges. Unlike many other games, Elden Ring gives little direction, letting players find secrets and choose their own path. As well as being incredibly popular, FromSoftware’s latest title has already cemented itself as one of the best open world games of all time which everyone should experience.
That’s because the open world design blends perfectly with the game’s challenging combat and deep lore, making Elden Ring one of the best new open world games. Every discovery feels rewarding, making it a must-play for fans of immersive open world adventures. Just be prepared to die more times than you can count.
15. Need for Speed: Heat
Need for Speed: Heat. Source: Steam
Highlights: Street racing, dynamic day-night cycle, police chases
Need for Speed: Heat offers a large open world experience in the lively city of Palm City, making it one of the best open world racing games. The game has a dynamic day-night cycle, where you can join legal races during the day and illegal street races at night. The open world is full of chances to explore, from finding hidden items to customizing your car at different garages. The city’s varied landscapes and detailed streets create an immersive setting for high-speed police chases, adding even more excitement to the racing experience.
Ultimately, Need for Speed: Heat is a standout experience that brings the intense thrill of street racing to life, making it a must-play for fans of open world racing games who are looking for both challenge and adventure around every corner.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim offers one of the most expansive open world experiences in gaming that has stood the test of time (now 13-years-old!), which is why it is known as one of the best open world games ever. Set in the large, snowy region of Skyrim, the game lets players explore a detailed world filled with mountains, forests, and ancient ruins. The open world is full of quests, hidden secrets, and different characters, making each journey feel unique.
Whether you’re fighting dragons, exploring dungeons, or shaping your own path, Skyrim’s open world design offers endless exploration and adventure. A landmark title that has transcended multiple console generations and been re-released more times than most, Skyrim is immortal, and if you’ve never played it, then you owe it to yourself to give it a shot.
13. Grand Theft Auto V
Grand Theft Auto V. Source: Steam
Highlights: Crime, city exploration, multi-character gameplay
Grand Theft Auto V (GTA 5) is widely considered one of the best open world games ever. It players a vast and engaging experience in the city of Los Santos. The open world is detailed and lively, with busy streets, different neighborhoods, and countless activities to enjoy, from planning heists to encountering random events. Once you’re done with the lengthy story mode, following a trio of criminals making a name for themselves in the bustling state of San Andreas, you’ve got GTA Online to contend with. In this game mode, you can take your created characters from rags to riches with over 10 years of support and counting.
The game allows players to freely explore and interact with the environment, making it a benchmark for open-world games. As fans look forward to GTA 6, GTA V remains popular for its impressive open-world design and lasting appeal. For more, we’re also showing you how to play GTA games in order.
12.? Fallout 4
Fallout 4. Source: Steam
Highlights: Post-apocalyptic world, RPG, base building
Fallout 4 is one of the best open world games on Steam, offering a large post-apocalyptic world where players can explore freely. The game allows you to discover hidden locations, meet diverse characters, and face various challenges in the wasteland, building settlements and making choices that affect the story.
While fans eagerly await the release of Fallout 5, which is expected to begin development after The Elder Scrolls 6, Fallout 4 continues to be a must-play title on PC and console even nearly a decade later, as it is known for its detailed and immersive open-world design. Plus, with the success of the recent Fallout TV show, the time has never been better to give the fourth installment a go.
In many ways a spiritual successor to Fallout: New Vegas, The Outer Worlds is set in a dystopian galaxy where you can explore different planets, each with unique environments, cities, and challenges. The game’s open world lets you explore freely, discover hidden secrets, engage in deep conversations, and make choices that change the story. The mix of dark humor, strategic combat, and strong storytelling keeps players engaged.
With its freedom to choose how you approach quests, The Outer Worlds is considered one of the best open world RPG games, making it a must-play for fans of the genre. The title was remastered with the Spacer’s Choice Edition recently, including graphical improvements and all the previously released DLC. That should tide you over while waiting for the sequel which is still a way off.
10. Forza Horizon 5
Forza Horizon 5. Source: Steam
Highlights: Racing, open world exploration, dynamic weather
Forza Horizon 5 has a large and vibrant open world set in Mexico, which makes it one of the best open world racing games. The game’s different landscapes, like deserts, jungles, cities, and beaches, give players a variety of tracks and environments to race through. You can join various races and events while exploring these unique areas.
The open world also includes changing weather, day-night cycles, and hidden challenges, which keep the gameplay interesting, offering a fun and exciting racing experience that keeps you engaged.
Days Gone is set in a post-apocalyptic world filled with danger and adventure. Players explore a large, open world in the Pacific Northwest, dealing with changing weather, day-night cycles, and constant threats from zombie hordes. As one of the best open world zombie games, Days Gone offers many challenges, such as managing resources, crafting weapons, and interacting with other survivors.
The game’s take on post-apocalyptic Oregon lets you explore freely and face unpredictable situations with zombies, providing an intense and immersive experience where your survival depends on how well you adapt to the ever-changing environment. Days Gone impresses with the density of undead you’ll fight against, making it one of the best open world zombie games you can experience on PS5/PS4 and PC to date.
In Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, you are immersed in a vast and detailed open world. You can explore different areas, such as war-torn deserts and dense forests, with changing weather and day-night cycles affecting gameplay. As one of the best open world Xbox games, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain lets you approach missions in various ways—using stealth, combat, or a mix of both.
The game’s open world is full of hidden tasks, side missions, and interactive features that add depth to the experience. These features provide a rich and engaging adventure in which exploration and strategy play key roles. It’s the most open-ended title in the long-running stealth action franchise, with a degree of player freedom we still don’t see from games a decade on.
7. Ghost Recon Breakpoint
Ghost Recon Breakpoint. Source: Steam
Highlights: Tactical shooting, survival, open world
Ghost Recon Breakpoint features a large and varied open world set on the island of Auroa. Players can explore different environments, such as dense forests, rugged mountains, and sandy beaches, with changing weather and day-night cycles adding to the challenge. As one of the best open world co-op games, it focuses on teamwork, letting players complete missions and side activities together.
The game includes various vehicles, weapons, and tactical options, allowing different approaches to challenges and offering a flexible and exciting open world experience with a strong focus on cooperative gameplay.
6. Ark: Survival Evolved
Ark: Survival Evolved. Source: Steam
Highlights: Dinosaurs, survival, crafting
Publisher: Studio Wildcard, Snail Games USA
Developer: Studio Wildcard, Instinct Games, Efecto Studios, Virtual Basement LLC
Ark: Survival Evolved is a top choice among the best open world survival games. Set on a huge island filled with dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures, the game lets you explore a varied environment where you need to gather resources, craft tools, and build shelters to survive.
The open world includes diverse biomes, from lush jungles to dry deserts, each offering unique challenges and resources. With changing weather and day-night cycles, the game adds extra difficulty to survive. Ark: Survival Evolved provides an exciting experience where exploring and strategy are crucial to thriving in its dangerous world.
5. Far Cry 6
Far Cry 6. Source: Steam
Highlights: Guerrilla warfare, exploration, open world
Far Cry 6 is set on the fictional island of Yara, where you can explore lively cities, dense jungles, and rugged mountains, each with unique features. The game includes dynamic weather and a day-night cycle, enhancing the experience while you carry out the various missions and side quests.
The interactive world reacts to your choices, making each playthrough distinct and engaging. It combines exploration with a rich narrative, ensuring an immersive and exciting adventure.
In Rust, you’re in a huge and challenging open world set in a post-apocalyptic environment. You’ll need to gather resources, craft tools, and build shelters to stay alive and survive the various landscapes of the game, each with its own dangers and opportunities. Your job is to manage your needs for food, water, and safety while dealing with threats from wildlife and other players.
Rust’s dynamic world and player interactions make each experience unique and constantly changing – making it a great example of the best open world survival games.
3. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Source: Steam
Highlights: Superhero action, city exploration, narrative-driven
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales features an exciting open world set in a snowy New York City, where you can swing through the city and explore detailed neighborhoods, towering skyscrapers, and busy streets. The open world is packed with dynamic events, side missions, and interactive features that capture the city’s festive spirit. As one of the best open world PC games, it combines main story quests with plenty of optional activities, letting players explore and enjoy at their own pace.
With its rich environment and smooth gameplay, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales offers an engaging and immersive city adventure.
2. State of Decay 2
State of Decay 2. Source: Steam
Highlights: Zombie survival, base management, multiplayer
In State of Decay 2, you must explore a vast open world while trying to survive in a zombie-infested environment. Set in a detailed, post-apocalyptic world, the game includes various areas to explore, such as small towns, rural regions, and military bases. You’ll need to gather resources, build and upgrade your base, and manage a community of survivors. The world is dynamic, with changing day-night cycles adding extra challenges.
As one of the best open world zombie games, State of Decay 2 provides a rich survival experience where every decision impacts your survival and the world around you.
Middle-earth: Shadow of War offers a large open world set in Tolkien’s Middle-earth. Players can explore a variety of landscapes, including forests and volcanoes, each filled with quests, hidden secrets, and challenging encounters. The game also features a unique Nemesis System that makes interactions with enemies personal and affects the ongoing story.
As one of the best open world RPG games, Shadow of War allows players to explore, conquer fortresses, and form alliances. Its detailed world and engaging combat provide an immersive fantasy experience, making it a standout choice for fans of The Lord of the Rings.
Red Dead Redemption 2 – Immerse yourself in the Wild West, where your decisions shape your story in a beautifully crafted and realistic open world. Availability & Cost: $59.99 on PlayStation, $59.99 on Xbox,$59.99 on Steam
Horizon Forbidden West – Journey through a stunning post-apocalyptic world with towering machines, uncovering secrets, and battling to save humanity. Availability & Cost: $59.99 on PlayStation, $59.99 on Steam
The Forest – Survive in a mysterious, eerie forest after a plane crash. You’ll need to build, explore, and protect yourself, making it one of the best open world survival games. Availability & Cost: $16.99 on PlayStation,$16.79 on Steam
The Bottom Line
We hope this list of the best open world games helps you find your next adventure, no matter which platform you’re playing on. If you enjoy epic quests, intense survival challenges, or simply exploring massive worlds, there’s something here for you. So, grab your controller or mouse, traverse these amazing worlds, and get ready to lose yourself in the adventure!
FAQs
What is the best open world game?
The best open world game obviously depends on preference, but The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is highly praised for its exploration elements.
What is the biggest open world game?
No Man’s Sky is the biggest open world game, thanks to its virtually limitless universe made up of procedurally generated planets.
Which open world game has the best combat?
The open world game with the best combat is Elden Ring, known for its challenging encounters. Elden Ring is recently making the rounds thanks to its latest DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree.
What is a true open world game?
A true open world game lets players explore a large environment freely, without being restricted by the main story or specific paths.
Which is the best open world game like GTA 5?
The best open world game like GTA 5 is generally considered to be Red Dead Redemption 2, with its detailed open world and story-driven gameplay.
What was the first open world game ever?
Adventure for the Atari 2600, released in 1980, is considered as one of the first open world games.
What open world game has the best graphics?
Ghost of Tsushima has the best open-world graphics, however, the visual fidelity of these titles upgrades all the time.
Why are open world games so popular?
Open world games are popular because they offer freedom, exploration, and immersive experiences, letting you create your own adventures.
Techopedia’s editorial policy is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.
Maria has more than five years of experience as a technology journalist and a strong interest in AI and machine learning. She excels at data-driven journalism, making complex topics accessible and engaging for her audience. Her work has been featured in Techopedia, Business2Community, and Eurostat, where she provides creative technical writing. She obtained an Honors Bachelor of Arts in English and Master of Science in Strategic Management and Digital Marketing from the University of Malta. Maria's experience includes working in journalism for Newsbook.com.mt, which covers a variety of topics, including local events and international technology trends.
We uphold a strict editorial policy that focuses on factual accuracy, relevance, and impartiality. Our content, created by leading industry experts, is reviewed by a team of seasoned editors to ensure compliance with the highest standards in reporting and publishing.
Disclosure
When you buy through affiliate links in our content, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn how our funding model works. By using this website you agree to our terms and conditions and privacy policy.
When you buy through affiliate links in our content, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn 
