Best Open-World Games Great For Exploring On Foot

Summary

Open-world games offer extensive exploration potential, but players often default to faster traversal methods.
Games like Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Horizon Forbidden West, and Dragon’s Dogma 2 shine with on-foot exploration richness.
Unique biomes, engaging storylines, and immersive environments make walking around in open worlds highly rewarding.

Open-world games are often acclaimed for their vast, explorable landscapes. Given the expansive nature of certain open-world games, creators frequently equip players with tools like mounts or fast travel spots to help navigate the open world efficiently. However, a drawback of these features is that some gamers might overuse them, potentially neglecting the very open world they were designed to enjoy.

Some outstanding open-world games offer unparalleled exploration experiences best appreciated when traversing on foot through their stunning landscapes. If you’re searching for top-notch open-world titles that are most immersive when experienced on foot, we’ve ranked these games based on the abundance of sights and attractions they offer to explore.

Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora

Explore The Land Of Pandora As A Na’Vi

Despite receiving a mix of opinions from its audience, it’s clear that Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is an ideal choice for fans who not just appreciate walking-based exploration but are deeply immersed in the world of the Avatar franchise. Although other methods of traversing Pandora’s wilderness are available, nothing beats exploring this intriguing action-adventure game on foot.

Exploring Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora offers a vast, expansive terrain that’s not just meant for walking from one end to another. However, there are numerous compelling reasons to delve into it. As a Na’vi character, you can effortlessly traverse both the ground and the treetops, immersing yourself in the life of Pandora’s inhabitants. Additionally, there’s a wealth of other activities, including dismantling human bases to cleanse the land of pollution.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

Plenty To Find In England During The Viking Age

Over the past few years, the Assassin’s Creed series has been focusing more on immersive open-world settings, allowing players to explore historically accurate countries while progressing through an engaging narrative. Among the most impressive of these recent releases is Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. This game is set in England during the Viking Age and features various regions for the main character Eivor to explore, with the ultimate goal being to secure a new home for their clan.

In the game “Valhalla,” set between 872 and 878 AD, Eivor might not be a fully-fledged assassin, but they possess the ability to move around on foot and even scale remarkable structures. Boats for navigation and mounts are also available to help traverse England’s rivers, making travel more versatile. When players aren’t exploring real-life historical locations within the game, they can still appreciate the stunning virtual landscapes instead.

Horizon Forbidden West

Varied Biomes To Explore And Mechanical Beasts To Slay

In the sequel titled “Horizon Forbidden West”, players delve deeper into a universe initially established, venturing into an entirely fresh territory which necessitates Aloy’s aid if we aim to preserve Earth. Alongside the array of innovative mechanical creatures you’ll encounter in Forbidden West, what truly sets this action RPG apart for foot exploration is the variety of unique and diverse ecosystems that it presents.

In Horizon Forbidden West, Aloy needs to explore diverse tribes residing in contrasting landscapes. Some thrive in scorching deserts, while others inhabit frozen mountain peaks. Although players can navigate Horizon Forbidden West through alternative means, immersing oneself in the environment and uncovering hidden treasures that aid Aloy on her journey is best achieved by visiting these unique locations.

Death Stranding 2: On The Beach

Embark On Another Epic Mission To Connect A Country

It’s only fair that we incorporate the protagonist of walking, in this case, in an expansive world like Death Stranding, such as in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. Here, players take on the role of Sam Bridges once more, embarking on another mission to traverse the country and link up all the bunkers.

In Australia, there’s a wealth of fresh experiences waiting to be uncovered, especially intriguing when players try to traverse this world solely by foot. While Death Stranding 2 might not offer as expansive an explorable landscape as other open-world games, it compensates by meticulously designing the walkable terrain, given its emphasis on foot travel and transporting cargo. What sets Death Stranding 2 apart is its attention to detail in making these walks engaging, making it one of the standout titles for immersive on-foot exploration.

Dragon’s Dogma 2

Limited Fast Travel Leads To Finding New Things

In the end, we see a beloved franchise resurface as the anticipated Dragon’s Dogma 2 is now here, offering an engaging action RPG experience that might require some adaptation for players. Unlike most open-world games, which typically incorporate rapid travel points that players can easily access whenever they wish to traverse the world swiftly, this sequel follows a different approach.

In Dragon’s Dogma 2, instead of using pre-set fast travel points, players can establish their own teleport locations at certain costs. This feature incentivizes players to traverse the game world on foot, rather than relying on quick travel, which helps them conserve resources. Although it might take some getting used to, this system offers numerous rewards for exploration, such as hidden side quests and caves that may have otherwise been missed.

Minecraft

A Sandbox Where No Two Worlds Are The Same

In simpler terms, “Minecraft,” the popular sandbox survival game, offers much more than just an open world to wander through. Despite numerous updates throughout the years that expand the ways players can traverse this world, nothing compares to the exhilaration of walking from place to place.

Despite Minecraft’s blocky design, there’s an abundance of beauty to appreciate – from the myriad biomes it hosts, to the thrill of excavating deep under the surface to uncover hidden treasures. And what makes this even more captivating is that each time you start a new game, you’re dropped into an entirely fresh world waiting for you to traverse on foot. What sets Minecraft apart is that players get to define their own objectives within this sandbox environment.

The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

Explore Hyrule Any Way The Player Likes

In contrast to previous games in the Legend of Zelda series which were rather linear, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild offered a more open-ended experience. Instead of being guided through the game, players were given the liberty to explore Hyrule freely, with the ultimate objective of reaching the castle attainable at any point. To increase their chances of survival, however, it would be wise for players to first investigate the farthest reaches of Hyrule to gain assistance from others.

In Breath of the Wild, while it’s possible for players to tame wild horses as a faster means of travel across the game world, given that players can also climb, swim, and traverse various locations naturally, many might choose not to use the horse extensively. Instead, they may opt to explore for resources, weapons, and self-improvement opportunities more frequently, leaving the horse at the stable.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim

A Classic Open-World RPG With Plenty More To See

As a devoted gaming enthusiast, I must admit that among all the open-world games I’ve encountered throughout the years, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim remains an extraordinary choice for those seeking a world teeming with immersive beauty just waiting to be discovered by foot. Skyrim, without a doubt, captivates countless players with its wealth of side quests that subtly nudge the player to delve deeper into the intricacies hidden within each map location.

In the game “Skyrim”, players have the option of traveling quickly to a different town using wagons, or navigating back to previously visited locations by selecting them on the map. Some players opt to avoid this feature and walk from place to place instead. As they traverse the landscape, they often stumble upon caves, crypts, and other ruins which usually come with their own narratives for the player to uncover – these stories are not tied to any specific quests.

2025-08-28 05:35