Open-World Games That Are Still Hard To Live Up To

by

Open-world games have improved a lot recently, with tools like Unreal Engine 5 making them easier to create. But even with all this progress, a few classic open-world games still stand out as incredibly influential and hard to top.

Later open-world games often try to match the high standards set by these titles, aiming to create worlds that feel just as alive and immersive.

Red Dead Redemption 2

A Masterclass in Crafting Life Into an Open World

Rockstar Games has consistently created landmark titles, and Red Dead Redemption 2 is a prime example. As a sequel to the popular Red Dead Redemption, it surpassed all expectations. The game is remarkably detailed and realistic, featuring a dynamic world that feels truly alive and responds to your actions in a natural way.

At its heart, Red Dead Redemption 2 is all about creating a believable world. The characters aren’t just well-written or responsive – their little habits and movements feel incredibly realistic. From tiny creatures to everyday people, everything in the game world behaves naturally. This incredible attention to detail is what truly brings the world to life, setting it apart from most other games.

Cyberpunk 2077

The Benchmark for Sci-Fi World-Building in Games

Night City is the most impressive aspect of Cyberpunk 2077, truly making it a standout game. Its unique sci-fi setting is rare in open-world games, offering players an experience unlike anything else available.

Cyberpunk 2077 is a beautiful game with a rich atmosphere and incredibly realistic characters who feel truly alive. The gameplay is deep and offers a lot of variety, letting players customize their experience to fit how they like to play. All of this comes together to make Cyberpunk 2077 a complete and exceptional game, and a new benchmark for open-world sci-fi titles.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

The Gold Standard for Storytelling in Open Worlds

Inspired by the novels of Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt follows Geralt of Rivia, a monster hunter who travels the land completing contracts. The game features a large, beautifully detailed open world packed with hidden secrets and rewards. Players will find the combat engaging and fast-paced, with plenty of options to customize Geralt’s skills, equipment, and fighting style.

What makes The Witcher 3‘s story truly stand out isn’t its monsters or magic, but its unflinching look at the darker side of humanity. Geralt’s journey is bleak, realistic, and often heartbreaking, which makes it incredibly captivating. Few games create stories that stay with players long after they finish playing, and The Witcher 3 is one of them.

Grand Theft Auto 5

A Decade-Defining Open World That Refuses to Fade

First launched in 2013, Grand Theft Auto 5 remains one of the most remarkable open-world games available. Its expansive and humorous depiction of Los Angeles feels incredibly realistic and accurately scaled. What truly sets it apart is how believable all the characters are – not just those you directly interact with, but even the random pedestrians who seem to be living their own lives in the city.

On top of everything else, GTA Online made Los Santos feel incredibly realistic. It allowed many players to share the same game world, where they could work everyday jobs like driving taxis or flipping burgers, team up for daring bank robberies, or even enforce the law as police officers. The lasting cultural influence of GTA 5 is unlike anything seen before, even compared to other successful games in the Grand Theft Auto series.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim

The Most Influential Fantasy Realm Ever Crafted

Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is one of the most important and successful open-world games ever made, and many consider it the best in the Elder Scrolls series. But what makes it so difficult to follow up on isn’t just the quality of the original game, but also the incredibly dedicated community that continues to create modifications for it.

Although the original Skyrim game was remarkable for its time in 2011, it likely wouldn’t still be popular today without the massive number of Skyrim mods created by players. These mods constantly refresh the game, offering endless new ways to experience its single-player story.

Elden Ring

The Open World That Redefined Challenge and Discovery

Elden Ring was FromSoftware’s first open-world action RPG in the style of their ‘Souls’ games, and it remains unmatched even today. Released in 2022, it uniquely blends the challenging, deliberate combat of games like Dark Souls with a huge, secret-filled world. No other game has successfully copied this combination, and it’s likely to stay that way for a long time.

Before its launch, many people doubted whether an open-world game could successfully combine with the challenging, precise gameplay of the ‘Souls’ genre. However, FromSoftware proved them wrong with Elden Ring, delivering a surprisingly cohesive and well-executed experience. The game is known for being mysterious, complex, and sometimes difficult, but it redefined open-world exploration and combat, setting a new high standard for future games to reach.

Outer Wilds

A Universe of Secrets Waiting to Be Discovered

Outer Wilds is a unique indie game that changes how you think about open-world exploration. You pilot a spaceship through a small solar system, finding hidden secrets, figuring out puzzles, and unraveling a larger mystery. The game truly values your curiosity and problem-solving skills, and it doesn’t offer much guidance, especially when it comes to solving its challenges.

Describing Outer Wilds is tricky because the joy of the game comes from discovering its secrets. However, it brilliantly uses time loops to tell a story that’s deeply moving. It’s truly unique – a game unlike anything else you’ll find.

Subnautica

An Underwater World Filled With Wonder and Terror

As a huge fan of open-world games, I can honestly say that Subnautica really nails exploration. It’s not just about going from point A to point B; it truly feels like discovering a brand new world when you first dive into the ocean. And the deeper you go, the more amazing and breathtaking it becomes. It’s a game that really makes you feel a sense of wonder.

Unlike many other games, Subnautica doesn’t have any non-player characters (NPCs). You’re completely alone with the ocean and its creatures, which creates a surprisingly calming and thought-provoking experience. The game’s focus on survival encourages you to explore the world slowly and carefully. Subnautica is also unique for its deep underwater exploration, a feature rarely seen in open-world games. While Breathedge, sometimes called “Subnautica in Space,” offers a similar experience, most fans agree that the original remains the best.

Read More

2025-11-05 02:37