Games With Gigantic Maps That Don’t Waste Your Time (Exploration Without Filler)

The Assassin’s Creed series played a big part in shaping how open-world games are made today. Each new game expanded the world and added more activities, but Assassin’s Creed Unity went too far, cluttering the screen with too many icons. When a map is overloaded with things to do, it can feel less like an immersive world and more like a list of tasks to complete.

That’s why I suggest checking out these open-world games. While they offer plenty to do in their large worlds, almost everything feels meaningful. It’s all there for players to find and enjoy, adding to their experience. Red Dead Redemption 2 gets close with a strong story, but ultimately feels a bit sparse. These other games manage to find a better balance between content and emptiness.

The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

Test Your Skills In Mini-Dungeons

In The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, players explore a massive Hyrule that’s been ravaged by a cataclysmic event. Despite the desolation, the world is filled with towns, characters, and enemy camps, all without feeling overcrowded. The map’s most prominent feature is its many Shrines—over a hundred in total. Each Shrine is uniquely designed, offering challenging puzzles that boost Link’s abilities and make players feel genuinely clever as they solve them.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

A Story Behind Every Monster

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt revolutionized quest design in large role-playing games. Even seemingly simple tasks, like retrieving a lost pot, can unexpectedly lead to significant events. The game world is massive and avoids unnecessary item collecting; if you notice something unusual, it’s likely tied to an important quest, either main story or side content. This approach creates a more immersive and believable world, making it feel less like a game and more like a living, magical, and dangerous place, even during quiet moments.

Fallout 4

Scavenging For Reality

Fallout 4 presents a stark and detailed post-apocalyptic world, complete with ruins, contaminated land, and mutated creatures. A major appeal of the game, and the Fallout series in general, is the ability to explore familiar real-world locations reimagined as a video game setting – a much more affordable way to ‘travel’.

The game is set in and around Boston, featuring imaginative takes on famous landmarks like Fenway Park, Faneuil Hall, and the Old North Church. This adds an extra layer of enjoyment for those familiar with the city or its history, as exploring feels rewarding beyond simply collecting items. Every location, even the fictional ones, feels purposeful and well-integrated into the game world.

Elden Ring

Danger Lurks Around Every Corner

Elden Ring is a challenging game, filled with dangerous enemies – from common monsters to powerful bosses. Be wary of anything that seems out of place, like empty fields or caves, as tough opponents often hide within. However, overcoming these challenges is worthwhile, as they usually guard valuable items. While traditional towns are rare, you’ll encounter intriguing characters with stories to share, like witches and even talking jars. Exploring this dark world is also made easier and more enjoyable thanks to Torrent, your mount, who can even double jump!

Xenoblade Chronicles X

Welcome To New L.A.

In Xenoblade Chronicles X, players explore a vast, alien planet where a new colony called New L.A. has been established. While the world doesn’t have traditional towns or landmarks, it’s still exciting to discover due to the constant threat of danger, similar to Elden Ring. Everywhere you go, you’ll encounter huge monsters capable of instantly defeating your team. But returning to these powerful enemies later with a stronger party or after unlocking mechs – called Skells – can be incredibly satisfying. The game’s world is massive and completely open, creating a real sense of being lost on a frightening, unexplored planet.

Death Stranding 2: On The Beach

Rebuilding Society

At first glance, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach feels desolate. This is because most of humanity has moved underground in the game’s two explorable continents, Mexico and Australia. Players will often find themselves traversing long, open landscapes of plains, rivers, and mountains, making the discovery of a bunker or other structure feel particularly rewarding.

Finding old railways or highways is a bonus, as players can fix them up to link bunkers and stations again. What’s unique about this open-world game is that players can share their creations with others through an asynchronous multiplayer system. Each world will be different based on how servers connect, making the rebuilding process a collaborative, worldwide effort.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Men

While not the largest open world, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 offers a compelling New York City to explore. Players, as either Peter Parker or Miles Morales, can swing and glide through the boroughs, discovering side missions like stopping crimes or completing tech puzzles – all of which enhance the Spider-Man experience. Unique buildings often hide secrets, including a visit to the Avengers Tower. The map’s density makes it incredibly satisfying to fully explore, as it won’t take too long to complete and each upgrade feels meaningful.

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain

Building Mother Base

In Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, players explore large, open environments not just to progress the story, but also to develop Mother Base – their central hub. They do this by gathering resources and recruiting new personnel found throughout these areas. When players find enemies, they can subdue them and bring them back to Mother Base, assigning them to tasks like weapon development. Each recruit has randomized stats, encouraging players to search for the best possible team – similar to collecting Pokémon. Beyond standard recruitment, the open areas hide unique secrets, including special characters (even the game’s creator, Hideo Kojima), rare animals, and powerful weapons.

2025-11-24 08:38