Open-World RPGs With Maps That Are Masterpieces Of Game Design

A great video game map is essential. Open-world RPGs often include lots of extra things to do – mini-games, side quests, collectibles, and more – but none of it matters if the map itself isn’t well-designed. A good map makes the game world feel believable and gives meaning to your actions. Sometimes, your choices can even alter the map itself.

We’re showcasing open-world RPGs with exceptionally well-crafted game worlds. We’re focusing on how the environments themselves enhance gameplay – not just what the map looks like on the screen. These worlds are immersive and rewarding, filled with secrets and encouraging players to fully explore every inch.

The Lands Between – Elden Ring

Made With Exploration In Mind

Elden Ring features a truly unique open-world map. While it initially appears to be a standard fantasy setting with interesting creatures, and adheres to the ‘go anywhere’ philosophy of open-world design, actually playing in The Lands Between is something special. It’s an immersive and captivating experience that surpasses most other games in the genre.

Honestly, this world feels alive. It’s like it’s always watching, and if you even think there might be something hidden somewhere, there probably is. And it’s not just swords and armor – there are over 50 hidden dungeons you can stumble into just by keeping your eyes peeled. Some of them open up into whole new regions or huge underground areas, while others are quick but brutal boss fights. Then you’ve got the Legacy Dungeons, which are these massive, sprawling places with tons of shortcuts and secret paths. But even just wandering around the open world is incredible. I remember walking into Caelid and the sky just turned this intense red, or looking up at the stars underground in Nokstella – it was breathtaking.

Kutna Hora – Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

As Close To Living History As You’ll Ever See

Much of the discussion around Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has focused on its detailed and immersive RPG mechanics, and rightfully so. However, the game’s incredibly realistic map deserves just as much attention. The game is set in 15th-century Bohemia, and features a large portion of the country, including the city of Kutna Hora and the areas around it.

The city in the game features locations inspired by actual landmarks that existed in 1403, similar to how the Assassin’s Creed games create their open-world cities. However, unlike those games, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 focuses on experiencing these locations from street level – you won’t be climbing buildings like St. Barbara’s Cathedral, but rather exploring its detailed interior. While compelling quests and stories are a major draw, the game’s map offers a remarkably authentic sense of history, which is uncommon in this genre.

Kamurocho – Yakuza 0

Feels Like It’s Your Neighborhood

Kamurocho is a key setting in the early Yakuza/Like a Dragon games. While the series later moved to Hawaii in Infinite Wealth, you can still explore parts of Kamurocho in that game. The city’s general layout stays the same across titles – shops change and some streets are added or removed – but the version featured in Yakuza 0 is especially memorable.

Throughout the game, you’ll really get to know the city of Kamurocho. While it’s not huge, it’s packed with shops, restaurants, important places, and plenty of enemies to fight. As you explore, you’ll discover the best places to buy items, eat for stat boosts, and find the quirky mini-games that make Yakuza 0 so fun. The game also features a lot of strange and humorous side quests that send you to hidden parts of the city, ensuring you experience everything Kamurocho has to offer.

The Continent – The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

You’ve Left A Mark On These Lands

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt excels in many areas, and its map design is one of its strongest points. The game world, known as The Continent, is incredibly large, featuring expansive regions like Velen, Skellige, and White Orchard. With the addition of the Blood and Wine DLC, players can explore a fourth massive area called Toussaint. While completing everything the game offers is a significant challenge, the quality of the map consistently encourages you to keep exploring.

Whether you’re tracking monsters, completing side quests, or simply following intriguing leads, there’s always something new to discover. This holds true in the vast wilderness and especially in Novigrad, a huge city that encourages exploration in all directions – not just across the map, but up and down as well. What’s really exciting is that your choices matter; the world reacts to your decisions. You might witness a mage rebellion in Novigrad, see towns in Velen destroyed by powerful spirits, or even decide who rules the islands of Skellige, truly shaping the world around you and leaving a lasting impact on The Continent.

Night City – Cyberpunk 2077

The Epitome Of Concrete Jungles

Cyberpunk 2077 truly makes you feel small when you’re surrounded by its massive city. The game gives you plenty of ways to get around and explore Night City – you can drive, ride a motorcycle, or even use skills like a double jump. This is all designed to give you freedom as you discover everything the world has to offer.

Night City feels bigger than any other game world, not because it’s huge, but because of how much there is to discover around every corner. You’ll find hidden entrances in alleyways, secret stashes and underground fights on rooftops, and even valuable loot in the canals. From hidden information to unique weapons and dangerous cyberpsychos, there’s always something new to find within the city itself. And beyond the city limits lies the vast desert, filled with its own mysteries and the Aldecaldos – a group who might offer you shelter if you’re willing to help them.

Greece – Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

Dozens Of Islands To Explore, Yet None Of Them Feel Out Of Place

The world of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is huge, with almost 40 islands to discover. These islands range in size – some are large enough for sprawling cities like Athens, while others are small and easily crossed. The seas between the islands also hold secrets and treasures, whether you explore by ship or dive underwater.

The game avoids feeling overwhelming thanks to its excellent pacing. It gradually introduces you to larger areas, starting with medium-sized islands, then moving to a large landmass. After that, you get a chance to explore smaller locations before tackling another big island. This approach expertly breaks up the vast map, making it feel manageable – something previous Assassin’s Creed games haven’t consistently achieved.

Mojave Wasteland – Fallout: New Vegas

Faction Territories For You To Enjoy

An empty desert is a perfect starting point for creating a rich game world. While the Mojave Desert in Fallout: New Vegas certainly has plenty of barren landscapes, it’s the diverse groups and factions inhabiting it that truly make exploring the Wasteland so interesting – much like how those factions drive the game’s story.

Each group in the game, from the NCR around McCarran Airport to Caesar’s Legion at Fortification Hill, gives a distinct feel to the areas they control. Your reputation with these groups matters – you’ll be treated as a friend or an enemy based on your actions and even what you’re wearing. This system effectively immerses you in each region and encourages you to behave accordingly, creating a fantastic connection between the game’s world and how you play it.

Hong Kong – Shenmue 2

It’s Not Just A Map; It’s Your Home

The Shenmue games aren’t for every gamer. They’re role-playing games, but they focus heavily on realistic life simulation. You play as Ryu, a martial artist trying to find the man who killed his father, Lan Di. In Shenmue 2, his search takes him to Hong Kong. While waiting for Lan Di to reappear, Ryu needs to make money, and the second game offers several ways to do so, unlike the first, which requires you to find him a permanent job.

As Ryu, I can still pick up odd jobs – I could even run my own Pachinko parlor if I wanted! But honestly, making money gambling, arm wrestling, or winning street fights is way more fun than anything boring like driving a forklift. It’s cool because it shows I’m not just focused on the main story, you know? I’m actually building a life here in Hong Kong, which makes the whole experience feel so much more real. Instead of just rushing from one quest to the next, I feel like I’m actually living here.

Cyrodiil – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion

The Crown Jewel Of Tamriel

While newer Elder Scrolls games have been released, Bethesda hasn’t surpassed the world they created in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion. Compared to the snowy or forested landscapes of Skyrim, or the strange, empty mushroom deserts of Vvardenfell, the land of Cyrodiil offers a much wider range of environments and feels incredibly diverse.

The heart of the province, home to the Imperial City, is mostly flat farmland good for growing crops and raising animals. However, the land quickly changes beyond that core area, with forests, valleys, mountains, swamps, and even beaches. This diverse landscape is what sets it apart from other games in the series; exploring feels rewarding because you’re constantly finding new things, both in terms of side quests and unique places. While Skyrim and Morrowind might have better character development and a stronger sense of epic adventure, Oblivion boasts the most impressive and varied map design.

Los Angeles – Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines

Your Hunting Grounds

Despite being released 20 years ago, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines has become a beloved game, though it wasn’t initially a hit. This was mainly due to technical problems, many of which still exist today. However, these issues don’t detract from the immersive experience of playing as a vampire in Los Angeles.

Similar to how factions controlled areas in New Vegas, each vampire clan in this game has its own territory. Your reputation with a clan depends on what you do within their area, not on your actions elsewhere. There’s a vampire code: keep vampiric activities hidden from humans and avoid unnecessary killing. Violate this code in a clan’s territory, and the entire clan will become hostile. A helpful feature is that you can easily tell whose territory you’re in – not only by checking the map, but also by observing the vampires present, as each clan has a distinct appearance. Everything – your choices, the story, and the game world itself – works together to create a believable Los Angeles, divided among warring vampire clans fighting for dominance.

2026-02-08 20:08