Open-World Games With The Best Water Traversal

Open-World Games With The Best Water Traversal

Key Takeaways

  • Pokemon Legends: Arceus offers the best water traversal, with unique mechanics like catching Pokemon from Basculegion.
  • The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom allows players to build custom watercraft for creative traversal across Hyrule.
  • Skull and Bones provides realistic naval traversal, expanding on Black Flag’s mechanics to become a pirate lord.

As a seasoned gamer with over two decades under my belt, I can confidently say that the open-world genre has come a long way in terms of water traversal mechanics. From the humble beginnings of surfing on the back of Pokemon to the expansive oceans of Assassin’s Creed, the journey has been nothing short of exhilarating.


In the realm of video games, the open-world genre is always brimming with intriguing gameplay elements, including time manipulation and other aspects that enrich the immersive, expansive experiences synonymous with this gaming category. Well-known open-world games like “Red Dead Redemption 2” offer detailed features, such as realistic hunting mechanics where players engage in challenges against both fictitious and real-life creatures.

As a gamer, I can’t help but appreciate the thrill of seamless water navigation in some of the most captivating open-world games. These titles offer intricate water traversal systems that place me right in the middle of the action, whether it’s sailing across vast oceans or gliding down swift-flowing rivers. Admittedly, the quality of water traversal has seen its ups and downs among various open-world games, but there are numerous titles out there that truly excel at this feature.

5 Pokemon Legends: Arceus

Dynamic Water Traversal Unmatched In Pokemon Games

In the Pokemon series, players have always been able to ride their preferred Pocket Monsters. However, the way this was done was often lackluster due to limited sprite choices and restrictions imposed by outdated technology. But things took a turn in 2022 with the arrival of Pokemon Legends: Arceus. This game introduced a new mechanic where players could ride a Pokemon called Basculegion through its diverse water environments, which covered the Hisui region within the game. The water navigation included catching Pokemon while on its back, charging, and even double jumping – a feature not seen in previous Pokemon games before this.

In terms of navigating waterways, Pokémon: Legends Arceus outshines subsequent titles like Scarlet and Violet, making it one of the top choices for water-based exploration within the Pokémon series, even rivaling other standout open-world games in this regard.

4 The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom

Custom Watercraft For Creative Water Traversal

In The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Link’s Ultrahand ability revolutionized the creative potential within the Zelda series, offering unprecedented opportunities that hadn’t been explored before. With Ultrahand, Link can pick up various objects and construct devices like vehicles, aircraft, and even boats; the game provides players with a plethora of choices when navigating Hyrule’s landscapes. Water exploration is crucial in this regard, as Ultrahand empowers players to delve deeper into the game’s lakes and water-filled environments.

In the open-ended environment of Tears of the Kingdom, players have the freedom to design and craft a wide variety of watercrafts, ranging from miniature rafts to grand ships, making it an ideal candidate for inclusion on this list as it empowers players to create their dream water transportation.

3 Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag

Engaging Pirate Traversal

In the game “Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag,” the way to delve into an expansive oceanic landscape was revolutionized. The story follows Edward Kenway, a pirate who becomes an Assassin, taking players on a voyage filled with piracy, thrill, and a fresh slice of “Assassin’s Creed” lore set during the golden era of pirates.

An essential aspect of the game Black Flag involved its seamless water navigation features. By commandeering Edward’s ship, the Jackdaw, players delved into the expansive waters of the West Indies. There they discovered sunken ships, engaged imperial forces, and unearthed long-lost treasures.

Exploring the authentic atmosphere of sailing across vast oceans, Black Flag offers a wide range of ship personalization choices, enabling players to seize other ships for their treasures. In simpler terms, Black Flag is an exceptional pirate game that boasts some of the finest water navigation mechanics in gaming.

2 Skull And Bones

Realistic Naval Traversal

Despite being criticized for failing to capture the enchantment of sea exploration found in Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, Skull and Bones offers a capable open-world experience that builds upon the foundation laid by Black Flag with numerous customization possibilities, the chance to construct your own naval fleet, and the opportunity to establish a smuggling empire, aiming to rise as a pirate king.

The navigation and combat features of “Skull and Bones” when sailing across the water are exceptional, offering a genuine pirate experience with all the additional elements you’d find in a sea voyage. This game is one of the most realistic online RPGs dedicated solely to naval warfare, boasting some of the finest water traversal mechanics among open-world titles.

1 Call Of The Wild: The Angler

Water Travel for Fishing with Friends

“The Angler in Call of the Wild” is an expansive game, offering exceptional water navigation features. Boasting lush, varied settings and stunning graphics tailored for modern consoles, “The Angler” offers a visually captivating journey that capitalizes on familiar themes from past “Call of the Wild” series, allowing players to explore its vast open world by boat, uncovering new fishing locations along the way.

The game provides a comprehensive fishing adventure, offering diverse ways to navigate the water, including using various boats. It allows up to 12 players to join in on the fun as they explore the expansive wilderness together, searching for an array of fish species like the Largemouth Bass. Additionally, players have the option to manage a mini bait boat to boost their chances of catching fish, enhancing the game’s impressive water navigation features.

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2024-10-19 05:05