Some games take place in detailed, pre-built worlds, offering a carefully designed experience. For instance, while Final Fantasy 9 has some wild areas between cities and dungeons, most of the game world is clearly defined. The same is true for larger games like The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, which is expansive but still takes place within a known, established setting.
If you’re like me and love a good adventure in your games, these are the ones for you. Usually, you play as someone who ends up in a totally new and unknown place – maybe your ship crashed, or you’re just checking out a new planet for work. But no matter why you’re there, the main thing is exploring! It’s all about discovering what’s out there.
No Man’s Sky
Mapping Out Space
As a huge fan of space exploration games, I’ve been completely blown away by No Man’s Sky. It’s an open-world game unlike anything I’ve ever played – the universe is truly endless! I love that I can just hop in my ship and fly wherever I want, landing on any planet that catches my eye. It’s incredibly freeing!
This game focuses on player-driven exploration. Instead of following a set story, you’ll discover things yourself by scanning plants and creatures on different planets. Recent updates have added lots of options for building bases, customizing your spaceship, and playing with friends. Because there’s no main story, it’s up to you to find your own reasons to explore the galaxy.
Subnautica
Under The Sea
Subnautica is similar to No Man’s Sky, but it takes place entirely underwater. Players crash-land on an alien ocean planet and must gather resources from the wreckage to build an underwater base and study the local creatures. For some players, the game’s focus on water might bring back memories of frustrating water levels in older games like Mario and Sonic.
Technology has come a long way, making the underwater experience in Subnautica feel surprisingly realistic. The game’s stunning ocean environments and diverse sea creatures might even inspire players to explore the real ocean and discover its wonders for themselves.
Revenge Of The Savage Planet
A More Humorous Space Sim
Revenge of the Savage Planet is a funny and lighthearted take on open-world exploration games. You play as someone sent to establish a base on a new planet, but your mission goes wrong when you crash land.
The game starts with a short introduction to help players get their bearings, but the real adventure begins shortly after. You’ll spend time collecting resources and discovering new areas, but expect plenty of challenging combat and platforming if you’re looking for a thrilling experience.
Xenoblade Chronicles X
Welcome To New L.A.
Unlike other games in the Xenoblade series, Xenoblade Chronicles X incorporates elements of modern culture. The game centers around a colony sent to a new planet to rebuild Earth’s population, and this colony is cleverly named New L.A., evoking the feel of 1980s action films.
The main storyline focuses on brokering peace between local tribes and stopping a war. Outside of that, players can freely explore the world, setting up fast travel points and collecting resources, while engaging in action-packed, MMO-style battles.
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
Reconnecting The World
I’m really excited about Death Stranding 2: On the Beach! It’s cool that you don’t play as a typical explorer, but as Sam, a courier. Basically, you’re connecting different settlements across Mexico and Australia by delivering packages, and that’s how you build connections with the people living there. It sounds like we’ll be traveling through some amazing environments – deserts, forests, mountains, all sorts of places. I can’t wait to see it all!
What makes exploring this game so exciting is that every player’s world feels unique. Thanks to the way the game works, discoveries like hidden packages, abandoned cars, or secret spots will be different for everyone.
Returnal
A House In The Darkness
In the game Returnal, you play as Selene, who crash-lands on a mysterious, alien planet. She’s constantly facing hostile creatures, but what’s even stranger is that she keeps reliving memories from her past as the world around her resets, and she can’t seem to permanently die.
This game seriously got under my skin – the atmosphere is incredible. Seriously, if you have a good headset, you’ll be completely pulled in. And the little bits of exploration? They kept me guessing right up to the very end, totally on the edge of my seat!
Outer Wilds
Stuck In A Loop
Unlike games like Returnal, Outer Wilds isn’t a roguelike, but it does feature a time loop where the universe is about to end. It’s a game that slowly reveals its secrets; each time you play, you’ll uncover another piece of the mystery.
Outer Wilds is a unique game often described as a Metroidvania, but instead of unlocking new abilities, you progress by learning more about the game’s secrets as you explore space. Knowing these secrets beforehand would allow someone to finish the game very quickly – in about thirty minutes.
The Oregon Trail
A Classic Everyone Has Played
If you were a kid in the 80s, 90s, or early 2000s, you likely spent some time playing The Oregon Trail on computers at school. The game let you create a family, collect supplies, and try to journey from Missouri to Oregon.
Players made all sorts of decisions, like choosing when to ford a river, take breaks, or fix the wagon, and even participated in a shooting game. While it might seem old-fashioned today, The Oregon Trail really captured the feeling of chasing the American Dream in the 1800s, and it was a great way to pass the time in school.
Mass Effect
Big Mako Energy
While not a fully open-world game, Mass Effect allowed for some planetary exploration. Players could drive the Mako, a six-wheeled vehicle, across uncolonized planets to scan for resources and occasionally trigger quests, effectively discovering new locations on behalf of non-player characters.
It’d be great if BioWare created a game similar to No Man’s Sky, but with a more compelling story and better shooting. The original Mass Effect really stood out because of its exploration, especially with the Mako vehicle, and that sense of freedom was missing in the later games.
Astro Bot
A Rescue Mission
The game Astro Bot begins with Astro Bot crash-landing on an unknown planet. His spaceship is damaged, and his crew has been separated. While players can follow a straightforward path through each level, exploring off the beaten path will reveal other bots who need rescuing.
These supporting characters often look like iconic figures from popular PlayStation games, such as Metal Gear Solid, Ratchet & Clank, and Resident Evil. While Astro Bot is a relatively short game, it does a great job of rewarding players for exploring its levels.
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2025-12-14 23:07