Best Open-World Games If You Want A Second Life

Today’s open-world games are known for their huge, detailed environments and tons of things to do. But beyond just exploring, fighting, and completing missions, many create worlds that feel truly alive, offering players a chance to get lost in discovery and temporarily escape from everyday life.

If you’re looking for an open-world game to really lose yourself in – a virtual “second life” – a few things are essential. The game needs a huge, beautiful world filled with things to do and discover. It should also offer a lot of gameplay – ideally, over 100 hours worth. Finally, features like owning and customizing a home, building a base, or managing a settlement can make the experience even more engaging and help you feel truly connected to the game world.

As a gamer, I’m always looking for those open-world games that really let me escape and lose myself in the experience. Here are some of the best I’ve found – they’re seriously immersive and just really satisfying to play.

1. Red Dead Redemption 2

The Measured Life Of An Outlaw In The Wild West

When it comes to open-world games, Red Dead Redemption 2 still stands out for how realistic and immersive it is. The game features a huge, detailed map filled with lively towns and people. Players follow Arthur Morgan’s story as he travels with the Van der Linde gang, a group of outlaws who set up a mobile, upgradeable camp. What makes Red Dead Redemption 2 so special is feeling like part of a believable family with unique characters, each pursuing their own goals. The strong connection players develop with Arthur’s horse also adds to the experience.

Red Dead Redemption 2 offers incredible freedom and engaging gameplay, with a huge number of detailed side activities to enjoy. Your choices as a player affect how people see Arthur, letting you build a reputation as either a helpful member of society or a notorious outlaw. All of this combines to create a truly immersive experience, letting you live a day-to-day life as Arthur Morgan in the Old West.

2. Kingdom Come: Deliverance (Both Games)

The Immersive Medieval Life Of A Commoner

Kingdom Come: Deliverance uniquely blends action RPG elements with a realistic medieval life simulation, creating a truly immersive experience. Players step into the role of a common person in 1403 Bohemia, and the game excels at recreating the details of everyday life during that period. Unlike many other open-world games, Kingdom Come avoids common genre tropes and strives for authenticity. However, this commitment to realism means even simple tasks can take a significant amount of time.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance realistically portrays everyday medieval life, from learning to fight with weapons to practicing crafts like blacksmithing and alchemy, encouraging players to appreciate the simple details. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 builds on these strengths, offering a more polished and easier-to-enjoy experience. The two games share a continuing story and the same main character, so it’s best to play the first one first, although the sequel is generally considered superior.

3. The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim

The Boundless Life Of An Adventurer

It’s hard to find an RPG more popular than Skyrim. For many players, it’s become a game they return to again and again, offering a whole second life within its huge world. Considered the best of Bethesda’s role-playing games, Skyrim perfectly combines everything fans love about their games: a captivating atmosphere, a detailed world, incredible freedom, and tons of things to do. Players can truly live a life in Skyrim, from buying and decorating houses across the land to going on adventures, joining groups, and exploring the mysteries hidden in ancient ruins and caves.

As a gamer, I can tell you that Skyrim is still the absolute king when it comes to mods. Seriously, there are hundreds of thousands out there since the game first came out! What I love is that it lets me completely customize my experience – I can tweak everything to create the perfect world and gameplay style just for me.

4. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

The Harsh Life Of A Witcher In Troubled Times

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a massive and unforgettable RPG that changed what the genre could be. It features a huge, detailed open world, lets you create your character how you want, and tells a compelling story with quests that feel personal and have real consequences. You play as Geralt of Rivia, searching for Ciri while navigating dangerous political situations, solving intricate puzzles, and battling terrifying monsters.

The main game doesn’t feature traditional home-building, except for a brief visit to the witcher stronghold of Kaer Morhen. However, the Blood and Wine expansion changes that by giving Geralt a vineyard called Corvo Bianco in the land of Toussaint. Players can fix up and customize this estate, turning it into a comfortable home for Geralt and a welcoming spot for his companions.

5. STALKER 2: Heart Of Chornobyl

The Razor-Edged Life Of Survival In The Zone

In STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, the Zone is central to everything players do. It’s a dangerous but fascinating place, full of surprises and opportunities for discovery. The game is built around learning the Zone’s secrets, understanding its threats, and appreciating its unique, haunting beauty.

Like previous games in the series, the most captivating experiences in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl often happen while exploring beyond the main story. These are personal stories of finding things, staying alive, and achieving unexpected victories. As you play, the Zone starts to feel like a real, living place, and you learn how to survive and thrive in its dangerous environment. Just trying to survive each day – improving your equipment, collecting valuable items, and dealing with the Zone’s unpredictable nature – can keep you playing for hours.

6. Fallout 4

The Creative Life Of An Adventurous Craftsman

Fallout 4 is the biggest single-player game in the Fallout series so far, boasting the most detailed and expansive world ever created. Players can explore a vast landscape filled with numerous quests, settlements, and hidden locations, engaging in plenty of combat along the way. A key highlight is the deep crafting system, which lets you build and customize the post-apocalyptic world to your preferences.

I’ve been really getting into this game, and one of the coolest things is finding settlements full of survivors. You can help them out by building them homes, making sure they have food and water, and defending them from raiders. The crafting system is insane too – I can basically tear down anything I find, even entire buildings, and use the parts to build whatever I can dream up. If you’re a creative type and love post-apocalyptic worlds, this game is seriously a dream come true. It feels really good to build up these little communities and make them thrive.

7. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

The Epic Life Of A Viking Conqueror

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla delivers a huge adventure, following Eivor as they travel across continents, through history, and into the world of Norse mythology. You’ll explore everything from the icy landscapes of Norway and the British countryside to the distant lands of America (Vinland) and fantastical realms like Asgard and Svartalfheim. The game is so large and detailed that finishing the main story and side quests will likely take over 100 hours.

A highlight of the game is Ravensthorpe, a Viking settlement set in 9th-century England. Throughout the game, players lead and develop this settlement, constantly improving and expanding it. This involves finding skilled people to join the community and celebrating successes with those who live there. Even if you don’t usually enjoy building up settlements, Valhalla gets it just right – Ravensthorpe is easy to manage and satisfying to grow, without being overly complicated. Eventually, it evolves from a simple base into a genuine home for Eivor, their clan, and the player.

8. Cyberpunk 2077

The Violent Life Of A Mercenary Pushed To The Edge

Cyberpunk 2077 offers players a chance to live a second life, but it’s a bit of a mixed bag. The game boasts a huge, distinctive futuristic city called Night City, where you can buy and decorate apartments, collect vehicles and weapons, and build relationships. However, the main story, which focuses on a character trying to avoid death, creates a frustrating sense of pressure that clashes with the freedom the open world is meant to offer.

Honestly, while my character V is dealing with some serious stuff in the main story, it doesn’t usually get in the way of just having fun exploring Night City. The best part of Cyberpunk 2077 for me is just getting lost in the world, tackling gigs, and the combat is really solid. It’s a great mix of action and those more story-focused missions. Plus, the characters are amazing – the conversations feel real and branch out in interesting ways, which really sucks you into the world and makes you care about what happens. There’s a lot of drama, some heartbreaking moments, and I’ve definitely met some characters I won’t forget.

9. Sea of Thieves

The Pirate (Second) Life

Despite a challenging start, Sea of Thieves has become incredibly popular, and Rare’s game is now in its eighth year. When it first launched, the gameplay felt a little repetitive, but it’s since become a leading example of a game that constantly evolves and offers new content. It’s also one of the most laid-back and enjoyable cooperative games of the past ten years. While it’s possible to play alone, Sea of Thieves is best experienced with a crew, where players naturally fall into roles like helmsman, cannoneer, or captain, contributing based on their skills and what the team needs.

Sea of Thieves is a game built around creating a pirate’s daily life. Players will fall into a rhythm of sailing, gathering supplies, repairing their ship, and facing dangers like giant sharks, all while enjoying the company of their crew. While there’s always something to do, the game focuses more on the experiences you have and how you customize your pirate, rather than simply getting stronger. Over time, you’ll become comfortable with the pirate lifestyle, almost like it’s natural. And you don’t even have to be a typical pirate – you can choose to live as a fisherman, an explorer, or whatever you like.

10. Grand Theft Auto Online (Or GTA 5)

The Neverending Second Life

The Grand Theft Auto series is the most famous open-world crime game franchise, and all the 3D installments include role-playing elements. Players who enjoy becoming fully immersed in a character will love GTA 3, Vice City, San Andreas, GTA 4, and especially GTA 5. GTA 5, being the newest game, offers the largest and most detailed open world, and it’s built for causing all sorts of chaos and destruction. While having three different main characters can sometimes make the story feel less focused, it also allows you to experience multiple perspectives and play through different storylines.

If you’re looking to create a character and live a virtual life without limits, GTA Online is a great choice. The game lets you define your own identity and how you want to experience the world – whether that means becoming a biker, running a nightclub, collecting property, or even just filling warehouses with cars. You can team up with friends in crews or go it alone, and you’ll likely do a bit of both. Plus, GTA Online is always being updated with new content, so there’s almost always something to keep you busy.

2026-01-19 01:08