Best Open World Games Set In Abandoned Cities

Many open-world games take place in either huge, empty wilderness areas or crowded cities full of people and quests. But some of the most interesting games combine these ideas, placing you in deserted cities that still feel like they were once full of life.

I think it’s a really cool idea to have abandoned cities in games, and I wish more developers would play around with it. We see a lot of games where you walk through empty towns in a straight line, but it’s way harder to pull off in an open-world game and still make it feel interesting. It got me thinking – what games actually do a good job of featuring abandoned cities, even if it’s just part of the world?

10. Ghostwire: Tokyo

A Beautiful Shrine To Tokyo

While not a typical open-world game, Ghostwire: Tokyo boasts a remarkably detailed and atmospheric city. Although it appears deserted, Tokyo hasn’t actually been abandoned – its people have recently vanished.

Even though it’s completely empty, the city still feels vibrant and familiar. Tokyo has been beautifully rebuilt with incredible detail, making it a pleasure to wander through, though it’s a bit like exploring a museum because you can’t go inside any of the buildings.

9. Dying Light 2

Parkour Your Way Through Villedor

Dying Light 2 takes place 22 years after the first game, introducing a new main character. The entire game is set in Villedor, a fictional, abandoned city, where players will explore a massive open world, crafting items and scavenging for supplies as they parkour their way through the environment.

Zombies in Dying Light 2 are truly frightening, and they’re even more aggressive at night, making survival difficult. This game continues the story of the popular original, but with more emphasis on action than horror. You’ll explore a much larger and more dilapidated city in this sequel.

8. The Evil Within 2

An Abandoned Simulated City

While not completely open-world, The Evil Within 2 utilizes its open areas more effectively than many games that are fully open. The game takes place in Union, a haunting dream-like city, where you play as a detective looking for his daughter. These open sections offer several paths to explore, creating a consistently suspenseful atmosphere. Combine this with scarce resources, and you have a truly excellent horror experience.

While the game world isn’t huge, the city feels genuinely deserted. You’ll find no people, only relentless monsters determined to take you down.

7. The Sinking City

A Haunting City That Is Slowly Being Consumed

Inspired by the terrifying stories of H.P. Lovecraft, The Sinking City is a truly unsettling game. You play as private investigator Charles W. Reed in the fictional city of Oakmont, Massachusetts, which is quickly being swallowed by floodwaters. Your mission is to uncover the cause of the city’s mysterious sinking.

Players can explore seven distinct, flooded districts in the open world of the game, and paying attention to your surroundings is key to solving mysteries. The water itself is dangerous – it can harm Charles’s health and mental state if you don’t travel by boat. Overall, The Sinking City is a compelling and uniquely atmospheric detective game worth checking out.

6. 7 Days To Die

A Vast Zombie Hellscape

7 Days to Die is a survival game where players try to last as long as they can. It takes place in a made-up country called Navezgane, located in Arizona, and features cities filled with useful items to find. However, these cities are also overrun with zombies, making scavenging dangerous.

Okay, so in 7 Days to Die, it’s a really open world and you’re constantly making tough calls just to live another day. You need to hit up the cities to find good stuff, but honestly, they’re super dangerous. If you’re not ready for it, you’re probably gonna die quickly!

5. Nier: Automata

Explore An Earth That Has Long Left Humanity Behind

The hub area in Nier: Automata, while not a sprawling, spectacular ruin, is located near a city reclaimed by nature. Though set on Earth, the location doesn’t resemble any specific real-world place; instead, it represents the remnants of humanity itself. Throughout the game, despite the fast-paced action and often bizarre events, Nier: Automata evokes a pervasive sense of melancholy, extending beyond the personal stories of 2B and 9S.

The ruined city mirrors the story’s central mystery and surprise. Just as the androids represent a faded version of humanity’s achievements, the crumbling buildings and empty streets serve as a constant reminder of the past – and what the characters believe they’re trying to save.

4. Fallout 4

Humanity’s Remnants Building Life On Society’s Corpse

I’m a huge fan of the Fallout games – they always deliver amazing RPG experiences with that signature Bethesda charm. Fallout 4, especially, is just massive and really impressive! It’s set in the Boston area, but honestly, it’s been totally wrecked by whatever happened. There are still bits of life here and there, but most of the city and the surrounding lands are almost completely unrecognizable, except for a few places you might remember.

The central city is built inside a baseball stadium, which is ironic since the people living there have no idea what baseball even is. Fallout 4 is a fantastic open-world role-playing game set in this abandoned city, offering a huge world to explore and plenty of interesting characters to encounter.

3. Tom Clancy’s The Division

New York Has Never Looked So Unsettling

In Tom Clancy’s The Division, a devastating viral outbreak has crippled New York City. Players take on the role of investigators trying to uncover what caused the disaster, and they’ll explore the city with a limited selection of weapons. The game creates a believable atmosphere thanks to its dynamic day/night cycle, which affects enemy behavior, and the impressively large and detailed world.

The game features dynamic weather that affects how you play, like storms making it harder to see and aim. Tom Clancy’s The Division is a well-made game that really utilizes its open world, offering a realistic experience for players who want something different from typical horror games.

2. Metro Exodus

A True Post-Apocalyptic Climate

Metro Exodus unfolds over a year, with the story taking place in various locations. However, the cities players visit are central to the experience. The game begins in the frozen ruins of Moscow, and players journey across the desolate Russian landscape. The largest and most memorable location is Novosibirsk, a massive, heavily irradiated city that’s almost completely empty. Its incredible atmosphere makes Metro Exodus the standout open-world game set in abandoned urban environments.

While not a typical open-world game, Metro Exodus expertly utilizes its open areas to create a deeply immersive experience. Players will quickly become captivated by this grand journey across a vast continent.

1. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl

A Huge Zone Peppered With Abandoned Cities And Towns

The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games are known for their incredibly unsettling and atmospheric worlds, set after a nuclear disaster. While previous games featured abandoned locations, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is the largest and most open-world game in the series so far. The story takes players through a variety of areas within the Zone, including detailed and expansive abandoned cities like Pripyat and Rostok, all packed with things to discover.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is at its best when it allows players to fully experience its hauntingly beautiful world. Exploring the deserted streets and decaying buildings feels incredibly tragic, and it’s easy to become immersed in the atmosphere of a place frozen in time. It’s a more powerfully melancholic setting than most open-world games offer.

2025-12-28 23:07