Best Open-World Games That Can Keep You Busy For Months

Key Takeaways

Open-world games offer endless exploration and adventure, with rich details and immersive experiences.
Horizon Zero Dawn offers stunning visuals, Red Dead Redemption 2 has an intense narrative, and Skyrim is vast.
Genshin Impact has continuously updated quests, while Minecraft has an endless, procedurally generated world.

As a seasoned gamer with decades of experience under my belt, I must say that the open-world games listed here are nothing short of marvelous. They each offer unique experiences that cater to different playstyles and preferences.

Open-world games grant an unprecedented degree of freedom, immersing players in expansive, intricately detailed landscapes ripe for endless discovery and thrilling adventure. These virtual realms brim with ancillary missions and artifacts that enrich the game’s backstory, providing a rich tapestry to unravel at one’s own speed or in collaboration with others. Whether you prefer the camaraderie of co-op play or the solitary pursuit of solo exploration, open-world games transport you to another realm entirely.

This collection delves into numerous open-world video games that can keep you engrossed for months. The genres range from fantasy and exploration to role-playing games (RPGs) and survival simulations. Some of these titles require a specific number of hours to finish the primary narrative, whereas others are boundless, providing countless hours of exploration in vast landscapes.

9 Horizon Zero Dawn

Post-Apocalyptic Combat And Exploration

Main Story Length: ~20-30 hours
Completionist Length: ~60-70 Hours

In simpler terms, the captivating post-apocalyptic game, Horizon Zero Dawn, offers a thrilling blend of exploration, fighting, and missions. With its recent remastering, the visuals are breathtakingly beautiful, showcasing vibrant colors and sharp details – an immersive world that will undoubtedly capture players’ attention.

In the game Horizon Zero Dawn, you accompany a young woman named Aloy on an adventure through a world dominated by mechanical creatures. You can engage these machines using different weapons, such as bows, traps like tripwires, or explosives, to ultimately overcome them.

8 Valheim

Intense Viking Survival Co-Op

Main Progression Length: ~70-100 hours
Completionist Length: 150+ hours

This survival game inspired by Norse mythology takes place in a vast underworld teeming with monsters to conquer. It’s the realm where Vikings find themselves before they earn their way into Valhalla.

As a gamer, I can tell you that sandbox worlds offer an immersive experience where you craft, construct, and battle, each world boasting diverse biomes teeming with distinctive traits. In Valheim, you’re free to roam solo, but the creators recommend a more engaging experience when playing with friends, and luckily, it supports up to 10 players in cooperative mode.

7 Red Dead Redemption 2

A Sophisticated Story About Outlaws

Main Story Length: ~50-60 hours
Completionist Length: ~200 hours

Enthusiasts of “Red Dead Redemption 2” adore it for its gripping storyline, engaging side missions, and film-like elements that span from the characters to the weaponry. Gamers have the opportunity to embark on both honorable and less-than-honorable journeys, with activities such as hunting animals, committing crimes, and tracking down bounties.

Red Dead Redemption 2 takes place in a fictionalized version of the 19th-century USA, featuring the character Arthur Morgan, an outlaw. The expansive open world is divided into distinct regions modeled after actual parts of America and offers numerous areas for players to delve into.

6 Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

Expansive Nordic Open-World Adventure

Main Story Length: ~50-60 hours
Completionist Length: 100+ hours

In the vein of other games set in the Assassin’s Creed universe, Valhalla provides a vast, open-world environment for players to traverse, modeled after the nations of North-Western Europe. Additionally, it offers the choice for delving into mythical realms.

In Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, you’ll experience a rich blend of intense battles, the chance to build your own settlement, and seafaring exploits for attacking enemies in England. The game offers three distinct playstyles, showcasing various skills players can acquire, within its RPG system that incorporates player choices. Additionally, it features an engaging storyline that intertwines the Viking saga with Layla Hassan’s modern-day tale.

5 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Loads Of Quests In A Vast Open-World

Main Story Length: ~35 hours
Completionist Length: 200+ hours

Skyrim stands out for its captivating open environment that keeps gamers engrossed for countless hours. Comprising nine distinct realms, the landscape varies widely and there are more than 400 diverse spots to explore.

Additionally, players have the freedom to decide how strongly they want to focus on the primary narrative, allowing them to traverse the game world at their leisure. Furthermore, there are numerous missions to engage in, providing ample opportunity for extended playtime. These range from the main storyline, tasks assigned by various guilds, and challenges randomly generated by the game itself.

4 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Great Storytelling And Deep Lore

Main Story Length: ~50 hours
Completionist Length: 200+ hours

In the third game of the Witcher series, titled “Wild Hunt,” players are immersed in a deep, engaging storyline complemented by exceptional side missions. This combination keeps gamers eagerly invested even after starting the game. The expansive open-world environment in this game is renowned for its meticulous details that subtly reveal crucial aspects of the narrative.

The universe of the Witcher games is meticulously constructed, inspired by Eastern European folklore and tradition. Additionally, it offers a number of excellent downloadable content packs that not only enrich the gameplay experience but also delve deeper into the narrative and its intricate details.

3 Genshin Impact

A Regularly-Updated World Of Quests

No Completion: the game is updated with new content, but the current max progression sits around ~300+ hours

In the colorful, expansive universe of Genshin Impact, there are seven distinct regions modeled after various real-life locations and cultures. Gamers are free to roam and engage with the surroundings, searching for valuable collectibles or engaging with unique personalities.

In addition to the primary narrative about a traveler on a journey to find their estranged sibling, this game offers numerous side-quests specific to each region, as well as daily tasks for frequent players. The game is continuously updated with fresh content, ensuring that there’s no final destination in sight.

2 Minecraft

Endlessly Creative Sandbox

No Completion: dedicated players have logged more than ~1000 hours.

Most gamers will know Minecraft. It’s addictive for many reasons: it has various equally exciting creative and survival modes, can be played in single-player and co-op, and there’s the option to add endless mods. There’s also plenty to explore in terms of world seeds and other players’ designs, adding even more choice to what players can do in the game.

Players not just delve into the storyline of the Minecraft universe, but also have the freedom to break the rules and create anything they imagine within this endless, procedurally generated playground.

1 No Man’s Sky

Perhaps The Biggest Open-World Setting Ever

No Completion: players can log 100-500+ hours

In the gaming world, No Man’s Sky stands out as one of the largest games, featuring a galaxy generated procedurally with billions of planets. Each planet in this cosmic expanse offers distinct landscapes for players to discover at their leisure. Unlike many other games, there isn’t a single predetermined route in No Man’s Sky. Instead, players are free to choose where they venture, what resources they collect, where they establish bases, and how they traverse the universe.

The game frequently gets free upgrades, totaling more than 20 thus far. These updates have significantly expanded and enriched the game’s universe, introducing features like multiplayer modes, improvements to the settlement and weather systems, and fresh narrative threads.

2024-11-20 08:04