Best New 2026 Open-World Games That Are Absolute Must-Plays (So Far)

Even though we’re still looking forward to highly anticipated open-world games like GTA 6, Fable, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, and The Blood of Dawnwalker, several open-world games released this year are already strong contenders for Game of the Year. Here’s a look at some of the best so far, and what makes them stand out.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Shows Off Improved Shipboarding Gameplay

A key feature of the original Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag was its exciting ship combat. As players sailed with Edward Kenway, they’d encounter enemy ships and could choose to fight them. After damaging an enemy vessel, players could either destroy it for some treasure, or take it over by making the crew surrender or defeating them in battle. Black Flag Resynced will also allow ship boarding, but Ubisoft has made some improvements to make the experience even better.

New Steam Sims Competitor is Already a Big Hit

The new life simulation game Paralives, a competitor to The Sims, launched on Steam for Mac and PC on May 25th and quickly became a hit. The developers announced that the game sold 250,000 copies in just the first eight hours, a remarkable achievement considering it launched on a Monday. While more players typically join over the weekend, Paralives still boasts a strong and active community, with over 78,000 players checking it out and nearly 50,000 playing simultaneously on launch day.

LEGO Batman Legacy of the Dark Knight Cluemaster Puzzles

This page provides guides to help you find and solve every Cluemaster Puzzle in the game, organized by each district. If you’re looking for help with other collectibles, check out our LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight Collectibles Guide & Locations. For help with missions, characters, unlocking content, and exploring Gotham City, visit our main guide directory.

A New Pokemon-Like Game is Now on Switch, and It’s Getting Great Reviews

Early reviews for LumenTale are mostly positive, averaging over 75 on OpenCritic. Reviewers say it’s a solid RPG with a lot of personality, and it manages to stand out visually from other *Pokemonlike games, even the good ones. However, most reviews also point out that the game isn’t perfectly polished. While Nintendo eShop doesn’t have user scores yet, player feedback on Steam is positive, with over two-thirds of reviewers recommending the game.

The Boys Season 5 Betrayed Homelander’s Character in 1 Major Way

Homelander remained a compelling figure, and everything he did – his actions, looks, and even his thoughts – fueled the dark comedy and intense violence of The Boys. Season 5 of the show initially seemed poised to continue exploring how power structures create dangerous people, but ultimately it appeared to lose sight of that core idea.