Games To Play If Red Dead Redemption Ruined Open Worlds For You

Many players consider Red Dead Redemption 2 to be a masterpiece of game design, thanks to its stunning graphics, compelling story, and incredibly detailed world. It sets such a high standard that it’s hard for other open-world games to compare – players often find it difficult to stay engaged after experiencing the sheer scale and quality of what Rockstar created.

While Red Dead Redemption 2 is exceptional, many other games offer similar quality or completely unique experiences it can’t match. These games might have more captivating gameplay, different ways to get around, or a blend of features that create a fresh and exciting adventure – something to reignite the passion for open-world games, even for those who thought they were done with the genre.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

Uncompromising Realism

Gameplay systems resist simple solutions.
The world is deeply responsive to player actions.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 focuses on creating a realistic and immersive open world, even if that means sacrificing easy gameplay. Everything, including fighting and conversations, requires careful attention and practice. The game doesn’t adapt to the player; instead, it challenges them to learn and improve without offering any quick wins.

This game really reminds me of Red Dead Redemption 2. It feels super realistic in how the story unfolds – it’s a really personal and emotional ride, and my choices actually mattered. It wasn’t about huge, flashy moments, but more about experiencing the story through everyday life. Honestly, I was hooked from beginning to end, even as someone who usually expects perfection in games!

Death Stranding

Lonely By Design

Traversal is slow yet deliberate.
Narrative and gameplay become intertwined the longer you play.

Death Stranding delivers a unique open-world experience, taking players on a thoughtful journey through desolate landscapes and rugged mountains. Instead of the usual encounters with enemies or hidden settlements, the game focuses on isolating you with the environment and your main objective.

Unlike many open-world games, Death Stranding ditches typical conveniences and focuses on a more psychological experience. Instead of fast travel or constant interaction, the game emphasizes slow, deliberate journeys that demand patience and perseverance.

The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

The Freedom To Explore

Pace is completely dictated by the player.
Minimal guidance or UI to interfere with the experience.

Like many players felt after finishing Red Dead Redemption 2, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild leaves a lasting impression – it feels like an experience unlike any other game. This is because the game offers incredible freedom and pure enjoyment simply from exploring its world and discovering secrets, without being forced to follow a strict path or constant objectives.

Players naturally expect to see intriguing places in the distance and be able to investigate them, and this game aims for that same feeling. However, unlike many other games, there are truly no boundaries here – even distant landscapes and the highest mountains are open for exploration if the player chooses.

Elden Ring

Changing The Entire Genre

The world’s depth is slowly revealed over time.
More mechanically demanding gameplay than most open-world games.

Elden Ring is truly exceptional, standing out in the open-world genre and gaming as a whole. Its combat is fantastic, the world is incredibly detailed and immersive, and almost everything else about the game is top-notch. It’s a landmark title that may be difficult for any future game to surpass.

Even after playing for hundreds of hours, Elden Ring continues to surprise players with new discoveries that can fundamentally alter their understanding of the game world. While it doesn’t offer the same strong story focus as Red Dead Redemption 2, Elden Ring excels in its exploration and gameplay mechanics, surpassing many other games in those areas.

Outer Wilds

Knowledge And Puzzles Intertwined

No traditional objectives.
The narrative unfolds in a non-linear fashion.

Outer Wilds is a truly original open-world game. It doesn’t grab your attention with fancy features or compelling characters, but with a deeply satisfying sense of discovery. You’re given a single objective, but left to figure out how to achieve it yourself, encouraging you to carefully explore and understand the world around you.

Forget epic battles or sprawling storylines. Outer Wilds offers a peaceful mystery to unravel. If you’re tired of huge open-world games, this one is a fantastic way to rediscover the fun, and it’s unlike almost anything else you’ve played in the genre.

No Man’s Sky

The Universe Is Yours To See

Self-directed exploration is the core of the experience.
No narrative constraints to hold you back.

No Man’s Sky fulfills the childhood fantasy of exploring an endless universe, letting players travel however they want. The ability to go from walking on a planet to flying through space in moments is unique and something Red Dead Redemption 2 simply doesn’t offer.

The game doesn’t force you down a specific path, letting you create a truly personal experience and feel proud of everything you discover. After finishing Arthur’s emotional story, some players may find themselves inspired to create their own adventures in open-world games.

Horizon Forbidden West

Riding Into The Future

Set in a futuristic world that is still deeply emotional.
Machines interact dynamically with the world.

In Horizon Forbidden West, players explore a beautiful and detailed open world filled with both nature and powerful machines. What makes the game special is how natural everything feels – every encounter and every place you go feels connected to the environment, influencing how battles play out and where you can explore next.

Similar to Red Dead Redemption 2, the optional things you can do in this game don’t feel separate from the main story – they actually enhance it. This creates a strong sense of connection, making everything you do feel valuable. The game world feels realistic and alive, so players always feel like their actions matter and contribute to a meaningful journey, no matter where they are in the game.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Web-Swinging Never Gets Old

Satisfying vertical movement and face-paced traversal.
High-intensity combat that evolves with progression.

I’m absolutely loving Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 because it completely avoids that feeling of open-world games getting boring. Instead of just being something you do between missions, swinging around New York is genuinely fun on its own! The city looks incredible, and it feels like a real playground where you’re constantly interacting with everything as you follow the story. It’s not just a backdrop; it’s part of the experience!

The game avoids unnecessary fluff, and the moments between missions are often the most impactful. The world is compelling enough to make players want to explore it. It delivers a fantastic power fantasy, much like the western adventure in RDR2, but with the freedom of unrestrained superhero action.

Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora

Saving Pandora Piece By Piece

Landmark-based exploration.
A living world that reacts to the player’s actions.

Honestly, when it comes to how immersive a game world is, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is tough to beat. Pandora is just stunning, and you can really explore it however you want. Red Dead 2 does a great job with realism, but this is different. Here, I feel totally free – I can fly, leap across the forest, and there’s almost nothing holding me back. It’s amazing!

This game beautifully recreates the feeling of childhood wonder that comes from wanting to closely explore a strange, new world. Instead of telling players exactly where to go, Frontiers of Pandora provides everything they need to become a skilled Na’Vi warrior, truly letting them lose themselves in the stunning world of Pandora.

Dying Light: The Beast

Rooftop Hopping And Zombie Slicing

Parkour systems offer huge movement potential.
Danger ebbs and flows with time.

Dying Light: The Beast focuses on action rather than simply exploring the world. The game’s parkour system turns rooftops into pathways, giving players a unique level of movement and freedom not often found in realistic open-world games.

The shifting day and night cycle makes the world feel unpredictable, quickly changing from peaceful to dangerous. The game prioritizes exciting action and rewarding fights over deep stories or character relationships, which means most players will likely enjoy the core gameplay.

2026-01-31 08:37