Open-World Games That Officially Surpassed Red Dead Redemption 2

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Red Dead Redemption 2 continues to be the gold standard for open-world games. Years after its release, no other game has created such a realistic, detailed, and immersive Wild West experience. Rockstar Games dedicated significant effort and creativity to the game, and it’s likely that only their upcoming title, Grand Theft Auto 6, could surpass it and establish a new, incredibly high benchmark for the genre.

Even now, Red Dead Redemption 2 is considered one of the greatest open-world story games of all time, boasting high ratings (95 on OpenCritic), massive sales (79 million copies), and a lengthy campaign (around 50 hours). While it’s unique, a handful of other games have actually exceeded it in specific ways. Here are open-world titles that have officially performed better than Red Dead Redemption 2 in at least one of these areas: critic scores, total sales, or story length.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

OpenCritic Score: 96

As of 2025, Red Dead Redemption 2 is the fourth highest-rated game on OpenCritic, earning an average score of 95 out of 100. The only open-world game ranked higher is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Nintendo’s critically acclaimed 2017 release, which scores 96 out of 100 and is considered one of the best games of all time.

Similar to Red Dead Redemption 2, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild profoundly changed open-world games. It’s a landmark title in the Zelda series, known for its incredible freedom to explore, beautiful graphics, and a world that feels truly alive, making it incredibly enjoyable to play for long periods.

Grand Theft Auto 5

Total Sales: Over 220 Million Units

As of 2025, Red Dead Redemption 2 has sold over 79 million copies, making it one of the best-selling video games ever. It’s surpassed many other popular open-world games, selling more than twice as many copies as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (over 35 million) and significantly more than The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (over 60 million). However, it still hasn’t reached the sales numbers of Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto 5.

Grand Theft Auto 5 is a massive success, having sold over 220 million copies – almost three times the amount sold by Red Dead Redemption 2. It first launched on older consoles and continues to be a best-seller more than ten years later, thanks in large part to the constantly updated GTA Online multiplayer. It seems likely that only the next installment, GTA 6, could ever become more popular.

Minecraft

Total Sales: Over 350 Million Units

Beyond these games, there’s Minecraft, the best-selling game of all time. It has sold more copies than Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 combined. Minecraft quickly became a phenomenon, selling over 100 million copies less than three years after its release—an incredibly fast achievement. To put that in perspective, it took GTA 5 five years to reach the same number.

Although it doesn’t quite seem fair to compare sales figures for Minecraft and Red Dead Redemption 2 – they appeal to very different players – Minecraft’s lasting impact is undeniable. It’s influenced culture beyond gaming, drawing in people who don’t usually play video games.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Main Story Length: 52 Hours on Average

Red Dead Redemption 2 boasts a long and immersive main story, typically taking around 50 hours to finish. It’s filled with detailed missions, interesting characters, and surprising events. While some other open-world games like Elden Ring (60 hours) or The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (59 hours) can take even longer to complete, those games prioritize gameplay more than a strong narrative.

While Red Dead Redemption 2 is a very long game, some story-focused open-world games actually offer even more playtime. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a prime example, boasting a sprawling, movie-like story with detailed characters and significant events that are comparable to Rockstar’s game. What sets The Witcher 3 apart is its non-linear story – the many different paths you can take mean it’s effectively longer overall when you factor in all the possible storylines.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

Main Story Length: 54 Hours on Average

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a massive, story-driven open-world RPG that’s quickly become one of the most popular new games of 2025. Players can expect a lengthy adventure, with the main story taking over 54 hours to finish – making it one of the longest games released so far this generation.

Similar to The Witcher 3, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 lets your choices really matter, creating a personalized experience with different outcomes for every player. It offers a similar sense of freedom to Red Dead Redemption 2, allowing you to truly live within its detailed historical world, explore optional activities, and become fully immersed. Because of this, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a great modern game for fans of RDR 2.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

Main Story Length: 61 Hours on Average

There’s been a lot of discussion about Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, but regardless of individual opinions, it’s undeniably a huge game – the largest in the entire Assassin’s Creed series. Its story is complex and unfolds over a lengthy campaign, taking over 60 hours to finish. Players can expect a wealth of significant events, encounters with historical figures, and a deep dive into the lore that dedicated fans will especially appreciate.

Aside from its lengthy main storyline, Valhalla features a much larger and more expansive world than Red Dead Redemption 2. Players can explore multiple huge maps based on both real-world locations and fantastical mythology, each with its own distinct feel and scenery. Completing everything the game has to offer – discovering all secrets, collecting every item, and fully exploring each map – could easily take over 200 hours for dedicated players.

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2025-11-14 08:35