Honestly, sometimes just exploring in an open-world game is way more fun than the actual missions. Think about it – we spend most of our time moving around in these games, right? Games like Call of Duty are different because they’re pretty straightforward, but these open-world titles really nail how we get around, and I think that’s changed how a lot of games are made now. It’s like they’ve set a new standard for movement.
A few of these games, such as Donkey Kong Bananza, are very recent releases, so their long-term impact is still unfolding. However, the influence of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on later games, like Genshin Impact, is already clear. Let’s explore what makes these two games significant and which others have also made a mark.
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Just Cause 2
Grappling With Fate
Released in 2010, Just Cause 2 puts you in the role of Rico Rodriguez, a secret agent sent to the fictional country of Panau to overthrow a dictatorship. Players earn money by destroying buildings and completing missions, using this to upgrade their equipment and unlock new content. A key part of the fun is simply getting around the island.
Players could quickly travel around the map using a grappling hook, swinging horizontally or climbing vertically. Combining it with a parachute allowed for even faster movement and exciting escapes. For example, stealing a car, then launching it into the air with the parachute was a reliably fun tactic, and just one of many creative possibilities.
Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
A Pirate’s Life For Me
Released in 2013, Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag significantly expanded on the sailing elements introduced in Assassin’s Creed 3. This sequel shifted the focus from simply eliminating key figures to a more open-world experience centered around exploration.
While sailing the Caribbean on a ship was straightforward, the game truly shined with its adventurous activities like climbing, cliff diving, and underwater treasure hunts. It’s the ultimate pirate experience, and no other game with sailing has quite matched its blend of exploration and exciting action. Later games clearly learned from the excellent ship handling in Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag.
Xenoblade Chronicles X
Mechs In An Open-World
Released in 2015 for the Wii U, Xenoblade Chronicles X was another incredibly impressive game, following in the footsteps of its predecessor on the Wii. Its vast, open world was stunning to explore, allowing players complete freedom to run, jump, and swim without worrying about fall damage – making discovery even more enjoyable.
After roughly twenty hours of gameplay, players gain access to powerful mechs called Skells. These Skells can be driven on the ground or flown, significantly expanding the game’s world and how you explore it. Even now, over ten years after its release, there aren’t many open-world games that feature mechs, which makes Xenoblade Chronicles X stand out as a unique title.
No Man’s Sky
A Whole Universe To Explore
No Man’s Sky came out in 2016 and, despite a difficult start – it wasn’t quite what players anticipated – it was still remarkably ambitious. After a quick lesson on fixing your ship, you could launch into space and begin exploring the entire galaxy.
Many open-world survival games feature planetary exploration, like gathering resources and searching for signs of life. What really set No Man’s Sky apart was the freedom to instantly launch into orbit and explore a vast, ever-changing galaxy.
The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
A Brand New Link
Released in 2017 with the Nintendo Switch, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild quickly became a must-have game for the console. Its groundbreaking exploration features, especially within its massive world, were incredibly impressive. Players could climb almost anything and glide from high places, offering a truly unique experience.
Link’s abilities encouraged creative exploration – for example, players could burn grass to create rising air currents for gliding, or freeze water to make temporary bridges. Wherever players chose to go in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, they were guaranteed to find something exciting.
Marvel’s Spider-Man
Swinging Past The Competition
While there had been decent Spider-Man games previously, they now seem very simple compared to Marvel’s Spider-Man. The game really stood out thanks to its detailed and engaging version of New York City, which players could easily swing through.
The way Spider-Man lets you swing around the city was so enjoyable that many players chose to explore manually instead of using fast travel – and that’s a great indicator of a truly excellent game. Later games added even more ways to get around, such as gliding, but they wouldn’t have been possible without the original Marvel’s Spider-Man.
Death Stranding
Build Your Path Forward
Released in 2019, Death Stranding was a surprisingly ambitious game for the PlayStation 4. It was built around the simple idea of delivering packages in a world after a catastrophic event, but with a twist: each package weighed the player character, Sam, down, making movement challenging.
Navigating the world required careful footwork, but players could improve their journeys with helpful upgrades, such as tools for better balance. They could also build structures like ladders, ropes, and bridges to overcome obstacles, making Death Stranding a game with a lot of flexible exploration options.
Ghost Of Tsushima
The Guidance Of Animals
Released in 2020, just before the PlayStation 5 came out, Ghost of Tsushima pushed the PlayStation 4 to its limits. Players could explore the island by horseback or on foot, and the world featured climbable mountains and grappling points for swinging across gaps. While it was a samurai game, the movement system was fairly straightforward.
While getting around wasn’t revolutionary, the way the game guided you with animals was a neat feature. Bright yellow birds and foxes would pop up and lead you to hidden spots like hot springs. You could get directions from a character, or discover these places on your own, but having animal friends help you explore made the world feel more alive and natural.
Elden Ring
Horsing Around
Elden Ring is an excellent action RPG, and a big part of what makes exploring its world so enjoyable is Torrent. Torrent is a special, magical horse with horns that players get early in the game. He appears instantly when called and can even jump twice in mid-air, making it easier to traverse the landscape.
Most open-world games don’t let you control your horse’s jumps – they usually happen automatically over small obstacles. But in Elden Ring, you can make Torrent jump and even double jump, almost like a video game character! Since the game is relatively new, released in 2022, there haven’t been many other games with similar horse mechanics to compare it to yet.
Donkey Kong Bananza
Doing What Apes Do Best
Released in 2025, Donkey Kong Bananza is a fantastic new game and a compelling reason to consider buying a Switch 2. It features a large, open world broken up into over a dozen distinct areas. While these areas aren’t as massive as some other open-world games, players still enjoy a remarkable degree of freedom and exploration.
Donkey Kong can climb or break almost anything with his fists. He can even use certain surfaces to glide through the air or surf on water. Plus, power-ups let him move around and destroy obstacles in even more creative ways. It’s a platforming game that really raised the bar for the entire genre.
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2026-04-06 18:06