The Longest Running Open-World Game Franchises

Key Takeaways

The
Forza Horizon
series evolved from racetrack to urban streets, offering diverse locations and crazy challenges.
The
Driver
series stood out with immersive 3D action but faltered in later entries, losing open-world format in 2011.
The
Far Cry
franchise pioneered open-world FPS, but formula may be growing stale for some fans despite rich game worlds.

As someone who has grown up with these iconic game franchises, I can certainly attest to their lasting impact and evolution over the years. The Grand Theft Auto series took a significant leap forward with GTA 3, bringing the chaos of Liberty City to life in full, immersive 3D. Before that, the top-down view felt like a fiddly, less manageable experience compared to what we have now.

Since the era of arcade games, developers have aimed to create expansive worlds for players to freely explore. This has been accomplished in various manners, ranging from first-person adventures to top-down exploration, whether in 2D or 3D formats. Certain games have advanced the genre through select titles, while others have maintained this practice for decades, earning them recognition as some of the enduring open-world game series.

To find out which franchises have been around the longest, there are some guidelines to follow. A franchise must have at least five games released (thus excluding titles like Crackdown or Prototype). The timeline starts from the first open-world game within the series. For instance, since the initial Far Cry was a standard FPS and not an open-world game, it doesn’t count, but Far Cry 2 does because it was the first open-world game in the series. This marks the beginning of its timeline. The endpoint is their most recent game, including those that have been confirmed to be in development as sequels.

10 Forza Horizon

Racing Free For 9 Years

The Longest Running Open-World Game Franchises

First Game:Forza Horizon (2012).
Latest Game:Forza Horizon 5 (2021).

Deriving from the Forza Motorsport franchise, the game Forza Horizon shifted its automobiles from the racetrack to city streets. Competitors encountered traffic, rival racers, and had to execute sufficient stunts, complete various activities, and win a sufficient number of races to progress within the Horizon Festival. As their popularity grew, they unlocked more challenges and events, such as racing against aircraft and helicopters.

Ever since it first began, this game series has given players a chance to speed through various places like imaginative renditions of Colorado and Australia, as well as authentic representations of the French Riviera and Edinburgh, Scotland. Since the launch of Forza Horizon 5 in 2021, it’s been relatively peaceful, but given its impressive performance, it seems unlikely that the series will remain idle for much longer.

9 Driver

Stuck In The Pits After 12 Years Running

First Game: Driver (1999).
Latest Game:Driver: Renegade (2011).

Today, it’s common knowledge that the Grand Theft Auto series became a huge success, but its triumph wasn’t predestined from the start. Initially, its 2D top-down games seemed outdated compared to Driver. However, what set it apart was the ability for players to roam freely around simulations of cities like Miami, San Francisco, L.A., New York, and even Newcastle-upon-Tyne (on the PC version). Players could perform various road tasks for one NPC or another. Overcoming the challenging tutorial was a hurdle, though.

The action took place primarily from within the vehicle, in high definition, and in a three-dimensional setting. In Driver 2, enhancements were made by expanding the game globally, allowing exploration of Havana and Rio de Janeiro, and introducing an element where players could exit their cars to capture other vehicles. However, the series began to lose its charm when the hastily released and buggy Driv3r was introduced, turning into a disaster rather than a leader in the genre. Despite subsequent improvements, they failed to keep the series alive in an open-world format beyond 2011.

8 Far Cry

Doing The Same Thing Over And Over Again For 13 Years

First Open World Game: Far Cry 2 (2008).
Latest Game: Far Cry 6 (2021).

Initially released in 2004, the original Far Cry wasn’t completely open-world as it missed out on side activities. Its console version, Far Cry: Instincts, was even more linear. However, Far Cry 2 discarded these restrictions and allowed players to roam freely throughout its African-inspired game world, offering numerous side tasks in addition to the main storyline missions.

Over time, it has ascended to the top as the leading open-world first-person shooter, providing players with ample opportunities to unleash firepower in lush tropical jungles and the forests of Montana. However, following the success of Far Cry 3, which captivated audiences with its engaging gameplay and intriguing sociopathic antagonists, a significant portion of fans argue that subsequent releases have been rehashing the same formula. While the formula may not be flawed, it can become repetitive, and these fans are growing weary of the series.

7 Saints Row

From Gangster To Goofy In 16 Years

First Game: Saints Row (2006).
Latest Game: Saints Row (2022).

In the prelude to Saints Row 4, it’s clear that Volition’s series was considered a “challenger for the crown.” Initially, Saints Row was viewed as an acceptable imitation of GTA, keeping players entertained until the next-gen consoles released their version. Later, when some weren’t fond of the grim tone in GTA 4‘s storyline, Saints Row 2 offered a more outrageous and whimsical escape. Then, as Volition amped up the absurdity, Saints Row the Third emerged, taking players on an even wilder ride.

Instead of sticking with its original gangster theme and offering creative choices, the game switched to murder-themed game shows and questionably designed bats. Saint’s Row 4 took things a step further by incorporating superpowers, aliens, and guns that played dubstep music. The 2022 reboot aimed to return the series to reality, but without its unique edge or craziness, it became a dull or even frustrating experience at best. This lackluster outcome is unfortunate for the series.

6 Assassin’s Creed

18 Years Of Assassinations

First Game:Assassin’s Creed (2007).
Latest Game: Assassin’s Creed: Shadows (delayed to February 2025).

As a devotee, I firmly believe that when it comes to immersive historical open-world gaming experiences, nothing quite compares to the Assassin’s Creed series. While other games might boast about their open worlds in first-person shooter (Far Cry) or racing (Forza Horizon) genres, none can match the richness and depth that Assassin’s Creed offers when it comes to historical exploration.

In every iteration of the Assassin’s Creed series, players find themselves navigating through environments filled with adversaries, using stealth and parkour abilities to accomplish missions that often involve assassinating crucial figures or completing other tasks. The games are meticulously designed to recreate historical settings such as Renaissance Italy and Dark Ages England, providing an immersive experience that rivals the gameplay itself. The upcoming title, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, will carry on this tradition by transporting players to Sengoku-era Japan through its new characters, Yasuke and Naoe.

5 Dead Rising

18 Years Of Undead Fun

First Game: Dead Rising (2006).
Latest Game: Dead Rising: Deluxe Remaster (2024).

Without the release of the Deluxe Remaster, the Dead Rising series would have been 8 years shorter in existence. The original game curbed players’ urge to roam freely around Williamette Mall, killing zombies with improvised weapons, by imposing strict time-bound tasks and survivors to save. Failing to meet these deadlines would result in one of the game’s unfavorable endings.

In different installments of the Dead Rising series, the main characters and settings varied; for instance, Chuck Greene in Dead Rising 2 and Nick Ramos in Dead Rising 3. However, it was the reappearance of Frank West and Williamette in Dead Rising 4 that marked the end of the series due to Capcom Vancouver’s declining sales. Now, the Deluxe Remaster aims to revitalize the series by enhancing certain aspects, and so far, it seems to be successful according to the response it has received.

4 Yakuza/Like A Dragon

Going From Strength To Strength Over 20 Years

First Game: Yakuza (2005).
Latest Game: Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii (February 2025).

The Yakuza/Like a Dragon series has had quite an unusual journey. For half of its existence, it thrived in Japan, but in the Western world, it became a niche favorite, with sales barely enough for Sega to consider localizing the franchise. It took Yakuza 5 three years to reach the West, and even then, it was exclusively available digitally.

Following the release of “Yakuza 0“, Atlus took charge of localizing the story, which catapulted the series to popularity. The earlier games were remade, re-released, and adapted for contemporary platforms, thereby generating a vast new fanbase that contributed to its worldwide success in its later years. In the more recent installments of the main series, role-playing games (RPGs) have taken center stage, but the combat-focused, open-world gameplay continues to thrive in “Like A Dragon: IshinA“, “Like A Dragon Gaiden“, and the “Judgment” series.

3 Grand Theft Auto

A 28-Year Long Joyride

First Game: Grand Theft Auto (1997).
Latest Game:Grand Theft Auto 6 (planned for 2025).

In the beginning, the struggles of the Yakuza series were not eased by its portrayal as a duplicate of the Grand Theft Auto game, following the release of titles like True Crime and Mafia. However, it’s more akin to the Shenmue experience. The reason the Grand Theft Auto clones gained popularity was due to Grand Theft Auto itself revolutionizing the genre with its unique take on city exploration and chaos-causing gameplay. Players enjoyed this style of play and sought out more of such an experience.

It wasn’t until the release of Grand Theft Auto 3 that the series truly gained popularity, as it transformed the gameplay into a fully immersive 3D experience. Previous games in the series offered similar chaos, but they were 2D and had a more complicated gameplay style. With the transition to 3D, Grand Theft Auto became much easier to handle and set the standard for all future crime-based open-world games.

2 The Elder Scrolls

32 Years Of Fantasy

First Game: The Elder Scrolls: Arena (1994).
Latest Game:The Elder Scrolls 6 (planned for 2026).

Following 13 years of continuous improvements, additions, and refinements, the main series of The Elder Scrolls is eventually set to advance to its 6th installment – tentatively titled Elders Scrolls 6. Expectedly, this release date is slated for 2026, potentially positioning it as the highly anticipated game following the long-awaited arrival of GTA 6. However, it’s worth noting that TES took the lead over GTA by introducing an open-world environment in its initial release, The Elder Scrolls: Arena, albeit to a certain extent.

In this game, the environment was automatically created, meaning players had to resort to quick-travel between towns to avoid spending endless time in the wilderness. But they could engage in side quests while tackling main dungeons, and adapt to the day/night cycle where enemies become more active at night. The world was expansive, and it’s grown even larger over numerous sequels.

1 The Legend Of Zelda

A Legend 38 Years In The Making

First Game: The Legend of Zelda (1986).
Latest Game: The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (2024).

In its early stages, including before games like “Breath of the Wild” and “Tears of the Kingdom”, “The Legend of Zelda” series has always offered an open world experience. This means that players have been able to control their own pace, deciding which dungeon to conquer first, what secrets to uncover, and which quests to undertake. This structure has remained consistent throughout the entire series, even in games released on CD-I platforms.

In essence, “The Legend of Zelda,” particularly “Ocarina of Time,” paved the way for contemporary 3D open-world games by establishing a blueprint. Features such as sidequests, upgrades, collectibles, and minigames are evident in other games on this list and beyond, reflecting the series’ lasting impact. This could be one reason why it has remained popular over time, continuously appealing to new generations with each innovative advancement it makes.

2024-09-29 22:05