In recent years, gaming has become known for a ton of standout open-world games that are both gorgeous and gripping. Players openly admit to spending hundreds of hours at times roaming these open worlds, sometimes even after they've completed all the quests, looking for secrets, taking in the environment, or messing around with mods.

Players often seek open-world games not just because they want a beautiful world, but because of just how much there is to do. While some fans might find it overwhelming, open-world games continue to sell because so many fans just want to immerse themselves in a different world.

Updated by Sage Ashford on April 4, 2024: We've updated this list to add more information on classic open-world games for fans who are new to the genre.

This article contains gameplay clips from various video games. Some include intense action sequences and strong language.

30 Riders Republic Makes Extreme Sports Even More Ridiculous

Riders Republic is Ubisoft's best-kept secret: a beautiful game that sets players loose in a massive playground where they can enjoy extreme sports, both real and imagined. In Riders Republic, bike riding and skateboarding are just as valid as getting a jetpack and doing flight tricks.

Riders Republic is a great open-world game for anyone with any interest in extreme sports. Competitive fans can challenge players across the world in the game's multiplayer mode, where races are always happening at some point on the map. Single-player fans can polish their skills in the main story, and then just spend time traversing the game's map and finding the secrets around every corner.

29 Middle-Earth: Shadow Of Mordor Is The Best Lord Of The Rings Action Game

Monolith Productions' Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor is one of the best games from the early era of the PS4 and Xbox One generation. In this game, players take on the role of Talion, a human who's been brought back to life by merging with an elven spirit. Now with strange magical powers, Talion and the elven spirit that revived him aim to get revenge on Sauron himself.

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor might not feature many familiar characters from Lord of the Rings, but it's one of the best open-world action games. Talion's ability to switch between traditional techniques and wild magic powers makes combat addicting. Meanwhile, the Nemesis System makes encounters feel special, especially since orcs re-appear with new abilities that ensure battles remain challenging.

28 Judgment Presents The Yakuza Universe In A New Light

A spin-off of the Yakuza franchise, the first Judgment offers a much-needed shift in perspective and gameplay. As the mainline series went turn-based, Judgment kept the original game’s fast-paced brawler combat. It also presented things from a more justice-focused side of the law.

In Judgment, Takayuki Yagami is a former lawyer who turned into a detective after a client he helped free went on to murder his girlfriend. Judgment is a wild ride, filled with plenty of side cases and familiar characters to develop its world and make it a place viewers care about.

27 Dragon Age: Inquisition Features BioWare Fantasy At Its Best

Dragon Age: Inquisition might not reach the heights of Dragon Age: Origin, but it's still one of the best and most underrated fantasy RPGs of the last decade. Players receive more responsibility than ever when they're given control of the Inquisitor, a person with the power to seal off rifts in reality and stop demons from the Fade from entering the regular world. With that power, they're placed in charge of a massive organization fighting a battle to restore the world to normal.

Dragon Age: Inquisition provided beautiful and diverse open-world biomes for players to explore and go questing in. As ever though, BioWare's trademark of well-written character moments carries the game, with great friendships and romances that fans cherish a generation later. What keeps it from the upper echelons is how some side quests can feel like pointless filler to justify the large world.

26 Rise Of The Ronin Invites Players To Take Down An Empire

Team Ninja decided to switch from their classic stage-based action RPGs into a massive open world with Rise of the Ronin. Set during the Bakumatsu Era, the player controls a pair of twins who have plans of bringing down the Shogunate. Rise of the Ronin offers more than just a straightforward story of revenge, though. For players who dig deep enough, they'll find an addicting open world to explore, one full of activities to do and a surprising amount of customization.

One of the more impressive aspects of Rise of the Ronin is its traversal mechanics. There aren't many games in existence that allow the player to grapple across rooftops, then soar in the air on a glider, only to seamlessly land on a horse. These are the kinds of thoughtful changes that make Rise of the Ronin feel new, even among people who have played their share of open-world series.

25 Dragon's Dogma 2 Is A Dangerous Adventure For Most

Fans have been waiting for a Dragon's Dogma 2 for years, and fortunately, they got everything they could've hoped for. To be clear, Dragon's Dogma 2 isn't going to be for everyone. Some people will find the game's challenging combat and even the mechanics a bit too much "work", and will tap out early on. However, others will look beneath the surface to find one of the greatest open-world RPGs in years.

Few things can compare to the nervousness of traversing between cities in the middle of the night. Dragon's Dogma 2's focus on emergent gameplay means at any moment a player might have to battle monsters they didn't know existed. Mastery of the game's combat mechanics and having the foreknowledge to be prepared will pay huge dividends for players who approach the game with that in mind.

24 Enshrouded Combines Open World Gameplay With Survival Elements

Despite being one of the most wishlisted games on Steam ever, Enshrouded was overlooked at the beginning of 2024 due to the other major games that released at the same time. Nonetheless, Enshrouded has found its audience among people who love open-world titles and survival games. The game focuses on a world where humanity has been all but wiped out because of a mysterious "Shroud", with the player asked to help restore the world again.

Enshrouded is for people who place a premium on freedom. It doesn't hold player's hands but rather allows them to find and complete quests at their leisure. However, it also means enemies that might be more powerful can show up to squash players at any moment. But that's part of the fun — when players aren't building vast castles or manors, they can challenge themselves as much as they want.

23 Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Improves In Every Way

The follow-up to Final Fantasy VII Remake, Rebirth finally lets players step outside Midgar. Cloud and the members of Avalanche try to deal with both the threat of Sephiroth and Shinra, but these quests send them all across the planet. Much like Remake, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth had a lot to live up to, and it might have actually exceeded most people's expectations.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is gorgeous enough that players can spend hours just wandering around, amazed by how well Square brought every major area to life. It's filled with more minigames than most people will ever be able to finish, but for most, the fun from each minigame will distract them from thinking there are too many. Nearly every aspect of Rebirth is upgraded from the prior game, from offering plenty of cool, new combat abilities to introducing even more awesome summons. Players won't be able to put Rebirth down for weeks.

22 Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth Takes The Series To A Tropical Locale

Yakuza: Like A Dragon was already one of the best games of its time, yet somehow RGG studio found a way to outdo themselves again. In Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the lovable Ichiban Kasuga travels to Hawaii with the hope of meeting his mom. Of course, nothing is ever that simple, and Ichiban's short trip turns into yet another massive adventure.

Infinite Wealth is the first time RGG Studios has set a mainline game outside of Japan, as players venture to Hawaii. As fun as a trip to Hawaii already is, it's even better with Infinite Wealth. The game has the same compelling story and characters as ever, but levels up by offering some pretty in-depth new side games. Dondoko Island is an entire Animal Crossing parody, while there's also an unbelievably in-depth knock-off Pokémon game involving the random enemies (Sujimon) from the last game. Yet despite having so many different elements present, Infinite Wealth excels with all of them.

21 Forza Horizon 5 Is The Most Complete Open World Racer

Forza Horizon has been one of the premiere racing games for several years now. However, Forza Horizon 5 takes things to the next level, taking players into an open-world Mexico to experience their most diverse landscapes ever. The title is even welcoming to fans who aren't great with single-player since it offers a lengthy campaign mode for players to go through.

While racing games often go underrated, Forza Horizon 5 is a superb experience anyone who remotely enjoys racing should be able to enjoy. It's easily one of the most beautiful open worlds, making it easy for casual fans to lose themselves in it, while car fans can spend hours customizing to create their perfect ride.

20 Watch Dogs 2 Takes Hacktivism To The Middle Of Silicon Valley

The first Watch_Dogs was a polarizing game, partially because it failed to deliver on the next-gen feeling, but mostly because its lead protagonist had the personality of a brick. Watch_Dogs 2 fixed that instantly by introducing the charismatic Marcus Holloway and a more likable group of hackers in DedSec. Framed for a crime he didn't commit, Marcus works with DedSec to bring down the city's corrupt ctOS system for good.

Watch_Dogs 2 improves on the original in nearly every way, and it offers a more colorful, fun city to explore. When navigating San Francisco, there's a nice variety of cool side quests that develop the characters in that world. Best of all, there are more hacker tricks to rely on, allowing players to handle missions however they like. If there's a weakness in this game that keeps it out of the Top 20, it's the weaker gunplay that forces players to play only one way.

19 Assassin's Creed Origins Makes Egypt Look Glorious

Ubisoft decided to shake up its Assassin’s Creed formula with the 2017 title Assassin’s Creed Origins. This new game took place before the Assassin order existed, and instead focuses on a husband and wife’s attack on a vast order.

Taking place in beautiful Egypt, Origins felt more like an RPG like The Witcher than it did the prior games. As Bayek, the player completes quests for people around the country, all while leveling up and gaining better gear over time. Visually stunning, it’s a massive title many players can get lost in for dozens of hours doing side quests, or just cleaning up a bunch of bandit camps. That said, some of its content can get repetitive, which will detract from the game in ways that keep it just on the outside of the Top 20.

18 Starfield Sets Players Loose In A Galaxy Where Anything Can Happen

Starfield is Bethesda’s latest gaming masterpiece. It’s their first original IP in over twenty years, and absolutely impresses. Players begin as a simple space miner until they discover a fragment of ancient metal with mysterious origins. This sends them on a journey throughout the galaxy, searching for answers to one of humanity’s ancient questions.

With the ability to travel nearly anywhere in the galaxy at any moment, Starfield is an experience that feels unreal. It is held back from reaching a higher tier in open-world gameplay because of some of Bethesda’s curious design choices. However, for people who can look past those, they’ll find a game completely unlike anything on the market, especially when there are so many incredible side missions.

17 Batman: Arkham City Offers The Peak Batman Experience

With Batman: Arkham City, Rocksteady created a perfect version of Batman, of Gotham City, and its denizens. Taking place months after Arkham Asylum, Arkham City expands into an open world after part of Gotham’s slums get locked off and given to Arkham's residents. Forced into Arkham City after being kidnapped as Bruce Wayne, Batman finds himself up against his biggest challenge yet — Hugo Strange and his Protocol 10 plan.

Arkham City allows players to truly feel like Batman as they take to the skies, becoming a terror to criminals everywhere. The rhythm-based combat system has a low enough floor for anyone to play, but a high enough ceiling for nearly anyone to find challenging. Combine that with some superb character writing for the main story, and it's easy to see why so many people think Batman: Arkham City is one of the greatest video games ever. For Batman fans, nothing will ever top this experience. For others, this game's lower spot on the list is explained by other titles simply surpassing it, largely because they learned some of its lessons.

16 Xenoblade Chronicles X Is The Perfect Giant Robot Game

For the Wii U, Monolith Software decided to go in a different direction with their "Xeno" franchise. Instead of doing another fantasy-inspired game like Xenoblade, they went full science fiction. After Earth is destroyed in a war with aliens, humanity is forced to migrate to a new planet. Crash-landing on the alien world Mira, the remaining people of Earth are forced to try to build a new life for themselves — while also preparing to fight the aliens they were running from.

Xenoblade Chronicles X offers an open-world experience unlike any other, with vast alien biomes to explore on a single planet. Exploration is perfect thanks to all the different movement options offered, and the lack of level gating means danger lurks around every corner. Plus, few RPGs allow players to fly giant robots anywhere they want to go. It's just too bad this game isn't available on the Nintendo Switch. What keeps this game on the lower end of the Top 20 is an unfinished story and some questionable character models, things that would hopefully be fixed in a potential definitive edition.

15 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Offers A World So Fun Players Forget About The Main Quest

In 2011, Bethesda set a new bar for fantasy RPGs with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Set hundreds of years after the previous Elder Scrolls, the player is the Dragonborn — the only being with the power to kill a deadly dragon threatening the world.

Skyrim isn’t lauded for its main story but for everything else about its world. Players had endless options in combat thanks to the ability to dual-wield both weapons and spells. Meanwhile, every nook and cranny of the world seems packed with new challenges, quests, and opportunities for treasure — making Skyrim a bestselling game.

14 Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Is The Perfect Open World Stealth Game

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is often overlooked because it released in a crowded year — competing with titles like Bloodborne and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. However, Hideo Kojima’s last entry in the Metal Gear Solid franchise delivers an amazing open-world stealth adventure. Taking place in Soviet-controlled Afghanistan in the 1980s, The Phantom Pain features Punished Snake looking for revenge after the events of Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes.

As an open-world stealth game, Phantom Pain presents players with unique challenges not found in any other stealth game. However, it also provides them with enough tools that there’s rarely any “right” way to complete missions, resulting in a game that can be replayed endlessly. Though Kojima’s storytelling may leave more questions than answers, Phantom Pain keeps players hooked from the very beginning. What keeps it on the lower end of the Top 20 is it feels like there's more to the story that can't ever be told in DLC or future installments.

13 Yakuza: Like A Dragon Refreshes The Yakuza Formula

After years of being the Dragon of Dojima, Yakuza: Like A Dragon introduces an all-new protagonist and an all-new city to play in. Now players take on the role of Kasuga Ichiban, a man who spent twenty years in prison only to learn the world has drastically changed when he makes it out. After an attempt on his life, Ichiban finds himself in the city of Ijincho, looking for answers.

Despite undergoing massive changes to the Yakuza formula by adding a new protagonist and switching to a turn-based fighting style, Like A Dragon still retains the DNA of the classic titles. There are plenty of weird side quests around every corner, and Kasuga is as awesome as Kiryu ever was. Like A Dragon is an excellent jumping-on point for new fans and a great way for lapsed fans to get back into things.

12 Cyberpunk 2077 Features One Of The Greatest Cities In Gaming

While Cyberpunk 2077 's launch left much to be desired, the past two years have been filled with updates and patches to improve the overall player experience. Even with all of its flaws, there's no other cyberpunk experience that's as visually impressive and immersive as that of Night City.

Players take on the role of V, a mercenary whose background, appearance, and overall outlook completely depend on player choice. While going through the story, players traverse through four distinct Night City districts, each with their own visual style and unique atmosphere. The more recent Phantom Liberty expansion combined with the 2.0 update brings this closer than ever to CDProjekt's original vision for the game.

11 Genshin Impact Is A Beautiful And Ever-Expanding Fantasy World

For a free-to-play game, Genshin Impact feels like too good of a game. MiHoYo gives players a massive world to explore, one that’s constantly adding new characters, cities, and countries as the game goes on.

At this point, the player can go through a story lasting dozens of hours long, all without paying a cent. Every new country is beautifully rendered, offering breathtaking sights that will stick with players long after they stop playing. The one thing that holds Genshin Impact back is the game's gacha elements, which force players to deal with an exhausting level of grind.