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Best "open world" in recent games?

kiphalfton

Member
I'm not speaking specially to overall best open world game, so much as just best open world.

Been playing Ghosts of Tsushima and as far as I'm concerned it has to be the best open world setting in a game I've played to date.

Extremely lush/colorful vegetation, well though out open world design, interesting locations, varied content, colorful vistas, etc.

I think Sucker Punch nailed it. Maybe there's a better "open world" game setting out there, but as far as I'm concerned this is it.
 

Bartski

Gold Member
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Shifty

Member
It's a boring answer, but Elden Ring.

While it loses some of the magic on subsequent playthroughs, it at least has some to begin with. Can't say that about most of the other empty space simulators out there.
 

ANDS

King of Gaslighting
Red Dead Redemption 2 has by far the best open world I’ve ever come across.

The variety, visuals, liveliness, random events, sound effects and what not are all top notch.

It may not be my game (I've tried going back to it recently and just can't knowing the game is on fumes at this point) but absolutely RDR2. In terms of having a full realized where that feels actually alive, I can't think of any other game that nails it.

In terms of world I have the most fun in CP77 easily and I'm crossing all fingers that the inevitable online mode really delivers. But yeah, nothing beats stalking a pig in Lemoine, only for the camera to go all funky, and a white Panther leaping out and mauling you to death (that you could have prevented had you been paying attention to the environment). So many excellent moments like that in RDR2 (well Online at least).
 

bender

What time is it?
Hard topic as I have a hard time divorcing the game from the open world.

-Death Stranding's world is beautiful and it has some of the most creative and innovative multiplayer implementations we've seen since Demon Souls Cue This Is How A Road Gets Made by Duran Duran.
-Red Dead Redemption 2 has one of the most believable worlds to date. It and the Yakuza games have the best sense of place.
-Elden Ring felt like every inch of the map was hand crated. It has insane variety and ooze the style found in the Souls series.
-Forza Horizon 5 is one of the best maps in the series and I love the use of elevation.
-I love the aesthetic of Ghost of Tsushima. The world just looks lush.
 

skit_data

Member
Ghost of Tsushima and Elden Ring are the only ones in recent memory where I found myself just strolling around and constantly finding something interesting that turned into an hour long exploration in a uniquely hand crafted area, a very good feeling in open world games that are sorely missing from many of games in the genre.
 

Topher

Gold Member
Witcher 3 is definitely my favorite. Just so much meaningful content. Also still love the Assassin Creed entries of last gen: Black Flag, Unity, Syndicate, Origins, Odyssey and Valhalla (cross-fen).

I wish I was more of a fan of R* open world games, but somehow they just do not click with me.
 

EverydayBeast

thinks Halo Infinite is a new graphical benchmark
Spider-Man PS4 was well positioned into the ps4’s lifecycle I remember thinking web slinging would be tough. Just the right amount of characters all in all a solid game.
 

KXVXII9X

Member
It is a toss-up between Zelda BotW and Yakuza Like a Dragon. Yakuza Like a Dragon's Yokohama was like a vacation for me. It had so much character and variety. I actually wanted to explore the city.
 

TintoConCasera

I bought a sex doll, but I keep it inflated 100% of the time and use it like a regular wife
It's Elden Ring, why?

It's pretty, you can go whenever you want and you'll always be amazed by the incredible vistas. It's like it was designed so you could always see cool shit on the distance, not only looking cool but also making you want to explore those places.

It's fun to explore, and I mean actual exploration, not just following some GPS or markers on your map. Dungeons might get a bit repetitive, but finding one is always cool because you get rewarded with a boss fight and whatever items are in the dungeon waiting to be looted.

It's varied, and while it still has copy pasted content, at least it's done in a creative way. Take those common ruins made of stone that are so easy to find: they all look the same, but every ruin has a theme, like the one with the perfumists being a lab or the one with the secret basements you have to find by following sound clues. Same with the mage towers, each of those has a different puzzle.

So yeah, when it comes to looks, design and gameplay, Elden Ring's open world is the best imo.
 
Probably rdr 2

Have never been a game that even got me remotely into hunting before, hunting legendary animals felt like a real accomplishment, as it was often hard to even find the cunts

Ghost of tsushima was great as well.

I loved witcher 3, but I felt like most of my exploration was guided, literally a top 5 game for me but I always knew where to go
 
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intbal

Member
I am currently loving this game. The traversal and verticality is great.
The game isn't as good as the first one, but OP's question was specifically about the construciton of the world. And DL2's open world has great design.
 

The_hunter

Member
BOTW since it has regions that have personality, like the desert, snowy mountains or volcano, exploring those areas are vastly distinct experiences. Also it gives you the freedom to go anywhere.
 
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Red Dead Redemption 2 and it aint even close.\

If next gen open world games don't match or exceed this, then these games can already be considered a failure. I'll take a small densely packed open world game over a bloated one filled with fuck all.
 
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Yup I LOVE Gravity Rush's open world.
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I love the first game. It was just the right size for the kind of activities you do. 2 was too spread out. But indeed, it was beautiful.

Level design/atmospheric wise? Cyberpunk 2077. Gameplay wise? Prolly Elden Ring. Honorable mention, Horizon Forbidden West, because that game looks incredible, prolly best graphics ever.
Cyberpunk kills me in how utterly impressive the city looks... until you interact with it. Or in this case, cannot. It's a fantastically built world in search of a great game to go with it.
 
Ghost of Tsushima
Gravity Rush 2
The Witcher 3
Tales of Arise
Red Dead Redemption 2
Xenoblade Chronicles X
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
 
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Red Dead Redemption 2 and it aint even close.\

If next gen open world games don't match or exceed this, then these games can already be considered a failure. I'll take a small densely packed open world game over a bloated one filled with fuck all.
I answered rdr 2 myself, but let's not pretend like rdr 2 was by any means "small" or "densely packed"

There were massive areas of nothing lol, like the entire northern region once you leave at the beginning of the game
 

RoadHazard

Gold Member
Elden Ring and BotW. They both have very well designed open worlds that make you want to explore them.

I love GOT too, it has probably the most beautiful open world I've ever seen, but it's not quite as interesting in other ways.
 
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