Explore Beyond Boundaries: Games With Legendary Open Worlds

Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the best open-world games of all time. This title from Rockstar Games features a sprawling world set in a historically-based fictional part of The United States. It's easy to get lost in the beautiful landscapes, breath-taking sights, and countless loot locales.

RDR2 isn't the only game that offers a massive world, though. We've compiled a list of games with more square miles of explorable map than the hit Rockstar title. Take a look, and get lost somewhere unexpected!


10. GTA V - 31 Miles²

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Check out the seedy underbelly of the fictitious city Los Santos in this gangster game. Jack cars from any block, and explore dozens of unique businesses in the city limits. There are gangster hideouts full of cash and guns, shops to customize and pimp out your character, and strip clubs bursting with boobs and booze. The entire city stretches over 30 square miles, and every inch holds secrets. Explore Los Santos and uncover things like a mysterious alien under a bridge.


9. Fallout 4 - 43 Miles²

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Fallout has long been known as the playground for open-world fans. It features vast zones infested with friend and foe alike and nearly endless roaming space. Fallout 4 is no exception. Explore the enormous post-apocalyptic Boston and its surrounding areas, complete with radiation and monsters galore! Spend your time taking on deathclaws in newly formed radiation deserts to the west, or head east to Salem, Massachusetts and check out the Museum of Witchcraft. The Fallout 4 map covers 43 square miles, so get lost among the raiders, Minutemen, and more!


8. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - 84 Miles²

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The final story of Geralt also delivers a mind-bogglingly large map. Explore the vast world, discovering rare materials and unlikely allies. The realm is stuffed to the brim with different kingdoms, races, and quests. There are five major factions, each with their own rules and regulations. Discover over 80 square miles of varying terrain. Squelch through muddy streets being eye-balled by suspicious townsfolk because of Geralt's Witcher status. Or, take to the wilderness and hunt in the lush forests alongside the elusive elvenkind.


7. Assassin's Creed Odyssey - 90.7 Miles²

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This franchise is a trailblazer in open-world exploration. Odyssey takes that spirit straight into ancient Greece. Explore the secret history of the assassins, and the roles Sparta and Athens played. It's the 11th main installment of the Assassins' Creed series, full of hidden assassin collectibles, weapons, and armor. Hunt along the Greek countryside. The mysterious Atlantis also has plenty to offer, with a mix of monsters and mythos sure to keep you diving deeper into every nook and cranny.


6. Ghost Recon Wildlands - 170.2 Miles²

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Ubisoft definitely meant it when they titled this game Wildlands. Explore terrains like salt flats and forests in the country of Bolivia during a period of widespread instability. The Mexican drug cartel Santa Blanca hijacks parts of the deep Bolivian wilderness, turning the country into a massive cocaine producer. It's up to you to root these dangerous drug runners out, exploring the depths of jungles, deserts, and even mountains. Prepare for the dangers of natural disasters like avalanches in snowy peaks or extreme heat in deserts, while keeping an eye out for the murderous drug cartels. 170 square miles of danger awaits in this massive Tom Clancy classic.


5. Ghost of Tsushima - 274 Miles²

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The latest samurai game from Sucker Punch Productions was released in July 2020 takes a unique approach to vast exploration. It features no waypoints or direction. Discover the history of 13th century Japan, playing as the fictional last samurai, Jin Sakai, on Tsushima Island. There are mystical forests, holy shrines, and plenty of war-torn villages and countryside.

Jin attempts to rescue his uncle from the invading Mongols at the start of the game. However, he realizes he is no match for the fierce Khotun Khan. This spawns the journey throughout Tsushima, seeking the wisdom and fighting prowess that the Japanese island offers. You'll need to root through every inch of this gigantic map to learn every tip and trick, and rescue Jin's uncle from the Mongols.


4. Just Cause 3 - 400 Miles²

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Play again as Rico Rodriguez, the main protagonist of the shooter series, Just Cause. This time, though, the cause is personal. Rico's fictional home island country of Medici has been taken over by a brutal dictator. Sky-dive, stalk through the forest, and aid the rebellion in any way possible.

The natural environment of the Mediterannean inspired this title. As always, destruction mechanics are a core part of the game. Trigger avalanches, mudslides, and other disasters. Use them to your advantage as you adventure through hundreds of miles, blazing a trail of fiery chaos in your wake.


3. Final Fantasy XV - 700 Miles²

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The latest installment of the series features its biggest map ever. The planet Eos is ruled by four major kingdoms. One of them, Niflheim, attacks another, Lucis. They steal a precious crystal that protects all of the realms. The task falls to Crown Prince, Noctis Lucis Caelum, to retrieve it and eventually save Eos from a terrible darkness.

Explore hundreds of miles of terrain in the sprawling game. There are fully designed forests full of wild chocobos, moogles, and other classic Final Fantasy monsters. Hunt down giant terrors and recover the bounties in plains, coastal towns, and more. Explore bustling, beautiful cities with intricate architecture. The world of Final Fantasy XV is as bright and vibrant as if it were right outside your window, full of action-packed combat and a timeless tale of good versus evil.


2. The Crew - 1,900 Miles²

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Sometimes, you really want to take exploring to the next level. Hopping behind the wheel is a sure-fire way to do that in real life and in video games! The Crew, first released in late 2014, aims for precisely that type of experience. It features exclusively online play, with nearly 2,000 unique miles of roads, tracks, and land to explore.

Take on The United States in five individual regions of this massive racing game. Drive from coast to coast, taking on real-life players or NPCs in the campaign. Explore countless U.S. landmarks in six major cities like the bustling streets of New York City and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Endless roads are waiting for you to speed down in this online racing title.


1. Fuel - 5,560 Miles²

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Fuel, the post-apocalyptic racing game from 2009, still tops the charts as the video game with the largest explorable map. It offers over 5,000 square miles of sun-scorched United States. Furthermore, races are often interrupted by extreme weather events like tornadoes and sandstorms due to global warming in this dystopian future.

In free roam mode, Fuel boasts absolutely no loading times while exploring. It even received a certificate from Guinness World Records for "The Largest Playable Area in a Console Game." It's a colossal achievement that, over a decade later still earns it the #1 spot in a list all about open-world exploration!