The Must-Play Open World Games
Open world games offer some of the best narrative experiences in gaming. They offer a world replete with lore, allowing players to get lost within it. If you're a fan of open-world games, check out some of the best on offer in 2020.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 | Credit: rockstargames.com
Even though it's technically a sequel, the story-line of Red Dead Redemption 2 takes place before the first game. Players assume the role of cowboy outlaw Arthur Morgan, helping Dutch and the rest of his gang escape from a poorly run heist.
The ensuing story is one of the best told in gaming – with a world to match. If you play a single game on this list, make sure it's Red Dead Redemption 2. It's a shame Rockstar hasn't remastered the original game for modern consoles yet since you'll want to play it right after.
Grand Theft Auto 5
Grand Theft Auto 5 | Credit: rockstargames.com
Grand Theft Auto 5 is the story of three unlikely men whose lives intersect in Los Santos. It's the first time Rockstar has employed three main protagonists to tell a story in a mainline Grand Theft Auto game.
Aside from an excellent heist story, GTA V Online offers one of the best online sandboxes in a game. Explore the entirety of Los Santos with your friends, run heists, and blow up others online. The online community is still going strong, though the grind is heavy.
Minecraft
Minecraft | Credit. minecraft.net
Minecraft is the ultimate sandbox gaming experience that can be enjoyed by all ages. The game is a world composed of LEGO-like blocks, though it has evolved well beyond that in recent years. Minecraft Dungeons is a particular favorite at the moment.
Survival mode pits players alone in a generated world with monsters that arrive at night. Players must fend off skeletons, witches, spiders, and Ender-men while supporting their fledgling village. With new games, continuous updates, and varied gameplay, Minecraft is full of endless possibilities, making it one of the best open-world games of 2020.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim | Credit: elderscrolls.bethesda.net
Although it's the fifth entry in the Elder Scrolls series, Skyrim is easily the most accessible of Bethesda's RPGs. It features a broad, open-world inspired by the real-life Vikings with a touch of Elder Scrolls mythology.
Players find Skyrim divided by a brewing civil war between Nord nationalists, who want to remove the Imperial's influence. The storyline is especially potent for fans of the series who played Oblivion, which takes place in Cyrodiil – home of the Imperials.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey
Assassin's Creed Odyssey | Credit: assassinscreed.ubisoft.com
In anticipation of the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla on November 17th, play the next best thing: Assassin's Creed Odyssey. For the first time, the Assassin's Creed series heads to ancient Greece. The entire Greek peninsula and several smaller islands like Ithaca are entirely explorable via ship. The combination of land and sea exploration is unique among open-world games.
Perhaps the only downside to Odyssey is that the world may be too big for some people. Players can also choose to play a male or female character, based on their preference. Kassandra's voice acting is superb, while Alexios' is merely okay. The game does an excellent job of mimicking Odysseus' 10-year journey to return home – exploring many locations across Greece.
The Witcher III: Wild Hunt
The Witcher III: Wild Hunt | Credit: thewitcher.com
The third installment of The Witcher is easily the best in CD Projekt RED's long-standing series. The game's fully open-world is a delight to explore, with new monsters and encounters littered across the map.
The major DLC packs add several considerable areas to the game, making it almost MMO-like in scale. Touissant's story-line and countryside feature some of the most idyllic scenes you can find in open-world games. The Witcher 3 story-line wraps up several threads woven by the previous two games.
Just Cause 2
Just Cause 2 | Credit: microsoft.com
If you've ever wanted to play a game that feels like a Michael Bay movie, then Just Cause 2 is it. The action-packed adventure follows Rico Rodriguez in one of the most massive open-world games ever released. Fly planes, drive boats, steal cars, and grappling hook your way across the island of Panau.
Unlike Grand Theft Auto, which loads missions in an instance, Just Cause 2 missions take place in the sandbox. That means players are free to develop creative (and explosive) solutions to their story-line problems.
If you like this gem, be sure to check out Just Cause 3 and Just Cause 4 as well.
Tom Clancy's The Division 2
Tom Clancy's The Division 2 | Credit: ubisoft.com
The Division 2 is an online game set in the ruins of Washington D.C. after a smallpox pandemic. The game's single-player story follows agents of the Strategic Homeland Division who are reestablishing order.
Players create their own customized agent to roam Washington, D.C., with other gamers. Players can choose to work together to extract or backstab each other in the Dark Zones. Three Dark Zones in Washington D.C. are a free-for-all even among agents.
The game's service model means new updates continually bring new gear to hunt. The Division 2 is worth playing if you like tense battles in urban areas rather than spread across a wide-open map.
Far Cry 4
Far Cry 4 | Credit: ubisoft.com
Far Cry 4 takes place in the fictional and mountainous country of Kyrat in the Himalayan mountains. Players play as Ajay Ghale, who returned to the country to spread his deceased mother's ashes. He is kidnapped and taken to a compound where Ajay must make a choice.
The game features a wide variety of weapons and vehicles for navigating the steep countryside. Dangerous animals like eagles and snow leopards can be just as deadly as the humans you may encounter. Out of all the Far Cry games, this one has a unique setting worth experiencing.
Hope to see some of the same elements of this epic game in the much anticipated, Far Cry 6.
Marvel's Spider-Man
Marvel's Spider-Man | Credit: insomniac.games
Insomniac Games has created the perfect Spider-Man simulator with its latest entry in the franchise. It is definitely one of the top superhero video games of all time. The game plays like a beat 'em up, but players have total freedom in traversing New York.
The game features segments as Spider-Man and as Peter Parker, where two characters collide. The result is a great comic book story that features a human touch. The game turns New York into your playground in the best way – as the world's favorite web-slinger.
Meet and defeat iconic Spider-Man villains like Kingpin, Electro, Rhino, and Mister Negative. Each boss fight is unique and perfectly captures the spirit of comic book villains.