The 20 Greatest Open-World Video Games of All Time

Sprawling fantasy realms, lawless crime cities, alien oceans and post-apocalyptic wastelands all compete for the open-world throne. Which one would you get lost in?

1

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

CD Projekt's 2015 fantasy epic celebrated for its dense world and storytelling.

1000pts

2

Red Dead Redemption 2

Rockstar's sprawling 2018 Western, praised for its lifelike open frontier.

856pts

3

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

The 2023 sequel that expanded Hyrule with sky islands and building mechanics.

771pts

4

Ghost of Tsushima

Sucker Punch's 2020 samurai epic set across a beautiful open feudal Japan.

734pts

5

Elden Ring

FromSoftware's 2022 Game-of-the-Year, an open-world evolution of the Souls formula.

691pts

6

Marvel's Spider-Man

Insomniac's 2018 superhero hit that let players web-swing across an open Manhattan.

642pts

7

Cyberpunk 2077

CD Projekt's neon-soaked open-world RPG set in the sprawling Night City.

642pts

8

Just Cause 2

The explosive 2010 sandbox famous for its grappling-hook chaos across a huge island.

642pts

9

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

The beloved 2004 entry whose huge state-sized map set a new open-world standard.

642pts

10

Terraria

The 2D sandbox-adventure phenomenon with vast procedurally generated worlds.

584pts

11

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Bethesda's 2011 fantasy RPG whose snowy open world became a cultural touchstone.

584pts

12

Far Cry 3

Ubisoft's 2012 entry that defined the modern open-world action template.

584pts

13

Subnautica

The acclaimed underwater survival game set on an open alien ocean planet.

584pts

14

Minecraft

The infinite procedurally generated sandbox and best-selling video game of all time.

513pts

15

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Nintendo's 2017 masterpiece that reinvented open-world exploration on the Switch.

513pts

16

Death Stranding

Hideo Kojima's 2019 open-world delivery odyssey across a fractured America.

513pts

17

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag

The 2013 pirate-themed entry praised for its open seas and ship combat.

513pts

18

Grand Theft Auto V

Rockstar's record-shattering crime sandbox set in a vast satirical Los Angeles.

428pts

19

Fallout: New Vegas

Obsidian's 2010 post-apocalyptic RPG revered for its branching open-world choices.

428pts

20

Horizon Zero Dawn

Guerrilla's 2017 adventure across a lush open world ruled by robotic dinosaurs.

428pts