# What is the best open-world RPG of all time?

> Open-world RPGs have given us countless worlds to lose ourselves in — but which one is the greatest of all time? From The Witcher 3 to Elden Ring, vote for your favorite.

*By YPB Team · Published April 28, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/what-is-the-best-open-world-rpg-of-all-time*

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## Current results (0 votes)

1. **The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt**
   CD Projekt Red's 2015 masterpiece set the gold standard for open-world storytelling with its richly drawn characters, morally complex quests, and stunning world design.
2. **Elden Ring**
   FromSoftware's 2022 collaboration with George R.R. Martin created a hauntingly beautiful open world that married soulslike challenge with unprecedented exploration freedom.
3. **The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim**
   Bethesda's 2011 open-world epic became a cultural touchstone, offering near-infinite freedom to forge your own legend across snowcapped Nordic mountains.
4. **Red Dead Redemption 2**
   Rockstar's 2018 cinematic achievement built the most breathtakingly detailed open world ever made and wrapped it in a deeply emotional outlaw story.
5. **The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild**
   Nintendo's 2017 reinvention of Zelda and open-world design itself gave players total freedom to approach every challenge with creative problem-solving.
6. **The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom**
   Nintendo's 2023 follow-up expanded the sky and depths of Hyrule while adding physics-based building tools that let players craft solutions from imagination.
7. **Grand Theft Auto V**
   Rockstar's 2013 crime epic created a living, satirical Los Santos packed with three distinct protagonists and a persistent online world still thriving over a decade later.
8. **Cyberpunk 2077**
   CD Projekt Red's 2020 neon-soaked RPG redeemed itself through extensive updates to become one of the most immersive and visually stunning open worlds in gaming.
9. **Ghost of Tsushima**
   Sucker Punch's 2020 open-world samurai adventure delivered Kurosawa-worthy visuals, fluid sword combat, and one of the most beautifully realized game worlds ever created.
10. **Dragon Age: Inquisition**
   BioWare's 2014 epic RPG offered sprawling zones, a deep companion system, and morally weighty decisions that made the player feel like the leader of a world-changing organization.
11. **Horizon Zero Dawn**
   Guerrilla Games' 2017 debut open-world featured robotic dinosaurs, a gorgeous post-apocalyptic world, and one of gaming's most compelling mysteries to unravel.
12. **Fallout 4**
   Bethesda's 2015 post-nuclear open world married base-building with classic Fallout exploration and dark humor across a lovingly detailed post-apocalyptic Boston.
13. **Assassin's Creed Odyssey**
   Ubisoft's 2018 entry fully embraced RPG mechanics across an enormous recreation of Ancient Greece, delivering dozens of hours of mythology-soaked adventure.
14. **Monster Hunter World**
   Capcom's 2018 accessible entry into the Monster Hunter series opened the franchise to millions with a lush, interconnected ecosystem and deeply satisfying hunt loop.
15. **Crimson Desert**
   Pearl Abyss's acclaimed 2025 open-world action RPG drew rave comparisons to Elden Ring and The Witcher 3 for its polished combat and richly crafted dark fantasy world.

Tags: fantasy, games, adventure, rpg, all-time