2016 is so far shaping up to be a very good year for gaming. One of my personal favorite kinds of games are those that have open worlds. I personally love just wandering around a nice looking landscape and discovering new things in the world, giving me a sense of wonder and excitement as well as something to do when I really don't feel like completing the main story (I'm looking at you, Skyrim). Here are my ten favorite open worlds in games.
10. Grand Theft Auto V
Something I can definitely appreciate about GTAV is the sheer accuracy of the environment. This game takes place in Los Angeles, California where you can do all the normal things that you do in GTA like steal cars, beat up strangers, and hijack literally anything. Seriously, helicopters, planes, anything. If you don't want to participate in the ridiculous storyline, there's no way that you'll run out of stuff to do in this map
9. Assassin's Creed Series
As much as I have a strong sense of disdain for Ubisoft's yearly money-grab, I can't help but have a deep appreciation for the detailed and elegantly crafted historical locations of the Assassin's Creed Series. Each map in each game is massive and is fun of cool collectibles to always keep you doing something.
8. Dragon Age: Inquisition
I already can't say enough good things about this whole series, but one thing that Bioware really nailed with the latest installment, is the utilization of open world maps. This game has quite a few very unique zones and they are all massive. Each map has its own set of collectibles and puzzles to solve to add more to the discovery aspect of the game.
7. Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Of course I had to include a Bethesda game, they are masters of open worlds and Skyrim is no exception. Exploring every inch of the map in a task of its own; you have caves, stones, dragon walls, crypts, cities, forts, villages and not to mention all of the quests that go along with them. Needless to say, I'm sure that completionists have an exceptionally hard time with this one (present company included), but the beautiful world that you are exploring does not make it seem so bad.
6. Far Cry 4
While I'm not a huge fan of the Far Cry series in general, I really loved the sandbox of Far Cry 4. While there's really not too much to do in terms of collectibles (at least not as much as Assassin's Creed) the world itself is very beautiful and complex and worth exploring.
5. Red Dead: Redemption
There's something about wandering around the old west that just gets my southern blood pumping. The world of Red Dead: Redemption is bleak and dreary and made up of a lot of grays and browns, but that seems to be a big part of the appeal. Rockstar's Western title lives up to its developer's reputation being a very alive open world.
4. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
The latest installment for the Metal Gear series is a big departure from its predecessors. From top-down stealth missions and linear maps, to a very entertaining open world (and of course D-Dog). In fact, I personally find The Phantom Pain so entertaining that I don't even do the main quest. Why would I do that if I can drop a truck on a guard's head, or stealthily putting an explosive in a patrol's pocket to just, you know, see what happens, or almost blowing a whole mission to collect the 80's cassette tape?
3. Batman: Arkham Knight
As the latest game in the series, this title has a big map for Batman to glide around in despite a very well developed and complex story. Not only can you do side missions to unlock the Riddler's puzzles, help Nightwing do something or other that probably isn't too important but actually kind of is, the world just looks so undeniably cool. You'll probably spend the first hour or so having Batman perch himself on a rooftop looking all cool and broody just staring at the world around you.
2. Fallout 4
And here we are with yet another Bethesda game and with the newest installment of the Fallout series. With this game, no one really wants to complete the lackluster main story with a twist that you see coming from a mile away, so why not do the companion missions, upgrade your settlements, kill some ghouls? Shut up, Preston, I don't want to go defend that settlement, I want to get a very over powered weapon and kill this giant irradiated crab. Fallout 4 has a huge open world map and every inch of it is gorgeous and full if things that you can just take like a typewriter, a tin can, an alarm clock, a surgical tray, a hot plate...
1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Undeniably, this is probably one of my favorite games of all time. With a story that is compelling, quests that never seem to run out of steam and of course a GIGANTIC open world map that is more beautiful than real life, how can you go wrong? The Witcher 3 is nothing short of a masterpiece with an open world that is lush and alive and full of enough side quests to bury all of Novigrad in waypoints and then some. This title won basically all of the awards in 2015 and for good reason. And to all of you who say you have beaten The Witcher 3 100%, you're all liars.
