Another Top 10 Best Open World Games!

Ahh the Italian renaissance, a time of art, culture and murder. Thanks once again to the power of the animus we follow Ezio Auditore in his journey to become a master assassin, avenge the deaths of his family and uncover the secrets behind the order of the Templars. Considered the point at which the franchise accelerated and became a mainstay in the gaming community, Assassins Creed 2 provides realistic re-creations of 15th century Florence, Forlì and Venice, with sights to see along with assassination quests to undertake, and catacombs scattered about. it’s a literal blast from past.

There have been a good number of games that have allowed us to put on the tights for one our favourite superheroes. But the first and arguably the best to give us all a realistic experience to swinging around New York is the tie in game to 2004s Spider Man 2. Not only were we able to experience the thrill of zipping through New York, but we were also able to help out everyday citizens in need from such calamities as car thefts, shoot outs, medical emergencies and of course, lost balloons.

When you think of all the enjoyment you can get out of a post-apocalyptic world, the Fallout series has all sides covered, and the jam packed Fallout 4 is no exception. Set this time in and around the ruins of Boston, this land has not only fallen victim to some of the Wastelands worst but is also the centre of the secret organisation known as The Institute. Not only were we given a plethora of intricate and insane quests to undertake, but we were also treated to plenty of secrets to discover, monsters to kill and even the opportunity to customise our own settlements.

Speaking of post-apocalyptic worlds, here we have yet another, this time filled with robotic dinosaurs. A technical marvel for the PS4, Horizon’s beautiful world is supplemented by it’s fantastic beast design and intriguing characters. There’s nothing quite like exploring the depths of the ruined world below to find out what happened, only to come to the surface and take on a mechanical T-Rex that shoots lasers and missiles at you. It’s story may have a few flaws, but with a fantastic performance by Ashly Birch as protagonist Aloy (“Ay-Loy), Horizon is guaranteed to keep you captivated from start to finish.

Having an open world Metal Gear game may have sounded like an insane concept years ago, but it not only managed to take the series to an all time high but also set a new standard for stealth-action games in general. After waking up from a 9 year coma, you return as the legendary soldier Big Boss to exact revenge and rebuild a new army, “Diamond Dogs”. With both the desert regions of Afghanistan and the jungle forests of Africa fill to the brim with missions, you’ll be gunning, sneaking and extracting for hours so as to improve your base and your arsenal.

This atmospheric adventure game, in which you play as a young man on his quest to resurrect his dead girlfriend, has become a frequent example of video game artistry. Much of that comes from the depiction of the mysterious Forgotten Lands that he must ride across. Unlike the other entries on this list, the world is not packed with NPCs for you to interact with, instead your character has to search over these inhospitable lands to seek out and face each of the sixteen majestic creatures known as Colossi that roam these lands. Each Colossi is more awe inspiring than the last, but taking each one down will make you question your morals.

L.A inspired suburbs, street gangs, and more N.W.A nods than you can keep track of, Rockstar’s 3rd 3D Open World Title is as ghetto as they come in a video game. This instalment of the popular open world series putting players in the role of former gang member CJ, who returns home to find out who murdered his mother, only to get dragged back into the dangerous gangsta life after being blackmailed by a pair of crooked cops. Of course if you’re not one for following the engaging story, going on a destructive rampage in this game is just as fun, of course your parents were probably horrified at the sound of committing such acts. But better in a game than in real life am I right?

I'm sure many of you have sunk countless hours into this franchise, no doubt primarily between the green hills of Cyrodil and the frosty peaks of Skyrim - but only a fortunate few got to trek through the Ashlands of Varrdenfel. Morrowind was a title that predated many the conventions we now associate with open world games: things like fast travel and easy-to-follow map markers were non-existent here. This lack of hand holding forced you into an intimacy with the strange island you were exploring, meaning you observed the landscape in an organic way as you marched from town to town, reading signposts and dodging wildlife in an unforgettable world.

Even though Nintendo has been making video games for almost 4 decades, it’s hard to believe that not only was this their first attempt at an Open World Game, but it turned out to be this good. Breath of the Wild’s biggest draw is its non-linear design, as once you finish the starting area, the player is literally free to explore wherever they want to go, no one way is the right or wrong way, and the game rarely holds the players hand, leaving them to figure out what they should do. Few games offer as much freedom as Breath of the Wild does, and if this is Nintendo’s first open world game, imagine what the future holds for the Zelda series.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions

“Just Cause 3” (2015)
“Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor” (2014)
“Final Fantasy XV” (2016)

Video games and Fantasy worlds have been a match made in heaven for many years, and we were left in awe at the level of adventure and visual wonder that is The Witcher 3. As CD Projekt RED supposedly last run with the Witcher Geralt of Rivia, we’re treated to an epic tale of magic, monsters and so much more. Everywhere from the blood soaked lands of Velen, to the rocky islands of Skellige are teaming with something new for you to discover. But what only just pushes it ahead of Breath of the Wild was CD Projekt RED’s frequent support for the game; both with plenty of free DLC, and Paid DLC that can stand up to other full priced games on their own.