Top 10 Open World Video Game Maps

“Batman: Arkham Knight” (2015)

Video games have the license to bring new life to places we have already visited in other media and the final entry in the Arkham series of action-adventure titles imagines Gotham like never before. It dwarfs the worlds of the other games in the series yet still manages to pack in plenty of dark and disturbing detail on every street and alleyway. The game was notable for having more Batmobile gameplay and the destructible environment has been purposely designed to give the player the most enthralling method to take down the myriad of thugs littering the streets.

“Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate” (2015)

Perhaps the most instantly recognizable city in the world has always been at the forefront of cultural and technological innovation and so provides the ideal setting for the latest entry in this historic adventure series. With the introduction of the grappling hook, every building can now be ascended at unprecedented speed. This makes scaling the face of Big Ben and gazing out over ‘The Big Smoke’ incredibly easy while the more modern cityscape makes for a welcome change from the previous games. If you scratch away enough at the layer of smog and dirt that covers the city, there are plenty of secrets to be found.

“Fallout 4” (2015)

Okay, yes we know. Not an RPG. New Vegas was better. Damn you Bethesda and so on. But we’re counting the MAPS here, and Fallout 4’s Commonwealth was a huge step up from the previous games. The leap to next gen may not have given us all the interesting conversation choices we hope fore, but what it did give is was density. Between the more open starting region near Sanctuary and No mans land of the glowing sea, Bethesda gave gamers something that really felt like a ruined town or city – instead just a small set of ruined buildings.

“Red Dead Redemption” (2010)

This title as a whole managed to capture the essence of the Wild West genre and it’s intricately crafted backdrop is essential in the enduring popularity of the game. Although West Elizabeth has the greatest variety in it’s landscape, boasting mountain ranges and towering forests, the way Rockstar have managed to make baron expanses consistently breathtaking is the map’s greatest success. Nuevo Paraiso is the fictional territory of Northern Mexico and it particularly struck a chord with players who marveled at how the scenery utterly resonated with the soundtrack and overall tone of the game.

“Xenoblade Chronicles X” (2015)

If you’ve ever wanted to feel the thrill of an adventure on a living alien world, Planet Mira may be the destination for you. The sheer scale of the world is absolutely breathtaking, split across five different continents with each being more distinct than the last. From bio-luminescent forest of Noctilum, to the ancient ruins of Oblivia, each region is sprawling with equally parts unique and terrifying wildlife, making each of these areas feel alive. After many hours of play you’ll eventually get ahold of the flying mechs called “Skell”, which will allow you to see the already massive world in a whole new perspective.

“The Crew” (2014)

Reviews for this ambitious racing title were mixed but it’s 1900 square-mile map received almost unanimous praise. In this lively scaling-down of the USA you can easily recognize the distinctive landmarks and features of the game’s six major cities and their surrounds. The relatively lifelike persistent world also has numerous activities for you and countless others to take part in, the length of which suits the grand scale of the map as they can take up to an hour to complete. Go and cruise around your hometown, just don’t expect to see a video game version of yourself on the side of the road

“The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” (2015)
The name of the continent is actually never revealed, with the focus of this action-RPG instead being on the two most civilized areas of the world: namely the Northern Kingdoms and the Nilfgaardian Empire. While it may not feature a huge amount of variety, the sheer scale and detail on display gave the game a sense of realism and cultural authenticity. There was something noble about sailing through the rocky waters of Ard Skelig or pushing through the busy streets of Novigrad – something that’s hard to come by anywhere else.

“The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind” (2002)
So, many an avid adventurer got their first taste of Tamriel either in Oblivion’s Cyrodil or Skyrim’s…Skyrim, but let’s take a second to appreciate the accomplishment and wonder that is Morrowind’s Vvardenfell. This is map on par with the ones from its sequels, and it’s from 2002. This was before fast travel was a thing (save for a few boats and stilt striders). This was before open world maps became a series of icons that represented the same copy-pasted fetch/kill/capture the outpost quests. And, it still managed to look incredibly diverse and unique. Strange, almost alien towns. Damp, festering marshes. Barren, dust swept Ashlands. If you got to play this when it came out, it blew your friggin’ mind.

“Grand Theft Auto V” (2013)

Every single GTA game that Rockstar releases somehow improves upon it’s predecessor and this groundbreaking title keeps getting better with every update. There’s no limit to the carnage you can cause throughout this fictional version of Los Angeles: ride a BMX straight down Mount Chiliad or take a tank through the bustling city centre, blowing up as many of theworld’s bizarre and deranged citizens as you like. Maybe next time you’re raining hell down on the world below from your jet, take a minute to just enjoy the picturesque views from a rather more serene angle.

Before we reveal our top pick, let’s take a look at some honorable mentions.

Kyrat
“Far Cry 4” (2014)

Medici
“Just Cause 3” (2015)

Springfield
“The Simpsons: Hit and Run” (2003)


Hong Kong
“Sleeping Dogs” (2012)

“World of Warcraft” (2004)

This MMORPG revolutionized this genre of gaming and it’s huge fantasy world filled with intriguing lore certainly played a key role in that success. With every expansion the map gets larger and that brings with it more quests and new races to add even more depth. But, if there’s one crowning accomplishment that Blizzard achieved with their world, is the ability to make each environment unique from the last. Each time you enter a new zone, you know it. It’s that striking diversity of locations, and then immensity of tasks and creatures to conquer within, that make Azerothour #1 pick.

Do you agree with our list? Which map keeps you intrigued and coming back for more? So many games go for an open worldapproach nowadays that we are bound to have missed something. For more open world top 10s be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.