8 Best Open-World Games For Beginners
For the better part of a decade, First-Person Shooters and Battle Royale games have dominated the charts. In recent years, however, RPGs and sandbox games with a focus on open-world experiences have been experiencing a resurgence. From the success of Red Dead Redemption 2 to the positive fan reaction to The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Remastered, the community has been trending towards open-world games for some time now. Here are 8 open-world games for people new to the genre to dip their toes into.
1. Red Dead Redemption 2
You probably saw this coming, but people love it for a reason. RDR2 is one of those games everyone seems to recommend, and with good reason! With its numerous facets —amazing storyline, killer soundtrack, emergent and environmental storytelling, and a host of compelling side missions — it truly has something for everyone.
With an online mode akin to GTA V, even if you aren’t a fan of long, story-driven games, you can enjoy the online community with friends.
2. Grand Theft Auto V
The godfather of modern open-world games. Everything released for the past decade has been held to the standard of GTA V, and with good reason. Between the base story, online mode, and completely fan-made game modes, GTA has hundreds of hours of content for a new fan to get lost in. Great side missions, memorable characters, and distinct areas are all supported with a near limitless ability to do whatever you want.
3. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
This one may be a bit old, but at least that means it’s cheap! In all seriousness, Skyrim has been receiving mod support and content drops since its release in 2011, with an anniversary edition released in 2021 that includes all the DLCs and even some free modded content.
Skyrim has been an influential staple of the open-world RPG genre for over a decade, with good reason. Non-invasive HUD layout, easy to learn mechanics, and a level-up structure that doesn’t feel like you have to grind. One of my favorite things about the game is how much lore and backstory it has, especially since none of it has to be known to beat the game. There are hundreds of books in Skyrim with actual in-game history that a player can choose to learn or skip.
4. Outer Wilds
The most unconventional open-world experience I’ve ever had was playing Outer Wilds. Somewhere between a horror-sandbox and an open-world exploration simulator, this game came out of nowhere and blew my mind. I recommend going in with as little knowledge as possible. All I will say is that the game is beautiful, the universe is vast, and be brave.
5. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
Tired of wizards and magic getting in the way of your hack-and-slash build? Then, do I have the RPG for you to add to your open-world games list. KCD2 strives for historical accuracy, so get ready for bar fights, crafting and upkeep of your gear, and an improved reputation system. That might sound too nitty-gritty for some, but with over 3 million copies sold, people aren’t turned off to the game because of it.
Playing KCD2 has been some of the most fun I’ve had with an RPG in a while, It is a great game to get lost in. Riding your horse from village to village, picking up sidequests, and finally getting back to the main quest once you’ve completely forgotten what is going on (in the best way possible).
6. Minecraft
In my opinion, no list of games is complete without Minecraft, no matter what the category, but especially true for open-world games. A true sandbox, this game redefined what was possible for an open-world concept, and with each new update, the experience of playing is heightened and refined. With a very active mod and map community, there are endless worlds to explore and equally as many different ways to play.
7. Atomic Heart
If you are intimidated by the sheer size of current open-world games, and I wouldn’t blame you if you are, Atomic Heart might be the perfect game to wet your appetite. With a relatively short story (16-25 hours) and gameplay reminiscent of the Bioshock series, Atomic Heart has massive replayability. It also has three DLCs available, with a bundle costing $39.99; that’s a lot of content for such a high-quality game.
8. Sea of Thieves
Have a squad you play with, but are looking for a change from all the shooters and battle royales? Sea of Thieves is a breath of fresh air in the competitive multiplayer space, while also giving open-world games another title to boast about. Elements of PvE and PvP woven together, and random world events happening all the time, gameplay stays fresh for months. This one might surprise people, but Sea of Thieves is in my top 5 games of all time; nothing beats that rush of trying to save your ship as it sinks while your buddy desperately tries to dodge cannon fire from a skeleton ship that spawned out of nowhere.
