Best Realistic Open-World Games, Ranked

A lot of gamers like open-world adventures because of the unparalleled sense of freedom found within them. This is not the objective of every game, however. Some of them are more interested in a realistic experience. The systems, mechanics, and story aim to make players live in and become a part of the game world.

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The games below do not let players become all-powerful and manipulate the world and its NPCs to their will. It is quite the opposite. Players will be lucky if they can survive for any period of time going against the rules set by the developers in these open-world games.

6

Red Dead Redemption 2

The Brutal, Unforgiving Life Of An Outlaw

The easiest way to describe Red Dead Redemption 2 is “Grand Theft Auto with horses.” This would trivialize what the Western accomplishes. Red Dead Redemption 2 certainly has a lot of DNA from the legendary series, but it aims for a more immersive and realistic open-world than the playground of Mayhem Grand Theft Auto can be.

Players have to pay attention to their weapons and equipment, dress appropriately for colder weather, and even cut their hair if it grows too long. Breaking the law is also not a simple diversion for some fun shooting. Committing crimes has real consequences.

Players have to pay the bounty that has been put on their heads in the particular region or else regularly run into bounty hunters on the trail. To top it all off, the game is simply gorgeous with a realistic weather system and vibrant nature filled with both cute and deadly animals.

5

Mafia

Open-World Rules You Can’t Refuse

Mafia (2002)

Action-Adventure

Third-Person Shooter

Systems

Released

August 28, 2002

Developer(s)

Illusion Softworks

Publisher(s)

Gathering of Developers

Mafia came out in 2002, a time when open-world games were just starting to live up to understand potential. Instead of letting gamers indulge in their wildest power fantasy, Mafia challenged gamers to live by accurate rules established in its open-world early 20th-century setting.

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Players could be fined for simple traffic offenses like speeding or running red lights. Additionally, the cars themselves handled like one would expect cars of the time to run. The realism does not stop at driving, however. Ammunition in a magazine is not loaded into the next clip upon reloading, and the game has a minimal hud.

4

SnowRunner

Death Stranding But In Trucks

SnowRunner operates on a simple premise. Players just have to make it from one point to another while delivering supplies in a truck. Of course, the job is never as easy as it seems since the open-world environment is filled with tough terrain even these trucks have a hard time conquering.

The realistic physics makes the game so engaging and challenging. The concept sounds a lot like Death Stranding, which also focuses its core gameplay on tough journies to deliver packages. SnowRunner, however, takes place in the present day and has players trudge through realistically brutal environments.

3

L.A. Noire

Investigate Crimes And Determine Who Is Guilty

The amount of work and money that went into LA Noire is impressive considering its niche premise and mechanics. It is easy to look at an open-world game with this title published by Rockstar and think it will be Grand Theft Auto in the 1940s.

The true gameplay and story are far from the spectacle and satire for which GTA is known, however. L.A. Noire sees players control Cole Phelps as investigate a series of crimes through different branches of the police department. Eventually, a larger story unfolds and reaches a climactic conclusion.

Shootouts pop up here and there, but the bulk of the gameplay has players interviewing witnesses and suspects, carefully observing their faces and reactions to determine whether they are telling the truth, and incorporating elements of adventure games into its gameplay.

2

Shenmue

Way Ahead Of Its Time

Shenmue is not about making the biggest open-world environment. It is about making the most realistic and immersive one. The first game takes place in a small town as players investigate the death of their father.

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Combat is a part of the equation, but most of the gameplay sees players talk to NPCs in order to pick up a trail of clues. There is a day and night cycle as well as an in-game that clock players have to adhere to in order to trigger certain events.

Though the game and its sequels draw a lot of comparisons to the Like a Dragon series, their tone, story, and action are more grounded.

1

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Fly Around The World

Systems

Released

August 18, 2020

Publisher(s)

Xbox Game Studios

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

The Microsoft Flight Simulator games are already expected to be realistic. The 2020 edition of the game goes a huge step further by utilizing Google Earth data for its map. The open-world players fly around in is literally the planet Earth. How can an open-world game get any more realistic than that?

The game also includes casual options for players who are more interested in flying around a virtual environment versus recreating the feeling of actually piloting an aircraft. Developers keep the geographic information updated while also adding new content.

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These games can be completed without players needing to stray from the main path too often.