Best Open-World Games That Revolutionized Player Freedom

As gaming has evolved over the last several decades, so too have the different ways consumers have experienced open-world settings and the many stories (or lack thereof) within them. Today, the concept is commonplace, with many games featuring an explorable city or even a whole piece of countryside for someone to get lost in but also go about it however they see fit.

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8 Open-World Games That Exceeded Expectations

Open-world games have taken over the industry, with nearly every major developer trying to put their own spin on the genre. While some titles fail to stand out, others completely defy expectations, delivering experiences far better than anyone anticipated. So today on GameRant, we’re ranking the top 8 Open-World Games That Surpassed Expectations.

From the days of the Nintendo Entertainment System to current consoles like the PlayStation 5, some games reinvent the wheel and revolutionize open-world concepts. They’ve pushed technological boundaries, challenged conventional game design, and created new standards for player autonomy regarding how they go about the world and its activities.

8

The Legend Of Zelda

Link’s First Adventure Featured A Foremost Open World

Systems

Released

February 21, 1986

ESRB

E For Everyone Due To Mild Fantasy Violence

While there is not much to do in the land of Hyrule, The Legend Of Zelda still presents players with one of the earliest versions of an open world, which was unheard of at the time, as gaming at that point was very linear. As Link, players can freely explore the land and battle monsters to their heart’s content without even stepping into a dungeon.

Even the dungeons present a form of freedom, especially with the first three; the player is allowed to complete them in any order. At that time, most games would have a linear method for which ones to go to, but the fact that Nintendo allowed players to have a choice would help invent the concept of open-world gaming.

7

Shenmue

The Sega Franchise That Never Gets Enough Credit

Released

December 29, 1999

ESRB

t

Being exclusive to the Sega Dreamcast is both a blessing and a curse, as the console was home to games ahead of their time, such as Shenmue, which featured a fully explorable 3D world. Unfortunately, it also meant it was overshadowed by games on more popular consoles like the Xbox and PlayStation 2.

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Shenmue did many things that the Grand Theft Auto series would become famous for. While there was a story to follow featuring the main protagonist seeking revenge, there was also the option to just roam and get into intense martial arts brawls and talk to NPCs. Though these concepts may seem antiquated by 2020s’ standards, they were brand-new in 1999.

6

Grand Theft Auto 3

Many Games Were Inspired By Rockstar’s Efforts

Released

October 23, 2001

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood, Strong Language, Violence

Grand Theft Auto 3 made the jump to a fully explorable world in which the player can do whatever they want across Liberty City. If they wanted to go on a rampage through the city, stealing cars and causing chaos, it was allowed, which did lead to the unfortunate reputation of Grand Theft Auto games being nothing but depravity and violence, but that’s part of its legacy.

Every subsequent entry in the Grand Theft Auto franchise would adopt the same style and expand on it with improved gameplay, visuals, and even more open-world criminal activities. It would also inspire other open-world games, from the Saints Row series to the Mafia games, which directly borrowed identical game mechanics.

5

Spider-Man 2

A Gamble That Changed Superhero Games Forever

Action-Adventure

Open-World

Released

June 28, 2004

ESRB

T for Teen

Video games based on movies were almost always a guaranteed failure, but that changed with Treyarch’s Spider-Man 2, based on the Tobey Maguire film. It not only showed that movie-licensed games could be quality, but it also paved the way for open-world superhero games like the Batman: Arkham franchise and Insomniac Games’ take on Spider-Man.

Spider-Man 2 was the first game that allowed players to freely explore a city as a superhero, complete side missions, and fight random crimes. It also marked one of the first instances in which a game featured an explorable version of New York City, with many titles continuing to expand and perfect that aspect.

There Would Be No Skyrim Or Fallout 4 Without It

Released

March 20, 2006

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence

Gamers have been able to enjoy the world of Tamriel since the second entry in The Elder Scrolls franchise, but The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion took it to a new level by dropping the hero into the Imperial land of Cyrodiil. The main story was a small part of a much bigger world where it was incentivized to go in any direction, find quests, and live a life in a high-fantasy world.

From joining various factions to leveling up their class, players have hundreds of options to enjoy themselves. They can even complete an entire playthrough while completely forgetting that Daedra forces are trying to invade Tamriel through Oblivion Gates, which signifies a good open world.

3

Minecraft

An Indie Title Became A Billion Dollar Juggernaut

Released

November 18, 2011

ESRB

E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Fantasy Violence

Two things have appealed to gamers since Minecraft first came out in 2011: the blocky visuals and the ability to do whatever one wants with the different kinds of available blocks. Whether in creative or survival mode, gamers can play for thousands of hours and still find new things to do in the Overworld.

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It also isn’t a simple open world that Mojang offers in Minecraft; every new game features a procedurally generated world that allows for no playthrough to be the same. With constant updates over the years that added new biomes, recipes, and enemies to fight, the result was one of the biggest video games of all time, even today.

2

Red Dead Redemption 2

Rockstar Continues To Master Open-World Games

Released

October 26, 2018

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol

There is no denying that Red Dead Redemption made players feel like a Western outlaw, but Red Dead Redemption 2 was a whole new ball game. It still maintained that classic Western vibe, but it delivered an even bigger world that feels like a condensed version of the American frontier of the time, from snowy mountains akin to the Rocky Mountains to the bayou in the same vein as Louisiana.

The world that Rockstar created does not offer a romanticized version of the Old West. It is a dark, rough, dirty, and unforgiving time, yet the realism adds to the beauty of the world, being filled with animals to hunt and seemingly endless amounts of missions to find and complete.

1

No Man’s Sky

From A Disastrous Launch To The Pinnacle Space Travel Simulator

Adventure

Action

Survival

Released

August 9, 2016

ESRB

T for Teen: Fantasy Violence, Animated Blood

Many games have featured space-faring adventures, but few have properly provided a way for people to feel like they are exploring a galaxy until the release of No Man’s Sky. After multiple updates that transformed a broken launch into the game it was supposed to be, gamers can now freely explore procedurally generated planets across a vast universe.

For fans of sci-fi, spaceships, laser guns, strange creatures, and extraterrestrial cultures can all be found in No Man’s Sky. Every planet features new animals, plants, and visuals for players to collect data as they follow a path to the center of the universe. That said, players can also decide to stay on a planet they’ve grown to love and build a settlement there.

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