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[IbizaPocholo]

We've put together a list of our favorite open worlds in gaming. It's worth noting that this isn't a list of IGN's Best Open-World Games™, but rather our favorite worlds in and of themselves - whether they're made up of miles of untamed wilderness, countless blocks of urban sprawl or fall somewhere in-between, these are the top 10 video game open worlds.

10) 0:33 SunsetOverdrive 09) 1:19 Horizon Zero Dawn 08) 1:50 Far Cry 4 07) 2:16 Watch Dogs 2 06) 2:47 Assassin's Creed Black Flag 05) 3:22 Skyrim 04) 4:11 Witcher 3 03) 4:52 Red Dead Redemption 2 02) 5:27 Zelda Breath of the Wild 01) 6:12 GTA V

 

[mcjmetroid]

I don't even know where to start.

Surely GTA V being number 1 is absolutely bonkers.

This feels more like a "which open world game sold the most list"

 

[JimiNutz]

I don't play that many open world games but I'm pleased to see Sunset Overdrive get some love because that game is awesome!

 

[Birdo]

For me, The Crew is one of the most impressive open-world maps.

It was an absolute joy to drive from end-to-end.

 

[kiphalfton]

Expecting a game journalist to know that GTA San Andreas is the best open world game is expecting too much I guess. Can't be too surprised though as they probably couldn't get past the train part and surely couldn't get past the RC airplane part.

Also all this stuff is this gen or last gen...

 

[Guileless]

Major recency bias in this list.

 

[JLMC469]

Horizon

 

[Abear21]

I think Shadow of the Colossus should be on there, but that’s just me. Otherwise not too upset about it.
GTA gets a lot of hate but I’ve had too much fun in that world to complain, let’s not talk about online though!

 

[JLMC469]

Vice City
San Andreas
Oblivion
Spider Man 2
GTA III

 

[bender]

Of All Time*

*if you only started gaming in the PS4 era.

 

[Abear21]

Of All Time*

*if you only started gaming in the PS4 era.

And why not wait until the end of the year, surely either GoT or CP2077 could squeeze in somewhere?

 

[yunkaiza]

GTAV

 

[kiphalfton]

Of All Time*

*if you only started gaming in the PS4 era.

I had to double check that the title wasn't "this gen" or something to hat effect. Nope.

 

[Abear21]

Are they rating the actual world or game bc of all the Ass Creeds I think Black Flag was good but as for the best world in an AC, I’m not so sure

 

[Bluecondor]

I see what they were trying to do with the list in terms of identifying 10 different open world games.

But - if they are actually identifying the "best open worlds of all time," GTA open worlds would dominate this list in my opinion. Liberty City from GTA III, Vice City and San Andreas were each incredible open worlds - from music, to the geographic locations, to the time periods in which they were set and the fit between the world and the story/gameplay.

I enjoyed playing HZD and Watch Dogs 2, but the open worlds in these games are simply not at the level of Liberty City, Vice City and San Andreas - in my opinion anyway. The open world in HZD was really interesting and fit with the lore of the story, but it felt very similar to many other open worlds that have been done in "post apocalyptic" games. San Francisco is WD2 was fun and interesting, but it didn't have the deep level of immersion of the GTA open worlds.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

Wait no Minecraft?

 

[INC]

Ghost recon?
Just cause?

 

[johntown]

I don't think I have ever agreed with any list IGN puts out.

 

[bender]

Wait no Minecraft?

+San Andreas
+Shadow of the Colossus
+Morrowind
+Forza Horizon/3
+Just Cause 2
+Yakuza Series
+Spiderman 2
+Dark Souls
+Crackdown

List feels more like the prettiest open worlds games of all time. Most of the games featured follow the Ubisoft open world design which robs players of that feeling of discovery which, to me, is the entire purpose of the genre.

 

[LokusAbriss]

For me, The Crew is one of the most impressive open-world maps.

It was an absolute joy to drive from end-to-end.

For the time, Test Drive Unlimited was more impressive for me.

 

[HellforLeather]

AC Black Flag? All that copy and pasted shit?
WD2?
Fuckin Far Cry 4?

Joke list is a joke

 

[TheContact]

We've put together a list of our favorite open worlds in gaming.

People hating on the choices need to realize this is their opinion. It's a bad list objectively, but it's not some definitive guide to what the top 10 open world games are.

 

[JOEVIAL]

I don't play that many open world games but I'm pleased to see Sunset Overdrive get some love because that game is awesome!

Absolutely. Sunset Overdrive was the 1st open world that came to my mind. It's small, and packed with stuff to do.

I much prefer smaller, more detailed open world games as opposed to massive worlds that are only big for the sake of being big.

 

[MrS]

GTA San Andreas > GTA V
Days Gone's open world should be there imho.

 

[JimiNutz]

Absolutely. Sunset Overdrive was the 1st open world that came to my mind. It's small, and packed with stuff to do.

I much prefer smaller, more detailed open world games as opposed to massive worlds that are only big for the sake of being big.

Yeah I completely agree.
I'll take a smaller more detailed world over a large barren one any day.

Another really important part of open world games is the traversal. If you give me a big open world then make it fun to traverse around it. Insomniac really nailed that with Sunset Overdrive and later on with Spider-Man as well.

 

[Astral Dog]

I have not played most of those games but seems like a decent list

 

[namekuseijin]

meh

procedural generation of always fresh and unpredictable territories has won me over to the rogue-like way. No Man's Sky, Don't Starve are my favorite, but Minecraft and Terraria are ensuring a whole generation won't see much value in the repetitive preset maps of older games...

 

[Coolwhhip]

Open world games sorted by ad revenue for IGN.

 

[Bumblebeetuna]

Horizon ZD? I got the plat in that game and I cannot remember a single thing about the open world. Everything was bland and forgettable. There was zero exploration since your map was plastered with every icon, there was very little variety in the areas, and no cool towns or villages to explore.

GTAV #1 is a joke, too.

 

[Danjin44]

For me will always will be Gravity Rush. The game has one of the best traversal in open world game and amazing world which is just joy to fly around and explore.

 

[iorek21]

Ok, zoomer

 

[Kokoloko85]

so obvious with IGN.
Rockstar
Zelda
Rockstar

 

[SpiceRacz]

Dark Souls and Vice City deserve to be on that list.

 

[TintoConCasera]

Dark Souls and Vice City deserve to be on that list.

I wouldnt say Souls games are open world.

IMO they are more like Metroid world's: several areas interconected by different points.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

I like Skyrim, but no Fallout 3?

I'd put F3 over Skyrim.

 

[stn]

Morrowind deserves the spot over Skyrim.

 

[SnapShot]

Glad to see Sunset Overdrive on the list, Great game!

 

[Caio]

Where is Far Cry3 and Fallout 3 and 4 ?

 

[SinDelta]

Assassins Creed Origins deserved a mention, probably an actual spot. The level of detail in Egypt is incredible.

 

[SaturnSaturn]

Where is Test Drive Unlimited, IGN you plebians

 

[Ashraf’s Lioness]

What a joke list

Most popular not the best

 

[Happosai]

We've put together a list of our favorite open worlds in gaming. It's worth noting that this isn't a list of IGN's Best Open-World Games™, but rather our favorite worlds in and of themselves - whether they're made up of miles of untamed wilderness, countless blocks of urban sprawl or fall somewhere in-between, these are the top 10 video game open worlds.

10) 0:33 SunsetOverdrive 09) 1:19 Horizon Zero Dawn 08) 1:50 Far Cry 4 07) 2:16 Watch Dogs 2 06) 2:47 Assassin's Creed Black Flag 05) 3:22 Skyrim 04) 4:11 Witcher 3 03) 4:52 Red Dead Redemption 2 02) 5:27 Zelda Breath of the Wild 01) 6:12 GTA V

It's a great list but I wanted to see this there (at least as an honorable mention)...

 

[RoadHazard]

Breath of the Wild should be #1, and TW3 probably shouldn't be that high. Don't get me wrong, I love that game, but the world is really samey everywhere. Except for the cities there are few really notable landmarks, and the world doesn't make me want to explore everything I see like BotW did. Horizon has the same problem, but its world is even less interesting (I enjoyed that game too though, but mainly for the story).

 

[Bladed Thesis]

Breath of the Wild #2?

My sides....

 

[Bladed Thesis]

Breath of the Wild should be #1, and TW3 probably shouldn't be that high. Don't get me wrong, I love that game, but the world is really samey everywhere. Except for the cities there are few really notable landmarks, and the world doesn't make me want to explore everything I see like BotW did.

Oh irony....

 

[RoadHazard]

Oh irony....

Is it? The world in BotW is incredibly designed, you're constantly seeing interesting things that you just NEED TO go check out. Or that's how it was for me, and many others. It's fine if you don't agree, but I think you're in the minority.

 

[Vaelka]

Skyrim?

Seriously?


Oh wait it's IGN nevermind.
Out of all of the ES games they could've picked they picked Skyrim...

What a joke list

Most popular not the best

This.

Horizon ZD? I got the plat in that game and I cannot remember a single thing about the open world. Everything was bland and forgettable. There was zero exploration since your map was plastered with every icon, there was very little variety in the areas, and no cool towns or villages to explore.

GTAV #1 is a joke, too.

HZD just looked pretty and that was it, people hype up graphics way too much.
It's the same with Skyrim too, I remember Totalbiscuit describing it as a pool with the depth of a paddling pool or something like that and I think that's a good way of describing it.
The world is just so uninteresting in comparison with older ES games and lacks depth, so many open world games just focus on large empty space with copied assets instead of quality and interesting locations.

 

[Bladed Thesis]

Is it? The world in BotW is incredibly designed, you're constantly seeing interesting things that you just NEED TO go check out. Or that's how it was for me, and many others. It's fine if you don't agree, but I think you're in the minority.

Yeah, I found it very empty and boring. Especially compared to the game you mentioned, the Witcher 3.

In the Witcher 3, you're constantly seeing interesting things that you just need to GO check out. Or that's how it was for me and many others. It's fine if you don't agree but I think you're in the minority.

 

[Yoboman]

Is it? The world in BotW is incredibly designed, you're constantly seeing interesting things that you just NEED TO go check out. Or that's how it was for me, and many others. It's fine if you don't agree, but I think you're in the minority.

Is it though? It gets to a point pretty quickly where you realise a lot of the landmarks you go to explore either have nothing there or you'll find one of the repetitive shrines

My feeling was BOTW had a great world design without reward for getting creative with exploring

 

[Danjin44]

Or that's how it was for me and many others. It's fine if you don't agree but I think you're in the minority.

Isn't that can be said about BotW as well? There are bunch of people (including myself) who did enjoy its open world and you are one of the minority who didn't.