It’s a given thatmost open-world gamesboast incredible worlds for players to get lost in since it is one of the core gameplay pillars that makes or breaks a game’s critical and commercial success. Even if an open-world game boasts memorable characters or an engaging story, it can fail to gather notable interest if the addition of a sandbox isn’t justified. This makes it important for the best open-world games around to convey an impressive sense of scale that will leave players in awe from the very moment they set foot in these virtual landscapes.
Even with various means of traversal in most of these games, it will take a substantial chunk of time for players to travel across these vast open worlds. It’s a testament to the scale of these landscapes and the incredible world design that players can discover a ton of interesting things on their way from point A to point B, to the point where some people may forget what their original goal was.
San Andreasheld the esteemed honor of being one of the biggestGrand Theft Autogames ever made, so it was only fitting that the fifth mainline entry would expand upon a single region present in this game to the point where Los Santos and its countryside would dethroneSan Andreasfrom its throne. With three protagonists and a story that takes players to every corner of the game world, it’s easy to see why fans love the massive world ofGrand Theft Auto 5and can’t get enough of it to this day.
GTA Onlineis a massive success because it lets players live outa virtual crime-fuelled lifein this huge world, with players never getting tired of witnessing the game’s urban locales and countryside views at different times of the day. It helps that the breakneck action, amazing set-pieces, and its evolution of the tropes present in the series elevatesGTA 5’s quality even more, to the point where most people wholeheartedly agree that it’s one of the greatest open-world games ever made.
Assassin’s Creed Odysseyis a game that split fans down the middle. While the change of pace for the series was welcomed by many, some people felt thatOdysseypushed things too far in the other direction. A huge contributor to this notion was a world that was so overwhelmingly massive that people felt fatigued after clocking in a ton of hours trying to explore every corner of the world map, only to feel like they barely made any progress.
In many ways, this is a testament to the impressive sense of scale and discoverypresent inAssassin’s Creed Odyssey. It’s possible that players won’t explore certain parts of Greece no matter how many main story missions and side quests they undertake, further hammering in the massive scope of this world and the design ethos forAssassin’s Creedgames at the time. Bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better, but that should take nothing away from the gorgeous sandbox players can explore inOdyssey.
CD Projekt Red had flirted with open-world design for the longest time inThe Witchergames, but it wasn’t until the advent of the third game that the company went full throttle on developing massive sandboxes for players to explore. Each region inThe Witcher 3is awe-inspiring to explore and leaves players breathless as they sit around and explore these massive vistas, completing quests andhunting down monstersalong the way.
Not only is the sense of scale immense for every region, but what breathes life intoThe Witcher 3’s exploration is the sheer amount of unique content that players can explore when left to their own devices. It’s possible to sink in hundreds of hours and still find new things to uncover, with the two stellar expansion packs further enhancing the scope of this game world and giving players endless opportunities to lose themselves in these worlds for hours on end.
Breath of the Wildis one of the biggest landmark achievements in open-world gaming, with Nintendo’s distinct visuals helping players navigate the world organically without the need to follow map markers. The sense of exploration in this game was astounding, and it was only a given that the scale of this sandbox would be enhanced to greater heights withthe advent ofTears of the Kingdom. Players were left salivating at the prospect of exploring the Sky Islands, only to find that Nintendo had way more surprises in store for them.
The Sky Islands are a highlight of the game, but so are the Depths. Exploring the corrupted nether regions of Hyrule is equal parts terrifying and exciting, with players having to rely on light sources and loading themselves up with anti-Gloom equipment and potions to ensure that their hearts aren’t permanently destroyed during these adventures. Each main story adventure takes players on a wild ride and shows off the immense scale of this game world, helpingTears of the Kingdomstand tall as one of the greatest sequels in gaming history.
When people talk about the scale of a world in games, it’s not just important for a sandbox to be large. Rather, it should feel massive, with the simple act of exploration feeling daunting yet exciting at the same time. So, despite the world ofRed Dead Redemption 2being smaller thanGrand Theft Auto 5on paper, most people will agree that the former’s scale feels vastly superior simply because of how masterfully crafted the world ofRDR2is.
It helps thata horse is the only viable wayto hasten one’s pace during exploration, making every discovery more meaningful and well-paced. Augmenting the amazing world design ofRed Dead Redemption 2is an incredible story that is Rockstar’s best attempt to tell a narrative by a country mile. There are many reasons why people can’t stop singing this game’s praises as Rockstar’s magnum opus, with the immense scale of the open world being a major contributing factor to this notion.
