When you start choosing which open world game to play, your eyes run wide - there are as many contenders as there are square kilometers in their virtual universes! Finding yourself in the middle of a huge map is always pure joy, no matter whether you are a fan of RPGs, where exploration is king, love to unravel mysteries in cool adventures or prefer shootouts in first-person shooters. But in the best open world games all this mixes into an explosive c**ktail.
All the games on our list are giant worlds that beckon you to explore. Each has its own gimmicks and unique lore that create the illusion of truly living, literally “breathing” spaces, where you want to return again and again. And our list is very relevant - after all, there are so many open worlds that it is unclear which one to grab in 2025.
We've sifted through mountains of games to pick out the very best. There are modern classics and the biggest hits of recent years, so feel free to pick your next big adventure from our list, and we'll even tell you where you can buy them cheaper.
So, the first in our TOP of open world games...
10. Dragon's Dogma 2
- Rating: 61% (69.680 reviews), mixed
- Online: 1.446 players in 24 hours, 228.585 peaks all time
- Reviews / Trailer
- Price: $64.99 on Steam, from 2176₽ in KFG
- Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X
- Developer: CAPCOM
- Genres: Action/RPG, adventure, fighting
satellitesHere, every five minutes a new story is born, so how can you not explore such a world?
Feature: The world of Dragon's Dogma 2 is sometimes even too open. It's easy to get lost and accidentally stumble into something completely out of left field on the way to your destination, but damn, that's the whole point! Yes, you can use fast travel, but there's a catch: you'll want to explore every corner on foot.
Why you should play: The game is completely addictive. So much so that if you get distracted, you can easily fail or miss a quest due to time restrictions. Companions constantly distract you from the main quest, giant enemies chase you, throwing up challenges, and for exploration there is almost always (in 99,9% of cases) a pleasant reward. This game is a true standard of an open world. It would be a sin not to try it!
9. Far Cry 6
- Rating: 71% (24.719 reviews), mostly positive
- Online: 1.513 players in 24 hours, 20.080 peaks all time
- Reviews / Trailer
- Price: $59.99 on Steam, from 448₽ in KFG
- Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One
- Developer: Ubisoft
- Genres: first person shooter, adventure action
The series' signature love of total chaos Far Cry 6 hasn't gone anywhere. The game draws you into a crazy world of tank battles, silent murders and c**kfights, and then suddenly hits you in the gut with attempts to touch on serious topics.
Feature: Far Cry 6 takes us to Yara, a fictional island somewhere in Latin America. It’s a corrupt hellhole where the player, as guerrilla Dani, must overthrow dictator Anton Castillo. He’s played, by the way, by the brilliant Giancarlo Esposito (that same Gustavo Fring from Breaking Bad) – and he’s damn good!
Why you should play: The entire Far Cry series is a paradise for those who like to look under every stone, but the sixth part is especially good for how vividly Yara reacts to the player's actions. There is always something to do here, besides overthrowing the dictatorship: random stories that you stumble upon all the time, secrets, races, finding comrades in arms, helping the locals... In general, you will definitely not be bored on this paradise island.
8. Marvel's Spider-Man 2
- Rating: 75% (12.674 reviews), mostly positive
- Online: 2.079 players in 24 hours, 28,189 peaks all time
- Reviews / Trailer
- Price: $59.99 on Steam, from 1652₽ in KFG
- Platforms: PC, PS5
- Developer: Insomniac Games, Nixxes Software
- Genres: action adventure, platformer, adventure
Spider-Man 2 – one of those rare games where you simply forget about the fast travel button. Why, if flying on a web over New York is pure, unadulterated fun?
Feature: The first part in 2018 became a breath of fresh air for superhero games, and the sequel raised the bar even higher. Once again, we are hovering over a magnificently recreated New York, full of cool side events and activities that are sometimes more interesting than the main plot. And if you add cool cutscenes, well-developed characters, and jaw-dropping combat, you get a recipe for a hit.
Why you should play: Yes, the game doesn’t overload you with complex mechanics, but it’s incredibly fun. It’s easy to see why both Spidey games are considered among the best open-world games. Their New York is so alive, bright and detailed that you can almost smell it (in a good way, honestly!). Flying, fighting, saving the city – what could be better?
7. Assassin's Creed: Shadows
- Rating: 80% (16.573 reviews), very positive
- Online: 12.833 players in 24 hours, 64.825 peaks all time
- Reviews / Trailer
- Price: $69.99 on Steam, from 2727 ₽ in KFG
- Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X
- Developer: Ubisoft
- Genres: adventure action
The Assassin's Creed series has burst into the setting of feudal Japan - and done it beautifully, literally "with one foot". Two different heroes, freedom in progression and, perhaps, the best stealth mechanics in the series - all this turns the game into an exciting journey through the history and expanses of the Land of the Rising Sun.
Feature: Shadows may not be the most revolutionary game in the series, but its open world is one of the most impressive in the entire franchise, easily knocking Valhalla off our top spot. Why? The visuals! It’s one of the most beautiful games in recent years, and its vision of Japan is simply mesmerizing. Intricate temples, lush forests, snow-capped mountains – you can spend hours just While the View Remains Good if you have time between tracking down your next target.
Why you should play: Assassin's Creed: Shadows encourages exploration even for those who don't like to "vacuum" the map. Instead of a clear marker, it often gives only hints on where to look for the target. You have to navigate the terrain, and the geography here is not just a decoration: rivers and mountains become real obstacles. Yes, you won't be able to truly enjoy freedom right away; you'll have to endure a couple of hours of introduction. But for such beauty and atmosphere, this can be forgiven.
6. No Man's Sky
- Rating: 81% (264.579 reviews), very positive
- Online: 11,035 players in 24 hours, 212,613 peaks all time
- Reviews / Trailer
- Price: $58.99 on Steam, from 341₽ in KFG
- Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
- Developer: Hello Games
- Genres: adventure, space simulator
Do you what No Man's Sky was like at launch? An aimless grinder with endless resource management? Well, forget it! The developers have performed a miracle, and now it is - no joke - one of the best games with an open world... or rather, with an open GALAXY!
Feature: No Man's Sky is a thrilling space adventure where the player is a true interstellar explorer, jumping across endless procedurally generated planets. Now there is a full-fledged plot for dozens of hours, a bunch of lore, NPCs to chat with, portals for fast travel, and even the ability to change the landscape of planets.
Why you should play: The transformation of No Man's Sky began with the Beyond update, which added rideable aliens, a new social system, VR ... And then there's more. With each update, the game grows with content, a plot, and new reasons to get lost in space for hundreds of hours. Do you love discovering unseen animals and naming entire star systems? Jump aboard your starship now - just don't forget your spacesuit!
5.Horizon Forbidden West
- Rating: 89% (14.781 reviews), very positive
- Online: 2.345 players in 24 hours, 40,462 peaks all time
- Reviews / Trailer
- Price: $59.99 on Steam, from 1542₽ in KFG
- Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5
- Developer: Guerrilla, Nixxes Software
- Genres: adventure, action/RPG, shooter, platformer
Horizon Forbidden West is the kind of game where you constantly catch yourself thinking: "Oh, what's that shiny thing over there?" It seems like the world is on the brink of destruction, and only Aloy can save it... but wait, the NPC's father has disappeared, you need to help! A classic open world, you say? Yes, but everything here is done at the highest level.
Feature: Horizon Forbidden West has done the near impossible - it has sured the already excellent Zero Dawn and given us one of the most stunning, diverse and simply beautiful worlds in recent times. It is much larger and richer than in the first part, and each side quest is a small story that surprises and is ed.
Why you should play: "Forbidden West" looks stunning, you can print screenshots and hang them on your wall. It doesn't matter if the heroine takes on a small task or moves the main plot forward - everything is worked out surprisingly deeply. Hunting giant robots, exploring ancient ruins, flying on a mechanical pterodactyl (well, almost) - every aspect of the game feels simply phenomenal. You will not regret a second spent on this amazing post-apocalyptic world.
4. Forza Horizon 5
- Rating: 89% (201.257 reviews), very positive
- Online: 12,959 players in 24 hours, 81,096 peaks all time
- Reviews / Trailer
- Price: $59.99 on Steam, from 802₽ in KFG
- Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PS5
- Developer: Playground Games
- Genres: racing game, adventure, action
"Have you seen an active volcano up close?" - when the game asks you questions like these, you realize that Forza Horizon 5 is not just a racing game. It's not often that racing games make you EXPLORE an open world, right?
Feature: Yes, Horizon 5 is a racing simulator, but it deserves its place in this top one hundred percent, even if you can’t walk here. The game sends us to bright, sunny Mexico, to another Horizon auto festival. This is a giant celebration of speed, fun and music, where you can endlessly drive along picturesque roads, jungles, deserts and even climb the aforementioned volcano!
Why you should play: It may sound a bit dry for those who aren’t car enthusiasts, but Forza Horizon 5’s open world is full of surprises for the curious racer. The game looks stunning, has a hit soundtrack, and constantly throws up new challenges. And of course, the garage is bursting with hundreds of cars for every taste. It’s pure fun and adrenaline in a stunningly beautiful package, which is about to be available on PS5.
3.Days Gone
- Rating: 92% (71.004 reviews), very positive
- Online: 2.273 players in 24 hours, 27.450 peaks all time
- Reviews / Trailer
- Price: $39.99 on Steam, from 642₽ in KFG
- Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5
- Developer: Bend Studio
- Genres: adventure action, shooter, survival horror,
Days Gone starts off pretty routinely (for a post-apocalypse, of course): the hero is a biker with a pompous name, riding around an open world teeming with zombies, trying to find out the truth about his wife's death and smearing enemies across the asphalt with heavy melee weapons. And all this is in a stunningly beautiful world. A dream, not a game!
Feature: The main feature of Days Gone, which sends shivers down your spine, is the zombie hordes. Imagine: hundreds of zombies rushing towards you in a roaring wave, ready to tear you to shreds.
Why you should play: The world of Days Gone beckons with its dark beauty and atmosphere of hopelessness. But behind the horrors of the zombie apocalypse are touching human stories of survival, loss and hope. This game is more than just "shooting with zombies". It is interesting to explore here, there is always a chance to find something useful or run into trouble. This is exactly what you expect from an open world after the end of the world!
2.Ghost of Tsushima
- Rating: 93% (41.475 reviews), very positive
- Online: 5.295 players in 24 hours, 77,154 peaks all time
- Reviews / Trailer
- Price: $59.99 on Steam, from 1650₽ in KFG
- Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4
- Developer: Sucker Punch Productions, Nixxes Software
- Genres: role-playing game, adventure action
Surprised to see another blood-and-steel samurai action game on the list of the best open worlds? Don't rush to close the list, because to masterfully wield a sword, you need to feel nature. Mastery is not only technique, but also a sharp mind born of contemplation. And Ghost of Tsushima This proves it brilliantly.
Feature: Outside of the brutal combat, Ghost of Tsushima is a surprisingly meditative game. You can compose haiku while iring a serene lake, or reflect on your father’s death while basking in a hot spring. Or you can simply follow a fox that leads to a hidden shrine. Or check out what’s smoking on the horizon…
Why you should play: The minimalist interface, the birds that show the way, and the wind itself that guides the main character – all this creates one of the most organic and interesting open worlds in games. And, of course, the gorgeous battles and the plot also make their contribution. We ourselves, without a shadow of a doubt, called this game a “work of art”, so you can’t miss it!
1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Rating: 96% (755.965 reviews), extremely positive
- Online: 15.037 players in 24 hours, 103,329 peaks all time
- Reviews / Trailer
- Price: $29.99 on Steam, from 401 ₽ in KFG
- Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
- Developer: CD PROJECT RED
- Genres: Action/RPG, adventure action
Who else could be in first place? Geralt of Rivia, a professional monster hunter, is known to almost everyone. He wanders around a huge, gloomy world, for hard cash, saving people not only from fanged creatures from the swamps, but also from those monsters that nest in people's hearts.
Game feature: Geralt is not perfect. And the world around him is even less so. War is tearing the lands apart, bloodthirsty monsters are hunting the defenseless, people are full of prejudice and cruelty. But it is this dark atmosphere that makes the third Witcher the best open world game out there right now.
Why you should play: The game beckons you to turn off the main road: help the villagers with the drowned (while they squint at the hero's yellow eyes), unravel a detective story with a ghost in the middle of the city, or simply clear out a couple of "questions" on the map on the way to the main quest. Every corner here lives its own life, every village keeps its secrets. To sum it up, the imperfect, cruel world of "The Witcher 3" gave birth to an ideal game, setting such a bar for open worlds that many still have a long way to go. This is a masterpiece for all times!
Conclusion
Each of these games is an adventure in itself, with hundreds of hours of exploration, exciting stories and unforgettable moments. The choice is yours: will you become a fearless samurai, a space pioneer or a superhero soaring over New York?
And the best part is that you don't have to rob a bank to go to these incredible worlds. All the games on the list can be purchased much cheaper on Keysforgamers, and with a promo code wotpack When you purchase you will receive an additional 15% discount. Plus, on Keysforgamers can be replenished Steam wallet with the lowest commission - only 3%. You simply won't find a better deal.
We've had our say - now it's your turn. Write in the comments what other open world games you consider the best - we'd be glad to hear other opinions.
