The reality can be quite disappointing. And gross. Everyone needs some time to engage in a little escapism, whether it's through books, movies, or even video games. If the latter form of media is your preference, I have good news for you: we are literally spoiled for choice these days thanks to the abundance of immersive game worlds, both indie and AAA.
7 Open-World Games That Mastered the Art of Slow Exploration
There have been some truly breathtaking open-world games over the years, and these titles let you explore at your own pace.
Here, I've selected some of the best of the bunch for you to lose yourself in. These are worlds that have great environmental storytelling, tons of quests scattered in every nook and cranny, and, of course, they just look amazing. Most of them have distinct biomes and areas that set them apart, with their own aesthetics, so you'll never be visually bored. Let's put on our backpacks and take a virtual hike.
Who is that character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Start
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s) Medium (5.0s) Hard (2.5s) Permadeath (2.5s)
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Ride into the sunset through this massive world
The Witcher 3's the world is divided into a few regions, and each of them is absolutely full of small details and cool quests. From Velen and Novigrad to Skellige, they also have their distinct vibes and aesthetics that, even years after the game's release, translate to perfection thanks to the game's near-flawless graphics.
The world feels alive and breathing, it's alive and cruel, and around every corner there's an unexpected surprise or quest to suck you as Geralt down another rabbit hole. If you liked worlds that Skyrimthen this is easily the next best step to take into a medieval fantasy universe. It also helps that the story and its main characters are completely engrossing, even if you're not familiar with the books.
Fire Ring
Dangerous but beautiful and full of secrets
Perfectly combining beauty, practicality and the bizarre, FromSoftware delivered again when they gave us Fire Ring. The world is stunningly beautiful, but also full of jarring sights and massive, awesome ruins and formations that speak of events long past. As you travel through the Lands Between using Grace, you'll also find that it's incredibly dangerous, with some biomes far more demanding than others (ahem, the Caelid).
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And that's just scratching the surface. Fire Ring also has a few more secret locations, such as the underground world of Siofra River, the tall towers of Crumbling Farum Azula, and even the DLC location, which goes ever deeper into strange new vistas. It's amazing how much there is to find and look at, but be careful, because bosses also roam the wilderness.
A Nordic open world that still holds up perfectly
Despite all the justified criticism one can give Skyrimyou have to admit that the world is special. This northern province of Tamriel has its own distinct feel from the places in Oblivion and Morrowindwith autumnal biomes seen around the Rift to the cold ice fields north of Winterhold. NPCs have their own schedules, so the world will simply continue to grind even as you go about your day as the Last Dragonborn.
It's also a very special world because of all the passive, purely simulation-like activities available in the latest version. You can fish, start farming, and since the base game you've been able to get married, buy a home, and settle down if there's more momentum. It's the open world that surprised everyone at release, and even though it's old, if you've never stepped into its cold embrace, it's time you do now, because it's the finest example of Bethesda's impeccable environmental storytelling.
Cyberpunk 2077
Neon-lit future in sprawling night city
Cyberpunk 2077 had a rough start, but I assure you the game has come a long way to deliver something absolutely incredible in its latest package. The world has seen many improvements and continues to be one of the densest urban experiences in the open RPG genre. Night City has tons of side streets, tunnels, and verticality that you can access as you unlock double-jumping cyberware and more.
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You have the industrial Northside, the wealthy suburbs of North Oak, and the boojie vibes of Downtown and Corpo Plaza, and so much more. Sure, the outside of Night City as you head into the Badlands is a bit more desolate, but even there you can find some unexpected secrets if you backtrack to a dump you previously visited during the main quest (against your will, I might add).
Fallout 4
A beautiful, irradiated wasteland welcomes you
I am aware of that Fallout 4 isn't necessarily a franchise fan favorite, but just hear me out. For anyone who hasn't jumped into one Fall-out games in the past, I would argue that this is definitely the place to start for those impressive vistas and a world that just sucks you in. Bethesda really flexes its environmental storytelling muscles here, much like in Skyrim. You have tons of unmarked locations in the commonwealth, and it's easy to stumble across iconic locations like Carhenge, an abandoned house with a tragic last voice log of a girl, and more.
Boston itself is a sight to behold: dense and sprawling, with dangers lurking around every corner. And then you have the glowing sea. Make sure you are well prepared before you step in there. With Nuka-World and Far Harbor you get two more areas that have very distinct aesthetics and vibes, with Nuka-World being my personal favorite for its callbacks to New Vegas' aesthetics in some parts. Plus, who doesn't love an abandoned (or, mostly abandoned) theme park?
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Almost like a medieval simulation
If you are really looking for immersion that is not only a beautiful world to look at, but also a world where you have lots of activities handled realistically, give Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 an attempt. An absolutely wonderful game with a more grounded (and I should add, magic-free) approach to a medieval world, it puts you in Henry's shoes.
You'll probably struggle at first with its rather demanding combat system, but its excellent mission design, the interactions and details with the world, its well-crafted NPCs, and the beautiful environments will all make up for some initial learning and suffering. The devil is in the details KCD2and you will easily be blown away by the sheer amount of love and devotion that went into it. While you're at it, try the first game too.
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Immerse yourself in the richly detailed maps of these open-world RPGs, with visually distinct regions that make the world feel alive.
