Open-World game with best exploration

Exploration is a word that gets thrown around a lot in the gaming world. Open-world titles are notorious for advertising it, because why make an open-world game if exploration isn't a big part of it? Undoubtedly, some of the best open world games that excel at satisfying exploration include games like Minecraft, The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimand Subnautica. It's not just the thrill of knowing you can go wherever you want, but also the reward you get for going deeper and deeper into unknown territory. That sense of wonder is not easy to acknowledge.

That's why we only highlight the best of the best when it comes to open world games and exploration in this list. Every title here needs to deliver interesting worlds, great environmental storytelling (or, alternatively, great terrain generation) and impeccable atmosphere that will keep you immersed for hours on end. There are a hundred games out there that strive to be exactly that, but these five are arguably the top dogs in exploration.

An unparalleled sense of wonder with breathtaking images

Bethesda's Elder scrolls games have always been favorites when discussing great exploration, and I'll admit it was a hard choice between Skyrim and Morrowind. Ultimately, Skyrim wins by simply being the newer and more accessible game, but don't worry, Morrowind fans, we will discuss the third Elder scrolls the game card below. When it comes to Skyrimthere's a lot this fifth game gets right with its world and exploration. After the weekend you are free to go wherever you want, the whole world opens up for you. It's possible to stumble across some huge and tough dungeons early in the game if you choose not to run after the main quest, and that's a good thing because the game's best content is hidden in its side quests.

The Daedric quests in particular are fantastic, full of surprises, powerful weapons and quirky characters. But beyond just side quest hunting, Skyrim's vistas are gorgeous, and with different biomes to be found in each hold, from the autumnal forests of the Rift to the misty swamps of Hjaalmarch, you won't get bored traveling on foot. In true Bethesda style, the world is full of POIs to discover with loot, secrets and enemies. You'll always stumble upon something unexpected that tells a story, whether it's a shrine to a Daedric god, a necromancer in the midst of reviving his friends, or, Talos forbid, a dragon priest wandering the ruins of his temple.

Honorable Mention: Morrowind

It would not be fair to single out any of the ways Morrowind nailed exploration all those years ago, and still does. Of all Elder scrolls game, it has by far the most exotic, foreign feeling, where you really feel like you are in another place that is new and unknown to you. That sense of awe and mystery is so powerful in an open world game, but difficult to pull off. Also, it has a really fast startup compared to Oblivion and Skyrimfor example. In just a few moments, you can be out of the intro section and exploring freely. Who doesn't love that?

Subnautica

Nobody does underwater exploration better

An open world survival crafting game, Subnautica is a story about how your ship crash-lands on a sea planet, and you're on your own to figure out how to escape. Of course, as with any open world game, the end goal isn't really the most important thing at all. In fact, it's all about the journey and the sense of wonder here, as you begin to explore the lush, rich and alien depths of the planet. It's a game that did a particularly good job of this too, letting you explore further and further beneath the waves as you expand your arsenal of tools and equipment, and the more you discover new resources. Eventually you can even build your own underwater base.

The designs of the creatures, from the small, cute harmless ones to the terrifying Reapers, absolutely hit the nail on the head, and that's all without getting into the myriad of underwater biomes you'll discover during your dives. One thing to note, as the game looks deceptively easy on Steam (despite having a horror tag!): if you suffer from thalassophobia, proceed with caution. The underwater gameplay is so well done and real that it can actually trigger a pretty serious panic in anyone uncomfortable with depth. An achievement of its own!

Fire Ring

FromSoftware's Worldbuilding Is All Show, Don't Tell

A large world doesn't need to explain its lore, and Fire Ring is living proof of that. In any case, FromSoftware was never known for being honest with stories and histories, but the open world environment of Fire Ring only further solidified it. The Lands Between is a massive and wonderful world filled to the brim with dungeons, caves, wandering enemies of all kinds, secrets and most importantly, verticality (the DLC does an even better job of this). Each area has its own atmosphere. Limgrave is the lush, green starting area, Caelid urges caution with its lake of rot and hideous enemies, and Liurnia of the Lakes is a mysterious setting shrouded in mist with a large castle in the center.

You really feel like an adventurer who plopped in the middle of a high fantasy novel, every scene like a painting. The game also features plenty of absurd and gorgeous scenery, such as the massive corpse on a throne inside the Dragonkin Soldier boss area in the underground areas of Fire Ring. The entire Ainsel River, Noktella and Siofra underground locales are impressive in their own right, surreal and darkly whimsical in a way that makes you wonder what kind of mind came up with such an elaborate world. And importantly, exploration is never a chore, as the game's myriad of weapons, summons, ashes of war, and crucial upgrade materials are scattered throughout the world. There's always something cool to discover around the next corner.

Outer Wilds

If you want to solve the mystery, keep exploring

Exploration as part of the game's story is when it really starts to shine and matter. It's not just a fun side feature Outer Wilds; that's the whole point. You are a brand new astronaut about to launch into space and travel where no one has set foot before. What could be a more exciting prospect than that? Within the first half hour of this game, you'll soon realize that things are a bit more complicated than that, that there's a reason why you're out here: the solar system is stuck in some kind of time loop that sends you right back to the start of the game after every cycle.

Each time you go back there you can explore more, slowly building up a picture of what's going on in the solar system and what might cause it to be part of the loop. It's a mystery best explored without outside help or hints, as that would defeat the purpose. You will fully immerse yourself in the role of an adventurer and space explorer only by going blind, noting what you observe in each cycle and then starting from the beginning again. Diving headlong into the unknown, that's it Outer Wilds really shines.

Minecraft

An infinite world, with infinite resources, ripe for exploration

There's simply no exploration like the one you're experiencing Minecraft. Mojang's sandbox survival game puts you in a world with no mission, no resources, and no grip. You are on your own, and what you do about the world is entirely up to you. Unlike some of the other games here, Minecrafts worlds are procedurally generated, but that doesn't make them any less engaging to explore. There are dozens of biomes and varieties, plants and mobs, ores and other resources to find in its overworld. Over the years, lots of structures from simple dungeons to test chambers have been added to the mix to make cave diving and adventure even more rewarding.

That element of randomness, of never knowing what you'll find in the next cave or behind the next hill, is what makes Minecraft so impossibly addictive. And if you get bored of the Overworld, you have two other dimensions to explore: the dangerous Nether and the surreal ending. While the latter needs a bit more meat on its bones, the Nether still has its own set of biomes and a couple of structures to really scratch that insatiable itch for challenge and exploration. In survival you also have to factor in the cost of exploring by managing your hunger and health if you get hurt, but once you unlock Elytra the world really opens up to you as you can just fly around with fireworks and traverse hundreds of blocks in no time.