2019 has been an odd year for video games. While it hasn't had some of the crazy show stoppers that 2018 had, it's still a year full of great games. For the open-world lovers, the year has seen some great entries and updates making fro plenty of excellent video games.
With open-world games varying pretty widely, there is a great open-world title for every person out there. From first-person shooters to third-person action games, there has been at least one great game in each type. Here are the best open-world games of 2019.
10 10. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition (85)
While it's common knowledge at this point that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is one of the best open-world RPGs ever made, it's pretty shocking how well it runs on the Nintendo Switch platform. The complete edition that launched this year was the port over to the hybrid Nintendo console which is lacking the firepower of the other consoles on the market, making it a modern miracle that it can handle a game as massive as this. This isn't the best version of this game by any means but you can take it with you anywhere.
9 9. The Outer Worlds (86)
The latest RPG from the makers of the original Fallout and Obsidian who made Fallout: New Vegas, comes an action-packed space adventure that many open-world RPG fans will love. While it consists more of several smaller open-worlds and runs much shorter than other games in the genre, The Outer Worlds brings wit and a solid sense of humor often missed in many other games. The strongest part of a game is rarely the writing unless it's a "walking simulator" type game. Full of lovable characters (i.e. Parvati) this game is a fantastic ride.
8 8. Sunless Skies (86)
The PC exclusive title of Sunless Skies is one of the more unique titles in this list. Between its 2D top-down open-world maps and it's dialogue-heavy narrative this "rogue-lite" cosmic horror game has more adjectives than a student essay trying to hit a word count. You gain control of her majesty's Orphean ship, ready to explore space, seeking fame and fortune.
Between ports and exploration, there is a new narrative and narrative options to choose from, assuming you meet the requirements. The exploration forces you and your crew to stare into the Terror of the unknown, possibly leaving you forever scarred. While not everyone's cup of tea, Sunless Skies is perfect for those who love text and story-heavy RPGs.
7 7. Dragon Quest Builders 2 (86)
Minecraft meets Dragon Quest this building game takes place across several open-worlds, all unique islands full of building materials and monsters. Follow the builder on their quest to bring creativity and building back to the realm after evil forces have convinced everyone that building is in fact evil. Don't let the art design and game mechanics fool you, this is a full-length Dragon Quest games, it just swaps out turn-based combat for a very simple action-style combat and third-person building. The game is an absolute delight to play and gives a purpose in a genre that typically thrives on not having a purpose.
6 6. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (87)
Not as vast as some of the other games on this list, this remake of a Gameboy game is still defined as an open-world game. The new art style takes the limitations of the handheld console and uses the power of the Nintendo Switch to make it incredibly cute. While this remake doesn't do much to truly modernize the original it is still a fantastic title and an enjoyable experience for fans of the series. The only new feature is a dungeon creator that many feel leaves much to be desired, but everything brought over from the original is still magical.
5 5. Monster Hunter World: Iceborne (90)
The massive expansion to one of Capcom's most successful titles of all time, Monster Hunter World: Iceborne adds an entire game's worth of content to the massive action game. Venture out into the new snow region to take down bigger and tougher monsters.
This fantastic expansion is designed to give more content and a better endgame for the most hardcore of players. The expansion can't even be accessed until the main game has been completed, which would take around 50 hours to get through. That might be a turn off for those who haven't played before, but every ounce of content in this game is fantastic.
4 4. Disco Elysium (90)
One of the years sleeper hits, Disco Elysium is a text-based RPG harkening back to old-school RPGs. The game features no combat and is entirely about using the skills in your arsenal to talk with people and solve a murder. As a police officer with hardcore amnesia, you must discover who you are and how this murder occurred. The game has incredibly deep narrative systems that allow you to take any route you want and make whatever outlandish decisions you want. This deep narrative gives a fantastic story for anybody looking for a strong narrative game.
3 3. Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition (91)
The expansive JRPG got a massive facelift and ported over to the Nintendo Switch. Dragon Quest XI is one of the best open-world titles of last year and with the new additional content on a portable system, there is no reason to not pick up this game. A title that decisively makes a ton of quality of life improvements to the genre while still keeping that old school feel, it is one of the best games for veterans and newbies alike. Follow the hero on their journey to rid the realm of evil, while being hunted down by those in power.
2 2. Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers (91)
The latest expansion to the massive MMO Final Fantasy XIV, Shadowbringers adds a whole ton of new story content that sees the Empire try and reclaim Eorzia one more time. The hero becomes a villain in this newest expansion. If you haven't gotten into the title Final Fantasy XIV before this the entire starting portion of the game is being revamped to have an improved and streamlined experience to get people into the expansions sooner.
1 1. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (91)
The latest game out of FromSoftware, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice sees a shinobi, Wolf, try and save his master in this twisted version of the Sengoku period in Japan. The game takes place in a gorgeous open Japanese landscape but make no mistake, it's a dangerous world. From the makers of Bloodborne and Dark Souls, the game is as brutal as you would expect. Trudging through this tough experience may not be appealing to anyone, but the challenge is worth seeing the world they have crafted.