Highlights
- The best-looking open-world games leave a lasting impression by capturing the beauty and depth of their settings, whether this be a realistic city like the one found in Marvel's Spider-Man or a fantasy kingdom like Hyrule in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
- The attention to detail in games like Batman: Arkham Knight and Cyberpunk 2077 make exploring their visually stunning worlds a treat, despite the flaws and dangers that may exist within them.
- Games like Death Stranding and Ghost of Tsushima offer unique and captivating settings, with Death Stranding making use of minimalistic landscapes and Ghost of Tsushima striking a delicate balance between war-torn destruction and natural beauty.
As a whole, the open-world genre boasts plenty of memorable locations, but some are a lot more unforgettable than others. As one might expect, it tends to be the best-looking open-world games that live longest in the memory of players, teasing and tempting them to dive back in and explore a little more long after the credits have finished rolling. Given the depth of their design, most players are more than happy to oblige.
Best Open-World Games, Ranked
Open-world games give players a ton of freedom to work with. These titles have stood out the most over the years.
It's worth noting that the most beautiful open-world settings don't always adhere to the industry's tried and tested formula. Some do still strive for realism, but others drop the player into a fantasy world that feels more befitting of a fairytale than a video game. The results can be equally impressive either way though, as evidenced by the huge variety found throughout some of the best-looking open-world games.
12 Starfield
Metacritic Rating: 85 (PC)
Few games benefit from their settings quite as much as Starfield. There's always been something intrinsically beautiful about the vast emptiness of space, and Bethesda's 2023 title does an excellent job of capturing this as players travel throughout the settled systems. The graphics are far from cutting-edge (particularly when it comes to the game's NPCs), but then they don't really need to be in order to inspire awe.
With more than a thousand planets and moons to explore and countless star systems, it's easy to get lost in the grand scale of the game's universe. Granted, if players look closely enough they'll begin to find repetition, not to mention some of those bugs for which Bethesda games are renowned (particularly in the second half of the story). Even so, it's a beautiful game and one that's well worth experiencing.
Starfield
- Platform(s)
- PC , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S
- Developer(s)
- Bethesda
- Publisher(s)
- Bethesda
- Released
- September 6, 2023
- Metascore
- 86
11 Far Cry 5
Metacritic Rating: 82 (Xbox One)
Although some of the more recent Far Cry games may have it comfortably beat when it comes to graphical fidelity, in Hope County, Far Cry 5 boasts one of the most picturesque settings in the franchise's rich and varied history. This fictional location is set deep in the heart of the American state of Montana and does a wonderful job of capturing the Big Sky feeling for which the Treasure State is best known.
Unlike a lot of other Far Cry games, Hope County feels like it could be a real-world location rather than just a wild exaggeration full of copy-paste components designed to keep players engaged. Of course, there is still a ton of content crammed into Far Cry 5 and plenty of larger-than-life characters, but these elements seem a lot less jarring than they do in some of the series' other installments.
10 Elden Ring
Metacritic Rating: 96 (PS5)
Few games benefit from the mystery of their surroundings quite as much as Elden Ring. It's this mystery and the sense of adventure that it's able to evoke that encourages players to explore the Lands Between so thoroughly; an otherwise daunting task given that danger and death loom large every corner just waiting to jump out of the shadows and ruin the player's day.
Together with the game's captivating lore and challenging gameplay, this ever-present threat of danger and how at odds it can sometimes be with the game's beautiful setting makes Elder Ring a lot more memorable for players. With the Erdtree looming large over their position, they'll never forget where they are or why they're there; thus helping them to remain focussed on their daunting mission as they soak in the splendor of their surroundings.
Elden Ring
- Platform(s)
- PS5 , Xbox One , PS4 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , PC
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment , From Software
- Released
- February 25, 2022
- Metascore
- 96
9 Marvel's Spider-Man 2
Metacritic Rating: 90 (PS5)
The Big Apple may have its fair share of problems, but there's a reason why it's one of the most popular tourist destinations on the planet. The city's skyline is littered with iconic buildings, while its streets are swarming with colorful characters and countless opportunities for adventure. Marvel's Spider-Man did a fantastic job of recreating the city digitally in 2018, and its 2023 sequel builds upon this to great effect.
With digital tourism becoming increasingly popular, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is a great game for exploring the city that never sleeps, as the attention to detail that went into making the game is meticulous, to say the least. Even for those who've already been there, swinging through the streets allows players to see the city from a whole new perspective, while also providing players with plenty of opportunities to marvel at how true to life everything is.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2
- Platform(s)
- PS5
- Developer(s)
- Insomniac Games
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Released
- October 20, 2023
- Metascore
- 90
8 Batman: Arkham Knight
Metacritic Rating: 87 (PS4)
The Batman: Arkham series is best known for its excellent gameplay and tight combat mechanics, the latter of which helped to inspire countless other action-adventure games over the years. However, each one of the Rocksteady Studios titles is also beautiful in its own right, with Batman: Arkham Knight being the pick of the bunch when it comes to visuals.
The game does an excellent job of capturing the gritty tone that helped to make Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy so successful and boasts one of the best digital renditions of Gotham in video game history. The game's weather effects also deserve a special mention, with the city looking particularly stunning whenever the heavens decide to open.
Batman: Arkham Knight
- Developer(s)
- Rocksteady Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Warner Bros. Interactive
- Released
- June 23, 2015
- Metascore
- 87
7 Cyberpunk 2077
Metacritic Rating: 87 (Xbox Series X)
Beautiful probably isn't the first word that springs to mind when one thinks of Night City, but that's not to say that Cyberpunk 2077's sprawling megalopolis is completely bereft of charm. It depicts a different type of beauty; the kind that's often found in truth, even when the nature of that truth is flawed or downright ugly.
Cyberpunk 2077: The 16 Most Stunning Sights In Night City
Cyberpunk 2077's Night City might be a gritty place, but that doesn't mean it can't have its beautiful places.
Whichever way one slices it though, the warts and all nature of Night City can be mesmerizing at times, providing players with a living, breathing world in which it can be very easy to get lost; both literally and figuratively. It's dangerous, for sure, but that arguably makes exploring all of its nooks and crannies all the more rewarding.
Cyberpunk 2077
- Platform(s)
- PC , Xbox One , Stadia , PS4 , PS5 , Xbox Series S , Xbox Series X
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Publisher(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Released
- December 10, 2020
- Metascore
- 75
6 Death Stranding
Metacritic Rating: 86 (PC)
Death Stranding is a masterclass in minimalism and a reminder of the beauty that can be found when one takes a moment to stop and really take stock of one's surroundings. Although cold and uninviting, the rugged terrain that players are forced to traverse can also offer a strange sense of serenity, allowing for many moments of introspection.
This isolation can at times be liberating, but it can also smother the player if they allow themselves to get frustrated. It also sets the stage for the game's social strand system perfectly, with small and random acts of kindness from others reminding players that, though it may not always seem like it, they are never truly alone.
5 The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Metacritic Rating: 96 (Switch)
Much like its predecessor, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom serves as living proof that raw processing power isn't always needed to make a great game. Instead, it's the creative vision of the games' developers that allows the Kingdom of Hyrule to really shine, with players provided with all of the ingredients needed for a truly amazing adventure.
Rather than striving for realism, the games use a cel-shaded art style and a vibrant color palette, the latter of which is in stark contrast to the muted grays and dusty browns found in so many of their peers. This break from reality also allows for the inclusion of many fantasy-themed elements, which can at times make Hyrule feel more like a fairytale kingdom than a typical open-world setting.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Platform(s)
- Switch
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Released
- May 12, 2023
- Metascore
- 96
4 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Metacritic Rating: 94 (PS5)
There were a lot of games that received next-gen updates following the release of the PS5 and Xbox Series X, but few benefited from the makeover quite as much as The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. To be clear, the 2015 title has always looked great, but the inclusion of higher-resolution textures and raytracing support brought it to a whole other level.
Its open world may be sparsely populated, but that arguably works in the game's favor. Players can take in some truly stunning sights as they ride Roach from A to B and will encounter plenty of reasons to stop off along the way. It's one of the best-looking open-world games to date and really helped to cement CD Projekt Red's place as one of the genre's heaviest hitters.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Platform(s)
- PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , Switch , PC
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Publisher(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Released
- May 19, 2015
- Metascore
- 94
3 Red Dead Redemption 2
Metacritic Rating: 97 (PS4)
Having helped to popularize and define the open-world genre back in the early two-thousands, Rockstar Games continues to raise the bar with each new release. The care and attention that went into crafting the world of Read Dead Redemption 2 is really quite astounding and has allowed the game to age incredibly gracefully in the half a decade or so following its release.
Red Dead Redemption 2: 21 Most Breathtaking Locations
Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption 2 is a technological marvel, a fact showcased through its many realistic and beautiful locations.
Despite having first hit store shelves back in late 2018, the game still looks better than most modern AAA titles and its world remains every bit as enjoyable to explore as a result. It's easily one of the best-looking open-world games ever made and a must-play for fans of fun to explore settings or just open-world sandbox games in general.
Red Dead Redemption 2
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Publisher(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Released
- October 26, 2018
- Metascore
- 97
2 Horizon Forbidden West
Metacritic Rating: 88 (PS5)
Most of the best post-apocalyptic games tend to depict a world that is almost completely bereft of life, with both nature and humanity having mostly succumbed to whatever world-ending event has taken place therein. The Horizon games opt for a somewhat different approach though, instead taking place in a vibrant and effervescent world that nature has begun to reclaim for its own.
The way that the planet's flora and fauna have overrun the ruins of civilization tells a story of its own and makes it easy for players to envisage and understand the planet's gradual decay since the fall of the Old Ones. Thanks to the Decima engine, the visuals in both games are truly breathtaking, with Horizon Forbidden West offering a much larger and more varied setting for players to explore.
Horizon Forbidden West
- Developer(s)
- Guerrilla Games
- Publisher(s)
- Sony
- Released
- February 18, 2022
- Metascore
- 88
1 Ghost of Tsushima
Metacritic Rating: 87 (PS5)
When it comes to the best-looking open worlds in gaming, the one found in Ghost of Tsushima is very difficult to top. The vibrant colors that decorate the titular island's flower fields are in stark contrast to the scars left by the war that's ravaged it, yet there's a strange and delicate balance between the two, and, in that balance; real beauty.
Then there are the areas of the island that have somehow escaped the invading Mongol hordes. Granted, these may be few and far between, but it's this that makes stumbling upon one of them so utterly rewarding. They allow players to enjoy a brief moment of tranquility and respite before the bloodshed resumes and serve as a poignant reminder of what both they and Jin are fighting for.
Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut
- Developer(s)
- Sucker Punch
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Released
- August 20, 2021
- Metascore
- 87
