Open-world games are among the most successful and highly praised titles in gaming history. Although a linear adventure or an RPG can easily achieve incredible success, something about the unbridled exploration of an open-world game lends itself to brilliance. It's no small task to create a detailed and fun world for players to explore, which is perhaps why those who commit to doing so almost always hit the mark. Open-world games often intersect with other genres like sandboxes, action, adventures, and RPGs, usually resulting in a truly immersive experience.

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Thanks to their massively imaginative nature, open-world games have a lot of comedic potential. Where else is better to demonstrate satire and humor than a world as vast and complex as our own? The entire ability to freely explore a world opens up dozens, if not hundreds, of chances for unique and hilarious encounters. The sheer interactivity of the genre makes it incredibly intricate to create, but massively successful when executed well. In fact, many fan-favorite games are the ones that perfectly combine a great gaming experience with a fun, satirical world - and luckily, there are a lot of open-world games that are comedic.

7 Open World Game: The Open World Game

Metascore: TBD

Open World Game: The Open World Game is exactly what it says: It is the quintessential open-world game. As stated by the game itself, it's time open-world games had all that distracting environment and depth stripped away. Finally, players can focus on the mechanics and progression aspects - like all good gamers want to.

This self-proclaimed satire game aims to level with players and disclose exactly what it takes to make an open-world game. A lot of Steam reviews will show how well it achieves this goal, and many others. Those who invest in Open World Game: The Open World Game may find themselves leaving with more existentialism than they bargained for. The game is free to play on Steam, and has very positive reviews.

6 Goat Simulator 3

Metascore: 68

Goat Simulator 3 is an open-world action video game where players assume the role of a menacing goat. The goal of the game is somewhat subjective, and generally, players must explore and engage in various activities to unlock achievements. Players can interact with the environment and various objects to cause havoc around the map.

It's safe to say that this very strange open-world game is absolutely dripping with ridiculousness and hilarity. The game also features a multiplayer mode, allowing gangs of goats to unleash chaos on unsuspecting bystanders. Any gamers wondering where Goat Simulator 2 is - well, the developers completely skipped it as an inside joke between players and the creators.

5 Sunset Overdrive

Metascore: 81

Sunset Overdrive is an action-adventure game set in the future. It pairs fast-paced, parkour-style gameplay with a dystopian capitalistic open world packed full of color and tech. The plot centers around a soft drink corporation, FizzCo, releasing a toxic drink that makes those who drink it morph into a violent Overcharge Drinker (known as an OD).

Most gamers can tell from the plot that Sunset Overdrive isn't afraid of getting ridiculous and leaning into the insane drama of the story to make fun of American consumerism. There's some well-placed satire as well as some silly futuristic fun, making Sunset Overdrive a fabulous homage to eras of vibrant color and punk youth.

4 Saints Row 2

Metascore: 81

Despite Saints Row having a somewhat serious tone, comparisons to Grand Theft Auto left Saints Row 2 looking to carve out its own place in the gaming world by taking on a more comedic tone. The developers took the game in an outlandish and wonderfully wild direction. The game cleverly uses funny moments to contrast with the dark narratives taking place, and was overall a huge success.

The solid mix of hilarity and heart makes Saints Row 2 a great addition to the open-world genre. Many players relished the more ridiculous aspects of the game, and its irreverent tone quickly made it popular with the open-world audience. It's currently the highest rated Saints Row game on Metacritic, and for good reason.

3 Bully

Metascore: 87

Rockstar Games are no strangers to comedy, and their 2006 game Bully is - thankfully - riddled with hilarity. Often cited as a fan-favorite, Bully follows class clown Jimmy Hopkins as he tries to climb to the top of the school ladder by becoming allies with the various cliques at Bullworth Academy. Jimmy engages in numerous scandals, pranks, and chaotic activities in order to rule the school and undermine authority.

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The clever dialogue and ridiculous missions are classic Rockstar designs, and many players will be able to draw comparisons between Bully and later GTA games. This silly jaunt into high school life is easily one of the most fun and comedic open-world games available, and will absolutely leave players with fond memories.

2 Borderlands 2

Metascore: 89

Gearbox Software's Borderlands 2 is comedic, insomuch as it leans into the lunacy of technology, and utterly commits to its own world-building. Compared to the first game, Borderlands 2 places a lot more emphasis on its script and the dialogue absolutely succeeds in making the narrative engaging and the characters extremely vivid. Combined with the game's love of explosions and increasingly insane weaponry, Borderlands 2 easily becomes a triumph of comedy, heart, and some good old fashioned satire.

Any game with an antagonist who's the head of a massive corporation is bound to use satire to draw comparisons between its world and modern American consumerism. Borderlands 2 does so with style - and once again uses its comedic atmosphere to really make the dark moments hit hard.

1 Grand Theft Auto 5

Metascore: 97

Grand Theft Auto is often looked at as the ultimate example of open-world gaming and, as technology improves, Rockstar has repeatedly evidenced why their franchise deserves such acclaim. Grand Theft Auto 5 brilliantly executes a bustling, distinct, and satirical world that is hilariously rewarding to explore and absolutely ridiculous in essence. The Los Santos map is an unforgiving parody of LA, taking shots at its superficial nature and consumerism-heavy lifestyle. No place, person, or object is safe from GTA 5's criticism, with politicians, business people, and citizens themselves also being subjects of ridicule.

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From the witty dialogue of fake radio hosts to the advertisements on billboards, everything in this game screams satire. It's so ridiculously over the top that it almost comes full circle, and after a while the scenarios the three protagonists find themselves in don't feel quite so exaggerated. There's little doubt that when it comes to satire in open-world gaming that Grand Theft Auto5 will continually land on top, at least, until GTA 6 arrives.

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