Death Stranding wasn't the first time Kojima experimented with the open-world genre. Previously, Kojima has worked on Metal Gear Solid V that offers a full-blown open-world that is pretty vast. However, Death Stranding is unique because it offers a vast, desolate, open-world that not many games offer. It's a brutal experience that is very subjective to the playerbase. And while some might hate it or love it, this game is an experience unlike any other.
For the fans of the title, there may not be a directly similar game to Death Stranding. However, some offer a similar level of the desolated landscape to explore.
Updated September 24, 2021 by Mark Sammut: Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding is now available on PS5 through its Director's Cut. Remastered for the new console, this version is the definitive way to experience this bizarre and creative game about delivering packages and making connections in a barren wasteland. Death Stranding is a singular beast with no direct comparisons, but it is hardly the only game to notice the appeal of presenting a desolate open-world for people to explore. Once Sam Bridges' job is done, players can turn to these worlds for a touch of isolation, danger, and loneliness. Just don't expect babies.
13 Sable
An impressive debut effort from Shedworks, Sable is a memorable open-world game that takes inspiration from modern classics such as Breath of the Wild while striking a unique tone. Focusing entirely on exploration, Sable is set in Midden and follows a teenager as she heads out to complete The Gliding. This involves Sable going out into the desert to complete jobs and earn three masks. Once this is done, Sable's journey will be finished, but the game encourages and rewards thorough exploration of its stylish and beautiful world.
"Desolate" tends to suggest bleakness, but that does not necessarily have to be the case. Sable's trip is largely defined by solitude interspersed with brief interactions with people. It is therapeutic and relaxing, which can also be said for parts of Death Stranding​​​​​​.
12 The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
The Nintendo Switch could not have delivered a stronger launch title. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild redefined the open-world genre by presenting players with complete freedom. While Link does eventually have to challenge Calamity Ganon, he can follow any path he pleases to get there. The journey could take 20 or 200 hours, depending on someone's playstyle.
Set a hundred years following the fall of Hyrule, Breath of the Wild's world is desolate, broken, but still gorgeous. Hints of a once-great kingdom are peppered throughout, along with a few splashes of communities. Throughout his journey, Link will scale intimidating mountains, skate down snow-covered cliffs, and fight off a wide assortment of Bokoblin, Lizalfos, and Lynel. Breath of the Wild's gameplay is nothing like Death Stranding's, but both games revel in their quiet isolation.
11 Mad Max
Max Max was released all the way back in 2015. However, it still looks like a modern-day title. The post-apocalyptic game is somewhat underrated due to the stigma that follows licensed games, even ones that are not direct adaptations of a movie. However, it nails the concept of a desolated open-world pretty perfectly, and the game's driving sections take full advantage of the map's openness.
There is photogenic scenery everywhere, and a lot of abandoned areas to explore. Mad Max was developed by the same guys who made the Just Cause series. Hence there shouldn't be a doubt regarding the size of its open-world.
10 Fallout 4
Fallout4 is one of the most renowned Bethesda RPGs ever. The reason is pretty simple: the game is built around a post-nuclear desolated world full of interesting characters and quests. This is why all the games in the series, including Fallout 4, are great for exploring.
There's an RPG element to the game which keeps everything complex enough to last for hours. Moreover, the world has so many hidden stories and secrets that will satisfy any person who likes exploration.
9 Borderlands 3
Borderlands is yet another series that showcases a huge world split into parts. It's a full-blown shooting experience that is incredibly fun to play and has so many weapons. The world isn't super desolate, but it's enough to spark a feeling of sadness.
However, it's a mix of smaller areas or mission zones full of enemies and hazards. The game's tone is quirky and humorous, like a Mad Max title set in a Stephen Chow movie.
8 Fallout: New Vegas
New Vegas provides the best Fallout experience of the 3D era. It is big, empty, and packed with stories that make its desolate world full of excitement. Just exploring in Fallout: New Vegas and uncovering little tales is more exciting than those featured in newer entries in the franchise.
The only downside is Fallout: New Vegas's outdated gameplay, an element that can be somewhat improved through its PC modding community. If players can look beyond its gameplay mechanisms, New Vegas has probably the greatest Fallout world ever made.
7 Days Gone
The most underrated Playstation 4 exclusive of 2019 goes mostly uncredited for its open-world. Days Gone offers a lot of fun to the people who will not judge it for taking inspiration from other titles.
While the game does pick many things from other post-apocalyptic zombie games, Days Gone still does enough to stand on its own, and facing off against hordes of Freakers is always exciting. Days Gone's open world is full of various areas but manages to give the vibe of emptiness and sadness.
6 Rage 2
Co-developed by Avalanche Studios and id Software, Rage 2 unsurprisingly feels like a mix of Mad Max and DOOM. It has the bleak post-apocalyptic world and vehicular combat of the former and the frantic, impactful gunplay of the latter. An argument can be made that Rage 2 doesn't quite reach the heights of either game, but it does offer a solid option for those who yearned to play a first-person shooter version of Mad Max. It also comes with quite a few neat powers in the form of nanotrites.
The world is large and purposefully barren, although gunfights are usually never that far away. Rage 2 is also relatively short for an open-world game, so much so that most people can probably get through the campaign in around 15 hours.
5 Dark Souls
Dark Souls titles are not straight-up open-world titles, but rather pseudo-open-worlds like Borderlands. However, they do offer a big enough map to explore. The games are still unmatched in the way they showcase their desolated world. The art, the gameplay, traps, and ambiance make the world of Dark Souls more alive than any other.
Honestly, this game would've been on the top of this list if it was a complete open-world title. Luckily, the upcoming Elden Ring seems like just the game to look forward to, as it will be like an open-world Dark Souls game.
4 Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain is a sister game to Death Stranding. Created by Hideo Kojima, the fifth game in the franchise is a bold experiment to Metal Gear Solid's general formula, yet similar enough to the franchise's fans.
Many similarities can be seen between The Phantom Pain and Death Stranding, a given as come from the same mind. The Phantom Pain's open-world is vast, full of details, and desolate. Unlike other entries in the franchise, Metal Gear Solid 5 emphasizes the gameplay above the story.
3 Journey
It has been out for about nine years, and Journey is still a sight to behold regardless of whether someone has played it before or not. It uses a unique art style combined with great visuals that give it an everlasting look and feel. The game showcases an open world so vast that it seems genuinely endless, even though players are guided throughout the campaign.
However, it's the overall feeling that Journey nails best. This magical adventure invites players to a world that is big, empty, and filled with desolate areas.
2 Desolate
Desolate is an open-world survival video game released in January 2019. The game is literally titled Desolate, offering a world similar to its namesake. The game is played from a first-person perspective and offers a dynamic day and night cycle.
It has elements of horror and survival that really work in its favor. The game takes references from Beyond Despair and allows for four players to combine forces. However, for the ultimate desolate experience, a solo run is probably the way to go.
1 S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call Of Pripyat
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat is yet another survival horror game that totally nails the feeling of a desolate open-world. It is probably the best game in the series as it improves the gameplay considerably over S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, although that game is still pretty great.
The world of Call of Pripyat was built to perfection when it was released, making it a one of a kind experience. This game is still an enjoyable title to play for those who love exploring desolated landscapes. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl is set to be released on April 28, 2022 for the Xbox Series X/S and PC.