Assassin's Creed Origins


Released: 2017 | Developer: Ubisoft

Assassin's Creed Origins' world is one of the best in the entire series and one of the most beautiful locales of any open world game ever. Our reviewer Chris loved how lively Ubisoft's take on Ancient Egypt felt despite its sheer size.

"Towns and villages are bustling with citizens, farmers, workers, and soldiers. There's plenty of dangerous (and eventually tamable) wildlife from vicious crocs and hippos lurking in the Nile to lions and hyenas prowling the sand dunes and rocky hills to flamingos and egrets that take flight when you thunder past on horseback."

There's gold in them thar hills too. After nearly 35 hours of play to complete the main quest, Chris still hadn't even visited entire sections of the map, meaning there were entire quests and characters and communities he'd yet to even catch a glimpse of. Assassin's Creed: Origins proves that Ubisoft is capable of reviving interest in a tired series through sheer artistry, and not necessarily by adding more bullet point back-of-the-box features. Ancient Egypt is just a great place to be, and now you can explore it without murdering people thanks to the free addition of an educational tourism mode.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance


Released: 2018 | Developer: Warhorse Studios

Buggy as it may be, Kingdom Come: Deliverance is an open world RPG slash immersive sim whose ambition outpaces its problems—most of the time. Not only is the small slice of medieval Bohemia beautifully rendered, but it's a complex (and loosely historical) simulation of life and death there too.

Andy Kelly attempts to summarize the scope in his review: "If you get caught stealing, you’ll end up serving some time in jail. If you unsheathe your sword during a fist fight, your opponent will back down and maybe even apologise. Nobles will be more willing to speak to you if you’ve had a bath. If your reputation in a town is especially high, people on the street will shout your name and sing your praises."

He goes on for a while, and even then, barely touches on everything. The detail in the simulation is almost absurd, a depth most big studios wouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole, but Kingdom Come manages to keep everything together well enough. And through it all you play a naive, vulnerable, unremarkable young man. Small dangers cast tall shadows over Henry, a lovable oaf, imbuing a plain world with the mystery and danger we look for in great open world adventures.

Forza Horizon 3


Released: 2016 | Developer: Playground Games

Forza Horizon 3 is a racing game, but it's not only a racing game. It's a huge, sprawling, beautiful sandbox full of city streets, pristine beaches, lush forests, and dusty deserts representing a condensed but still sizable slice of Australia's Outback. Its vast and varied terrain gives us lots to do: races, challenges, stunt jumps, collectible hunts, not to mention hundreds of cars to play with. Forza Horizon 3 is the best of an already excellent series in terms of size, scope, variety, and enjoyment.

Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl


Released: 2007 | Developer: GSC Game World

In Stalker, the open world is your enemy. Gamma pockets, anomalies and radioactive storms can end you in moments. Any building can hide scavengers or horrifying mutated creatures. Ammo and armour is scarce, and you’re lost in a wasteland so bleak as to be almost completely alienating. But as the Stalkers know, the Zone has a strange allure. Explore the blasted husks of Ukranian factories and apartment blocks, and try not to be too unnerved by the lifeless quiet. After a while, Stalker’s desolation becomes beautiful.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt


Released: 2015 | Developer: CD Projekt RED

An outstanding technological achievement, The Witcher 3 is the vanguard of a new wave of open world games able to leverage the power of modern gaming systems to create environments of extraordinary detail and scope. The bogs of Velen are a moody aperitif that primes you for the bustle of Novigrad and the sweeping forests of the nordic Skellige region—one of the most beautiful game locations ever.

You can spend hours sailing around those islands, stumbling upon quests, breaking curses, killing monsters and playing Gwent with rowdy locals. The Witcher 3’s towns are noisy, bustling places that make other open world towns seem lifeless by comparison. It’s a pleasure to simply pick a direction and walk—the hallmark of a great open world.