Summary
Open-world games usually let players roam freely, but when paired with tightfirst-person shootingmechanics, that freedom becomes a playground of chaos, creativity, and, often, really well-placed headshots.
These titles on Steam don’t just offer sprawling landscapes or jaw-dropping vistas — they combine that scope with high-impact gunplay that actually feels good to use. Whether it’s looting dilapidated buildings, waging guerrilla war in the countryside, or just fast-traveling across radioactive deserts to get into another firefight, these are the best open-world FPS games Steam has to offer.
Atomic Heartis a strange, ambitious ride through a Soviet fever dream where the utopia of automation has, predictably, gone completely sideways. It’s not exactlya horror game, but it also never lets players get too comfortable, thanks to its uncanny enemy designs and bizarre tone shifts. There’s something quietly unnerving about running through pristine research labs one moment and bashing humanoid robots with a shock baton the next.
Set in Facility 3826, a sprawling complex where AI and polymer tech have fused into something deeply uncomfortable, the game leans hard into its alternate-history sci-fi. It mixes slow-burn exploration with frantic FPS combat, all viewed through the eyes of Major Nechaev, whose voice acting swings between confused sarcasm and full-on rage, depending on how many robots just tried to strangle him.
What works inAtomic Heart’s favor is how dense and unpredictable its world is. Players can explore wide-open areas full of secrets, upgrade blueprints, and creatively dispatch foes using a mix of firearms and elemental glove powers. The shooting feels deliberate and weighty, and while not as twitchy as other entries on this list, the combat’s deliberate pacing actually sells the survival feel. When a VOVA unit locks eyes across a wheat field, it feels more like a duel than a skirmish.
There was a brief moment in 2019 whereRage 2tried to see if painting the apocalypse in neon pink would make it more fun — and honestly, it kind of worked. Co-developed by id Software and Avalanche Studios, this oddball sequel ditched the muted tones of its predecessor and went all-in on chaos. Players are dropped into a post-apocalyptic wasteland with a big gun, a faster car, and not a single reason to slow down.
The open-world part is textbook: bandit camps,side missions, and roadblocks to blast through. What setsRage 2apart is how buttery smooth the gunplay is. The shooting inherits a lot of id’s DNA — specificallyDOOM’s — so weapons feel snappy, kinetic, and gloriously messy. Shotguns launch enemies into the next ZIP code, assault rifles rattle like thunder, and the Overdrive mechanic turns players into a short-lived god of bullets and fire.
It’s also one of the rare open-world FPS titles where the car combat isn’t a drag. Vehicles come with mounted guns, nitro boosts, and the occasional rocket launcher, making road trips less about sightseeing and more about turning convoys into smoldering piles of loot. It may not have the narrative chops of other games on this list, but in terms of pure, reckless shooter joy,Rage 2delivers.
At its core,Fallout 4is about rebuilding after the end — whether that means restoring humanity or just hoarding every coffee mug in Massachusetts is up to the player. Set in a bombed-out version of Boston, it’s a game where exploration, storytelling, and character customization all orbit around a very solid FPS core.
While earlierFalloutgames leaned heavily on V.A.T.S. to pause time and let players target specific limbs,Fallout 4upped its real-time gunplay significantly. Weapons feel more responsive, iron sights actually matter, and modding guns becomes its own side obsession. A pipe rifle at level 5 might be a joke, but by level 30, it could be a custom-tuned death cannon with a scope and enough recoil to shatter a wall.
The Commonwealth is packed with secrets: glowing deathclaws in church basements, feral ghouls hiding in collapsed metro tunnels, synths posing as townsfolk — it never feels empty, and the verticality of some of its urban spaces adds real tactical consideration to firefights. It’s also one of the fewopen-world first-person shooterswhere companions genuinely shift combat encounters.
Set in the rural county of Hope, Montana,Far Cry 5ditches exotic jungles for forests, farms, and cult compounds. And it works — because what could possibly be more terrifying than a doomsday cult with helicopters and a flair for country rock?
The real magic ofFar Cry 5lies in its moment-to-moment chaos. One minute, players are sneaking through tall grass with a suppressed rifle, and the next, a bear named Cheeseburger is tearing through a dozen fanatics while a friendly pilot rains fire from above. The game hands players a pile of tools — throwing knives, sticky bombs, remote drones — and then encourages them to make a glorious mess.
FPS gameplay here is tight and adaptive. Guns feel good, especially in mid-range encounters, and the lack of traditional leveling means players can tackle any region at any time. It’s also the firstFar Cryto allow full campaign co-op, meaning synchronized headshots or chaotic fishing trips are always on the table.
WhenHalo Infinitefinally landed after a tumultuous development cycle, it brought with it a grappling hook that instantly became the MVP. For a series that was mostly linear up until now, stepping into Zeta Halo’s open world felt like a bold reinvention. But it’s the way the game mixes that freedom with itssignature sandbox FPS combatthat makes it sing.
The AI still holds up, too. Enemies work together, flank, throw grenades to flush players out, and even taunt mid-fight. It’s a combat sandbox that rewards creativity over brute force.
The open world isn’t packed with side quests in the traditional sense. Instead, it’s dotted with FOBs to recapture, Spartan Cores to find, and High Value Targets that drop unique weapons. That minimalist approach actually works in the game’s favor, keepingthe focus on traversaland combat rather than checklist fatigue.
While some critics called the world design repetitive, the core shooting feels so good that clearing out yet another Banished outpost rarely gets old. And when the music swells mid-battle? It’s pure sci-fi adrenaline.
After a bumpy launch that nearly tanked its reputation,Cyberpunk 2077is now, finally, the immersive open-world FPS it always wanted to be. Night City is a neon-soaked sprawl of alleyways, mega-buildings, and bad decisions waiting to happen, and the shooting has gone from serviceable to seriously slick thanks to major overhauls and thePhantom Libertyexpansion.
V isn’t just another shooter protagonist — they’re a walking arsenal. From smart guns that curve bullets around cover to tech weapons that charge up and melt faces, combat inCyberpunk 2077feels customizable down to the muscle fiber. Add in cyberware like Sandevistan slow-mo or Mantis Blades, and firefights become a blend of traditional FPS and cyberpunk kung fu.
The open world is alive in ways most games can’t touch. Gangs patrol turf, police respond to crimes, fixers call with gigs. Side quests often branch out into full narrative arcs, some of which eclipse the main story in quality. And then there’s Johnny Silverhand, played by Keanu Reeves, whose snarky commentary and personal vendetta shape the entire journey.
Metro Exodusisn’t just a great open-world FPS — it’s a rare game that makes every bullet feel like a decision. Set after the events ofMetro: Last Light, this third entry ditches the claustrophobic tunnels of Moscow in favor of a cross-country journey through Russia’s devastated wilderness. But, while the spaces are wider, the tension is still suffocating.
Artyom’s quest to find a new home leads him and the Spartan crew across a year-long odyssey through deserts, swamps, forests, and frozen wastelands. Each chapter introduces a semi-open hub, filled with optional encounters, scarce supplies, and moral choices that actually matter. Combat is gritty and grounded. Guns jam. Supplies run low. Filters on gas masks break mid-fight. Every firefight feels earned.
What setsMetro Exodusapart is how it balancessurvival horrorwith shooter mechanics. A headlamp isn’t just for show — it reveals threats and attracts them. Nighttime ambushes can either be avoided with stealth or turned into brutal last stands. And Artyom’s silence as a protagonist lets the world speak louder, whether it’s in creaking structures, hissing anomalies, or the static of an old radio.
It’s a shooter that never forgets it’s about survival, not domination. And in a genre that often leans toward power fantasies,Metro Exoduschooses atmosphere, pacing, and consequence. That’s what makes it unforgettable.
