Summary
It’s a general rule of thumb that different parts of the world are great at different game genres. Japan is known for its incredible RPGs, Europe for its strategy games, and North American countries like the US and Canada have become more and more famous recently for a litany of brilliant open-world games.
Whether it’s massive AAA renditions of New York in the superhero genre or elegiac odes to the Old West, there are plenty of great open-world games made by North American developers. The games here will be ranked both by the quality of the game, and the quality of the open-world environment.
Ever since the early PS2 days when open-world games were in their infancy, rendering the world of Spidey in a video game context was a slam-dunk idea, resulting in the still-belovedSpider-Man 2movie tie-in game from that time. Though developers took some time away from that concept, Insomniac brought Spidey’s New York back to center stage, making one ofthe best Spider-Man video games ever madein the process..
It’s pretty difficult to not just make a convincing version of Manhattan in micro-cosm from the sky-high perspective of Spider-Man, but Insomniac clearly put in a lot of time to get the details right, making it fun to actually navigate around too. There’s a reason why the map was transposed mostly unchanged to the sequel. It’s that good.
Gamers are pretty divided these days on the direction of theAssassin’s Creedgames, but a hefty majority likely agree thatAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flagwas the pinnacle of the franchise, balancing the open-world elements perfectly with the RPG and stealth gameplay, all set in the pirate-ridden world of 18th Century Carribbean.
Taking control of the Jackdaw, players can roam the beautiful island paradise filled with treasure, adventure, and one of the franchise’s greatest stories to date. It’s utterly unique in the open-world genre, and is still yet to be topped, thoughrumors of an upcoming remakemay just manage it.
ThoughFar CryandFar Cry 2certainly had its fans, the franchise exploded in popularity withFar Cry 3,which brought the series back to a tropical island setting, now inhabited by some ofthe best marquee psychopath antagoniststhat defined the franchise from this point onwards.
InFar Cry 3,players wreak mayhem across two interconnected islands full of fun and a hefty dose of violence. Though the open-world itself isn’t super unique, the actual game is still considered to be one of the best of the entire franchise on account of its great story and madcap gameplay.
For anyone who wasn’t around for the originalWarcraftgames, it’s hard to describe just how exciting the idea ofWorld of Warcraftwas when it first dropped in 2004. The expansive world of Azeroth was about to become fully explorable, setting the stage for literally decades of content and lore to come, and fans of Blizzard’s work were absolutely delighted.
Azeroth is, to this day, still a stunning achievement in open-world design. Though it’s a little cartoony by some standards today, the persistent world really feels like it’s well-thought out, brimming with interesting characters, and full of secrets and lore for super-fans of Azeroth.World of Warcraftis one of the best open-world games to ever do it, and it rarely gets enough credit for being an open-world game pioneer.
Though it’s hard to find manyElder Scrollsfans who will agree on which game is the best, it’s worth celebratingMorrowindthat released all the way back in 2002, yet still commands legions of adoring fans for it’s delightfully strange interpretation of Vvardenfell, acting as a gateway drug to theElder Scrollsfor millions.
For those who haven’t played it, it’s undeniable thatMorrowindis a little janky in the modern day with some antiquated mechanical choices, but one those hurdles are overcome (perhaps withthe help of a vibrant mod scene),Morrowindproves itself as one of the best open-world RPGs ever made, setting the template for countless first-person RPG open-world games to follow.
WhileRed Dead Redemption 2may be the better game, it was also partially developed in Scotland, disqualifying it from this list. However, the originalRed Dead Redemptionis still a fantastic game that is still well worth playing today, being one of the best video game westerns ever made, second only to its prequel.
Playing as John Marston on a mission to hunt down the remaining members of the Dutch Van Der Linde gang, Rockstar traded in the urban sprawl of Liberty City for the desolate wasteland of the deserts, plains, and mesas of the American West and Mexican frontier that truly carves a space all on its own in the gaming pantheon.
A lot of ink has spilled over the complex and incredible game design and world ofFallout: New Vegas, now considered to be one of the very finest open-world RPGs ever made. It deserves that title too. Single-handedly outclassing the mainline Bethesda games,Fallout: New Vegasdemonstrates an unparalleled understanding of theFalloutworld and the incredible stories that can be told in its post-apocalypse.
What really makes the game sing is the complex faction system that allows the player to navigate the future of New Vegas however they see fit with unparalleled freedom. They can eliminate everyone, try to solve differences, or simply let chaos reign. Paired with incredible writing,some of the best companions in the RPG genre, and the memorable Mojave Wasteland setting, andFallout: New Vegashas a strong claim to be one of the best open-world RPGs ever made.
