Valve has always been an industry leader in terms of groundbreaking gaming experiences, ranging from competitive multiplayer shooters to unforgettable single-player experiences that paved the way for so many games to follow. Having entered the hardware market in a big way with the Steam Deck, gamers now have access to a powerful handheld device with all the capabilities of a midrange gaming PC, with all the portability of a Nintendo Switch, delivering great performance on the go and giving players the option to experience some of the best titles the gaming world has to offer from wherever they choose.
While handheld gaming may have the reputation of being reserved for small games with more closed environments, theopen-world genre has plenty of titlesthat not only work great on Deck but are equally, if not more, impressive in a smaller form factor. Many of the best and most beloved open-world experiences ever made feel right at home in handheld form, and being able to traverse impressive landscapes and uncover all of the hidden details without needing a whole gaming setup is simply amazing. The platform that Valve has created is one of the best places to play, and there are no limits on what’s possible, letting players play however they choose, whenever and wherever.
While many open-world games might opt for impressive graphical fidelity and hyperrealistic environments, sometimes it’s nice to enter an expertly crafted world with a more unique style that puts gameplay and world design first.Drovaisan incredibly interesting RPG titlethat explores the diversity of Celtic mythology in an old-school isometric world full of darkness and mystery. Players start with effectively nothing but their wits and must do everything they can to grow stronger, forging alliances with factions and quelling the evil that fills the world.
Drovaon Steam Deck is exactly where the game is supposed to be played, as the dual-stick format, along with a more intimate handheld experience, makes every aspect of the environment and landscape feel much closer, and every interaction and moment has significantly more weight when compared to a big screen. The player really feels in control of every action and, with such a fluid combat system, combined with perfectly grim aesthetics, it is hard to find a game that captures the essence of a dark RPG quite like it. Some players may prefer a first-person experience as opposed to a more top-down approach, but the title is a great game for any open-world lover and belongs in the library of any Steam Deck owner.
It took a long time for the nail to be hit right on the head, butHogwarts Legacyshows that an open-world game set in theHarry Potteruniverse is more than possible. Pretty much every aspect of the books and movies is perfectly captured in a bundle of joy that keeps on giving at every turn. The world isn’t just a basic landscape with a few areas of interest; it’s an entire magical environment full of detail and love, centered by the entire Hogwarts school that has no end to its sprawling corridors and winding staircases and can be explored for hours on end.
The feeling of flying around on a broomstick, flying past iconic locations, all while riding a train or plane, is something that really needs to be experienced first-hand to be understood. The power of the Steam Deck is more than enough to support the higher end of the graphics, making every rooftop and every spell look and feel amazing, and the player never feels limited by the device and can freely move around the expansive world with no issue at all. It’s a standout entry in the open-world genre and the perfect title for fans of the series and for anyone looking to scratch their itch for witches.
Many open-world titles struggle to balance narrative intensity with expansive exploration, butArkham Knightsucceeds in creating a richly layered city of Gotham that feels both vast and intimately detailed. The world is a living character in itself, coated in a thick cloud of rain and lit by vibrant neon lighting that fills the air with life, making traversal through the streets just as enjoyable as the combat. Movement is king, as the player has so many options for getting between points of interest, or even just for free-roaming the gorgeous world, from wing-suits to a fully-kitted batmobile.
When taking the dark and rich atmosphere over to a handheld format, the world really excels at delivering a gloomy and bleak feeling, and each encounter feels like a movie scene, elevated even further on the OLED screen found on the newer Steam Deck models. Every moment is cinema, from gliding into action at high-speed to the expertly voice cutscenes that bridge the gap between video game and reality, which when put together, delivers a gaming experience that is hard to beat in scale and scope.
In a genre that is hotly contested by immersive RPGs from medieval times and modern sci-fi shooters looking to push the envelope, a game likeSubnauticais a refreshing break from convention that ticks all the right boxes. Set in an underwater world full of wonder and fear, there is a fine line drawn between rewarding exploration and a bit of thalassaphobia-based horror, where one moment the player is appreciating the beauty of the seafloor and the next, is hiding from giant leviathans that sweep through the ocean with their immense size.
There really is no other game like it, and that uniqueness translates perfectly over to the Steam Deck, where the exploration and freedom to choose how to approach every obstacle is made all the more immersive with a more intimate gaming device. Every wave, every piece of swaying seaweed, feels vivid and real, creating a sense of awe mixed with a healthy amount of dread. With the perfect combination of open-world survival and satisfying exploration,Subnauticais among the most interesting and compelling gaming universes out there.
The poster child for the RPG genre and a game that has had more re-releases and versions than games in its series,Skyrimis the perfect example of an open-world done right. There is never a dull adventure into the wild, with players having the option of riding straight towards their goals on horseback or diverting from the beaten path to explore a nearby cave in hopes of loot and glory. Choice is really the biggest factor that makes the game so great, as the abundance of skills, weapons, and armor means that whatever class type, whatever gameplay experience the player wants, they are free to choose it and really take on the role of the fantasy hero of their dreams.
The world has so much to offer, and players who have the ability to take their adventure on the go will be rewarded with an equally compelling experience that keeps on giving with every quest. It’s easy to forget what is real and what is fiction, as the storytelling and beautifully crafted universe of theElder Scrollshas so much to offer and never stops feeling like a real, living world full of wonder and excitement. Even a decade later,Skyrimis still near the top of the list for open-world adventures and feels even better when played on a modern piece of tech like a Steam Deck.
It is hard to put a single label onThe Outer Wilds,as there are so many genres all blended into one that the simple label of open-world exploration doesn’t do it justice. Removing the traditional quest markers and linear progression found elsewhere, the game presents a full open solar system governed by the laws of physics and dynamic time-based events. Every single planet is a puzzle box in motion, all collapsing, eroding, and revealing secrets as time goes on, as if the world itself is beckoning the player to explore more and encouraging true curiosity. The world doesn’t just expand through scale or spectacle; it grows through meaning, offering a whole universe where every single last detail matters and thediscovery of the mysteries within itis driven solely by the player’s own initiative.
On Steam Deck,Outer Wildsgains a newfound sense of intimacy. The format of the Deck puts more emphasis on the quiet moments of reflection and the awe of the beautiful yet terrifying worlds before the player. And the aesthetic is to die for; a minimalistic approach mixed with some smart optimization allows the game to run perfectly on the device with no problems at all. Any players who truly value exploration and yearn for a game that is as inviting as it is intriguing, this is the perfect title to lose their sense of reality and enter a universe that knows no contemporary.
Indie titles are the perfect addition to any Steam Deck user’s library, and when developers show that they are not afraid to push boundaries and create entirely distinct experiences, that’s when the device truly shines.Dreadis one of those games that leaves a sense of sadness in the player once it ends, both from the deeply rich and mysterious story and also from the desire for more.An open ocean full of aquatic creaturesof all shapes and sizes just waiting to be discovered, the game combines survival-like exploration with Lovecraftian horror and causes the player to be constantly uncertain about what lies just below the surface.
Gliding across the sea on a small but vibrant screen is the best way to experienceDredge,as when performance is never an issue, the beauty of the art style and world can really shine, and despite having a dingy, gloomy aesthetic, there is still so much to appreciate and quite a bit more vibrancy than there initially appears. For a quick adventure out into the open lands or for a whole night of world exploration, the game has one of the most distinctive and intriguing worlds to discover and more than enough sea life to keep players catching for hours.
Few game developers do itquite like FromSoftware, andElden Ringis the crowning achievementof the company and perhaps all of gaming. An entirely original world from the mind of one of fiction’s best modern writers, full of danger and wonder, The Lands Between is truly an unforgettable place to be in and offers a landscape so wide and broad in scope that just when players think they have seen everything, a whole new area opens up and invites them inside for a whole new adventure. Beautiful doesn’t even begin to describe the world, and combined with the best combat system in the industry, players will be drooling at the mouth from the perfection that isElden Ring.
And despite the game appearing like a demanding and intensive experience to run, the Steam Deck handles it with class, and for a game designed with controllers in mind, playing with the screen right in the palm of the player’s hands makes every swing and every dodge feel more real than ever. There is no limit to the ability to explore and being able to ride across fire, water, earth and more, all while on the go, is almost hilarious in how enjoyable and fun it can be. The pinnacle of a decade of game design and perhaps the best open-world game ever made,Elden Ringgoes down in the history books of gaming and will continue to excite and amaze players for generations to come.
