Summary
While modern big-budget open-world games are usually multinational affairs these days, there is plenty of brilliant localized talent, particularly when it comes to Europe. Drawing on old-school RPGs and a love for realism, European open-world games really tick all the boxes.
Whether it’s immersive dives into the past, epic RPGs set in fantasy worlds, or the most influential open-world game ever made, Europe has plenty of open-world credentials to boast. Just a quick note: this article defines “European” as the continent, not the European Union.
As the open-world game became ever more popular in the 2010s, many gamers felt that it was becoming stale and check-box ridden rather than truly innovative. EnterKingdom Come: Deliverance, the passion project of Warhorse Studios, which decided to buck all modern trends and make something a little janky, but truly wonderful and realistic.
2025’sKingdom Come: Deliverance 2is the perfect sequel, improving on the original game in almost every way imaginable, resulting in one of the best open-world RPGs ever made witha massive roster of brilliant side quests. While it’s not for everyone, fans of these games are as loyal as they come.
There’s a common misconception that Rockstar Games was always an American company, which isn’t true at all. In fact, for the majority of their history, the guts of Rockstar’s production came out of Scotland, includingGrand Theft Auto 3, one of the most important open-world games ever made that defined the template for hundreds of games to come.
While the game has become dated in recent years and its sequels were developed all around the world, the originalGrand Theft Auto 3still stands as a testament to European creativity, even if the setting is as American as apple pie.
ThoughMicrosoft Flight Simulatormight not be the first game that comes to mind when considering open-world games, it may actually be one of the biggest open-world games ever made in its ludicrous but brilliant attempt to simulate the entirety of Earth itself.
While the flight simulator genre takes a little expectation-adjusting, particularly for gamers looking for more immediate action, the stunning attention to detail in the world and use of satellite imagery to constantly evolve the open-world to be ever more details makes it well worth a gander, even for gamers who aren’t fans of the genre.
Though theForza: Horizongames have perfected the open-world driving game in modernity, many gamers still look fondly back onBurnout: Paradiseas one of the best to ever do it. Players are let loose in the titular Paradise City in a collectathon carnage simulator where massive wipe-outs, blaring rock music,and a truly massive mapare the name of the game.
Coming from the more constrainedBurnoutgames,Burnout: Paradiseproved the indelible appeal of the open-world format and showed that more genres than just third-person shooters could thrive in an open-world context. That’s a big reason why it’s considered one of the best racing games ever made.
Superhero games are tricky beasts to master. Players need to feel powerful, without the game being boring, and it’s got to appeal to die-hard fans while welcoming in new audiences too. It’s a tough balance, but one that Rocksteady absolutely nailed inBatman: Arkham Asylum, and somehow improved on inArkham City.
Playing as Batman in the newly opened Arkham City, a dilapidated section of Gotham walled off to containthe city’s rogue gallery, players are able to use their grapnel gun and cape to glide across the rooftops in the Batman open world gamers and nerds had been dreaming about for decades. It’s a big reason why it’s considered not just one of the finest superhero games ever made, but one of the finest games ever made, period.
AfterGrand Theft Auto 5, Rockstar began to give co-credits to all Rockstar studios across the world for their next ventureRed Dead Redemption 2, which meansthe heist-action ofGrand Theft Auto 5may well be the last Rockstar game that arrives bearing the name of Rockstar North, the venerable Scottish-based studio that has become a titan of the gaming world.
Most gamers find it surprising that a Scottish game company developed a game so quintessentially American, but that might be the reason why it works so well. The distinct European perspective is perfect for parody, and though Rockstar North may not appear on the front ofGrand Theft Auto 6’s box art, they’re still guaranteed to have a massive influence.
No list of open-world European game developers would be complete without talking about CD Projekt Red, the famed Polish developer that producedThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, quite possibly one of the best RPGs ever made that still dominates top ten lists almost a decade after release due to its great writingand stunning hidden side quests.
In the game, players take control of Geralt of Rivia, a monster hunter who must navigate the dark fantasy world full to the brim with monsters of both fantastical and human nature. It’s a compelling showcase of CDPR’s trademark brilliant writing that has made them a household name.
It’s hard to imagine that once upon a time,Minecraftwasn’t the beloved global sensation supported by a worldwide megalith like Microsoft, but a plucky indie game made by one Swedish developer. Yet, here it is, and it’s a testament to the fact that good game design trumps all, resulting in a stone-cold classic that can be revisited time and time again into modernity.
The true long-lasting nature ofMinecraftisn’t just because of its open world, but because of its procedural generation that makes every world feel unique and characterful. Everyone remembers their first base, creeper, enderman, diamond, and nether portal construction. It’s all beautifully designed from top to bottom and a real testament to the inventiveness of European game design.
