Summary
Open-world gameshave come to dominate the gaming landscape with their distinctive ability to offer personalized experiences, vast worlds to explore, stories to unravel, and limitless ways to play. While many game series have delivered remarkable standalone titles, some of theirsequelshave refined those foremost experiences to make them exceptional.
Some sequels choose to completely overhaul gameplay for a completely different approach, while others stay true to their predecessor’s roots to provide more of the same.The best open-world sequels,however, manage to find a balance, building upon what fans loved most while introducing fresh ideas. This list showcases games that embraced an existing open-world formula and elevated their series to new heights.
Horizon Zero Dawnwas a true original, skillfully weaving together an engaging story, a fascinating setting, thrilling combat, and a spirit of exploration—all essential elements that make for a memorable open-world experience. Building upon and superseding these foundations,Horizon Forbidden Westfirmly cemented itself and the series as anoteworthy addition to Sony’s roster.
Horizon Forbidden Westtakes significant strides forward compared to its predecessor, enhancing almost every element required to create an outstanding open-world adventure game. By enriching side quests, refining combat mechanics, expanding traversal options, and deepening the narrative, it offers a far larger and more immersive open-world thanHorizon Zero Dawn. This culminates in a unique adventure that is not only visually stunning but also tremendously enjoyable to explore.
Kingdom Come: Deliveranceemerged as an intriguing yet relatively flawed admission as Warhorse Studios' premier game. While it was a memorable title that offered a rich blend ofhistorical immersionand realism in its Medieval gameplay, it attracted only a limited group of fans and sadly never found its broader audience. It was, indeed, a diamond in the rough.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, on the other hand, presents a game with great depth, welcoming a significantly enhanced combat system, improved questing, and refined RPG elements—all integral upgrades that distinguish it from the original. It has become a highly successful sequel, appealing to longtime fans and franchise newcomers alike, and providing a hardcore RPG experience that commands respect. With this installment, the series firmly establishes itself as an IP deserving of serious recognition in the gaming industry.
Marvel’s Spider-Man,developed by Insomniac Games, delivered a long-overdue and fantastic rendition of one of the most beloved and iconic superheroes of all time. The game initially graced the PlayStation 4 as an exclusive title held in high regard, offering a vast and beautifully crafted open-world version of New York City and capturing the sheer thrill of what it meant to the web crawler to a tee. Simply put, there is no other open-world game where moving around is this satisfying.
Taking that successful recipe and bringing it to new levels of technical achievement,Marvel’s Spider-Man 2offers double the fun with the ability to play as both Peter Parker and his protege, Miles Morales. This latest adventure feels more vibrant than ever, and the gameplay remains nothing short of spectacular, once again featuring some of themost enjoyable movement mechanicsseen in a video game in recent memory.
Though many entries in the franchise have received critical acclaim,Borderlands 2is perhaps the most celebrated. While it showcased improved visuals and refined combat as a natural progression, its triumph lay in the significant storytelling advancement over its predecessor. Fortunately, with infamous antagonist Handsome Jack headlining the show with his chaotic blend of humor, malevolence, and charm, the already fantastic story was spurred into a truly memorable one.
Yet, this sequel offered more than just a compelling story. The series' enduring hallmark of guns, guns, and plenty of them, in various forms and functions, was developed tenfold from the firstBorderlands. For a game released in 2012, its cel-shaded art style and original personality remain impressive even today. As the finest entry point to the series,Borderlands 2set the standard by which all future looter shooters would be judged.
ThoughAssassin’s Creed 2certainly deserves recognition as a sequel that significantly improved upon its predecessor, the lasting influence of the subsequentAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flagis night and day. Offering an open world captured in a way never seen before, with a vast sea toexplore as swashbuckling pirates, this title represents a truly exceptional moment in gaming.
Revolutionary sailing gameplay and exploration mechanics thrustAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flaginto the limelight, and as such, the game transcended the series' origins. While the franchise centered initially on a lone assassin maneuvering through historical cities using parkour, this significant shift introduced a refreshing change of pace that many welcomed. Ubisoft’s innovative additions—now cherished by fans—were crucial to enhancing the overall gameplay experience and breathed new life into the series.
Released in 2012,Far Cry 3set the gold standard for open-world FPS gaming and is still considered to be thebest installment in the series, and it’s not hard to see why. WhileFar Cry 2transitioned the series into the open-world format and boasted excellent world design and visuals, it fell short in terms of storytelling and often veered into frustration with its signature malaria mechanic.
Far Cry 3, on the other hand, masterfully blended gameplay and narrative within a vibrant, tropical island setting, inviting players to explore and tackle missions in their own unique way. Weapons felt gritty, movement was fluid, and the introduction of the legendary antagonist, Vaas, brought to life through exceptional voice acting by Michael Mando, made the experience resonate long after the credits rolled.
WhileFallout 3may not stand as a flawless game, following its success was undoubtedly a tall order. Fortunately, Obsidian Entertainment didn’t have to stray too far from the path or attempt to reinvent the wheel withFallout: New Vegas. Utilizing the same engine and many of the same assets fromFallout 3, this sequel offered more of the same great gameplay, but with an added layer of intricate storytelling that captivated players and drew them into the experience.
Beyond the main storyline, the open-world exploration of post-apocalyptic Nevada was a captivating adventure across diverse locations, ranging from the neon lights of Las Vegas to the forlorn Mojave Wasteland. The RPG systems and freedom of choice were further expanded, enabling players to approach quests in various ways that reflected their preferred playstyle and character perks. To top it all off, four major story add-ons were released, featuring some of the most memorable quests in the series' history.Fallout: New Vegasemerged as a monumental success, embodying the very best of what theFalloutfranchise has to offer.
Spanning an impressive three generations of console gaming and still going strong over a decade since its release,Grand Theft Auto 5exemplifies longevity in the gaming industry. While much of this enduring success can be attributed to its online presence, the single-player experience ofGTA 5was remarkable. It showcased an unprecedented level of detail and freedom within a breathtaking open-world playground of a city, complemented by ahilarious yet grounded narrativethat was one of the series' best.
However, the innovative use of the three protagonists truly elevated this game above its predecessors. This system, which allowed players to seamlessly switch between the three main characters at any time, was a groundbreaking feature from a technical perspective. From a narrative standpoint, it was a stroke of genius, creating a trio of iconic personalities that resonated with the story Rockstar masterfully framed throughout the game. AlthoughGTA 4marked a solid entry in the series, offering its own memorable moments and technical advancements,Grand Theft Auto 5stands out as a masterpiece in game design and is undoubtedly the finest installment in the series to date.
WhileThe Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowindredefined open-world gaming,The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimcompletely revolutionized the concept of RPGs set in fantasy open worlds. Immersion flowed effortlessly throughoutSkyrim, providing a sandbox filled with stunning landscapes, engaging quests, and mysteries consistently waiting to be uncovered.
AlthoughThe Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivionwas nearly flawless, it significantly fell short in its main storyline and central plot. In contrast,Skyrim, with its central narrative of being the pivotal Dragonborn and the inclusion of dragons, elevated the franchise to new heights of popularity. It supplied a compelling adventure that was worth pursuing to the end, even after hundreds of hours of engaging side content to act as an enticing distraction.
Found at the top of many personal lists of favorite games of all time, and for good reason,Red Dead Redemption 2is undoubtedly the finest assembly and execution of an open-world game to date. It represents a meticulously crafted, organic, and engrossing love letter to gaming that introduces players to a level of realism thought impossible in game design. While it shares much of its predecessor’s brilliance, this installment surpasses the original thanks to its remarkable graphics, technology, and advancements in narrative depth.
With a jaw-dropping ensemble of scenery, intricate nuances of physics, and a heart-wrenching narrative of complex relationships, the game weaves together numerous elements to create a cinematic experience that every gamer should witness. In short, when it comes to gaming—let alone open-world gaming—few titles can match the excellence ofRed Dead Redemption 2.
