Among the myriad of Open-World games available for playing, a few select groups distinguish themselves for always surprising their players. These titles have a very particular set of features, carefully knitted into their worldbuilding, and brought to the players through immersive gameplay.
Learn all about ten of the best titles to play and always find something new, as you enjoy vast worlds, explore dystopian societies, or survive the merciless wastelands of a post-apocalyptic setting, with this list of perfect Open-World games that never stop surprising you.
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10 Skyrim
Nothing is As Random As This Game
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Released
- November 11, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim became a sensation from even before it launched, featuring one of the most highly requested features a gamer has ever wished for: to fight dragons without constraints. The world of the Northern Province is filled with dangerous beasts, bandits, and, of course, the returning threat of dragons, which can pop out of nowhere and are as whimsical as the harsh weather.
And even after so much time has passed, this brutal open-world RPG keeps surprising its players. No matter if readers try its Vanilla version or a heavily modded run, Skyrim is perfection made into a game, with its non-scripted events and procedural world encounters; anything can happen while exploring its huge map. This title is destined to become an icon of gaming culture, holding strong to its replay value for years to come.
9 Fallout 76
Many Players Underestimate This Game, But They Would Be Amazed By Its Potential
Fallout 76
- Released
- November 14, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Fans of the Fallout franchise have been asking for a multiplayer game for years, and they have it already: Fallout 76. The question is: Are they willing to give it a try? Despite all its detractors, this game has continued to deliver, and its community (though diminished) is really focused on co-op play and has zero toxicity.In its enormous sandbox filled to the brim with lots of mutated creatures and real-time world events, anything can happen.
A game such as this, with so many customization options, without a direct need for indulging in microtransactions, and with tons of quests, weapons, allies, enemies, and activities to discover, will always keep players entertained. Even its leveling system, which allows players to go beyond what's normal in a Fallout game, is entertaining. It is also worth noting that Fallout 76 is the only game in the franchise that allows players to create and play a Ghoul.
8 Red Dead Redemption 2
Nothing Says 'Surprise!' Like A Cougar On Your Face
Red Dead Redemption 2
- Released
- October 26, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
The Western States are a hostile wilderness that Rockstar Games had the kindness to fill with tons of incredible landscapes, random encounters, and utterly aggressive fauna. Roaming the vastness of the Wild West as Arthur Morgan is something that never ceases to amaze players, more so if they get really invested in the game.
Red Dear Redemption 2 might be one of the best Western games ever made, but that doesn't mean it will be the last. Still, it makes players wonder: What's coming up next? With a game so complete as RDR2,one should expect the next delivery would turn out to be no less than extraordinary.
7 Grand Theft Auto V
Lots Of Things To Do, Especially In The Multiplayer
Grand Theft Auto 5
- Released
- September 17, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action
- Platform(s)
- Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
For an old game, GTA 5 has aged surprisingly well, and despite its many updates and editions, it remains true to its essence: Surprising players at every step they take. In the city of Los Santos, anything can happen: A random police chase goes awfully wrong, Trevor wakes up on the wrong side of the bed, or a Heist goes south, and players get busted.
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Or maybe the players themselves trigger an epic police enforcement alert that ends with an absolute massacre. Even its Online Mode has a ton of potential and keeps entertaining players for hours. Grand Theft Auto 5 has fascinated and amazed players for the past decade, and will continue to do so for the next. Unless, of course, GTA VI proves to be even better than its predecessor.
6 No Man's Sky
The Very Definition Of Endless Wonders
No Man's Sky
- Released
- August 9, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Fantasy Violence, Animated Blood
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, Nintendo Switch 2
No Man's Sky has surpassed the expectations of both fans and detractors, and amassed an impressive amount of accolades, but what never ceases to amaze players is its constant free updates, which have taken millions of players to the stars and beyond.
A game in constant evolution, that never runs dry of new ideas to deploy and surprise its audience with. In NMS players can drive hundreds of ships, frigates, and corvettes, and now they can even craft their own spacefaring vessels. What else could they ask for?
5 V Rising
Merging Survival, PvP, ARPG, And Vampires
V Rising
- Released
- May 8, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Blood, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Stunlock Studios
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5
Usually, when developers get really creative and merge more than one genre, it ends up being either a complete mess or revolutionary. The case of V Rising is the latter, a fine example of the potential a survival game can have when you mix the right setting with the combat mechanics of an ARPG, and the challenging bosses of a soulslike.
Simply speaking, V Rising is a game that can never cease to bring out the fun side of being an evil bloodsucking creature of the night. Players can spend endless nights fighting other vampires, or incredibly tough world bosses, or terrorizing innocent villagers. The possibilities are endless, and surprises aplenty.
4 The Long Dark
It Will Make You Fear Winter
The Long Dark
- Released
- August 1, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Blood, Language, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
The Long Dark is a mix of a survival and exploration game that puts a lot of emphasis on resource and inventory management, and has both an intense Story Mode, and a Free Survival Mode to explore the vastness (and ruthlessness) of the desolate northern lands.
With four different grades of difficulty (including custom settings), this game is a challenging experience for every survivalist, and players will need to use all their wits and cunning to get a grasp of how to avoid the deadly frost or the jaws of the hungry beasts that roam the dark.
3 Valheim
Explore, Craft, Build, And Sail
Nothing puts players more on edge than having a game that is both unpredictable and relaxing at the same time. Valheim fulfills those requisites, being absolutely enthrallin g due to its design and easy-going gameplay loop, but its level of unpredictability, thanks to the raids, monster behavior, and physics, makes it quite stressful.
Games like Valheim are not so easy to find, and whenever fans of survival crafters catch a whiff of them, they become their next big obsession. But they're also unpredictable and always surprise new and old players alike: There's always something new to learn as you build, craft, and fight like a madman.
2 Enshrouded
With Lots Of Dungeons To Explore, And A Killer Mist Taking Over The World
Enshrouded
- Released
- January 24, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Keen Games
- Publisher(s)
- Keen Games
- Genre(s)
- Survival, Open-World, Action RPG
- Platform(s)
- PC
Enshrouded is a special game for those who enjoy cooperative survival, building, and RPGs, with an incredible worldbuilding and a gloomy dark-fantasy setting.
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It's a game that calls to be explored, and also kills those who dare explore beyond their limits mercilessly. In this game, anything can happen when diving into the Shroud, a killer mist that has taken over the world. Only those valiant enough (or crazy enough) can survive in these corrupted, yet breathtaking lands.
1 The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom
The Limit Is The Players' Creativity
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Released
- May 12, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Rated E for Everyone 10+ for Fantasy Violence and Mild Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo
- Genre(s)
- Adventure, Action, Open-World
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2
Players have long forgotten what the word 'limits' means, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the definitive proof that, if given enough freedom, they'll find the most curious and surprising ways to overcome challenges.
The game designers really did a number with TOTK, granting players the freedom to explore the vastness of Hyrule while also using tons of cool mechanics to fight, climb, fly, and glide through the lands. And once players have unlocked the Ultrahand ability, the game becomes even more fun and amazing. There's so much to do and try in this game, that players will never cease to find new and surprising ways to play it.
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