Vlad Mazanko-Senior Author

Editorial Team

Senior Author

April, 2024
Open-World, Action RPG, Racing
  • 364
    articles
  • 345
    Lists
  • 19
    Guides

About Vlad Mazanko

Vlad Mazanko is Ukraine-based gaming enthusiast, writing about the industry since 2013 and covering everything from games and studios to movies and TV shows. He joined the Valnet family back in 2021, with past works featured at TheGamer and DualShockers. Over the years, he has worked on news, guides, lists, and reviews, always aiming to ensure a combination of factual accuracy and an engaging overall read.

Industry Focus

With years of experience in gaming news and a wide range of factual knowledge about the industry, his newest passion is doing lists. These allow to deliver brief squeezes of his favorite games, genres, and their creators. Mostly covering open-world action and RPG titles, soulslikes, and racing games, he also strives to complete every game before covering it to share a full picture with the readers.

Favorite Games

Some of his favorites of past years include Elden Ring, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Alan Wake 2, Resident Evil 4, Marvel Snap, Balatro, Forza Horizon 4, Cyberpunk 2077, The Last of Us Part 2, Red Dead Redemption 2, Gwent, God of War, Black Myth: Wukong, Grim Dawn, and The Witcher 3. He's also able to find joy even in not-as-universally-beloved games like Anthem, Mafia 3, Mass Effect: Andromeda, Marvel's Avengers, The Callisto Protocol, Outriders, or Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.

Favorite TV Shows

With a recent renaissance in video game adaptations, he greatly enjoyed Arcane, The Last of Us, and the Fallout series. Other notable TV shows and miniseries he'd recommend to anyone are Legion, Watchmen, Euphoria, Undone, True Detective, Sugar, and Fargo. He enjoys distinct visual storytelling coupled with a strong emotional core, as well as entangled stories with plenty of mind-blowing twists.

Latest

Open-World Games Where You’re Feared by Everyone
6 Open-World Games Where You’re Feared by Everyone

These are the best games that perfectly embody the idea: “I’m not locked in here with you... You’re locked in here with me!”

10 Best Open-World Games If You Want A Second Life
10 Best Open-World Games If You Want A Second Life

These open-world games are not only incredibly long but also feature immersive mechanics to keep players engaged in their virtual worlds for hours.

13
10 Most Perfect Games Released Since 2010, Ranked
The 10 Most Perfect Games Released Since 2010, Ranked

It’s almost impossible to find serious flaws in these games that represent the pinnacle of gaming over the past 16 years.

32
Assassin's Creed Valhalla - Best Weapons
Assassin's Creed Valhalla: The Best Weapons

Assassin's Creed Valhalla takes players on a wild Viking adventure, and it's important to carry only the best weapons during a playthrough.

Biggest Upcoming Open-World Adventure Games
The 7 Biggest Upcoming Open-World Adventure Games

Expansive worlds, gorgeous visuals, and a dizzying sense of an adventure ahead — these titles promise to deliver all three.

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Open-Worlds That Feel Like Real Places To Actually Live In
10 Games With Open-Worlds That Feel Like Real Places You Could Actually Live In

Authentic, immersive, and believable — these are some of the most convincing open worlds that give a truly lived-in feeling.

5
Most Immersive Open-World Games From the Past Decade, Ranked
8 Most Immersive Open-World Games Released in the Last Decade, Ranked

For truly immersive open worlds brimming with small details and special atmosphere, these titles released in the past 10 years are definite standouts.

Open-World RPGs With The Best Exploration
7 Open-World RPGs That Perfected Exploration
RPG

Few players would argue that these open-world RPGs all but perfected the process of exploration in the genre, standing above the rest.

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Open-World Games That Let You Play at Your Own Pace
7 Open-World Games That Let You Play At Your Own Pace

For players who do not like rushing their journey or feeling extra pressure, these open-world titles let you take things at your own speed.

12
Open-World RPGs That Age Better Every Year Thanks To Mod Support
5 Open-World RPGs That Age Better Every Year Thanks To Mod Support

Fans of these games can play them almost endlessly, discovering new additions and alterations through the community modding scene.

1
Explore the Most Jaw-Dropping Game Worlds of the Decade
The Most Ambitious Video Game Worlds Created In The Last Decade

Over the past decade, devs have produced plenty of truly original worlds in gaming, and these are the most fascinating and ambitious of the bunch.

Open-World Games That Feel Personal Instead of Epic
7 Open-World Games That Feel Personal Instead Of Epic

You don't need to save the world in these open-world games. Their more intimate, character-driven stories keep things firmly on a personal level.

Open-World Games That Do What Ubisoft’s Open Worlds Never Could
7 Open-World Games That Do What Ubisoft’s Best Never Could

Not to diminish the Ubisoft formula, but it’s hard to imagine the company creating anything that remotely feels like these open-world titles.

15
best-movie-trilogies-of-the-past-30-years
The 10 Greatest Movie Trilogies Of The Last 30 Years, Ranked

Relive the magic of cinema's greatest three-film stories. Our ranking of the top movie trilogies since 1995 features action, animation, and more.

1
Adventure Games That Officially Last More Than 100 Hours
8 Adventure Games That Officially Last More Than 100 Hours

These adventure games are among the best picks for players looking for an experience that feels almost never-ending.

nostalgic-2015-best-games-that-become-classics
10 Video Games From 2015 That Are Now Considered Classics 10 Years Later

2015 was an incredibly strong year for gaming, with many titles that managed to stand the test of time and become widely acclaimed classics today.

9
Open-World Games With Environmental Storytelling Better Than Elden Ring
7 Open-World Games With Environmental Storytelling Better Than Elden Ring

These open-world games are perfect for players who enjoy subtle narratives that can be uncovered through careful exploration.

12
Best Next-Gen Open-World Games With Ultra-Realistic Graphics
Best Next-Gen Open-World Games With Ultra-Realistic Graphics

These great open-world titles truly show what the current generation of platforms is capable of in terms of visuals.

4
Soulslike Games With Better Combat Than Sekiro Shadows Die Twice
5 Soulslike Games With Better Combat Than Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Wait, is it even possible? These soulslike action titles might prove it really is.

4
Welcome The Next 5 Big Open-World RPGs
Say Hello To The Next 5 Big Open-World RPGs

The first quarter of 2026 is already stacked with promising games to choose from for open-world action-RPG enthusiasts.

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