What comes to mind when thinking about the greatest open-world action RPGs of all time? This is taking into account how big the open world is, how fun the action is, and how deep the RPG mechanics go. There are plenty of games that have segmented virtues with mastering one thing over another, but the following examples get all three right on mostly balanced levels.
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Whether every aspect is perfect or not is not what is important. Overall, these open-world action RPGs helped the genre flourish and may continue to help it grow if publishers keep them accessible across future consoles. They will be ranked based on quality, innovation, and how well all three design choices come together.
Yakuza 0
Money Talks
Yakuza 0
- Released
- January 24, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
Yakuza 0 may not have the biggest world to explore, as it’s essentially just one section of a city for the most part, along with other one-off areas. That said, it is densely populated with weird NPCs giving out quests that are more memorable than most games out there, including a legendary chicken named Nugget that most Yakuza fans would die for.
The action is top-notch too, as both Kazuma and Goro are in excellent form with plenty of moves to make enemies fly off in defeat. More satisfying than leveling up moves, players can also pick up ordinary objects to use as weapons, like traffic cones, giving the game a more brutal feel.
Diablo 4
Top-Down Exploration
Diablo 4
- Released
- June 5, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Blizzard
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Hack and Slash
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
Diablo 4 is the first game in the Diablo series to include an open-world environment. Even though it is seen from a top-down perspective, it is large with a lot of side areas to explore for loot, and random events will pop up, too.
The open world is not the draw, though, as the story is one of the better ones in the series, featuring an omnipresent threat, Lilith, trying to corrupt mankind into worshipping false gods. Also, the class system and wide variety of skills let players create their hero their way, and the options are staggering.
Dragon’s Dogma Dark Arisen
Climbing To The Top
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen
- Released
- April 23, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- Platform(s)
- Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4
Dragon’s Dogma Dark Arisen is an expansion that includes the original game and new content. Whether players engage with this or the original game doesn’t matter, as each offers a unique gameplay experience in an open world that is teeming with threats.
Firstly, players can create their character and then a Pawn companion to form a party with Pawn creations from other players online, which is something not many RPGs allow. The combat is intense as players can mount bigger creatures, like a chimera, to attack weak points while party members weaken it from other perspectives. It’s challenging, but deeply rewarding if players have the patience.
Assassin's Creed Origins
Forming The Brotherhood
Assassin's Creed Origins
- Released
- October 27, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Open-World
Assassin's Creed Origins is the first game in the Assassin’s Creed series to go full RPG, while also dialing things back to the origins of the assassination brotherhood. As Bayek, a royal guardian of sorts, players will help him seek revenge for the death of his son across a large area of Egypt.
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Like all Assassin’s Creed games, the detail Ubisoft made in recreating famous areas and landmarks, like the pyramids, is astounding, which makes it more enjoyable to explore as an open-world game since there is familiarity there. The leveling up and gear systems are an improvement over past mechanics, and the action can be brutal and satisfying to pull off moves, but this is an example where the open world is the feature worth playing a game for.
Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning
Threads Of Fate
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
- Released
- February 7, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Suggestive Themes
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning lets players create their character who is unbound by the threads of fate, meaning they can forge their hero any way they want, from skills to weapon proficiency. With a fully featured leveling up system, combat comes first in this open-world RPG, which is vast, but the zones are segmented off from each other by loading screens.
The story and quest systems are basic, but the battle system truly is worth playing this game for. Creating combos between axe swings and magic spells feels as fluid as an action game like Devil May Cry, which is why the action alone helps Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning rank so high.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
THE Open-World RPG
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Released
- November 11, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Bethesda Game Studios
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is certainly one of the most important open-world games of all time. After an opening quest, the world opens up completely, wherein players can just explore to their heart’s content, and there are dungeons everywhere. Also, players can level up by doing nearly everything from walking to casting magic to attacking with a specific weapon.
There is also a wide array of skills to unlock if players wish to form their character down a specific path, like a mage or rogue. The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim helped shape open-world games forever thanks to the freedom it gave players, but it has also been surpassed by developers building upon what it started.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
A New Age
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- Released
- February 4, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Warhorse Studios
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Action-Adventure, Open-World
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is like the Red Dead Redemption 2 of open-world RPGs. It may not have spells or dragons, but its lack of fantasy elements is exactly why so many players love it.
Players can start at the bottom of society and then make choices to rise to the top, or stay low to steal from the rich and make a nice profit. It’s a down-to-earth political story of intrigue akin to Game of Thrones minus the dragons and ice zombies. It’s gripping, wild to explore, and players can make a lasting identity with their character that they will remember forever.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
A Return To Form
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
- Released
- February 29, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PC
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth remakes everything from the Kalm section of Final Fantasy 7 to the Temple of the Ancients area, leaving things off on a cliffhanger for the third and final part. This lack of a conclusion may be unfulfilling for some, but fans of the original game know what’s up. They’re just glad to be aboard for the ride, which is a wild one, as the story contains so many memorable quotes and set pieces that it’s hard to just pick one favorite.
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The open world is segmented into zones that unlock with the story, but they are packed with activity, from unlocking the power of Summons to playing various mini-games. It has an impressive combat system with Materia builds, character combos, and weapon upgrades, which makes every encounter fun to play and not tedious. Every activity, gameplay element, and story beat gives off the aura that they were designed with a fine-toothed comb in an effort to make the best Final Fantasy game in years, with all killer, no filler.
Elden Ring
Building A Better Open-World
Elden Ring
- Released
- February 25, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
Elden Ring has a smaller world by comparison, but what it does with its allotted space puts many open-world games to shame. Every nook and cranny has a secret hiding place that can be anything from loot to an NPC to a creature that will challenge players.
With very few barriers, this Soulslike game is more beginner-friendly as players can design their character to their liking and explore areas out of order if one is harder than the other. The addition of co-op in both exploration and boss encounters is a plus, too. Combat is not fluid, more thoughtful, and slow, and this type of intense and strategic action is exactly what FromSoftware fans want to see, as the danger and challenge are addictive.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Masterful Storytelling
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Released
- May 19, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’s open-world is huge, and because of the quest system, players will want to take their time and explore every section before moving on, beyond it just looking gorgeous. Every quest matters and expands into something strange, even ones involving gathering lost utensils.
The dialogue choice system is also well thought out, giving players a reason to replay it as they can make the story completely change. The action is visceral between sword swings, magic, and alchemy potions that can imbue Geralt or Ciri with intense boons. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, to put it bluntly, is a masterpiece on all fronts with not a dull element to be found.
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