The older we all get, the less time we seemingly have available for gaming, which makes weekends one of the best times to dive into a title for extended periods. Open-world games have consistently maintained their popularity since Grand Theft Auto 3 blew the doors open on the genre back in 2001, and more modern entries have found ways to innovate and branch out while still retaining the satisfying exploration and box-checking the best open-world games are known for.
Ahead of the weekend, we're taking a look at 5 open-world games that are perfect to spend the next couple of days getting lost in, whether that be because they're currently experiencing surging player counts or because they just received major updates to improve the experience. For the most part, the games on this list are single-player titles whose open world acts as the main draw, though we have included some select titles that feature a multiplayer component if you're interested in teaming up with a friend or two. Here are 5 open-world games to check out this weekend.
8 Best Games With Hand-Crafted Open Worlds
Creating a satisfying open world that keeps bringing players back for more is no small undertaking.
Ghost of Tsushima
It's almost hard to believe it, but Ghost of Tsushima just celebrated its 5th anniversary, and it's somehow just as much of a technical showpiece and visual powerhouse now as it was in 2020. With Ghost of Yotei set to come out in just a few months on October 2, there's perhaps never been a better time than now to either revisit Ghost of Tsushima or play it for the first time, especially if you're planning on playing the excellent Director's Cut version. Ghost of Tsushima does a great job of ticking all the typical boxes fans look for from a good open-world game, including figuring out ways to make exploration and side content feel more organic, rather than simply a routine checking of boxes.
Ghost of Tsushima
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 84 /100 Critics Rec: 88%
- Released
- July 17, 2020
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, Partial Nudity
- Developer(s)
- Sucker Punch
- Publisher(s)
- Sony
- Engine
- Proprietary
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, PS4 & PS5
WHERE TO PLAY
Days Gone Remastered
Bend Studio's Days Gone has finally gotten a fairer shake courtesy of the recent Days Gone Remastered, and it's perhaps one of the better open-world games available on PC and PlayStation 5. One of the main draws that helps separate Days Gone from other titles in the genre is its emphasis on survival mechanics, which factor heavily into how players should optimally approach the game's open-world content and side activities. Especially on higher difficulties, Days Gone Remastered is a harrowing and often beautiful trek through a post-apocalyptic Pacific Northwest, and the recent patch delivered a laundry list of fixes that should see it in its best state yet.
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 75%
- Released
- April 25, 2025
- ESRB
- M For Mature: Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Bend Studio
- Publisher(s)
- PlayStation Studios
WHERE TO PLAY
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
For an authentic open-world that feels both real and lived-in, look no further than Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. Warhorse Studios did a fantastic job making just a few square kilometers of in-game space feel somehow more dense and immersive than open-worlds twice or three times its size, and it's a testament to how much care went into crafting that interactive space that players are still working through only a first or second playthrough as they stop to smell the virtual roses. Plus, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 already has one DLC out and two more on the way, making now a great time to check out this authentically realistic medieval life simulator.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 89 /100 Critics Rec: 95%
- Released
- February 4, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity
- Developer(s)
- Warhorse Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Deep Silver
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- CryEngine
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Action-Adventure, Open-World
Cyberpunk 2077
Somehow, Cyberpunk 2077 only continues to get better, with the recent Cyberpunk 2077 2.3 update doing some heavy lifting to improve what was already a vastly superior experience compared to the game's launch. Between all of its post-launch updates and fixes, the phenomenal Phantom Liberty expansion, and the overhaul of the game's RPG systems and progression courtesy of the massive 2.0 update, Cyberpunk 2077 is now much closer to that initial promise that was shown off all those years ago at E3 2018. All told, it's one of the better first-person RPGs and a stunning open-world rendition of a possible future that feels all the more real as time goes on.
Cyberpunk 2077
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 76 /100 Critics Rec: 66%
- Released
- December 10, 2020
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Publisher(s)
- CD Projekt Red
WHERE TO PLAY
Assassin's Creed Shadows
In many ways, Assassin's Creed Shadows was a bit of a return to form for the franchise, taking players back to the newer open-world style of AC game introduced in Assassin's Creed Origins while also trimming back a lot of the bloat of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. The result is that Assassin's Creed Shadows feels as focused and tightly-paced as the best games in the series, and it's now set to get some DLC via the Claws of Awaji expansion later this year. As a bonus, Assassin's Creed Shadows is routinely showing up on digital storefronts at a discount, helping to incentivize any players who may have been on the fence to pick it up and give it a go.
Assassin's Creed Shadows
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 82%
- Released
- March 20, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft Quebec
- Publisher(s)
- Ubisoft
