Summary
- Assassin's Creed Odyssey evolves into dramatic, mythic terrain with bold color palettes, turning exploration into a climb toward stunning backdrops.
- Ghost of Tsushima's visual evolution includes changing seasons and biomes, elevating the narrative weight and artistic progression of each area.
- Elden Ring's progression transforms the world into a layered work of art with subterranean cities, alien architecture, and radical color shifts.
Open-world games are often celebrated for their visual spectacle, but some reserve their most breathtaking sights for those who venture deeper into the experience. While many titles begin with impressive scenery, only a select few evolve visually as the player explores new regions, unlocks hidden zones, or advances the narrative.
10 Best Open-World Games For Beginners, Ranked
Not every open-world game has to be intense and complex. These titles are perfect for casual players who just want to relax.
These games reward perseverance with increasingly intricate environments and striking atmospheric changes that redefine what it means to be beautiful. Whether through environmental storytelling or shifting weather systems, or grand reveals, there are plenty of open-world games that become more visually stunning the further one progresses through their worlds.
8 Assassin's Creed Odyssey
Vibrant Isles Full Of Color And Flavor
Assassin's Creed Odyssey
- Released
- October 15, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Open-World
The Greek Isles are vibrant from the start, but Assassin's Creed Odyssey saves many of its most dazzling views for later. As the player sails farther from the starting islands, regions like Messara and Lakonia offer dramatic terrain and architectural grandeur that goes above and beyond anything the player had seen previously.
Later areas bring mythological zones to life, including the underworld and Atlantis, each designed with bold color palettes and intricate visual detail. These mythic landscapes elevate the game from historical fiction to stylized fantasy, turning exploration into a gradual climb toward increasingly stunning backdrops.
7 Ghost Of Tsushima
Seasons That Change With The Story And Landscape
Ghost of Tsushima
- Released
- July 17, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
Ghost of Tsushima’s opening acts already present a richly colored landscape of golden fields and misty forests, but the island transforms as the player pushes northward, with shifts in seasons and biomes bringing about a dramatic visual evolution.
Later regions introduce snowy highlands and lush wetlands, each distinct in lighting and tone. The changing weather and cinematic framing grow more refined as the story escalates, giving each area a sense of narrative weight and artistic progression.
6 Final Fantasy 15
A Spectacle That Unfolds Over Time
Final Fantasy 15
- Released
- November 9, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Language, Mild Blood, Partial Nudity, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Initially, Final Fantasy 15 offers a familiar open world with rolling hills, gas stations, and sparse desert terrain; however, progression unlocks a cascade of increasingly spectacular locations that seemingly come out of nowhere.
8 Best Open-World Games To Just Explore, Ranked
Open-world games are known for their exploration, and these titles shine the brightest in this area.
From the floating city of Altissia to the glacial ruins of Tenebrae, the game’s visuals take a dramatic leap as the story unfolds. The contrast between grounded early zones and the grandiose, late-game architecture reinforces the sense of a world opening up in both scale and spectacle.
5 The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom
Floating Structures Coated In Ethereal Light
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
- Genre(s)
- Adventure, Action, Open-World
At first glance, Tears of the Kingdom may appear visually similar to its predecessor, maintaining the pastel color palette in a familiar world; however, new vertical layers gradually begin to unfold, dramatically expanding the visual diversity.
The floating sky islands introduce ethereal architecture and a golden light distinct from the surface world. Even more striking are the Depths, a sprawling subterranean void lit only by bioluminescent structures and eerie shadows, revealing a world that’s far more visually layered and dynamic than it first appears.
4 Red Dead Redemption 2
Realistic Environments That Transcend Fiction
Red Dead Redemption 2
- Released
- October 26, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
From the outset, Red Dead Redemption 2 showcases technical mastery in its rendering of light, water, and the stunning landscapes that surround it. Yet the full scope of its artistry becomes apparent only as the journey spans from humid swamps to snow-capped mountains, all while remaining grounded in a realistic environment.
Each chapter presents a new environmental aesthetic: the pale fog of the Bayou, the windswept plains of New Hanover, and the vivid alpine beauty of Ambarino. The epilogue unlocks additional regions with richer lighting and more meditative design, cementing the sense of visual growth tied directly to narrative progress.
3 Xenoblade Chronicles X
Scale And Visuals On Another Level
Xenoblade Chronicles X
- Released
- December 4, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Animated Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Open-World
While its style differs from that of realism-focused games, Xenoblade Chronicles X delivers scale and color that intensify as players traverse the alien world of Mira. The early zones introduce strange fauna and floating rock formations, but later continents offer increasingly surreal biomes that deliver unforgettable sights that no one saw coming.
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Players who enjoy the wonder that comes with exploring large urban environments will love what the following open-world games have to offer.
From glowing coral fields to starlit crystal caverns, the visual design escalates in creativity and size, with each new region feeling like a complete shift in tone, culminating in landscapes that appear almost otherworldly in their imagination and detail.
2 Horizon Forbidden West
Arid Deserts To Lucious Rainforests
Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition
- Released
- March 21, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Open-World
Horizon Forbidden West opens with simplistic environments that serve as a precursor to what's to come, but each new region adds a layer of environmental beauty that steadily expands as the story progresses. No matter where the player looks, there is always something to admire, and that sentiment only grows as they extend their playthrough into the game's later stages.
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These beginner-friendly open-world games offer smooth tutorials, intuitive systems, and fun exploration across massive maps.
The climax of this evolution is found in areas like San Francisco’s overgrown ruins and the underwater city remnants bathed in iridescent light. The game’s lighting engine, dynamic weather, and biome transitions are showcased most impressively in its final chapters, rewarding exploration with consistently escalating beauty.
1 Elden Ring
Subterranean Cities And Sights Beyond Comprehension
Elden Ring
- Released
- February 25, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
The Lands Between immediately presents ruined castles and decaying temples, with the giant Erdtree standing as a centerpiece backdrop to every aspect of exploration. Yet after each major Legacy dungeon is cleared, a whole new world is unlocked, framing giant structures and glorious caverns like paintings in a gallery.
Hidden areas like Nokron and Ainsel River introduce night skies underground, shimmering stone cities, and alien celestial architecture that are radically different from the early-game map, both in structure and color. Elden Ring’s progression turns the game's world into a layered work of art that lives and changes with the player, never slowing down in its pursuit of beauty.
8 Best Open-World Games To Just Explore, Ranked
Open-world games are known for their exploration, and these titles shine the brightest in this area.