It’s hard to find a modern open-world game that doesn’t let players run around freely. Still, given how massive maps in the genre usually are, running alone often isn’t enough. To speed up exploration and progression, games tend to offer extra movement options on top of simple running, whether it’s drivable vehicles or tamed mounts. Some titles, however, don’t rely on much else, boosting running speeds to near-superhuman levels instead.
In the open-world games listed below, players can sprint incredibly fast through various means, most often thanks to superhero-like abilities. While far from grounded or realistic, this approach makes moving around the world far more fun, and going back to other games afterward can feel almost restrictive.
Middle-earth: Shadow of War
Move Like a Shadow-Like Ethereal
Middle-Earth: Shadow of War
- Released
- October 10, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Middle-earth: Shadow of War takes everything introduced in Shadow of Mordor to new heights, including Talion’s far more impressive traversal abilities, which are available right from the start. Since the protagonist shares his body with Celebrimbor’s spirit, who brought him back to life, movement in Shadow of War feels deliberately “ghostly.” Celebrimbor grants Talion the power to almost shift through the open world, running freely at unnatural speeds.
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Positioning on the battlefield in Middle-earth: Shadow of War is crucial, especially during its large-scale fights. To maintain control, Talion’s location often matters more than how effectively he swings his sword. Players can dash across enormous battlefields in seconds, ignoring obstacles and even automatically climbing certain objects, including moderate walls, while running.
Infamous Second Son
Neon Sprint Is Fast and Beautiful
inFAMOUS Second Son
- Released
- March 21, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
Each game in the Infamous series offers its own spin on movement and traversal, with Infamous Second Son standing out as one of the most creative and visually striking. Playing as Delsin Rowe, players gradually unlock new superhuman abilities inspired by other Conduits he encounters. Among these is Abigail Walker’s Neon Manipulation power, which grants a unique neon-fueled sprint.
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Once mastered, this ability allows players to sustain a light-speed dash for long periods, using it as a lightning-fast way to move around, evade combat, or even run along walls and float through the air. In later stages of Infamous Second Son, it’s possible to sprint across the entire map without breaking the flow. To top it off, it looks spectacular, as Delsin dissolves and reforms in glowing neon particles.
Saints Row 4
Unleash Super Sprint for Speed and Damage
Saints Row 4
- Released
- August 20, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Open-World
To this day, Saints Row 4 remains the most ridiculous entry in the series, set within a virtual simulation of Steelport. This setup gave the developers freedom to create a chaotic, superhero-style open-world game where players wield totally realistic weapons like the Inflato-Ray, Bounce Gun, and Dubstep Gun while unleashing devastating superpowers. The same goes for traversal, as players can glide and fly freely, and unlock the Super Sprint ability fairly early on.
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With Super Sprint (also briefly featured in Saints Row 3), players can outrun speeding cars across the city, and they can enhance the ability with various upgrades. Later in Saints Row 4, it even becomes possible to create a vortex that trails behind while sprinting, sucking up cars and enemies alike — something we don’t see too often in the open-world genre.
Prototype
It’s a Bird... It’s a Plane... It’s Alex Mercer
Prototype
- Released
- June 9, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Genre(s)
- Action, Open-World
The Prototype series stands as a memorable entry in the superhero-like open-world genre, much like the Infamous series — and, similarly, one that many fans still hope to make a comeback. Centered around biological contamination and mutation-based powers, Prototype grants Alex Mercer a wide range of abilities for taking down enemies, mutants, and even tanks and helicopters with his bare hands, while also offering players an incredible sense of freedom in movement.
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Along with sky-high jumps, spectacular wall running, and the signature glide ability (Prototype was among the first open-world games to feature it), Mercer can also run at astonishing speeds. There’s no need for vehicles when the protagonist can cover entire city blocks in seconds. Even Spider-Man would have a tough time keeping up with Alex Mercer, whether on the streets or high among the skyscrapers.
Sonic Frontiers
Meet Sonic, He’s Quite the Fast Runner
Sonic Frontiers
- Released
- November 8, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
To clarify, while Sonic Frontiers was heavily marketed as an open-world Sonic adventure, it’s more accurately described as an “Open Zone” experience rather than a fully seamless open world. Still, it’s one of the most expansive Sonic games ever made, featuring the iconic blue speedster beloved by millions for his high-speed running, so it certainly earns a spot here. After all, it’s the first Sonic title that truly lets players freely run where they want.
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Naturally, Sonic Frontiers lets players go fast. Like, really fast. Sonic is likely the fastest character players can control on this scale. The game’s vast, open maps are filled with obstacle courses designed to let him finally stretch his legs, while players can test their traversal skills by collecting rings and other rewards along the way.
Forspoken
Magic Parkour Is Among Its Redeeming Qualities
Forspoken
- Released
- January 24, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Strong Language, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Given Forspoken’s overall reception, it might seem like a stretch to place Luminous Productions’ creation among the “best open-world” games, but it’s not without redeeming qualities. When viewed purely through the lens of its running and traversal mechanics, it truly shines. The game’s signature “Magic Parkour” system adds a fresh layer of excitement to simply exploring the realm of Athia on foot.
Fueled by magic, running in Forspoken is blazing fast and fluid, as Frey barely touches the ground, gracefully dodging obstacles like trees and rocks while combining her enhanced sprint with other traversal abilities. Forspoken essentially removes the need for mounts in its vast open world, standing out as a great example of how simple movement can feel both fun and refreshing.
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