Open-world RPGs can be incredible and immersive. Letting players loose in sandbox worlds full of detail, danger, and tough decisions makes players feel like anything is possible. Some games go further, letting players explore and conquer parts of the setting at their own pace and in their own way. In these games, it can truly feel like players are the masters of their own fates.
6 Best Open World Games That Don't Hold Your Hand, Ranked
These open-world games refuse to guide you, as getting lost is the point. From STALKER to Morrowind, they reward the bold and punish the careless.
These RPGs encapsulate what makes games 'open' and allow for player choice and freedom to take center stage. Be it wide-open landscapes, detailed fantasy worlds, or responsive character actions, these games put player agency at the forefront.
8 Fallout: New Vegas
Wasteland Wanderers Of All Kinds
Fallout: New Vegas
- Released
- October 19, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Obsidian Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Of all the games in the Fallout series, New Vegas puts the most power in the hands of the player. Waking up after a near-fatal shot to the head in a rag-tag town of scavengers, the player can choose their direction and take to the wasteland in whatever way they please.
Varied dialogue options mean that players can roleplay as whatever kind of character they choose, and even the deadliest environments in New Vegas, littered with Deathclaws, can be attempted by any player bold enough to try it. The central conflict in the story will have players decide on a faction to ally themselves with, letting their actions have real consequences, and giving players much more control from the outset.
7 Gothic 2
Go Anywhere, Try To Survive
Gothic 2
- Released
- October 28, 2003
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Piranha Bytes
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Rough as they tend to be, Piranha Bytes' RPGs have a certain quality that sets them apart from the crowd, particularly the first two Gothic games. While I personally prefer the original title, Gothic 2 is the more open RPG, primarily thanks to a larger world with far more possibilities. A central tenet of most of the developer's games is that you need to earn the right to explore. Gothic 2 lets you go anywhere almost immediately, but you will be destroyed quickly if you enter an area that you are not prepared to handle.
The main character is not the center of this universe, but they can become influential and important if they make the right decisions and connections. Depending on which faction the player picks, the world reacts differently to them, and their character's growth will also fundamentally change. The factions are also very different and have their own stories to tell. Quests and combat are fairly open as well, usually allowing for multiple solutions.
6 Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn
BioWare's Most Open RPG
Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn
- Released
- September 21, 2000
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- BioWare
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
- Genre(s)
- RPG
BioWare is responsible for roughly a dozen great RPGs, but their projects have gradually become less open. That is not necessarily a bad thing, as it can allow for a more focused and stronger core narrative; however, there is something to be said about Baldur's Gate 2's complexity and isometric freedom. Following a fairly linear opening act, the game opens up considerably, enabling players to pursue mandatory/optional quests as they see fit. You decide what is important and when you should do it.
7 Open-World Games Where Your Choices Really Matter, Ranked
Open-world games have a lot to offer players in various regards. However, the best titles are those where choices matter. Here are some of them.
BG2 extends its openness to the quests themselves, most of which support a few different approaches that rely on the player's build and reputation. The latter also influences companions to the point that they can leave if you make decisions they disagree with, and can even alter things like store prices.
5 Elden Ring
Conquering The Lands Between
Elden Ring
- Released
- February 25, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
Rising as the Tarnished in a dusty crypt, players of Elden Ring are immediately faced with decisions. The map stretches out before them, allowing them to wander freely in any direction, searching for lore, Sites of Grace, equipment, or difficult bosses to fight against. While the main storyline directs players to defeat Shardbearers and become the new Elden Lord, players will find hundreds of optional areas, challenging dungeons, puzzles, and secrets all over the map to distract them from that quest.
Whole areas of the map can be ignored when pushing through the main story, and those who explore are likely to indulge in the mesmerizing side quests, meet more of the lovable and eerie NPCs, and collect more weapons, armor, and summons.
4 Ultima VII: The Black Gate
The Most Open RPG (In 1992)
Ultima VII: The Black Gate
- Released
- April 16, 1992
WHERE TO PLAY
In 1992, Ultima VII was the most open RPG ever; in 2026, it is still among the most open RPGs of all time, although its old-school nature can make it difficult to fully appreciate in this day and age. Although the Ultima games always emphasized player choice to an extent, this entry exemplifies this aspect by creating a world that is almost entirely interactive. You can pick up, move, steal, carry, stack, or misuse almost everything, giving you the freedom to manipulate the environment as you see fit. While the acts you can commit with these objects are fairly limited, you can still bring your own personal touch to physical interaction.
Like the world's openness, Ultima VII takes a similar approach to quest design, leaving it up to the player to decide what is the best way to solve a problem. Rather than following a script, you are carving a singular adventure with unique triumphs, failures, consequences, and memories.
3 Divinity: Original Sin II
Endless Possibility And Opportunity
Divinity: Original Sin 2
- Released
- September 14, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
With one of the most thoroughly realized settings in video gaming, Divinity: Original Sin 2 puts the player in control of a number of stories. Alongside a character progression system that lets players become any kind of warrior they wish, and a whole host of backstory options, or 'Origin' characters, with detailed arcs, the isometric maps that stretch out for miles, filled with possibilities for the player, mean that fans are completely free.
8 Best Open-World Games You Can Get Lost In, Ranked
For those looking to completely immerse themselves in an open-world experience, here are some of the best games to get lost in.
With countless options of how to approach any scenario, and hundreds of unique characters who can be befriended, assisted, bartered with, or battled, players will lose themselves in Larian's masterpiece.
Baldur's Gate 3 is also very open, and we only left it out so that we don't include two Larian RPGs.
2 The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
The Most Open Game In An RPG Franchise Known For Its Open-Worlds
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
- Released
- May 1, 2002
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Bethesda Game Studios
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox (Original)
- Genre(s)
- RPG
One of the most game-changing open worlds of all time, Morrowind is so open that it makes Skyrim and Oblivion seem restrictive in comparison. Trust me, that is saying something. Devoid of quest markers, Morrowind immerses you entirely into its world, asking you to pay attention to NPCs and landmarks to figure out where to go. You are encouraged to get lost, a turn of events that can lead to some of the most memorable moments in the game.
The setting is magical and wild, with creatures of all kinds wandering the frost-capped mountains; more importantly, the world has clearly defined factions and politics that react to your actions, making your choices feel like they matter. Random encounters with bandits, wolves, or dragons while on the road make the whole game feel more player-led. Beyond just the quest and world design, Morrowind is made to be broken, allowing you to commit acts that go well beyond logic and reason.
1 Kenshi
Be Anything
Kenshi
- Released
- December 6, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Lo-Fi Games
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Open-World, Survival
For those players who want to lose themselves completely in an immersive world where anything is possible, Kenshi gives them complete freedom. There is little to no linear storytelling, and the objective can be elusive at first. Players will have to survive in a hostile world that is ever-changing and evolving, with different political powers gaining and losing ground and important figures' deaths affecting whole regions.
In the post-apocalypse, players can level up whichever skills they choose, and can forge their character accordingly. Putting together a party will eventually lead players to being able to establish outposts and towns of their own. With countless approaches to the game's real-time strategy combat and opportunities for roleplaying throughout, Kenshi is a one-of-a-kind game that any player can be engrossed by.
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These games revolutionized the very concept of open-world games for the better.