Debuting 18 years ago, the Assassin's Creed series currently stands among the longest-running and most popular open-world franchises in gaming, with 14 mainline games, dozens of big DLC expansions, and several spin-offs. Set in historical backgrounds that feature fictional elements, Assassin's Creed games traditionally have some of the biggest and most detailed explorable maps in the open-world genre, along with lengthy stories to keep players invested for up to 100 hours.
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As the series fully adopted RPG mechanics starting with 2017's AC Origins, almost every subsequent entry has been bigger and longer than any previous title. As of today, Assassin's Creed Odyssey (46 hours for main story alone, 86 hours on average), and Valhalla (61 hours for main story alone, 99 hours on average) rank among the longest franchise titles with the biggest maps. However, there are still a few exceptional open-world titles that are even longer than any Assassin's Creed game to date, including AC Shadows, Odyssey, and Valhalla.
To compare games on this list, we refer to HowLongToBeat data, with an emphasis on the Main+Extra stats, which is how most people play games, rather than full completionist time, which could demand over 200 hours for certain games. Also, only base games without any DLC are compared.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Main Story + Side Quests And Activities: 102 Hours On Average
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
- Released
- July 29, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
A truly sprawling open-world RPG series, Xenoblade Chronicles games represent some of the biggest in the genre. Each mainline game in the series, like Xenoblade Chronicles 2 or Xenoblade Chronicles X, offers over 100 hours of content, with Xenoblade Chronicles 3 not only being the highest-rated entry so far, but also among the longest in the Nintendo franchise to date.
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Even for its main story alone, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 outshines every Assassin's Creed game to date, clocking in at around 62 hours on average. Adding the game's rich side content to the mix — which is also crucial for the story — and players can expect over 100 hours of adventures and exploration. This makes Xenoblade Chronicles games some of the most attractive RPGs available on the Switch, as players are guaranteed to enjoy them for months.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Main Story + Side Quests And Activities: 103 Hours On Average
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Released
- May 19, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
A legendary game that undoubtedly influenced the Assassin's Creed series in its action-RPG shift, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is truly colossal in its scope and ambition. With a lengthy and cinematic main story taking around 52 hours to complete, packed with characters, events, cutscenes, and dialogue, The Witcher 3 is a true marvel in the field of narrative-driven open-world adventures.
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Not only that, every side story in The Witcher 3 is unique and memorable, with few (if any) boring fetch quests or generic assignments. Completing everything in this game is an exciting journey rather than busywork, so starting The Witcher 3, players can expect to experience over 100 hours of engaging stories alongside Geralt.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
Main Story + Side Quests And Activities: 110 Hours On Average
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Released
- November 11, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
One of the most iconic open-world RPGs ever made, The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is also one of the largest, brimming with freedom, exploration, and exciting stories at every step. While it's possible to beat the main campaign relatively quickly (in around 35 hours), by doing so, players will experience just a fraction of what the full game has to offer.
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Like many games by Bethesda, Skyrim is at its best when exploring its rich possibilities, joining various factions, pursuing their quests, and exploring countless dungeons, caves, and ruins. There are enough unique hand-crafted quests and activities in Skyrim to keep players invested for around 110 hours — and much more if players are truly drawn to this world.
Fallout 76
Main Story + Side Quests And Activities: 115 Hours On Average (Solo)
Fallout 76
- Released
- November 14, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
Fallout 76 is the biggest Fallout game ever, and despite being built like an MMO in some aspects, it's perfectly suitable for solo players who prefer not to engage with its multiplayer side. Given the traditional structure of every other Fallout game, Fallout 76 offers a main story, side quests and activities, as well as additional storylines added over time through updates as the game continues to evolve.
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When approaching Fallout 76 as a traditional open-world game, players can expect to spend over 115 hours in its world, pursuing unique assignments and missions and treating it almost like Fallout 4, without engaging too much in the game's “endless activities” like robust crafting and settlement building.
The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom
Main Story + Side Quests And Activities: 116 Hours On Average
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
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo
- Genre(s)
- Adventure, Action, Open-World
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is much less narrative-driven than any of the Assassin's Creed games, instead emphasizing freedom and out-of-the-box thinking above all else. Gameplay takes center stage here through various gameplay mechanics and abilities, and countless puzzles and activities to tackle.
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Breath of the Wild was already colossal in its scope, but Tears of the Kingdom is much bigger. The game's main path takes 59 hours on average, while doing everything the game has to offer (without taking trophies into account) requires around 116 hours. Coupled with Tears of the Kingdom's signature Fuse mechanics, players can easily experiment with these tools and the world for hundreds of hours.
Kenshi
One Playthrough On Average: 140 Hours
Kenshi
- Released
- December 6, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- nr
- Developer(s)
- Lo-Fi Games
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Open-World, Survival
Kenshi is a rare example of an open-world experience without a fixed narrative, where players start from scratch and shape their own story through actions and interactions with this world and its inhabitants. Players can recruit allies and build their own settlements, choosing among different options to thrive in the game's harsh setting.
Not only is each playthrough of Kenshi unique and unlike the previous, it's also a demanding and lengthy adventure, taking around 85 to 140 hours (and even over 200 hours in some cases) to complete. Of course, that's assuming that players won't meet their end far earlier by succumbing to various factors in this unforgiving environment.
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