There's nothing like a good video game map. While open-world RPGs are expected to include mini-games, side quests, outposts, collectibles, and whatever else they can cram in, none of those things would matter if they weren't scattered across a well-designed map. It helps bind the world together, make it feel real, and establish the context for everything you're doing. Sometimes, what you do can even change the map in significant ways.
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This list will be looking at a collection of open-world RPGs featuring some of the best-designed maps in the genre. We're not talking about the map screen on the pause menu here; these are the worlds themselves, taken as a whole and examined based on what they contribute to the gameplay experience. They'll draw you in, entice you with hidden secrets, and then push you to keep exploring until every corner of the world has been uncovered.
Click or tap on the games that match the category
The Lands Between - Elden Ring
Made With Exploration In Mind
Elden Ring
- Released
- February 25, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- From Software
There has never been an open-world map quite like Elden Ring's. Sure, it may look like your everyday fantasy realm on the surface, populated by some interesting enemy designs, but otherwise meeting the expectations of a "if you can see it, you can go there" open world. However, exploring for yourself isn't the same as observing from the outside. Stepping into The Lands Between is a transformative experience that puts most other games to shame.
It's the kind of world that feels like it knows where you're looking. Everywhere you think there's something to find, there usually is, and it's often more than you're expecting. Weapons, items, and gear are just the beginning; there are over 50 side dungeons to discover just by looking for hidden entryways. Some of these lead to entirely new areas, or vast underground maps, while others are just quick challenges with a tough boss at the end. Then there are the Legacy dungeons, massive interconnected structures that feature multiple shortcuts and side routes. Even just exploring the open world is impressive, like watching the skies turn bright red when you wander into Caelid, or gazing up at the starry underground sky in Nokstella.
Kutna Hora - Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
As Close To Living History As You'll Ever See
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- Released
- February 4, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity
- Developer(s)
- Warhorse Studios
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Action-Adventure, Open-World
A lot has been made of the deep, responsive RPG systems in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, and for good reason, but not enough has been said about how authentic the map itself is. Set in 15th-century Bohemia, the game is set in a vast area of the country, part of which is the city of Kutna Hora and its surrounding lands.
Many of the locations found within the city are based on real-world landmarks that were present in 1403, much like how an Assassin's Creed game would design an open-world city. Unlike the AC series, though, KCD2 doesn't have you scaling the outside of St. Barbara's Cathedral; instead, you'll be examining it from the perspective of someone on the ground. Better yet, you can explore the interiors as well, all rendered in impressive historical detail. While the quests and stories are what draw many to Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, its map provides a pristine sense of historical place that is rare in games of this type.
Kamurocho - Yakuza 0
Feels Like It's Your Neighborhood
Yakuza 0
- Released
- January 24, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Kamurocho is a staple location in the original run of Yakuza/Like a Dragon games before the series made the move to Hawaii in Infinite Wealth, and it's even explorable in that game to a degree. Its layout remains mostly consistent between games, with certain shops swapped out, and occasional side streets added while others are removed, but the version depicted in Yakuza 0 is particularly special.
You spend so much time moving through Kamurocho that you'll become intimately familiar with it by the end of the game. It's not a large area, but it is dense, packed with different shops, restaurants, key locations, and squads of henchmen to beat up. As you explore, you'll learn which shops sell which items, which restaurants provide the best stat buffs, and where to find all the offbeat mini-games that make up Yakuza 0's side content. There are also a ton of weird, almost satirical side quests to take on, many of which lead you to obscure corners of the map you'd never visit otherwise, ensuring you see everything the city has to offer.
The Continent - The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
You've Left A Mark On These Lands
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
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt gets a lot of things very, very right, so it's no surprise that it also nails its map design. The Continent is massive, made up of two huge regions in Velen and Skellige, and a third, slightly smaller starting region called White Orchard. If you add the Blood and Wine DLC into the mix, a fourth, equally massive region called Toussaint joins that list. It's a lot to explore, and getting 100% completion is a daunting endeavor, but a map this good never stops enticing you.
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From monster hunts to side quests to a ton of question marks just begging you to investigate, you'll constantly have something new to check out. That's just in the wilderness. You'll eventually make your way to Novigrad, a massive city offering the same degree of exploration opportunities, but in a more condensed format that sends you exploring vertically as much as horizontally. Best of all, these regions will change based on your decisions. Novigrad can undergo a mage uprising, towns in Velen can be ripped apart by tree spirits, and you can quite literally choose Skellige's next king (or queen), ensuring that you don't just explore The Continent; you leave your mark on it.
Night City - Cyberpunk 2077
The Epitome Of Concrete Jungles
Cyberpunk 2077
- Released
- December 10, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- 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
No game has captured the feeling of being dwarfed by a dense metropolis like Cyberpunk 2077. You're given every tool you need to explore Night City, from motorcycles and cars to traversal skills like a double jump. It's all meant to grant you as much freedom as possible when exploring the world, because there's a lot to find.
The scale of Night City is unmatched in the gaming world, not so much in sheer volume, but in terms of the content you can find in every direction. Alleys hold secret entrances, rooftops hide storage chests and fight clubs, and even the canals offer riches to unearth. Backdoor ripperdocs, unique weapons, cyberpsychos, and more are just waiting for you to stumble onto them, and that's just within the city limits. Beyond them, the desert awaits, full of its own secrets and the Aldecaldos, who might offer a safe haven if you help them out.
Greece - Assassin's Creed Odyssey
Dozens Of Islands To Explore, Yet None Of Them Feel Out Of Place
Assassin's Creed Odyssey
- Released
- October 15, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft Quebec
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Open-World
The map in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is notoriously big, featuring just under 40 islands of varying size to explore. Some are big enough to house massive cities like Athens, while others are little more than a quick jog from one shore to the other. Then there are the waters in between, which can be sailed over or swam under and hide their own treasures to be dredged up.
What makes it all work (and not feel completely overwhelming) is how perfectly paced the experience is. You'll go from mid-sized islands to one big landmass during the main story, then take a break to explore some smaller locations before landing on a bigger island once again. It's a textbook method of making a giant map feel manageable and not excessive, something that even other Assassin's Creed games haven't pulled off this successfully.
Mojave Wasteland - Fallout: New Vegas
Faction Territories For You To Enjoy
Fallout: New Vegas
- Released
- October 19, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Obsidian Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- RPG
There's nothing like an empty desert when you need a map to fill with content. The Mojave Desert in Fallout: New Vegas has many stretches of arid nothingness (as any desert should), but that's not what makes the map special. Much like what gives the game's narrative its unique flair, it's the various factions that make exploring the Wasteland constantly engaging.
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From the NCR based out of McCarron International Airport to Caesar's Legion atop Fortification Hill, every faction lends a particular vibe to the region they control. This extends to your standing with a given faction, as you'll either be welcomed or chased out depending on how the locals feel about you (or even which armor you wear). It all works in harmony to really situate you in a particular region and force you to act accordingly, making for a brilliant synergy of map design and gameplay.
Hong Kong - Shenmue 2
It's Not Just A Map; It's Your Home
Shenmue 2
- Released
- November 23, 2001
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Sega
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
The Shenmue games are not going to be for everyone. They're RPGs, but they take their role-playing very seriously. You play a Ryu, a martial artist on the hunt for his father's killer, Lan Di. In Shenmue 2, this hunt leads him to Hong Kong. While Ryu waits for Lan Di to resurface, he needs to earn money somehow. The first Shenmue forces you to find Ryu a full-time job, but in the sequel, you're given a handful of methods for generating income.
Ryu can still take a job, and can even open his own Pachinko stand, but he can also make money by gambling, arm wrestling, or even winning street fights. It keeps things a lot more interesting than driving a forklift every day, but it preserves the feeling that Ryu isn't singularly focused on his quest. He starts to build a life in Hong Kong, and in doing so, it grounds you in the experience of being there, rather than just running from one quest to the next.
Cyrodiil - The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion
The Crown Jewel Of Tamriel
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
- Released
- April 22, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
It may not be the best of the modern-day Elder Scrolls games, but when it comes to world design, Bethesda has yet to top its work in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion. Unlike Skyrim, which is very northern and either snowy or forested, or Vvardenfell, which is a surreal (and largely vacant) desert of mushrooms and fog, Cyrodiil is a land of endless variety.
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The center of the province, which houses the Imperial City, is largely plains that promote crops and livestock, but beyond that are forests, valleys, mountains, marshes, and even coastal regions. It's this changing topography that places it a tier above its franchise peers, with exploration giving way to constant discoveries, both in terms of side content and new environments. While Skyrim and Morrowind have the more satisfying RPG progression systems and a deeper sense of adventure, when it comes to map design, Oblivion comes out on top.
Los Angeles - Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
Your Hunting Grounds
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
- Released
- November 16, 2004
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Troika Games
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines is something of a cult classic 20 years after its launch, but the reason it wasn't immediately popular out of the gate is due to its technical issues. Those issues are mostly still present, yet they take nothing away from the experience of exploring LA as a vampire.
Much like New Vegas, each vampire clan has its own territory, and while you can make choices that will get you attacked in some of them, your standing has more to do with your actions within said territory than your actions elsewhere. Vampires have a code: no vampiric activity where humans can see it, and avoid needless killing. Break this code in a particular clan's territory, and the whole clan will take offense. The best part is, you can identify whose territory you're in not just by looking at the map, but by spotting the vampires roaming around the area. Every clan looks different, which helps denote who belongs where. It all connects — your actions, your narrative choices, and the world itself — to make Los Angeles feel like a cohesive whole, split up among vampires vying for control.
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