Summary
As a whole, the open-world genre boasts plenty of memorable locations, but some are a lot more unforgettable than others. As one might expect, it tends to be the best-lookingopen-worldgames that live longest in the memory of players, teasing and tempting them to dive back in and explore a little more long after the credits have finished rolling. Given the depth of their design, most players are more than happy to oblige.
It’s worth noting that the most beautiful open-world settings don’t always adhere to the industry’s tried and tested formula. Some do still strive for realism, but others drop the player into a fantasy world that feelsmore befitting of a fairytale than a video game. The results can be equally impressive either way though, as evidenced by the huge variety found throughout some of the best-looking open-world games.
12Starfield
OpenCritic Rating: 85
Few games benefit from their settings quite as much asStarfield. There’s always been something intrinsically beautiful about the vast emptiness of space, and Bethesda’s 2023 title does an excellent job of capturing this as players travel throughout the settled systems. The graphics are far fromcutting-edge(particularly when it comes to the game’s NPCs), but then they don’t really need to be in order to inspire awe.
Withmore than a thousand planets and moons to exploreand countless star systems, it’s easy to get lost in the grand scale of the game’s universe. Granted, if players look closely enough they’ll begin to find repetition, not to mention some of those bugs for which Bethesda games are renowned (particularly in the second half of the story). Even so, it’s a beautiful game and one that’s well worth experiencing.
11Far Cry 5
OpenCritic Rating: 82
Although some of the more recentFar Crygamesmay have it comfortably beat when it comes to graphical fidelity, in Hope County,Far Cry 5boasts one of the most picturesque settings in the franchise’s rich and varied history. This fictional location is set deep in the heart of the American state of Montana and does a wonderful job of capturing the Big Sky feeling for which the Treasure State is best known.
Unlike a lot of otherFar Crygames,Hope County feels like it could be a real-world locationrather than just a wild exaggeration full of copy-paste components designed to keep players engaged. Of course, there is still a ton of content crammed intoFar Cry 5and plenty of larger-than-life characters, but these elements seem a lot less jarring than they do in some of the series' other installments.
10Elden Ring
OpenCritic Rating: 95
Few games benefit from the mystery of their surroundings quite as much asElden Ring. It’s this mystery and the sense of adventure that it’s able to evoke that encourages players toexplore the Lands Betweenso thoroughly; an otherwise daunting task given that danger and death loom large every corner just waiting to jump out of the shadows and ruin the player’s day.
Together with the game’s captivating lore and challenging gameplay, this ever-present threat of danger and how at odds it can sometimes be with the game’s beautiful setting makesElder Ringa lot more memorable for players. Withthe Erdtree looming large over their position, they’ll never forget where they are or why they’re there; thus helping them to remain focussed on their daunting mission as they soak in the splendor of their surroundings.
9Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
OpenCritic Rating: 90
The Big Apple may have its fair share of problems, but there’s a reason why it’s one of the most popular tourist destinations on the planet. The city’s skyline is littered with iconic buildings, while its streets are swarming with colorful characters and countless opportunities for adventure.Marvel’s Spider-Mandid a fantastic job of recreating the city digitally in 2018, and its 2023 sequel builds upon this to great effect.
With digital tourism becoming increasingly popular,Marvel’s Spider-Man 2is a great game for exploring the city that never sleeps, as the attention to detail that went into making the game is meticulous, to say the least. Even for those who’ve already been there, swinging through the streets allows players to see the city from a whole new perspective, while also providing players with plenty of opportunities to marvel at how true to life everything is.
8Batman: Arkham Knight
OpenCritic Rating: 86
TheBatman: Arkhamseries is best known for its excellent gameplay and tight combat mechanics, the latter of which helped to inspire countless other action-adventure games over the years. However, each one of the Rocksteady Studios titles is also beautiful in its own right, withBatman: Arkham Knightbeing the pick of the bunch when it comes to visuals.
The game does an excellent job of capturing the gritty tone that helped to makeChristopher Nolan’sDark Knighttrilogyso successful and boasts one of the best digital renditions of Gotham in video game history. The game’s weather effects also deserve a special mention, with the city looking particularly stunning whenever the heavens decide to open.
7Cyberpunk 2077
OpenCritic Rating: 76
Beautiful probably isn’t the first word that springs to mind when one thinks of Night City, but that’s not to say thatCyberpunk 2077’s sprawling megalopolis is completely bereft of charm. It depicts a different type of beauty; the kind that’s often found in truth, even when the nature of that truth is flawed or downright ugly.
Whichever way one slices it though,the warts and all nature of Night Citycan be mesmerizing at times, providing players with a living, breathing world in which it can be very easy to get lost; both literally and figuratively. It’s dangerous, for sure, but that arguably makes exploring all of its nooks and crannies all the more rewarding.
6Death Stranding
OpenCritic Rating: 83
Death Strandingis a masterclass in minimalism and a reminder of the beauty that can be found when one takes a moment to stop and really take stock of one’s surroundings. Although cold and uninviting, the rugged terrain that players are forced to traverse can also offer a strange sense of serenity, allowing for many moments of introspection.
This isolation can at times be liberating, but it can also smother the player if they allow themselves to get frustrated. It also sets the stage forthe game’s social strand systemperfectly, with small and random acts of kindness from others reminding players that, though it may not always seem like it, they are never truly alone.
5The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
OpenCritic Rating: 96
Much like its predecessor,The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomserves as living proof that raw processing power isn’t always needed to make a great game. Instead, it’s the creative vision of the games' developers that allows the Kingdom of Hyrule to really shine, with players provided with all of the ingredients needed for a truly amazing adventure.
Rather than striving for realism,the games use a cel-shaded art style and a vibrant color palette, the latter of which is in stark contrast to the muted grays and dusty browns found in so many of their peers. This break from reality also allows for the inclusion of many fantasy-themed elements, which can at times make Hyrule feel more like a fairytale kingdom than a typical open-world setting.
4The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
OpenCritic Rating: 93
There were a lot ofgames that received next-gen updates following the release of the PS5 and Xbox Series X, but few benefited from the makeover quite as much asThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. To be clear, the 2015 title has always looked great, but the inclusion of higher-resolution textures and raytracing support brought it to a whole other level.
Its open world may be sparsely populated, but that arguably works in the game’s favor.Players can take in some truly stunning sightsas they ride Roach from A to B and will encounter plenty of reasons to stop off along the way. It’s one of the best-looking open-world games to date and really helped to cement CD Projekt Red’s place as one of the genre’s heaviest hitters.
Having helped to popularize and define the open-world genre back in the early two-thousands, Rockstar Games continues to raise the bar with each new release. The care and attention that went into crafting the world ofRead Dead Redemption 2is really quite astounding and has allowed the game to age incredibly gracefully in the half a decade or so following its release.
Despite having first hit store shelves back in late 2018, the game still looks better than most modern AAA titles and its world remains every bit as enjoyable to explore as a result. It’s easily one of the best-looking open-world games ever made and a must-play for fans of fun to explore settings or justopen-world sandbox gamesin general.
