Summary
The genre of open-world video games, if done right, is a guaranteed success for game developers. Everyone enjoys exploring a vast landscape, whether they can be challenged against all odds by bosses and vicious creatures or be sucked in by an amazing story. Many of these open-world games have a sense of hype around them before their release. This is especially true for sequels of already-famous video games, where everyone expects them to outperform other video games of the franchise.
For instance,Grand Theft Autois one of the most iconic open-world games by Rockstar Games, and everyone can easily predict that each game will exceed the production quality of the last. There are also games like Metro Exodus that piqued everyone’s interest with its initial glimpses and eventually turned out to be absolutely fantastic.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is abrilliant open-world game that became a gaming obsessionin 2023, making it the second-biggest game to launch on Steam that year. Set almost a century after where its predecessor left off, Baldur’s Gate 3 has an engaging narrative written with incredible depth, making it replayable over and over again.
Based on the lore of Dungeons & Dragons, the game takes place in the fictional world known as the Forgotten Realms. Each decision you make and a ton of morally complex choices given to you will eventually impact the entire course of your adventure, a mechanic that was already hyped up by fans of the developer’s previous works.
In an era where most first-person shooters are a run-and-gun experience, Metro Exodus is a refreshing take as it takes time to settle in, andslowly progresses through atmospheric and detail richin-game biomes.
With a storyline that sidesteps the supernatural themes, Metro Exodus gives you a more effective human experience and level design than other Metro games. It also provides you with a sense of freedom to respond during dire situations and is a full realization of the Metro franchise’s potential, something fans have wanted from it for a while now.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wildexceeded the expectations of a classic feel of Zelda while adding in vast new territories, making it one of the most enjoyable open-world experiences ever.
Right at the beginning, the game provides you with a handful of tools while setting you loose in an open-ended adventure. Your ultimate goal is to protect the Kingdom of Hyrule from the evil powers of Calamity Ganon. Unlike typical survival games, Breath of the Wild’s game mechanics make it feel much easier to play but still promotes caution at every step. It’s perfect for the expansive world you’re allowed to explore.
A PlayStation exclusive video game, Horizon Zero Dawn had a lot of hype following its trailer, and it lived up to it in every possible way.
Horizon Zero Dawn is one of those gameswhere you have no idea what you stepped into. You are dropped into a futuristic world where tribal people lead a primitive life, while being surrounded by mysterious high-tech creatures who belong to the past. You start as Aloy, an outcast orphan who starts unlocking the mysteries of society, and the lore surrounding the terrifying and aggressive creatures, along with lots of questions no one has answers to.
God of War: Ragnarök was very well received by the fans when it was first released because it managed to perfect the content already laid by its previous iteration, taking the franchise to new heights.
The story picks up right after the final revelation of the 2018 God of War, where the apocalyptic Ragnarök is coming, and its events circle around Kratos and his son Atreus. The game wastes no time setting up action sequences from the beginning,leaving you impressed by the cinematic boss fightsfeatured in this incredible sequel.
Rockstar Games are masters when it comes to perfecting open-world crime stories, so much so that there is always a huge hype built around their new releases.
With Red Dead Redemption 2, they hit the ball way out of the park, far exceeding the expectations fans had of it. The game resonated with fans immediately thanks to its fantastic storyline and realistic graphics. The game’s appeal was its ability to portray the outlaw lifestyle better than the previous games by introducing new plotlines attached to every in-game decision.
Marvel has made itself a huge name in the superhero genre of entertainment over the years, with an impact that doesn’t just stay with films and comics but also extends to video games. Despite all the hype surrounding the game, no one knew how massive of a success Marvel’s Spider-Man would be, making it one of the best games of the Spider-Man franchise.
This web-swinging masterpiece sold millions of copies worldwide, and it was praised for the dynamic gameplay and web-slinging mechanicsthat make you feel like stepping right into the comics.
Ever sinceThe Witcher 3: Wild Huntwas brought into discussion by its developers, gamers started to make all kinds of speculations, creating a massive wave of hype around what would become a spectacular video game of the series.
Thankfully, The Witcher 3 rewarded its fans with top-notch content that exceeded everyone’s expectations. Everything from its brilliant story involving intrigue and betrayal to the gameplay it offered was loved by the gaming community. The game was phenomenal in all departments, with the story and visuals taking center stage.
Grand Theft Auto is undoubtedly one of the best open-world game series out there, each game being hyped up enough that everyone wants to play it as soon as they get released.
When GTA 5 was launched, it blasted into the gaming community and was played by millions of people, showcasing an attention to detail that were second to none for its time. An online version and countless mods were also created for GTA 5 that did nothing more than to continue the already established legacy of this game.
Game of the Year 2022, Elden Ring features a dark fantasy world called the Lands Between, once prosperous but now warred over by fractured and corrupted Demigods. As a tarnished exile, you must uncover the secrets of the shattered Elden Ring andchallenge the Demigods to become the Elden Lord.
The game had a lot of hype before its launch due to its association with the critically acclaimed writer George R.R Martin and his partnership with the legendary Miyazaki. When it finally launched, it garnered widespread praise for its complex world design and lore, making it one of the best open-world games ever produced, and one of FromSoftware’s greatest successes.
