Open-world games are often defined by their scope and the sense of freedom they provide. From early examples like The Legend of Zelda in 1986 to the more recent entries in the Assassin's Creed series, these games have taken all of us on nonlinear adventures in sprawling environments. But if there is one element that keeps you immersed in these environments, it is the stories they tell.

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With each subsequent generation, developers have sought to push the boundaries of what can be achieved through video games. And with improvements in their underlying technology enabling them to craft ever more realistic game worlds, it only makes sense that the same evolution is seen in the storytelling department. Here are some open-world games with the best stories the genre has to offer.

Updated January 31, 2023, by Branden Lizardi: As the video game industry continues to grow and expand, so do the worlds to explore therein. We've updated the list to ensure that you don't miss out on any gripping narratives in the latest open-world games, along with some surprisingly powerful stories hiding in games that have been around for years.

13 Assassin's Creed Odyssey

Assassins Creed Odyssey Sparta Kick

When the first Assassin's Creed launched during the Xbox 360 era, it was touted as the first true next-gen experience for that generation of consoles. But despite receiving numerous subsequent entries over the years, the series wouldn't really evolve that much until Assassin's Creed Odyssey in 2018.

The game took the series timeline all the way back to Ancient Greece, where you could explore beautiful recreations of its cities and the surrounding region. And tying it all together was a story about revenge and betrayal that was just as epic in scope and scale as the ancient cities themselves, making it one of the best open-world games.

12 Death Stranding

Death Stranding. Sam walking through grass with a huge mountain off in the distance.

From the moment it was first revealed through cryptic trailers, you could already tell that we were in for one hell of a ride in Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding.

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Expectations were high going into the game when it was finally released in 2019, especially coming off the heels of the highly successful Metal Gear Solid 5. And while it left a lot more to be desired in the gameplay department, there is no downplaying the grandness of its story and the craftsmanship behind its execution.

11 Cyberpunk 2077

A screenshot showing Judy Alvarez in Cyberpunk 2077

Say what you will about the shoddy state the game had launched in, but there is no disputing the ambition behind Cyberpunk 2077. That ambition is most reflected in its story, set in a dystopian society similar to our own.

And from the moment you are done creating your version of the main character, V, you are thrust headlong into a story filled with AIs, ripperdocs, and the vile stench of corruption in a city run by corporate overlords. Don't expect to leave this world quickly, either. There are multiple endings to the game based on decisions you make throughout the campaign.

10 Fallout 3

A man in power armor stands among the rubble of Washington in Fallout 3

When Bethesda first acquired the rights to make a game set in the Fallout universe from Interplay, fans of their work on The Elder Scrolls had wondered how the publisher planned to revitalize the classic RPG series. And so they'd gone on to develop Fallout 3.

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But no one really anticipated just how groundbreaking Fallout 3 would prove for its time. The game not only took the series into a whole new dimension, but it also significantly deepened its lore while building upon the foundation already established in Fallout 1 and 2.

9 No Man's Sky

A personal space ship flies toward an Atlas waypoint in No Man's Sky

While No Man's Sky may seem like an unlikely addition to the list, you may be surprised just how captivating of a narrative is lying in wait among the stars. The core of the game is space exploration. But along the way, you're presented with a strange scenario: another entity, unlike the other races you've seen so far, is in trouble.

You receive a distress signal from someone called Artemis; they appear to be lost, having crash-landed on an unfamiliar planet. But upon arrival at their location, you find nothing. In your continued efforts to rescue Artemis, you learn who you are, meet others like you, and discover the difficult truth about the number 16. It's an unexpectedly moving story that draws on classic sci-fi literary concepts, all of which can be easily missed if you're too busy warp-jumping and mining for more carbon.

8 Marvel's Spider-Man

Spider-Man swinging from web and shooting another web, New York in background

Everyone's favorite web-slinger hadn't exactly had a shortage of games to his name by the time Marvel's Spider-Man was released in 2018. But that particular entry would easily become his best one to date.

The game not only lets you be Spider-Man, as the promotional material alluded to, but it also places you squarely in the shoes of Peter Parker as he struggled to balance the responsibility that came with being Spider-Man and a personal life that seemed to be falling apart the harder he tried to keep it together.

7 Grand Theft Auto 5

Franklin walking along a fenced off power plant in GTA 5

The geniuses at Rockstar had done what they did best when GTA 5 was launched on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 back in 2013. They'd crafted a beautiful open world practically bursting at the seams with things to do and see.

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And for the first time in the series' history, you could take control of three main characters, each with their own distinct backstory. The fact that the game had gone on to become one of the most successful video games of all time, and is still being ported over to new consoles generations later, is a testament to how great the game is.

6 Horizon Zero Dawn

Aloy standing on a tree branch overlooking the forest in Horizon Zero Dawn

From the moment Horizon Zero Dawn was first unveiled, many were intrigued by its unique setting, where humans had regressed back to a primal way of life and were being hunted by robot dinosaurs.

And during the course of Aloy's adventure through the ancient ruins of once-great cities, they uncovered the many mysteries that helped set the game apart from other open-world games that came before it.

5 Batman: Arkham City

Batman lands a jumping kick right in the face of a prisoner in Arkham City.

The Caped Crusader made a triumphant return in his effort to clean up Gotham in Batman: Arkham City, a game that is considered one of the finest superhero games ever made.

It took basically everything that worked in the first game and broadened its scope with a fully realized open world that stood as a backdrop for its high-stakes narrative. Batman: Arkham Asylum was revolutionary in many ways, but it was its sequel, Arkham City, that actually took the entire series to the next level.

4 The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim

The Dragonborn stands ready to fight a flying dragon in Skyrim

The Elder Scrolls is another long-running video game series known for vast worlds that you can get lost in. And in 2011, the fifth main entry, Skyrim, was released to pretty much unanimous acclaim.

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The rest is history at this point, with the game being elevated to meme status for receiving ports on every device that could run it. But it still remains a joy to experience even today, mainly due to its rich open world that is just teeming with lore and history.

3 Metal Gear Solid 5: Phantom Pain

a third-person shot from Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain of Big Boss aiming his gun at someone in the distance in a jungle-esque area

The Metal Gear Solid games have been known for their cinematic flair ever since the first game graced the original PlayStation in 1998. So for its fifth mainline entry on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, Hideo Kojima had opted to bring his signature stealth-based action into an open-world setting.

But none of that came at the expense of its narrative, which was still just as epic and sprawling as anything else Kojima had worked on up to that point.

2 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Geralt fights a werewolf in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

The games in The Witcher series have had the unfair advantage of being based on a world already established in a series of books. But even at that, the accomplishments made in storytelling by the writers at CD Projekt Red cannot be understated.

And of the three Witcher games they have worked on thus far, the story in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt proves to be their best one yet, with side quests that were just as memorable (if not more so) as the main story.

1 Red Dead Redemption 2

Arthur Morgan rides a horse overlooking the countryside in Red Dead Redemption 2

The original Red Dead Redemption was considered one of the greatest video games of all time. So when it was announced that Red Dead Redemption 2 was in the works, many wondered if it could ever measure up.

Well, it turns out it could, and it did, with a story that arguably surpasses the already high highs of the original. Games are often accused of trying to mirror Hollywood with their focus on storytelling. But when that story is as fully realized as the one in Red Ded Redemption 2, it's pretty hard to complain.

NEXT: The Best Story-Driven Video Games