Some open-world games are stunning, and others have fantastic storylines that keep you hooked. The best open-world games give you the freedom to roam around, crafting your own stories, and completing the adventure at your own pace.
Although many open-world games are amazing, they require something exceptional to keep you returning long after you've completed the story. This might be because you missed content out the first time, want to experience a new character, or perhaps you simply want to relive the experience again. Here are some fantastic open-world games that will have you replaying time and time again.
Updated January 14, 2022, by Luke Ackroyd: There are countless different versions of open-world games out there, with new ones being released regularly. There are some open-world games that you might just enjoy the one time and feel as if you've seen everything you need to see. But some awesome open-world games will have you hooked from start to finish and have enough content left for you to enjoy afterward. These games will have you eager to dive right back into them again and again. You might want to simply re-live the story or approach challenges differently. Either way, there are many varieties of open-world games for you to enjoy. If you are looking for a creative sandbox experience, there are games such as Minecraft. There are games such as The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for those wanting a vast, compelling story. No matter what your taste is in open-world games, there will always be something out there for you to enjoy. So, with that in mind, four more of the most replayable games have been added to this list.
12 Terraria
Terraria is a fantastic, open-world 2D sandbox with so much content to enjoy. You can go off in any direction, deep down into cave systems or up to floating islands. The game allows you to play your own way, exploring, fighting tough monsters, and building your own little home, full of friendly NPCs.
There are plenty of ways to keep the game fresh and exciting, from texture packs to fancy mods. With each playthrough, you can set your own goals and challenges. Perhaps you might try and get the most expensive items in the game or take down a boss you missed before. There is so much content that you can easily overlook, especially with regular updates, such as cross-overs with other games. Terraria is a massive sandbox for you to sink hours and hours into.
11 Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 is a fantastic western epic. The game takes the open-world concept of its predecessor and expands even further, with beautiful landscapes for you to explore. The main selling point for this game is the immersion of getting lost into the role of Arthur Morgan, exploring the decline of the wild west.
Although the game is primarily a linear story, there are still many ways to shape the narrative during your experience, including reaching different endings. Perhaps you simply want just to enjoy playing Arthur Morgan a little longer. You can play him in various styles, from cold and calculated to compassionate and friendly. With lots of collectibles and easily skipped sidequests, you are bound to find incredible little details with each and every visit into this wild west experience.
10 Wasteland 3
Wasteland 3 is a turn-based role-playing game set in the frozen post-apocalypse of what is left of Colorado. You play as the Arizona Rangers, who have to work for a local ruler known as the Patriarch. You can explore different locations and have a blast seeing what you can find in this frozen wasteland.
From finding collectibles and secret armor sets to trying different play styles and narrative paths to take, there are all sorts of content to get stuck into during a second or third playthrough. Not only that, but there are so many potential endings to reach. It can be a lot of fun, crafting a new character and play style and seeing how your decisions will affect the world around you a second time.
9 Batman: Arkham City
Batman: Arkham City is a fantastic addition to the trilogy, offering up the entire city for you to glide around in. Although it has a relatively linear story, you will often find yourself going off track to explore various side missions or to solve intriguing riddles.
With satisfying combat, exploration methods, and more, the game is incredibly gratifying to return to. The most obvious reason to keep returning is that you get the chance to be Batman for a few hours again. The game's gritty but chaotic tone, mixed in with fun gameplay, will have you hooked. So grab your Grapnel Gun and get back in there to fight crime.
8 The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion
Oblivion is a fantastic fantasy adventure. Starting in a prison cell, you craft your adventurer, get hooked into a story full of mystery and assassinations, and are then let loose into Cyrodiil's vibrant, exciting landscape. The game is full of amazing side quests, guilds to join, and towns to visit. You'll likely miss a lot in one playthrough alone.
You can restart your adventure repeatedly, trying out different classes or Birthsigns and tackling challenges in different ways. You might try a mage class, then a fighter the next. You can craft a unique narrative every time you play. Just like its sequel, The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, there are plenty of DLC and mods to try. All this additional content keeps the game fresh and worth the replay.
7 The Outer Worlds
For an epic space adventure including multiple open-worlds to explore, you must check out The Outer Worlds. After being awoken from hibernation, you have free reign to do as you please in the struggling solar system known as Halcyon. The game allows you to take various routes to its final destination. This means that you can often miss out on certain questlines or even entire planets and settlements you can visit.
Depending on your decisions, a playthrough of The Outer Worlds can be a brief journey. No playthrough will ever be the same because of the main storyline's branching narrative. So, grab your favorite companions and jump right into the adventure a second or third time. In additional playthroughs, you can side with entirely different factions and resolve dilemmas in new ways. The quirky humor of the game will always keep you entertained.
6 Don't Starve
Don't Starve is an incredibly challenging, open-world survival game. Because of how deadly the world can be, you'll find yourself replaying it, again and again, trying and survive a little longer. It certainly has a steep learning curve and requires plenty of replaying to master.
Even if you finish the entire game, Don't Starve is still worth replaying. Each time you start a new playthrough, everything is randomized, such as what Mobs are nearby. The randomization of the map and the events you encounter in this exciting but unsettling open-world is what keeps fans hooked on the series. The game's DLC also offers more replayability, providing new scenarios to try. You can even grab your friends and try surviving together.
5 Dark Souls
Dark Souls is considered one of the most unforgiving games out there. You certainly want to be prepared before you set foot into this challenging but genuinely open-world experience. Although you'll soon learn that some paths are far more accessible than others, nothing is stopping you from heading straight to the most dangerous spots to face off against various monsters. Each route offers a unique experience and can shape how your latest adventure will play out.
What makes Dark Souls so replayable is the various character builds you can test out. You can decide on what starting gift to take with you. Will you have the master key to get through doors earlier than you might have last time? Or will you try heading out with no gift at all? You can shape your Dark Souls experience in any way you desire, adapting your playstyle and setting your own challenges after mastering the game already.
4 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's world is full of hidden details to uncover. Just look at all those question marks scattered over the Skellige map. Although the main storyline will always be the same as you search for Ciri, there are many exciting sidequests and DLC to distract you. The open-world maps are gigantic and full of life, and some quests will only have a limited time to them. Once you pass a certain point in the main quest, you can lose your chance. There is so much to do in The Witcher 3, with its entertaining gameplay, witty dialogue, and compelling stories, it's a joy to keep replaying.
There are many branching paths to the game's storylines, such as how you interact with Ciri will influence her destiny. Not only that, but you can determine the aftermath for several other key characters you meet along the way, too, such as the Baron. It's impossible to experience all decisions and consequences in one playthrough. Multiple playthroughs are almost a requirement with this game.
3 Minecraft
Minecraft is one of the most open-world games out there. Its world is seemingly endless. If you wanted to, you could keep walking in one direction and never look back. Minecraft has become a classic game to return to time and time again. Although there isn't a narrative to the game, the joy of replaying it comes from the possibilities it represents. You can let your creativity be unleashed with this game. You can play again with different game modes, such as the challenging Hardcore mode, or you can load up a world in creative mode and construct masterpieces.
There are so many incredible mod packs out there to shape the game into an entirely different experience. You can play on a Skyblock and progress with limited resources or even play various adventure maps that other players have created. The possibilities are truly endless in Minecraft, no matter how many times you play.
2 Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout: New Vegas is considered one of Obsidian's best games of all time and captures the tone of Fallout perfectly. After being shot in the head, you awaken with the simple goal of finding the person who tried to kill you. Beyond that, you can go just about anywhere in this open world, discovering the secrets of the Mojave desert. The game is full of random encounters as well, which keep you guessing each time you play.
Not only are there many quests that you might have missed in your first playthrough, but there are also multiple endings to strive for. You could decide to side with one of the many different factions you've met along your journey, or you could even set out to claim control for yourself. The various ending cards, such as the fate of your companions, change depending on the decisions you've made. It is exciting to play the game in a completely different way, to see the outcomes of your actions.
1 Divinity: Original Sin 2
Divinity: Original Sin 2 is an incredible masterpiece. It's an epic fantasy RPG that lets you have free roam over multiple open-worlds as you attempt to stop the sinister Voidwoken. These locations are dynamic, react to your decisions, and feel lived in. You can complete quests in any order and shape your characters into various builds (such as a ranger or a necromancer). The possibilities feel endless in this game, and your decisions always have consequences.
In Divinity Original Sin 2, you can only have four of the six wonderful companions tagging along for the ride - or only three if you play as a custom character. For that reason alone, you need to replay it to uncover their unique storylines and influences upon the overall narrative. Having particular companions with you during the campaign can drastically affect how things play out. But, it isn't just the companions that ensure that each playthrough is different. There are so many choices to make and quests to pursue during the game. Even your very first goal of escaping Fort Joy has multiple paths to try. You'll want to replay the game, again and again, to see the various approaches you couldn't take before unfold.