The Best Open-World RPGs On The PlayStation 5

The open-world RPG space has some of the biggest and best games on the planet, covering a range of different settings, themes, characters, and gameplay styles. Among them all stand a select few that deliver a level above the rest in the genre, sending players on a journey they will never forget.

Players will find themselves taking on perilous hunts against giant beasts, fighting fearsome warriors in cinematic settings, and conquering a few demons of their own in their pursuit of self-discovery. Each has its own reason for being so well-loved, and each has earned its place among the best games on the PlayStation 5 by going above and beyond in virtually every way possible, from world design to the story that ties it all together.

10

Monster Hunter Wilds

Living The Hunt

• Dynamic weather and monster behavior.
• Engaging battles that demand coordination.

Monster Hunter Wilds pushes the series in a new direction, with huge open environments covered in large-scale ecosystems that maintain all the core hunting elements that make the franchise so well-loved. The dynamic weather and migrating monsters make each expedition feel reactive rather than static, and players will constantly find themselves facing a different challenge each time they set out for their next goal.

The progression loop still revolves around crafting stronger gear from the parts of fallen beasts, but the broader world design adds a level of immersion that makes each victory feel all the more engaging. The same signature hunting style remains, letting players take on gigantic enemies of all kinds in some incredible battles that are easily the best in the series, and among the best in the entire genre.

9

Dragon’s Dogma 2

Adventure Around Every Corner

• Constantly shifting party systems.
• Unscripted monster encounters.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 delivers an exceptional fantasy experience that leans heavily on dynamic combat mechanics and the inventive Pawn companion system. The world reacts unpredictably, with large monsters appearing organically during travel, which means that no two adventures will feel the same.

Exploration aside, there is also a variety of layered vocation builds that let players control how their character engages with the world and the people within it, without ever forcing them to stick to one specific character path. In fact, they’re actively encouraged to try multiple. Dragon’d Dogma 2 is a game that prioritizes discovery over convenience, taking players on a journey driven by nothing but their will to see and do more.

8

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Cinematic Spectacles On A Massive Stage

• Hybrid combat system.
• Expansive regions full of meaningful content and minigames.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth expands beyond the world Midgar into several vast regions filled with optional challenges, side quests, and narrative detours that can often be the best parts of the game. The hybrid combat system balances real-time action with strategic command inputs, giving players a lot more options when fighting the harder opponents down the line.

The character-driven storytelling remains central to the game, and the enhanced visuals let every protagonist shine brighter than they did the first time around. However, the real standout is the scale of the world. Players have far fewer limits placed on where they can go and far more content to explore, all of which fully fleshes out an already diverse and expansive narrative.

Reviving A Genre-Defining RPG

• Deep, branching faction quests.
• Modernized visuals, but the same classic feel.

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered came literally out of nowhere, but it is a more than welcome addition to the long line of Bethesda classics. The original game was already known for its impressive quest design and unbelievable freedom, and now players can experience all that greatness with a more modern coat of paint, one that refines a lot of the features and bumps up the visuals to a contemporary level.

From the moment players set foot in the world, it is clear that they are in for a masterclass in role-playing design, and as they delve deeper into the guild arcs and Daedric questlines, things only get better and better. Even if players never experienced the earlier entries in the series, Oblivion Remastered is well worth playing. The world-building and storylines are more than enough to give them all they need to feel completely lost in the world of Cyrodiil.

6

Horizon Forbidden West

Bigger Machines, Bigger Stakes

• Strategic dismantling combat.
• Dense, visually diverse biomes.

Horizon Forbidden West refines Guerrilla’s post-apocalyptic world with more dense biomes and even more mechanical creatures to discover and fight. Aloy is back at the helm, and she is just as nimble as before, able to traverse the world in a variety of ways that give players access to new areas and heights that bring with them plenty of additional characters and interesting enemy types.

The combat is still the coolest part of the game. Players can not only take on the towering metallic beasts found throughout the world, but they do so in a strategic manner that lets them dictate exactly how the enemy falls. In terms of visuals, it is pretty hard to find another PS5 game that can compete, both in terms of graphical fidelity and thematical world design.

5

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

Grounded Medieval Realism

• Rooted in real-world authenticity.
• Historically inspired world.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 takes players back to a past where nothing comes easy, and everything is there for the taking. The same level of realism remains as in the first game, and players will be even more surprised at the amount of historical accuracy that flows into every action, from the creation of armor to their actual movement around the world.

One of the biggest components that makes the game so amazing is how cinematic and well-written the story is. There is a lot of control afforded over how storylines play out, which means that players will be constantly glued to their screen anytime a cutscene plays. They’ll likely be more invested in these characters and their fates than virtually any other game on the market.

4

Cyberpunk 2077

A Psychological Thrill-Ride

• Huge build variety that encourages creativity.
• Emphasis on player-driven exploration.

Cyberpunk 2077 is the culmination of over a decade of game design, all fused into one complete package that ticks every possible box, as well as inventing a few new ones along the way. The world is gorgeous and daunting, yet players are free to explore it at whatever pace suits them, whether they want to rush to the end as fast as possible or take in their surroundings and learn more about Night City.

In terms of gameplay, there is a good number of options for players to choose from for both their offensive and defensive capabilities, and while some builds are stronger than others, players will never feel pressured to move away from the path they chose. It’s stylish, fun, and deeply compelling, giving players an incredible sci-fi experience that stands out in a big crowd of fantasy RPGs.

3

Ghost Of Yotei

More Than Just A Sequel

• Refined swordplay and stealth systems.
• Expansive, gorgeous landscapes.

Ghost of Yotei builds upon the foundations laid by the original by expanding the world, refining the combat, and giving players an entirely new character and setting to engage with. “Atmosphere” is the keyword here, as players will find that a lot of their time is spent just enjoying the landscapes and taking everything in before progressing on to the next quest.

Atsu is more than just another protagonist; she’s a believable character who players can really become invested in over the course of a long playthrough. People often say the PS5 has no exclusive games, but Ghost of Yotei is a stellar example of why that claim is not only false but in a whole other realm from the truth.

2

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

A Virtually Unmatched Role-Playing Excellence

• Morally complex quest design.
• Richly detailed regions.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt may be over a decade old, but it has remained at the top of the RPG genre ever since it graced the world. It’s hard to know where to begin. The story is so good, the world is so inviting, and the gameplay is so enjoyable that players will struggle to find a moment to stop praising in the middle of so much greatness.

If there is one thing The Witcher 3 does better than every other open-world RPG, it’s the narrative. Geralt’s journey is easily one of the best stories ever told in the gaming medium, and players get to live every moment of it first-hand, exploring what it means to be a warrior, a hero, and perhaps most importantly of all, a father.

1

Elden Ring

The True Gold Standard

• Absurdly open environments.
• Punishing Soulslike combat.

Elden Ring is the open-world game to end all open-world games. Not only is the environment huge and expansive, but players can actually explore and visit virtually every inch of it at some point during their playthrough, regardless of whether it takes them 10, 100, or even 1,000 hours to fully see it all.

World design aside, the gameplay is simply perfect. It takes all the Soulslike goodness that FromSoftware has perfected over the years, and brings in so many more builds, weapons, and bosses to fight to keep players constantly wanting more all the way through. Add on a game-sized DLC, and players will find that they aren’t just playing an exceptional game; they’re experiencing one of the greatest achievements that the industry has ever seen.