Real life sometimes gets too much. Whether it's because of work, school, friends, family, or whatever's going on in the world, we all want to escape sometimes. And do you know what's perfect for doing that? Open world game.
Open world games allow you to immerse yourself in something completely different and forget about what's going on around you, even for hours at a time. This is the best open world game to get lost in so you can forget about everything else for a while.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
This is an open world game that led the trend of open world games. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is set in a post-apocalyptic Hyrule, but the kingdom is still teeming with life. As legendary hero Link, you'll spend hours traversing the land, distracted by everything you see in the distance.
There are puzzles to solve, NPCs to help, and of course, a princess to rescue. When I first played Breath of the Wild, I spent hours just enjoying the world and discovering all its secrets, so this is the perfect game to escape and immerse yourself in a completely different world.
If you can't get enough of Breath of the Wild, the sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, is another open world adventure waiting for you.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
For the best experience, we recommend playing Final Fantasy Remake and the original Final Fantasy 7 at least before Rebirth.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth expands the world of the original game beyond our imagination. There are large areas to explore, many quests to complete, and a story that will keep you hooked. Cloud and his party finally leave Midgar and begin their journey to confront Shinra and Sephiroth.
I've spent well over 100 hours on Rebirth and haven't even completed everything. There is so much to see and do in this world that you'll want to see every last bit of it.
Red Dead Redemption 2
You've probably heard it all by now. Red Dead Redemption 2 is immersive, story-driven, and one of the best adventure games ever made. But it's okay to repeat. Because it's true. You'll play as Arthur Morgan, who gets sucked into the Wild West in 1899 and does his best to evade bounty hunters and survive.
Red Dead Redemption 2's open world is alive and well, filled with interactable NPCs and side missions to get in the way. You won't be thinking about real issues when making decisions on Arthur's behalf.
Ghost of Yotei
You don't need to have played Ghost of Tsushima to enjoy Yotei, but another open world game wouldn't be a bad idea either. Right?
Ghost of Yotei is the sequel to the widely loved Ghost of Tsushima, and it's certainly more impressive than its predecessor. You play as Atsu, a mercenary who wants to take down the Yotei Six, who murdered your family when you were young.
The environment of Ezo and Mount Yotei is truly amazing to explore, with beautiful surroundings around every corner. Best of all, you'll stop to admire the view and smell the flowers. If you want to hunt down the Yotei Six, you'll have to wait.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
If you've never played The Witcher 3 before but are looking for an immersive open world game, now is the perfect time. The game received a next-gen update that improved the visuals and added technical improvements, making the experience even better than before.
As Geralt of Rivia, you will not only hunt down fearsome monsters, but also commit to a mission to find and protect Ciri, the child of prophecy who can change the world.
Isn’t Skyrim the best open world game at the moment? You play as the Dragonborn, whose goal is to take down Alduin, the dangerous world-devourer who threatens to destroy the world. But I don't play Skyrim for the story. You play it because everything else in the game will distract you.
Side quests, romance, killing NPCs… There is a long, long list of things to get into. And even after you've finished the game, there's no need to leave Tamriel as the modding community is so large and active that you can continue to add more to your experience.
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition
While the main trilogy of Xenoblade Chronicles games was more of an open realm than an open world, Xenoblade Chronicles X offers a truly open world for you to explore. After leaving Earth, you and the surviving humans crash-land on Mira, a dangerous planet ripe for exploration.
You spend most of the game exploring planets, dealing with fearsome enemies, and finding the white whale ship. If you like exploration more than anything and you like sci-fi instead of pure fantasy, Xenoblade Chronicles X is worth digging into.
Elden Ring
Elden Ring is one of those once-in-a-lifetime open world games. If you're up to the challenge of exploring Lands Between, you'll spend hundreds of hours immersed in this fantastic world.
You can focus on creating the most powerful build, uncovering lore through the game's environmental design, taking on side quests, or simply enjoying the massive open world. No matter what you decide to do, you will find yourself passing time without even realizing it.
