Summary
Open-world gamesare amazing thanks to how versatile they can be. Between theimmersive sound design, various characters, NPCs, weapons, armor and challenges they offer players, games in this genre are always a blast to play and can keep anyone busy for months.
Some titles in the open-world genre present players with the possibility topick an evil routefor their character, which can impact the outcome. Others focus more on character customization and class systems, which are also very entertaining. What seems to be an ever-present factor in titles like these is thrilling combat and interactions. Here are some of the bestopen-world games for fast-paced gameplay.
Sunset Overdriveis one of those games that takes a very original concept and combines it with popular game mechanics that were present in the early 2000s. The game’s premise is quite unique, however, the way in which The Player moves and explores the city is reminiscent of the popular skating games that everyone loved back in the day.
Players will have to slide on railings, jump on storefronts and use every element at their disposal to fight off the mutants taking over the city. This makesSunset Overdrivea game that will keep players on their toes at all times.
TheFar Cryfranchise is known for setting each one of its games in different locations, usually based on real life places. This is not the exception forFar Cry 5, which takes place in Hope County, a fictional location that could be based on a region from real life Montana in the United States.
Similar to otherFar Crygames, this title will have players sneaking around their enemies and firing weapons, which is nothing new for the franchise, but as they say, if something’s not broken, there’s no reason to fix it.
AlthoughCyberpunk 2077had a rough start to its life due to various performance bugs, it’s now safe to say that it’s one of the bestopen-world games with the greatest atmospheresout there. Set in the dystopian Night City, this game always offers players something new to discover. Whether it is interesting NPC interactions, fun side quests, street races, or infiltration missions, players will find that there’s no shortage of activities or challenges.
Even if they’ve already completed the main story and the DLC, new things are always being added to the game, and thanks to its fast-paced combat mechanics,Cyberpunk 2077seems to have a long life ahead of it.
Some would argue thatGhost of Tsushimais a peculiar choice for this list, as it has many moments that aren’t fast-paced, but quite the opposite. A good chunk of the game will have players riding on horseback through peaceful fields, admiring thebeautiful landscapesthat developer Sucker Punch Studios crafted for them.
However, when Jin gets down to business and fights the invading Mongols, things take a quick turn.Ghost of Tsushima’s combat mechanics are complex and complete, requiring players to learn the ropes quickly and develop catlike reflexes to survive.
Many players agree thatElden Ringis FromSoftware’s magnum opus. This title took many of the already popular game mechanics from theDark Soulsfranchise and implemented them into a vast open world full of possibilities and dangerous enemies.
At the beginning, players might feel like discovering The Lands Between is a bit tedious given the size of the map. However, when they discover new Sites of Grace and can fast travel throughout various locations, the gameplay experience picks up significantly, delivering fast-paced action through area enemies andmighty bossesat every turn.
TheLegend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildis arguably one of thebest open-world Nintendo exclusive gamesto have ever been released. While this title isn’t the first to be set in an open world in theLegend of Zeldauniverse, it does present players with new, daring game mechanics that make it fun, complex, and entertaining to play.
This game presented players with what was probably the largest depiction of the Kingdom of Hyrule up to that point, opening a new world of possibilities for the franchise.
By the timeRed Dead Redemption 2was first released, Rockstar Games was already a critically acclaimed developer. However, this title and its massive success helped the studio grow even more and establish itself as one of the greatest in the world.
Even when players are dozens of hours into a game,Red Dead Redemption 2still has many things to offer, making it one of thebest open-world games of all time. While some players have gone as far as callingRed Dead Redemption 2a walking horse simulator, a wider number of people agree that that’s part of its charm, and that the game almost always feels exciting and fast-paced.
Grand Theft Auto 5is, without a doubt, Rockstar Games’ most popular title to date. The game has been out for more than 10 years, and it still retains a recurrent player count that’s well into the hundreds of thousands every month.Based on various real-life locationsin Los Angeles, Los Santos remains one of the most complete and complex maps in open-world gaming.
As players drive through Los Santos, they’ll find no shortage of things to do. Whether it is helping a rogue reporter get some compromising pictures of a celebrity, collaborating with an elderly couple of tourists to collect Hollywood memorabilia, or saving a damsel in distress' day by recovering her stolen purse, the fun never stops.
