Authentic, immersive, and believable — these are some of the most convincing open worlds that give a truly lived-in feeling.
Given the genre’s name, it’s not surprising that open-world games often live or die by their worlds. As technologies become more advanced, devs can deliver increasingly convincing environments, as well as offer more activities within them than ever before. Many fans are specifically attracted to immersive and believable settings, allowing them to experience past historical eras or simply get transported to new realms, not necessarily grounded in or inspired by reality.
As a result, many players never even finish main stories in the open-world genre, simply staying in their worlds to try various activities, go exploring, or even role-play as one of their inhabitants. Let’s take a look at some of the most impressive open-worlds to date that feel like real, lived-in places thanks to their combination of detailed visuals, realistic scale, believable NPCs, reactivity to the player’s actions, and their overall atmosphere.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
An indisputable choice for any medieval fan, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is all about authenticity. Set in 1403 Bohemia, a colorful and picturesque historical backdrop that is completely grounded, so players won’t find any fictional elements like fantasy gear, creatures, or mythical abilities, and they can only get stronger through realistic gear and learning about this world and its rules.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 also goes to admirable lengths with its activities. They never happen automatically or by the press of a single button, instead requiring the players to take every small action themselves as part of a complex process. Coupled with a believable routine and NPC behavior, it’s easy to get fully immersed into protagonist Henry’s daily life.
Red Dead Redemption 2
A cornerstone of the most believable and immersive games, Red Dead Redemption 2 stands in a separate league with its world and NPC reactivity. Everything in the game aims to deliver the most convincing portrayal of the Wild West possible, as Rockstar poured unbelievable effort into every minute detail. From the most realistic horses in gaming to simulated wildlife that functions by real-world rules, as well as authentic guns, clothing, body physics, and more, RDR 2’s open-world feels as real as it gets in video games.
Perhaps the most impressive achievement of Red Dead Redemption 2, one that hasn’t been replicated since, is its unique NPCs with complete daily schedules that may react to the player’s presence with fully organic and natural dialogue. Every human being in the game feels alive, belonging to this world, so players may never wish to resort to unnecessary violence, almost like they would in the real world.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Even though both games share a medieval-style appeal, in many respects, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is the exact opposite of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. However, despite plenty of fantasy elements, magic, and monsters, the world of The Witcher 3 isn’t inferior to KCD 2, achieving comparable levels of believability and the feel of a real place even without historical authenticity.
