A well-designed open world can keep players hooked for countless hours, sucking them into an immersive world they don’t want to leave.
It’s always a treat to discover a game that can become one’s second life, allowing for an engaging and immersive experience as time flies by. Naturally, this may also come as a drawback for some, as games can be so exciting and vast that they consume too much free time and even occupy one’s thoughts whenever they aren’t playing. Been there, done that.
When it comes to lengthy play sessions, open-world games can be in a league of their own, offering hundreds of hours of playtime and brimming with various activities, collectibles, and places to visit. Mixing exploration, combat, crafting, or upgrading systems, side quests, leisure activities, and even some unique traversal mechanics, many great open-world games can be too hard to put down. Below are some of the best examples, with detailed looks at how exactly they achieve this precious feeling of doing “one more thing” before quitting the game.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2’s unmatched secret in the open-world genre is rather simple: total unpredictability and countless interconnected mechanics that work to ensure an almost palpable simulation of the world around the players. From reactive NPCs and believable wildlife to natural weather and the look and feel of the world, it’s a playground where almost nothing unfolds exactly as planned, as it’s impossible to think of everything.
The most interesting things in Red Dead Redemption 2 often happen when players stray from story missions and simply ride through the world on horseback, discovering new places and meeting strangers along the way. While it can be easy to follow a specific mood to do some hunting, search for treasures, set up camp to prepare some meals, fence stolen loot, or visit a distant town for some poker – good luck sticking to the plan. Even the nature of many side and main missions in RDR 2 is totally unpredictable, reflecting this alluring feeling of a living, breathing world that not only reacts to players’ actions but is capable of functioning on its own.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is easily among the most immersive and charming entries in the long-running series, delivering a vast and vividly picturesque Ancient Greek world. The game can be relentless towards one’s free time due to its scope and ambition, as well as some cleverly implemented systems like message boards with infinite quests and rewards, rich itemization taken straight from the best ARPGs with tons of unique loot of various rarity, and dynamic mercenaries that hunt players in the open world or vice versa.
