It’s common for the best open-world games to have startlingly accurate portrayals of real-world towns or even enormous imaginary countries. So, whether you like sci-fi, fantasy, or more modern settings, you need to discover a new open-world game waiting in the wings.
Today, open-world games have exploded in popularity. However, creating one isn’t so simple. Much work goes into creating a large environment for gamers to explore. It can entail adding more side missions, offering a cause to travel out into the open wilderness, or simply making some space to create the tone and setting of the in-game environment properly.
Many developers are trying to create action-adventure or role-playing games, but only a few have fully mastered the genre. So, if you have an Xbox One and are looking for some amazing open-world adventure video games, we’ll talk about the best open-world game titles that you should check out. But first, let’s understand the reasons behind the popularity of these games.
Why Are Open-World Games So Popular?
For a good reason, open-world video games have become a mainstay of modern gaming. The open-world genre continues to adapt and grow, providing gamers worldwide with enormous sandboxes to explore and storylines to find.
But why is it getting so popular in the gaming world?
➡️ Freedom and Player Agency
Open-world games frequently provide players agency, various play styles, enormous vistas for exploration, and hours upon hours of fun.
These games provide players unparalleled freedom, allowing them to travel, interact, and define their journeys in vast and dynamic settings. From magical realms overflowing with magic and mythological creatures to enormous metropolitan landscapes teaming with life, the open-world genre has evolved to create remarkable gaming experiences.
➡️ Room to Experiment
With such a large world to explore, two players typically get different experiences in an open-world game. One person might discover something that the other does not. They can journey in various directions and complete quests in different sequences.
Although you can accomplish this through RPG options, the open world elevates the experience to a new degree of freedom, encouraging the player to progress through the game at their own pace.
➡️ Lots of Ways to Explore
Exploration is an integral part of why people like open-world games. Players can discover new adversaries, Easter eggs, missions, collectibles, and NPCs across the vast terrain. Some are easily seen, while others are well hidden. Discovering these objects on such a large landscape might make a player feel rewarded for their efforts.
A linear game provides a different sense of victory in discovery since discovering a secret on a smaller map is less wonderful. Open-world games are also very replayable. The notable difference when replaying a linear game is that everything can be done in a different sequence in an open-world game.
What are the Key Features of Open-World Games?
Open-world games have a few characteristics: a non-linear game design in which the player can freely navigate the globe. To visit any area, the players don’t need linear routes. However, open-world game designers have introduced several characteristics to make their games stand out and seem lively and dynamic.
First, open-world games have dynamic day/night and weather cycles, as well as biomes with a wide variety of vegetation and wildlife. Similarly, they have developed to allow for dynamic interactions with friendly and hostile NPCs, some of whom may also lead to new missions, and many NPCs have their schedules and behaviors that react to player activities.
Map sizes expanded in size or scope. For instance, No Man’s Sky (2016) is set in a vast universe of 256 galaxies with 18 quintillion planets. Many open-world games feature distinct settings and themes.
The size and scope of game worlds have resulted in novel traversal mechanics such as scaling mountain ranges, sailing wide-open seas, or hurtling through space. Even the now-famous ‘Ubisoft tower’ allows players to reach a high vantage point to unlock new areas of the world and discover hidden quests.
With non-linearity, side missions, and non-mission activities, open-world games offer varied degrees of freedom to the player. RPG aspects allow players to live their character and create unique true builds to maximize such games.
None of these features are required, but they distinguish each open-world experience in terms of gameplay. Even open-world games from the same series change significantly due to the setting. Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, situated in Greece, provides a very different experience from Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, set in the Viking era.
Many open-world features are also studio inventions or pivotal milestones in the rise of open-world games.
So far, we have discussed the features of open-world games. Look at a handpicked list of the best open-world Xbox One games ever.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey takes place in ancient Greece, although it is far from Spartan. This colossal journey across a spectacular and exciting open world on a large scale eye catches in this epic game of action-roleplay. With fewer compromises amid number and quality, Odyssey surpasses its predecessors to emerge as the series’ most outstanding game.
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Assassins Creed Odyssey (Xbox One) |
$18.32 |
Buy on Amazon |
While there are certain flaws, Odyssey raises the standard for Assassin’s Creed games and competes among the finest open-world Xbox One roleplaying games of all time.
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft Quebec
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release date: October 5, 2018
Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 is an action RPG developed by CD Projekt RED, the same studio that created The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. It places you in the shoes of V, a mercenary striving to make their mark in the technologically sophisticated Night City. However, even surviving in the location is difficult due to the hazardous city life.
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Cyberpunk 2077 - Xbox One |
$17.95 |
Buy on Amazon |
The plot is interesting, the gameplay is engaging, and the planet is worth exploring for its aesthetic alone. So it’s easy to lose track of time playing this game.
Developer: CD Projekt RED
Publisher: CD Projekt
Release date: December 10, 2020
Elden Ring
FromSoftware’s outstanding track record in their so-called Soulsborne series and the fact that Elden Ring was the series’ first open-world release makes the action RPG one of the decade’s most anticipated releases.
Any concerns about a Cyberpunk 2077-style launch were allayed when the game scored a staggering Metascore of 96. Players finally got to explore an open world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R. R. Martin.
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Elden Ring (Xbox One) | 522 Reviews |
$45.26 |
Buy on Amazon |
Elden Ring’s terrain is massive, yet it’s packed with fascinating discoveries, unique adversaries, and tough boss fights. The game’s staggering open environment is not squandered, with mysteries and side missions hiding around every corner.
Developer: FromSoftware
Publisher: BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment
Release date: February 25, 2022
Final Fantasy XV
Final Fantasy XV, released in 2016, had its fair share of issues over development and launch, including glitches and incomplete plot content. It was remedied by upgrades, DLC content, and the publication of the more comprehensive Royal Edition two years later.
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Final Fantasy XV Royal Edition - Xbox One |
$13.99 |
Buy on Amazon |
Like its predecessors, the game is set in a fairly desolate post-apocalyptic landscape with few settlements to explore. It would have benefited from having a smaller, more focused game. However, there is no doubt that the game’s landscape is enormous, with some intriguing mysteries to be discovered, a fantastic cast of people, and a wonderful soundtrack.
Developer: Square Enix Business Division 2
Publisher: Square Enix
Release date: September 9, 2016
Grand Theft Auto V
Grand Theft Auto V is one of the largest and greatest open-world games available for the Xbox One. The enormous amount of detail included, as well as the aesthetically gorgeous lighting and surroundings, is one of the key reasons for its praise. The game’s world is based in Southern California, a beautiful region in its own right.
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Grand Theft Auto V: Premium Edition (Xbox One) |
$22.79 |
Buy on Amazon |
GTA V’s massive open world is like a vast playground for players to muck about. This is mostly due to the massive selection of vehicles and weaponry that allow players to cause mayhem.
Developer: Rockstar North
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Release date: September 17, 2013
Hogwarts Legacy
Hogwarts Legacy is the Harry Potter RPG you dreamt of playing in almost every aspect. With its unique new characters, complex gameplay, and a superbly realized Hogwarts student fantasy, it registers the amusement and magic of the Wizarding World. It will have you hooked to your controller for dozens of hours.
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![Hogwarts Legacy: Standard Edition - Xbox One [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41tXi92DqHL.jpg)
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Hogwarts Legacy: Standard Edition - Xbox One [Digital Code] | $54.99 | Buy on Amazon |
It is the most in-depth look at Harry Potter’s wizarding world you’ll ever see and be able to explore. There are hours of stuff to uncover, hunt for, and battle through. Hogwarts Legacy is a well-polished addition to the wizarding realm that is well worth the price.
Developer: Avalanche Software
Publisher: Warner Bros. Games
Release date: May 5, 2023
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain was released in September 2015. In contrast, Forza Horizon 5 and Elden Ring are still very new. Despite its early release on the Xbox One, the game provides a visually magnificent open environment that is a delight to ride on a horse, providing no adversaries get in the way.
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Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain - Xbox One |
$19.95 |
Buy on Amazon |
Many were concerned about how well the famous stealth series would transfer to the modern open-world game design. Still, the production team did an excellent job combining the two fundamentally conflicting genres, contributing significantly to the game’s 95 Metascore on Xbox One.
Developer: Kojima Productions
Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment
Release date: September 1, 2015
Minecraft
No other game fosters freedom and exploration like Minecraft. There are no limits on what players may do after they spawn on the world. Building a woodland home, mining to the world’s depths, or creating the most complicated roller coaster are all alternatives.
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Minecraft – Xbox One | 1,134 Reviews |
$30.45 |
Buy on Amazon |
Though no quests are dispersed across the globe of Minecraft, the freedom to do anything you want is the game’s major draw. Minecraft is the ultimate sandbox project, and players’ only limitation is their creativity.
Developer: Mojang Studios
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Release date: November 18, 2011
Red Dead Redemption 2
It makes no difference if you wish to hunt. It doesn’t matter if you want to help Dutch reach his elusive ambitions or have the fanciest rootin’ tootin’-ist clothing in America. Red Dead Redemption 2 is brimming with adventures that will keep you occupied from the time you enter its domain.
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Red Dead Redemption 2 (XBox One) |
$28.70 |
Buy on Amazon |
Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the finest open-world games to play right now due to the sheer range of choices and things to do. So what are you waiting for, partner?
Developer: Rockstar Studios
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Release date: October 26, 2018
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Everyone is familiar with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It was late 2011, and the world enjoyed one of Bethesda’s most popular games. It is a last-gen game, yet it still stands up.
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The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition - Xbox One | $54.99 | Buy on Amazon |
Skyrim is a complex game consisting of random encounters, upgrading possibilities, and quests, giving many players a true RPG experience. All of this is enhanced because it boasts one of the biggest open worlds on Xbox One.
Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Release date: November 11, 2011
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Geralt has his challenges. His surroundings aren’t any better. War has dampened most of the outskirts, and wrecking monsters cannot hide in the shadows. Others tend to stay anonymous in the human-based cliffs. However, It’s what makes The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt the best open-world game available now.
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The Witcher 3 Game of the Year Edition (Xbox One) |
$20.99 |
Buy on Amazon |
Because everything is broken uniquely, there’s always something for Geralt to do. The imperfect setting of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt makes for a flawless game, which means it’s set an extremely high standard for the future of open-world games.
Developer: CD Projekt Red
Publisher: CD Projekt
Release date: May 19, 2015
Bottom Line
So there you have it, a collection of the top Xbox One open-world games. Because of their immersive landscapes, fascinating storytelling, and diverse gameplay features that provide players with unparalleled freedom and agency, these games stand out as the finest open-world experiences.
These games give players unrivaled adventure and discovery in large open worlds. You can explore vividly detailed settings, engage in thrilling combat, or make key choices. Now that you have explored your options, it’s time to get out and explore.
Whether you want complex character-driven storytelling, exhilarating action, battle, or the opportunity to choose your destiny, here’s your guide through the vast terrain of open-world gaming!
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