Open world games with the best exploration

Exploration is a word that comes up a lot in the gaming world. Open world titles are notorious for their advertising, because why make an open world game if exploration isn't a major part of it? Arguably some of the best open world games that excel at satisfying exploration include games like Minecraft, The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimand Subnautics. It's not just the thrill of being able to go anywhere you want, but also the reward you get for going deeper and deeper into unknown territory. That sense of wonder is not easy to come by.

That's why we highlight only the best of the best when it comes to open world games and exploration in this list. Every title here needs to deliver interesting worlds, great environmental storytelling (or, alternatively, good terrain creation) and the perfect atmosphere to keep you engrossed for hours. There are a hundred games that aspire to be just that, but these five are probably the top dogs in exploration.

Unsurpassed sense of wonder with breathtaking visualization

Bethesda The Elder Scrolls games have always been popular when discussing great exploration and I admit it was a tough choice Skyrim and Morrowind. Eventually, Skyrim it wins by simply being a newer and more accessible game, but don't worry, Morrowind fans, let's discuss the third The Elder Scrolls game shortly below. As regards Skyrimthere's a lot that this fifth game makes up for with its world and exploration. After Helgen, you can go wherever you want, the whole world will open up to you. If you choose not to run after the main quest, you can encounter huge and difficult dungeons early in the game, and that's a good thing, because the best content of the game is hidden in its side quests.

The Daedric quests in particular are fantastic, full of surprises, powerful weapons and quirky characters. But aside from sidequest hunting, Skyrim's vistas are gorgeous, and with different biomes to be found in each hold, from the autumnal forests of the Rift to the misty swamps of Hjaalmarch, you'll never get bored traveling on foot. In true Bethesda fashion, the world is full of interesting places to discover with loot, secrets and enemies. You'll always come across something unexpected that tells a story, whether it's the shrine of a Daedric god, a necromancer in the midst of resurrecting his friends, or, god forbid, a dragon priest wandering the ruins of his temple.

Honorable Mention: Morrowind

It would not be fair to single out some ways Morrowind nailed the survey all those years ago and still does. Of all of them The Elder Scrolls games, it has by far the most exotic environment with an alien feel where you really feel like you are in another place that is new and unfamiliar to you. That sense of wonder and mystery is so strong in an open world game, but it's hard to pull off. In addition, it has a really fast start compared to Oblivion and Skyrimfor example. Within moments you can be out of the introductory section and free to explore. Who doesn't love that?

Subnautics

No one does underwater exploration better

An open world survival crafting game, Subnautica is the story of how your ship crashes on an ocean planet and you're on your own to figure out how to escape. Of course, as with all open-world games, the end goal isn't really the most important thing at all. In fact, it's all about the journey and the sense of wonder as you begin to explore the lush, rich and alien depths of the planet. It's a game that has done a particularly good job of this, allowing you to explore further and further beneath the waves as you expand your arsenal of tools and equipment and the more you discover new resources. Eventually, you can even build your own underwater base.

The creature design, from the small, cute ones that are harmless to the terrifying Reapers, absolutely hits the nail on the head, all without getting into the countless underwater biomes you'll uncover during your dives. One thing to note, as the game looks deceptively light on Steam (despite its horror label!): if you suffer from thalassophobia, please proceed with caution. The underwater gameplay is so well done and real that it might actually cause some pretty real panic in anyone uncomfortable with depths. Success in itself!

Elden Ring

FromSoftware's worldbuilding is all about show, don't tell

The great world need not explain its traditions and Elden Ring is living proof of that. FromSoftware has never exactly been known for being honest with story and lore, but with an open world environment Elden Ring it only further confirmed it. The Lands Between is a massive and beautiful world filled to the brim with dungeons, caves, roaming enemies of all kinds, secrets, and most importantly, verticality (the DLC does an even better job of it). Each area has its own atmosphere. Limgrave is a lush green starting area, Caelid urges caution with its lake of rot and fearsome enemies, and Liurnia of the Lakes is a mystical, mist-shrouded setting with a large castle in the middle.

You really feel like an adventurer who crashed in the middle of a fantasy novel, every scene is like a painting. The game also features a lot of absurd and gorgeous scenery, such as a massive corpse on a throne inside the Dragonkin Soldier boss area in the underground areas Elden Ring. The entire subterranean river of Ainsel, Nokstella and Siofra are breathtaking in their own right, surreal and darkly moody in a way that makes you wonder what mind came up with such an elaborate world. And importantly, exploration is never a chore, with a myriad of weapons, summons, ashes of war, and essential upgrade materials scattered throughout the world. There is always something to discover around the next corner.

The outer wilderness

If you want to solve the mystery, keep exploring

Exploration as part of the game's story is where it really shines and matters. It's not just a fun side feature The outer wilderness; that's the whole point. You are a brand new astronaut about to launch into space and travel where no one has gone before. What could be a more interesting prospect? Within the first half hour of this game, you'll soon realize that things are a bit more complicated than that, that there's a reason you're here: The solar system is stuck in a sort of time loop that takes you right back to the beginning of the game after each cycle.

Each time you go back there, you can explore more, slowly building a picture of what's going on in the solar system and what might cause it to be part of the loop. It's a mystery best explored without outside help or clues, as that would defeat the purpose. The only way to fully immerse yourself in the role of adventurer and space explorer is to go in blind, note what you observe in each cycle, and then start from scratch. Diving headfirst into the unknown, that's the place The outer wilderness it really shines.

Minecraft

An infinite world with infinite resources, ripe for exploration

There is simply no exploration like the one you are experiencing Minecraft. Mojang's sandbox survival game takes you into a world with no questing, no resources, and no hand-holding. You are on your own and what you make of the world is entirely up to you. Unlike some other games here Minecraft the worlds are procedurally generated, but that doesn't make them any less engaging to explore. Dozens of biomes and variants, plants and mobs, ores and other resources can be found in its Overworld. Over the years, a ton of structures have been added to the mix from simple dungeons to test chambers to make cave diving and adventuring even more enjoyable.

That element of randomness, you never know what you'll find in the next cave or behind the next hill, is what Minecraft so incredibly addictive. And if the Overworld bores you, there are two other dimensions to explore: the dangerous Nether and the surreal End. While the latter needs a bit more meat on its bones, the Nether has its own set of biomes and a few structures to really scratch that insatiable itch for challenge and exploration. You also have to factor in the cost of exploration in survival by managing your hunger and your health if you get hurt, but once you unlock Elytra the world really opens up to you as you can just fly with fireworks and cross hundreds of blocks in no time.