Open world games with the best mountain areas

Open world games are known for their expansiveness and unique ability to immerse the player in the environment. From fantasy epics to sci-fi expeditions, there is something uniquely enticing about the wide, sprawling world that exists only for players to explore.

Although this is certainly not always the case, many open-world games feature large natural environments between large settlements. They can sometimes even act as the driving force behind the story. For those who want to enjoy the beautiful views or make a deadly climb, here are some open world games with amazing mountain areas.

10

Middle-earth: Shadow Of War

Cirith Ungol delivers a deadly and compelling experience

Mordor, as you can imagine, is not a very friendly place. Cirith Ungol, one of the first locations open to players Middle-earth: Shadow of Wartends to be an easier place to start making a foothold as a region under Talion's control. In addition, rugged, imposing mountains and deep, winding cave systems are confronted and entice the player to explore.

The nemesis system, ideal for use in the new Monolith titles, is well practiced here as captains hidden deep in caves, alongside other threats or on dangerous mountain edges keep players on their toes. However, the narrow roads along the mountain range create good choke points.

9

Far Cry 5

Players can enter Montana from above

Far Cry 5Montana's idyllic scenery is backed by wide, majestic mountain ranges that are free to explore. But just as a deadly cult lurks beneath the surface of this verdant region, there are plenty of threats and dangers associated with this rocky foothills. Montana's mountainous regions can be explored from above using aerial vehicles or traversed in a variety of cars and buggies. Getting the right position on one of these mountains can trivialize hunting or combat encounters.

Considered a worthy successor Far Cry 4, 5The emphasis on combat and exploration in a non-linear fashion will allow players to explore the many high mountain vistas and winding valleys for equipment and quests. The mountains of Hope County are incredibly well thought out and eagerly await exploration on behalf of the player.

8

Greedfall

Fresh and unrestrained mountain terrains

GreedfallThe poignant message about imperialism and the atypical fantasy setting made it a positive hit when it came out a few years ago. De Sardet's ambitious exploration of the vast, untamed island of Teer Fradee offers plenty of opportunities to venture out into the vast mountain ranges and explore them as well.

With a second title on the horizon, now is the perfect time for players who lean towards RPG elements in their open world exploration. Greedfall to try and get carried away by the exposed mountain areas. There is a very important message woven into the incredibly compelling story of this title, but players are given plenty of opportunities to slow things down, stop and enjoy the mountain majesty of Teer Fradee on display.

7

Horizon Zero Dawn, The Frozen Wilds and Forbidden West

The Call Of The Mountain(s)

Guerrilla Games loves its mountain ranges, apparently Horizon games are full of them. The VR spin-off is literally named The call of the mountainand has pretty great climb control. The main items are not quite focused on the mountains, but both of these types of regions feature quite prominently. IN Horizon Zero DawnAll-Mother Mountain has a traditional meaning and provides one of the most stunning views in the game. “The Frozen Wilds” DLC primarily takes place on a mountain, with Aloy's quest revolving around exploring the peak.

Horizon Forbidden West kept this momentum going as part of the map consists of the Sheerside Mountains. They are visually stunning and well worth exploring. The series has been consistent in incorporating fantastic mountainous areas, and these games aren't rated higher simply because exploring these areas can be a bit frustrating at times.

6

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild & Tears of the Kingdom

Hyrule is home to some pretty spectacular mountains. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom provide expansive playgrounds that have almost everything you could want in a fantasy setting. Both games pretty much use the same base map, so their mountains are mostly the same, albeit with changes brought about by the passage of time and the growth of civilization.

BOTW is all about the journey, allowing players to go anywhere they can see, with the challenge (and joy) coming from overcoming natural obstacles along the way. As stunning as they are to look at, areas like Death Mountain are directly connected BOTW's stamin-management and game loop, as you'll need to plan well to have any chance of a trip. This applies to all mountains in these games.

5

Republic of Horsemen

Conquer the open world mountains through extreme sports

While most open world games feature mountains as a backdrop or one part of a much wider map, Ubisoft is Republic of Horsemen revolves almost exclusively around these areas. Inspired by nature, this extreme sports game combines perfect courses and allows you to hone your skills in many disciplines. Although not as central as in most other open world games, Republic of Horsemen still emphasizes exploration through free-riding; however, most of your time is spent completing tasks in sports such as cycling, skiing and snowboarding.

After all, Republic of Horsemen it's still relatively narrow-minded and requires a general fondness for extreme sports, so we can't just recommend it to anyone who loves open-world adventure. However, it is probably the most ambitious game of its type, and the core content has been greatly expanded through DLC that introduced new sports.

Skyrim's mountain range is impressive and breathtaking

From the first secret steps towards the Bleak Falls Barrow to the arduous journey to the Throat of the World, Skyrim is a land full of dangerous mountain ranges that hide within them unparalleled beauty, but also plenty of bandits, trolls and bears. One wrong move on one of these tall mountain peaks is all it takes for players to fall to their doom, and it's important to keep in mind—especially during combat—how close players are to the edge of the mountain. Of course, once the Unrelenting Force is unlocked, the world Skyrim provides a great means of clearing enemies from above. Players can even shout Lydia from the mountain (for fun, of course).

Calling them is hardly hot Skyrim a successful title with a phenomenal amount of popularity that Bethesda is still trying to recapture, but the artfully realized land of Skyrim and the terrifying towers suitable for players to explore remind everyone why this game was so great.

3

Red Dead Redemption 2

Mountains Dot Picturesque Landscape

Record-breaking, paradigm-changing Red Dead Redemption 2 is a game that thrives on natural exploration. Everything from bird watching to hunting to hiking and camping is available for fun in this monumental title. Unsurprisingly, in a game as expansive as this, there are several beautiful (albeit equally dangerous) mountainous regions for players to explore and hunt.

From the bitterly cold Grizzlies to the iconic Redemption Mountain and the green forests around it, RDR2 begs players to saddle up their favorite horse and venture into dangerous lands beyond civilization where colossal mountain ranges await.

2

Death Stranding & Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Open world games that provide relatively realistic mountain climbing

Death Stranding is cut from the same cloth as Breath of the Wildin the sense that both games turn their mountain areas into game challenges rather than just using them as normal environments. However, Kojima Productions titles take this aspect further, where simply moving through the mountains is not only difficult, but also feels vastly different from any other region.

Honestly, these areas can be uncomfortable at first, as Sam has to contend with rough terrain and reduced visibility as he tries to find his way through the snowy mountains. You should set up a zipline along the way to make it easier to manage other routes.

1

Ghost of Yotei

The Ultimate Open-World Mountain Game

Ghost of Yotei is arguably the definitive open world mountain game; I mean it's named after one. While Ghost of Tsushima lets you explore Mount Jogaku, the sequel largely takes place around (and on) Mount Yotei, an actual place that can be visited today. While not Japan's most famous mountain, Yotei still forms a beautiful backdrop for Atsu's revenge story, and you won't just admire it from afar.

Although it's mostly side quests, you can climb Mount Yotei and you can even reach the top (which naturally unlocks a trophy). The journey is reasonably challenging and takes quite a while, but getting to the top is one of the highlights of the game that you shouldn't skip.