"13 Immersive Open World Games You Must Experience"

Key Points:

• Immersive games provide unforgettable experiences through stunning visuals and engaging environments.
• Ghost of Tsushima is a standout example, known for its almost flawlessness in gameplay and design.
• Metro Exodus presents a captivating story set in a post-apocalyptic world.
• Cyberpunk redefines future gaming, offering a vast open world filled with content.
• Yakuza 0 invites players to explore a richly detailed Japanese setting filled with side quests.
• Bonus games including Subnautica, Elden Ring, and Sleep Dogs are also highly recommended.

We all love to play those games that will stay with us forever because of their beautiful visuals and immersive environments. These are the games that grasp us and never let go until we see those credits roll.

Every moment in such games is a feast for the eyes. That's why I have made a list of 13 games that provide an immersive experience with an interactive open world. Also, there are some bonus games as well at the end. So before we look at the first game, please click that subscribe button as we’re close to reaching 18,000 subscribers.

Ghost of Tsushima is the perfect example of immersive gameplay. Ghost of Tsushima is well known for its beautiful visuals where every scenery looks straight out from an IMAX movie. Honestly, I have never played such an amazing game with almost zero downsides. Everything in Tsushima speaks perfection. From visuals to soundtracks, gameplay to combat, dialogues to storyline, every moment in this game is engaging and grasps the player’s attention.

I mean who am I kidding? We all know the greatness of Ghost of Tsushima. It's 2024, and almost every open world fan has played this game. In my opinion, the perfect pacing and cutscenes enhance the gameplay and we feel highly in sync with each moment, ultimately leading to an awesome experience.

Now there are only a few aspects that show a game’s immersive features and Ghost of Tsushima nailed everything. The game starts off with an intense battle and then proceeds to show the growth of Jin Sakai throughout the storyline. It showcases a great combat system, beautiful visuals, engaging storyline and a huge open world filled with interactive places. There’s no doubt in my mind that every player who manages to finish the game will always appreciate Tsushima's beauty.

Nevertheless, it's almost a crime not to play this game regardless of any reason. If you are someone who’s a big fan of open world games and prefers an engaging combat system along with character development, then Ghost of Tsushima is right up your alley. So put on your samurai armor and get ready to slice through some Mongol warriors.

Metro Exodus I think this game is finally getting the recognition it deserves, though I still think that Metro Exodus needs more exposure because the game is a perfect match of graphics and gameplay along with some of the finest cutscenes.

At first, it feels kind of slow but the more you progress, the more great visuals and areas you discover. Metro Exodus is set in a post-apocalyptic world where everything is sort of dead and most of the survivors are living in a train so you basically do whatever it takes to survive by helping fellow survivors, rescuing people, solving problems with the trains, engine and much more. The game never lets you stay idle and will always challenge you with something different.

Now unfortunately this was my first entry into the series and my ass didn’t think of playing it in the chronological order to understand the story better. But still, I can confirm that it didn’t disappoint me. Metro Exodus provides an open world that also feels quite linear and is full of discovery.

Unlike some other open world games, here you’re a simple main character with no superpowers who are just trying to survive in the post-apocalyptic world. You can’t just go blasting everyone as the game tasks you with several activities besides the fast-paced shooting.

I believe the developers did a great job mixing an amazing storyline with the best graphics. One of my favorite things was the characters. It was nice to meet different side characters and realize that you’re not the only survivor. Nevertheless, if you are looking to enter the Metro series then this will be your prime pick as you don’t have to play the previous parts to understand what’s going on. But still, if you want a better experience I always recommend playing all the games in chronological order.

Cyberpunk this game is the literal definition of immersive playthrough. Cyberpunk is a great game and yes, it's coming from someone who never finished the game until recently. If I am being honest then I am one of those players who was really excited for this game and felt extremely disappointed when it first came out because there were so many bugs and glitches which made me feel like the developers released it without finishing it completely. Therefore I decided to quit. But just recently I gave it another chance and finally managed to complete it.

Now I can confirm that I had the most amazing experience because this is one of those games that shows what future gaming is going to be in terms of open world. I know that I might be over-exaggerating here, but this is the truth, guys. There's a lot of stuff that you can do in Cyberpunk which makes it stand out among other open world titles.

The game is packed with modification, neon buildings, futuristic streets, cyborg-looking humans and so much more. Everything is fixed in 2024 and Cyberpunk is nothing like when it was first released. This will be a great time to dive into this game if you're looking to spend over 100 hours and want to experience an engaging storyline. Open world games are sometimes known to be boring but this is not the case in Cyberpunk.

This is a prime example of how much content you can pack and give the players tons of side activities to keep the boredom away. So every moment is going to feel amazing leading to 100 hours of playthrough. Look, Cyberpunk is the best choice if you specifically want to feel a futuristic immersive environment.

Yakuza 0 I think we all have our different reasons about which game is the best or in this case which is more immersive. Yakuza is a series that anyone can play if they have a thing for open world exploration. The series focus is to provide a great story combined with great characters and side activities. Every game in the series is packed with plenty of side stuff to do besides the main storyline.

It's crazy to think that players can spend many hours helping the NPCs engage in fight tournaments, cabaret clubs and so much more. Now I have mentioned this in several videos, but I can’t just stop admiring what the developers did in this game. At first, Yakuza feels like a very normal game set in a Japanese environment. However, the more you progress or explore, the more amazing things start uncovering.

The game has a habit of throwing side quests when you’re in the middle of free roam or main missions. To this day, I can confirm that there must be some stuff that I missed or never tried. This alone explains the level of immersion and content you can experience in the series.

Now the most important question is with which game you should start. So it’s pretty straightforward. Start from Yakuza 0 then Yakuza 1, Kiwami, Kiwami 2, Yakuza 3, 4, 5 and 6. These seven amazing games will keep you engaged for hundreds of hours. And by the way, this whole collection is available on game pass. So yeah, that’s a pretty good option to play the entire Yakuza series.

Days Gone this is one of those games where you either end up stopping after the first two hours or having an all-out blast and completing the entire game. Days Gone is one of the best open world zombie games I have ever played. One of the best things is definitely the bike. It’s just so fun to drive it around in this post-apocalyptic world. The bike gives the feeling of being an awesome biker who can kill zombies like ants.

Also, the game gives you complete freedom to upgrade and customize your bike. I never thought that I would put more effort into my bike than in the actual story. Now we all know how great the game is so it's not worth it to explain each and every feature. But I still want to say that you’re missing out on a lot if you have never played this game.

I agree that the first hours feel like a drag, but if you get past the first few hours, get used to the core gameplay and start to get immersed in the story, it’s definitely one of the most immersive open world games and sometimes spooky too with all those nasty zombie freaks around. The game has everything in it. It's definitely not your normal zombie game with only shooting mindlessly around. Days Gone has amazing visuals, engaging missions, great characters, one of the best stories and most importantly an awesome bike.

Nevertheless, do not miss out on this game. Days Gone is the definition of a zombie apocalyptic immersive experience.

Shadow of Chernobyl Are you a fan of the atmosphere in the Metro series? The feeling of solitude in a post-apocalyptic world with no fancy fallout radio stations, just you, your gun and the dangerous environment. Stalker’s Shadow of Chernobyl is packed with atmosphere. It delivers such an eerie mood. That said, it is only the first introduction into the series and there have probably been some things left under the table, but it is so worth it to give it a playthrough.

It was my first Stalker game as well, and I am now hopping into Clear Sky and it's just getting better and better. My first playthrough took around 23 hours with some side quests. My standards were pretty low seeing that it is 17 years old. However, I was surprised to see the level of detail this game has.

There were a lot of mechanics that for its time made me go wow, this is unexpectedly good. I did almost no side quests because it was my first Stalker game and I wanted to feel the story more. The game is a masterpiece, a timeless gem; a piece so rare and special in our times and days where superficial things like graphics matter more and everything is streamlined to heaven.

The game is among the first open world survival horror games out there and among the best. It does not rely on jump scares to scare the player. It's the constant atmosphere of dread which never leaves you except when in a Stalker settlement. The game has interesting AI called Life.

Things happen outside the close vicinity of the player that were not directly predefined beforehand, which leads to emergent gameplay. The game will surprise you times with random events which of course adds greatly to immersion, making the world feel alive. The enemy AI is pretty well made; they will try to flank you and search you actively, throwing a grenade to your last known location.

This most of the time leads to very active and fun combat encounters, almost making you feel like you’re fighting with real people. The game features realistic bullet physics, including ballistics, travel time, and bullet drop. Weapons degrade, and that affects their functionality.

The game locations like Pripyat are realistically picture copied. The zone is based on the real-life Chernobyl exclusion zone. The game also offers great freedom almost unmatched. You can go climb anywhere, anytime, can fight anyone and take their stuff, kill everyone which will lead to the most logical conclusion.

The zone will be overflowed with wildlife which will take over Stalkers being gone. You can mostly trade with any NPC and sell the loot you scavenged. The quests are fun and done in a more realistic manner. You do not just follow a marker like a person with ADHD or a brain-dead zombie. You have to read, even take notes, follow clues, pay attention to what NPCs say, make use of your brain and memory to finish them.

Things that happened previously on some quests have impact and usefulness for other quests. You have to be careful; the game does not hold your hand. There is no hint at every minute or so. You will have to learn from mistakes. Overall, the game is a badass.

A cool, well done, immersive piece of entertainment that puts to shame most games released today. Every gamer should experience this one-of-a-kind game at least once in their life.

Witcher 3 Witcher 3 is great in every possible way, now I'm not exaggerating anything. Sure there’s some audience who expect a lot more and finds the game boring at the start or clunky. I’ve noticed a few comments on this, or maybe they just want something to hook them in from the start.

But I believe no one’s going to say that the game is stupid or boring after finishing it. I'm someone who completed the main storyline, explored the open world, checked different inventory and even watched the live action. And honestly, I can say that this is a masterpiece and surely deserves appreciation.

Waited until you found me, but are me? Patience has never been my strong suit. Good to see you, Geralt. Also, don't forget there are gamers who are still spending insane hours and using mods. This explains how good Witcher 3 is. I think the most common problem players face is the pacing.

Witcher 3 starting hours are quite slow which turns off the players and makes them quit. However, you just have to be patient and get through. There's a lot of stuff waiting for you guys, such as the immersive environment, rewarding exploration, interesting cutscenes, and the best DLC.

My favorite thing to do in this game was to see different places and progress the storyline; you won’t believe it, but it honestly feels like a mix of multiple mini-stories. I believe that everyone needs to finish the game before they start criticizing it. Witcher 3 is known for more than just an immersive environment and gameplay.

Nevertheless, I'm really hyped that developers are making another project. I hope that we get what you're for soon.

Skyrim it's fascinating that just a moment ago we were talking about Witcher 3 and here we are diving into the world of Skyrim. There’s no doubt that both games are the literal definition of an immersive RPG. Now it’s just my opinion, but I think that there’s two types of audience: the first one who prefers Witcher 3, and the second one who supports Skyrim as the number one RPG.

No one can love two games equally as there's a drastic difference in both games. Skyrim is something that only the old-gen gamers will love. The game on the other hand, Witcher 3 is definitely for those players who love a good engaging environment with colors and visuals packed with NPCs. The only thing that Skyrim lacks is that it's not at the level of Witcher 3 in terms of visuals and depth. However, there’s no doubt that Skyrim is considered the best one.

The game was the most amazing experience at the time of its release. This is a game that started it all and is one of the highest modded video games. I'm not lying, but even I use graphic and texture mods to enhance the visuals. Sure, other gamers say that Skyrim is meant to be played in vanilla, however, it's still fair to add mods to improve the looks as long as you enjoy the game.

Exploration is the best feature for me as I love roaming around and finding new things.

Kingdom Come Deliverance all you need to know is that this one is based on a medieval style immersive RPG. I’m mentioning every pinnacle immersive game about different settings. So if you're in the mood for some medieval fun then Kingdom Come is right up your alley.

This will be the best time to play the original part as the sequel was just recently announced. I know that some of us have heard about this game but never actually played it. So, to put it briefly, it's a lengthy first-person RPG game and a combination of history and simulation.

Have you recovered from yesterday's great wound? That was nothing except mother noticed and had a word or two to say about it. No mother’s happy when a son starts to take an interest in swords. Kingdom Come is a really different RPG that is mostly about knowing about history with a deep accuracy.

I believe the developers actually hired someone with a deep historical perspective to provide an accurate in-depth experience. Honestly, this is one of those games that I’m not a big fan of as I really love some great action combat and monster-slaying weapons in RPG games.

However, if you’re someone who is a fan of an amazing storyline with historical elements and a realistic experience then no doubt the game is for you. I’m just saying that please don't expect a great deal of action as the game is more focused on providing the players with a realistic historical simulation experience.

You will be amazed to see how everything is constructed and how cities or specific areas are portrayed. It's a really cool looking game that is all about lords and nobles rather than monsters and dragons. I think it's great to take a break from all the action and focus on something more in-depth and realistic.

Nevertheless, if you can be patient and see different aspects then the game will surely reward you with amazing content. Let's hope the sequel is also something that will be played for decades to come.

AC Odyssey this is definitely going to be a controversial pick as many of you also love the origins, and some prefer the older AC games. However, there’s a wider audience that prefers AC Odyssey and that's the only reason I'm mentioning it.

There’s no doubt that all the modern RPG Assassin's Creed games are great, so it depends on you whether you want to feel immersive in Rome, in Valhalla or in Egypt. All three games feature different environments, but in my opinion, Odyssey surpasses them all as it also provides a higher replay value.

See, Odyssey is something that perfected the issues of the origins, hence you will have a much better experience finishing the storyline and exploring the open world. I believe that out of all the modern AC RPG games, Odyssey is the only one where players won’t get bored that easily. The game has one of the best loot systems, and the weapon customizations are awesome.

Basically, you can engrave your weapons and armor now. Most importantly, Odyssey is one of those games where the ending and the starting feels like a blast; it’s the middle part where some sort of repetition arises that makes the players feel bored.

However, I recommend that you guys stay patient and engage in different activities because there’s a lot of stuff to do besides the main storyline. All this content and a wide open world provides an immersive playthrough along with a great story.

Anyways, don’t get disappointed by the bad reviews as some of them are from the players who never finish the game. Trust me the games get better over time and the DLC is a cherry on top.

Dragons Dogma this is one of my favorite picks from this list solely because of how much of a masterpiece an underrated Dragon Dogma is. We all know about popular big open world games but sometimes it’s fascinating to see that such an underrated game can be highly engaging.

Before I talk about the amazing stuff I want to say that even though there’s a sequel, I would still recommend playing the original. The game does have poor visuals, but it’s nothing that cannot be fixed with a simple graphics mod file. The only reason I suggest you guys to go with the second part is if you are not a big fan of playing the older games with outdated visuals.

Also, nothing beats the original’s DLC. Now, Dragon's Dogma is a game where your main goal is to travel and explore while completing certain quests to become strong and worthy of slaying the dragon. From the first look, the game does feel basic as your only goal is to kill the dragon, but trust me, it’s nothing short of a masterpiece.

You will be spending countless hours exploring different areas and finding amazing weapons. The game also gives you an option to choose different classes with unique weapons. There are also several monsters scattered through the open world which will definitely give you a challenging experience.

Also, if you are in a mood for some more difficulty, then do play the DLC as it’s extremely tough even after finishing the campaign. Honestly, as someone who finished games like Witcher and Skyrim, I can confirm that I was totally impressed by what the game contains. Dragon's Dogma was ahead of its time. This is the game that will take you on an adventurous journey filled with multiple landscapes such as caves, underground abandoned buildings, capital city, labyrinths and more.

Before I reveal my final pick, here are some honorable bonus games. Starting out with the most amazing ocean game, Subnautica. This is a game that's either going to bore you or will fascinate you with its visuals and exploration. Subnautica is not for everyone and is much suited for players who want to feel an immersive ocean environment.

Sure there are some other great ocean games as well, but I just chose to go with Subnautica as it provides sort of a thrilling experience. If you're a big fan of ocean games and want to see different kinds of sea life, then this game will be a great choice.

Another one we have is Elden Ring. Of course everyone loves this game, especially from all these years. Fans wanted an open world game and from software finally nailed the concept with Elden Ring. I just hope that the overall genre doesn’t change us. I still love linear souls games.

Now moving on we have Death Stranding. This one is definitely a controversial pick as many of us hate the game. However, it’s only because the game has a lengthy prologue and some players decided to quit the game before it actually becomes amazing. Death Stranding is a decent game when you finally complete it and roll the credits.

It's a game that showcases some beautiful environments with stunning visuals and an overall great story. No complaints. We are all very much waiting for the new sequel. I hope the developers release the second part soon. Unlike some other games which smack you with awesomeness and make you feel good as soon as you start playing, playing Death Stranding is quite different as it’s a game that gets better over time.

Now the last bonus game is Sleeping Dogs. This is by far my favorite GTA style open world game which is in fact quite better than Grand Theft Auto. In some ways, Sleeping Dogs is one of the most underrated games that had huge potential but somehow everything got ruined and we never saw a sequel. I highly recommend playing this game as you will be diving into a jam-packed Hong Kong that is filled with street vendors, neon buildings, NPCs, interactive environments and an overall engaging story.

One of my favorite things is the free-running of parkour movements. As a player, you can do parkour moves and use different kinds of martial arts.

Lastly, I’m ending this list with the most immersive game that will never end and will always give you something new. It's awesome to see how far No Man's Sky has come from its release. I remember the game had so many issues and was completely different at the time of its release than what it looks now.

To be honest, I was never a fan of space exploration games, but this game does offer great content and beautiful visuals that will make you feel like it’s not your usual boring space exploration where you're only seeing the black universe in your spaceship. Your main goal in No Man's Sky is to explore as much as you can and see different planets or galaxies.

It's one of the biggest games where there's no limitation to the map size. Now I'm sure most of you are familiar with the concept of procedurally generated areas. Briefly, it’s when the game automatically generates playthrough areas or landscapes with the help of AI or the source code.

This way players will never run out of areas to explore and will always experience something new. While keeping the boredom aside, I think that this feature doesn't suit all types of games, but it did remarkably well for No Man's Sky.

Anyways, if you guys are a big fan of exploration and want to see different kinds of visuals or objects, flora and fauna, creatures, then don’t look further as No Man's Sky is your best choice. You will be able to spend over 200 hours and will still find new things.