The Isle 2015
Open-world games that still hold up
Pick a point on the horizon and go
Games
The Isle 2015
Tales of the Abyss 2005
Why it still holds upRoom to run anywhere, and ground that can be turned into an upgrade, still give its battles more to do than trading blows today.
Outcast 1999
Why it still holds upA world open in any order, where the locals remember how you behave, still leaves the choices to you today.
Giants: Citizen Kabuto 2000
Why it still holds upThree races with three styles are a reason to try each in turn, and that holds today.
Sins of a Solar Empire 2008
Why it still holds upA full evening of empire building across whole star systems is still on offer.
NieR 2010
Why it still holds upA game that changes its camera between styles still has a surprise for a player today.
Xenoblade Chronicles X 2015
Why it still holds upA planet this big has plenty to find, and a player has to explore it to see it all, which still draws players today.
Pirates of the Caribbean 2003
Why it still holds upRunning your own ship and crew across those islands is still an appealing way to spend time at sea today.
Hitman 2016
Why it still holds upBig levels with room for improvised kills are what keep it replayable today.
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen 2013
Why it still holds upClimbing onto a giant monster to hit its weak spot still makes every big fight feel like scaling a mountain.
Yakuza 5 2012
Why it still holds upEach of the five characters has their own side activities, which still spread the game out.
Yakuza Kiwami 2016
Why it still holds upSide stories that take up most of the play still make the neighborhood feel worth walking.
Gravity Rush 2012
Why it still holds upFlipping gravity to cross an open city is the hook, and it is still worth trying.
Lunar: The Silver Star 1992
Why it still holds upBattles where characters walk to their targets and spells hit whole zones still reward positioning today.
Legend of Mana 1999
Why it still holds upBuilding the map to your liking is still a good reason to take a look today.
Hob 2017
Why it still holds upExploration and combat grow together with every power you unlock, and that steady widening still gives the world its pull.
Divine Divinity 2002
Why it still holds upEvery class can grow in any direction, so a second character today can play out very differently.
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy 2001
Why it still holds upOne big connected world to explore is still on offer here today.
Icewind Dale 2000
Why it still holds upThere is still room to plan every battle, with a party of six you build yourself and fights you can pause.
Tengai Makyou: Fuun Kabuki-den 1993
Why it still holds upA comic hero and bosses who sing still give the series a lighter side.
La-Mulana 2011
Why it still holds upThe pits still punish a guess and reward the one who reads the walls first.
Final Fantasy V 1992
Why it still holds upChoosing a job for each party member still shapes every fight today.
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time 2009
Why it still holds upSolving puzzles with your own recorded copies is a mechanic that is still worth trying.
Yakuza 3 2009
Why it still holds upOver 600 substories beside a main story of about twelve hours still give it a lot to wander off into.
Dragon Quest Builders 2016
Why it still holds upTowns that grow with every room you add still give each chapter something to build toward.
Jak II 2003
Why it still holds upA whole city to cross, with platforming, guns and vehicles mixed in, still gives it variety today.
No More Heroes 2007
Why it still holds upOdd jobs that pay for the next fight still make it a combination worth trying today.
Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments 2014
Why it still holds upA case that can end in different ways is still a reason to replay a crime scene.
Elite 1984
Why it still holds upAn open-ended universe still invites a player to set their own course.
Battle Brothers 2017
Why it still holds upThe crippling still carries a company's last battle into the next one, and the men are not replaced for free.
Carmageddon II: Carpocalypse Now 1998
Why it still holds upA damage model with cars that split in half is still a thing to see today.
My Time at Portia 2019
Why it still holds upBecause assignments can reshape the town, the daily work of gathering and crafting still has a visible result.
Ashen 2018
Why it still holds upA quiet, empty world still makes each meeting with another traveler matter.
Days Gone 2019
Why it still holds upWith hordes that outnumber you, every open stretch of road is still something to plan around.
Arx Fatalis 2002
Why it still holds upCasting by hand still makes every fight feel different from picking a spell off a list.
Tales of Berseria 2016
Why it still holds upVelvet is still a heroine who is not out to save anything, and souls are what you spend today.
Dragon Quest Builders 2 2018
Why it still holds upBuilding and exploring with friends in one world is still the draw today.
Sunset Overdrive 2014
Why it still holds upTouching the floor is what the rails still punish today.
The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall 1996
Why it still holds upA world with this much to do is an invitation to choose your own path, and it still is.
Fable II 2008
Why it still holds upA life spent building up Albion is still a story worth living through.
Animal Crossing: City Folk 2008
Why it still holds upA town that follows the real calendar still gives you a reason to check in each day.
TrackMania Turbo 2016
Why it still holds upAnyone who likes to retry a short track until the run is perfect will find a reason to play it today.
Skate 3 2010
Why it still holds upThe two settings still serve people who want to land it and people who want to earn it, in the same city.
Dying Light 2015
Why it still holds upA day that turns into a dangerous night still changes how you move through the same streets.
Fallout 4 2015
Why it still holds upThe settlement still makes the junk the point, and the town you built is yours to defend.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor 2014
Why it still holds upEnemies that remember you are the thing to look for in it today.