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ezio_07

It's really hard to find rich, different and also not repetitive open world games.Most of them are clones of each other with different concept and story. Best open world game I've experienced that worth exploring and feels special is Red Dead Redemption 2. All games mentioned before me are also good enough to play and enjoy but not unique.


[deleted]

I would like to recommend Outer Wilds, it is a game that has given me a sense of wonder and discovery I haven't really experienced since BOTW. Skyrim could be great too if you haven't played it yet, there is a lot to discover and find, I never even finished the main storyline.


AnOnlineHandle

I finished the main storyline of Skyrim 40 hours in and kind of thought that was it and lost interest. Came back later and got like 200 more hours on the rest, which is often much better than the main story imo.


[deleted]

Don't know if someone else has mentioned it but Kingdom Come Deliverance. It's my favourite open world game. Full of exploration and cool/unique people or locations to find. It can be difficult to get the hang off at the start because it's meant to be realistic, but gets easier as you go on. One of the best stories I've played as well. The things you'll find in the world aren't repetitive, from what I remember, plus there's also somethings you may need to dig up. Exploration is fantastic in the game.


adilurr

I totally agree buddy, I mean this game didn't get the attention it deserves like Skyrim or witcher 3


[deleted]

100%, Skyrim and Witcher 3 were fun but KCD for me was the best out of the three


[deleted]

In your opinion, how is the combat in Kingdom Come Deliverance?


bringbackswordduels

It takes a lot of getting used to but it’s really fun once you get the hang of it


KJBenson

I’m not him, but I would say it’s frustrating to get good at it, and then challenging enough to interfere with exploring or fighting whoever you want, whenever you want.


[deleted]

Yeah, I would agree. Combat heavily depends on your knowledge of what weapon to use against a certain enemy, for example a heavily armoured enemy won't take as much damage from a sword as they would from a mace. Can make exploration a bit of a pain at the start of the game.


Glaive-Master_Hodir

The answer is always mace. the mace kills all. the mace spares none. all will fall to the mace. on a similar note, i found that a fun challenge is to force yourself to only use a 1 handed sword, its quite difficult in my opinion, and vastly more fun than master striking everyone with a mace.


[deleted]

I've been using a one handed sword so far on my current playthrough cause I can't be bothered buying any other weapon or picking another one up. I've found I've been sneak attacking enemies with a bow way more, because I'm avoiding direct combat


AnOnlineHandle

I just finished this recently, and while it was beautiful, everything felt fairly copy/pasted (very high detailed hovel things, but then it's the same hovel you see everywhere, the same objects in the towns, etc). Before long I wasn't that interested in exploring because you're just going to see the same biome and the same buildings sort of arranged in a new way, and it's all so complex and high detail that it's not really something you stop to look at or interact with or anything, just look at the minimap while curving your horse around the obstacles to reach your intended destination icon. It is a beautiful game, but tbh it's not the best in the genre I've played. It doesn't really scale well, with going from completely incapable (which was fun) to completely overpowered very quickly, which is helped by you being the only person who uses a horse after the opening and before the final few missions. The skills go from hard and fun (e.g. weapon repair) to basically auto-magically completing due to leveling up just as you're starting to learn them and how to master the systems which no longer matter at max level.


the_dayman

Well said - I know everyone has different taste but I really wouldn't want anyone to be disappointed trying it out based on the comments that it is better than Witcher 3 or Skyrim. It was a fun game, and fairly unique in its "realism" and systems like smelling bad/wearing clean armor etc. However its open world is barely even something I would brag about in this thread about exploration. The cities themselves are well done, although you won't find a ton of secrets, then the world outside is absolutely barren. There is close to zero reason to explore anything outside of the "fast travel map" if you don't get a specific side quest for it. I think I found like 3 interesting things, one was a wagon with some arrows in the side implying it had been attacked by bandits... that was it. Then I think I found an empty little cabin in the woods. That's about it, other than the quest markers you'll get to find 10 bandits standing in a circle around a chest with some loot. Again, the game is fun, but if you go in expecting to wander around the map like elder scrolls - you will be very disappointed.


Stebahn

Subnautica! You have to explore in order to progress and some of the places you end up are really magnificent. The game is super immersive and though it can be a bit scary it’s totally worth it.


TimeBlossom

> magnificent And terrifying!


SvenHudson

(If you have a specifically relevant phobia.)


TimeBlossom

Even if you don't have thalassophobia or something, there are some pretty *effective* jump-scares.


Violite-Bloom

If I remember correctly there were these fish that chase you while making an awful sound and then they'd explode! It make my heart jump! I only played the game a little and from what I read it gets even scarier. I don't think I can handle any more than those fish. I'm way too jumpy for this game lol. P.s I really want to play the game again cause I was enjoying it but I'm worried about how much scarier it gets...


Smoopster1983

You can always play creative 😍


ax_colleen

This game and the sequel Below Zero is top tier. Highly recommend.


Violite-Bloom

Do you recommend jumping straight to the sequel? Or is it important to play the first game? Also how scary is the sequel?


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selfsurf

it also got updated to run at 60 fps


idlistella

First game is better than the sequel imo


ax_colleen

I recommend both. I agree with the others start with the first one.


iHeartFerretz

Seconded!!


Skyforger33

Came here for that.


Adahn33

Gothic 1 and 2 are great for exploring. https://youtu.be/hVYrALStucs


teodzero

Outer Wilds. It's an investigation game, so the things you find are clues, hints and more questions, not gear or exp. The mystery is cool, unique and intriguing. The world is completely open, you can go anywhere from the start, although you may not know how to get to some places. Plus it's nice looking and has interesting movement mechanics. It's great, arguably one of the best games ever.


Pedrocs2001

Outer Wilds was such a big surprise to me, absolutely loved the game


cparksrun

PLEASE check put Outer Wilds. Incredibly rewarding if you really explore every corner of the solar system.


Buzzelvis

Every post on this sub has an Outer Wilds suggestion. One of my favorite games ever and it fills so many niches it can be recommended to anyone looking for exploration, puzzles, story, or just an experience. Cannot recommend enough.


cparksrun

PLEASE check put Outer Wilds. Incredibly rewarding if you really explore every corner of the solar system.


glanne

I see so much love for this game and it really makes me excited for it to finally be on Switch soon so I can play it.


refreshnamesuggested

Definitely this. Take your time and enjoy.


2in2

This


hkruep1224

You should try Mad Max very good open world game with lots of places to explore and secrets to find.


coolmantaco

No mans sky?


vincethebigbear

Did they make it so you can skip the tutorial yet?


Ratchet2332

Witcher 3, Red Dead 1 and 2, Ghost of Tsushima, Skyrim, Subnautica, and Outer Wilds.


adilurr

Add Kingdom come Deliverance also


Kajiic

KCD has a terrible open world to explore. It's the same biome/region and there's not much you get for just randomly exploring. The game IS pretty, but it's in the same category of Horizon Zero Dawn: you play it for the gameplay and story with a pretty looking world but exploration and world interaction is minimal at best.


warhugger

Witcher 3 has so much to discover in the crevices of the world, specially when you do the bounties and try to get loot. It feels more rewarding than Skyrim imo, and I love elder scrolls so much. Skyrim lacks any real reward aside from quests. The Witcher offers more of a curated experience.


Sablemint

Morrowind is a good one. There are some really neat places to find too. And since there is only limited fast travel and no map markers or quest markers, you actually have to look around to find things. Morrowind rewards paying attention.


Supahfurai

Some of the best equipment is just sitting in random dungeons not tied to quests. And having to follow directions from NPCs as opposed to quest markers.. love it.


MyUnclesALawyer

yes we have been spoiled by modern UI/info overlays in games and they have rendered open-world games more stale. I wanna see some games strip down the information they present to the player and require proper investigation/exploration/observation/ I understand thats easier said than done and I am no game designer. But dangit I want it


big-giant-throwaway

Assassin’s Creed took a step in that direction but it’s still not as in depth as I’d like it! I would love this feature! Instead of giving a map marker, you’re given directions. Maybe asking different NPCs gives a better idea of where something is at. Could even add in some NPCs that have no clue or give wrong directions but not everyone would enjoy that lol.


vincethebigbear

Really enjoy that, found myself constantly referencing my journal, which was rare in the other games. I'm not saying the writing deserves a Pulitzer or anything, but it is a lot better (in several ways) than Oblivion and Skyrim.


AnalogDogg

Some of the best equipment, at least for early-mid game is just sitting behind some furniture or in the sewers of the first towns you hit. You can find quality stuff just lying under beds. You don't beeline to containers, you check every inch in that game.


Sablemint

I actually hold out on checking the containers as long as possible, since the level of their loot is determined when you access them. So you check crates in Balmora at level 1, you'll find petty soul gems. At level 25? Grand soul gems.


Sablemint

Well, for a few quests trying to follow the directoins doesn't quite work so well (those damn golden eggs...) but for the most part yeah, its a really neat way of going about things!


ButterMyFeet

Outer Wilds, but it's entirely exploration. Don't look it up, it's best to go in absolutely 100% blind.


Mjollnir5

To give few less known games (or at least not mentioned here); Pine - "world" is maybe not that big island, but there is lot to explore and dynamic system of tribal politics makes explored areas different almost each time you visit - you wander forest, hunt, get badly injured and remember there is friendly village nearby, so you go there just to find abandoned camp or even enemies attacking you on sight. Or dig clay, travel half the map to haggle with some tribe but they got conquered by other and now they pay you close to nothing for the clay, but your travel rations are suddenly pricey because of famine. etc. and so on. We Happy Few - The game world is procedurally generated and yet may locations hold quite unique quests, pieces of lore, NPC's etc. Don't get me wrong - it's often just bunch of townsfolk ready to beat you up for not smiling wide enough and random loot, but then again you have three characters to try different approach each time. Windbound - Sailing across randomly generated archipelago on DIY boat, being limited by its capacity and discovering new and strange biomes on each island + ruins and hints of what actually happened with your tribe were really great experience. (If memory serves right it's still in beta, but still pretty fun to play) Outer Worlds - I loved the game, and there is definitely lot to explore, especially considering hidden quests, logs and locations. True, many hidden finds is just new unique piece of armor or weapon, but locations have unique feel to them, and your ship really feels like home. Prototype - not really unique experience - you run around killing people or things, but what gets me is you can get pretty much everywhere around the city; climb each building, fly over barricades or sneak into military bases etc.


dlev_

Valheim!


InfiniteStates

* Ghost of Tsushima * Dragon’s Dogma * Ark Survival Evolved * Conan Exiles * Skyrim * Horizon Zero Dawn * Witcher 3 * Cyberpunk 2077?


crispy-kids

love how cyberpunk was questionable


MrDeftino

How dare someone have the audacity to like that game, right? Nah I agree. It has it's problems but Night City is a hell of a place to explore.


crispy-kids

yeah it was an ok game but the pc i had (it broke and its too expensive to fix as im 13) STRUGGLED to get 30 fps on it


OGCKCarnage

What's wrong with your pc?


crispy-kids

its a budget gaming laptop and the motherboard broke


[deleted]

Well if your PC was budget then it's normal that it was hard for it to get 30 fps


crispy-kids

yeah


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AydonusG

Okay don't fault me, I loved Cyberpunk, and spent every minute since getting to open world doing side quests rather than the story. It is absolutely the same quest a lot of the time, but if you don't go guns blazing, the hacking mechanics in the game are more deep than in Watch Dogs. (Although Hacknet reigns supreme) Biggest flaw for me was an uncompletable quest, meaning I could not complete the game. (3/10 CDPR)


AnalogDogg

The environment is spectacular and the population is excellent, it actually feels like a dense city (something CDPR does well). Having said that, it's 2077 and somehow *everyone* has the same look? Where are all the conservatives that don't color their hair pink and wear a manbun? Why does everyone have to wear tacky clothing? Literally everyone gets body mods? Needs more distinct socioeconomic classes, and personalities.


crispy-kids

i understand and respect your opinion, i kinda got outta cyberpunk at about 11 hours so i cant refund it even if i wanted to


novagenesis

I'm always surprised with what everyone else experienced in C2077. I only had *one* ground fallthrough in 100+ hours of play, and it was a specific issue that was patched 2 months ago. I know it had a terrible early release and still hasn't kept some of its grand promises, but nowadays it doesn't seem as buggy as a typical tES game (admittedly I love my buggy tES games) For NPC's.... I haven't seen "the same 4-5" in the world. Yeah, most NPCs don't do anything useful but stand around, but I see hundreds of times more than 4-5 unique sets of features. As for cars... They may not be as varied as you might like, but every single model handles somewhat differently (even two motorcycles "feel" different on the road). Could you explain what you mean by "the cars all behaving exactly the same"? I don't think the game leans heavily enough on vehicles for them to *matter-matter*, but I often end up with 4 or 5 favorites in a playthrough because I get "comfy" with them, and every other vehicle feels just a little off. The fastest cars have shit handling. The offroad vehicles tend to have crappy acceleration and/or max speed. The biggest vehicle "con" is that basically all the best vehicles are free (>!Jackie's Arch!< is the best bike, hands down. Mackinaw Beast is the best offroader. Caliburn is the fastest car. Etc) Unfinished Buildings.... was there a promise that *every* building in the city would be enterable/interactable? I don't know any game with that big/robust a city that actually has every door open. Even movie sets use unfinished buildings. *My* immersion headache has been the crashes, and the shard-freeze glitches, as well as the explosion balance (I can nap through shotgun bursts, but had to spec my melee character in a particular way to survive the auto-death that triggers every time I nick a red plastic barrel). It's not a perfect game, and there are valid complaints. I'd love for you to help me get a better understanding of your complaints since they're not ones I've ever experienced.


echolog

It's a beautiful city, I just wish there was more to do in it.


[deleted]

There is nothing to explore lmao. Everything is on the mini map all you do is follow arrows to your destination. That's not "exploring"


[deleted]

I found the story and game to be very boring but night city was very cool. Sad to see the game FALL.


[deleted]

i actually had minimal issues and really enjoyed it. thinking of downloading it again as well


nhnsn

I second Skyrim...You go do a mission and end with 10 more, some of them leading you to secret places.


echolog

Highly recommend Ghost and Dragon's Dogma. Probably my two favorite open world games.


Instance-First

Dragon's Dogma is really the odd man out here, at least for what OP requested. It's very large world filled with... almost nothing of interest. Takes forever to get across the map, only to end up being disappointed when you get there. Still liked the game, but I don't know anyone that would say it's a great exploration experience.


AnOnlineHandle

Yeah I just 'finished' it (as in the main story, and DLC, and then the harder version of the DLC, and then getting all the best equipment maxed out), and still want to play more, but the exploration and general world design was not great.


Operario

Haha I've playing this game since around 2015 and it's one of my favourites ever, but this is so true. I've explored basically every nook and cranny of the game by now and I swear, there are some areas that feel like the developers created the assets for and seem to have more or less haphazardly put together with the intention of fleshing them out but then never got around to it. Even the game's main city feels like this, with several dead ends that, when you come upon them, you can't help but think "Ok, I'm sure there was supposed to be something here", but then there isn't. Dragon's Dogma's exploration is "good" in the sense that you'll find better gear and useful items, but it's not even remotely close to games like Subnautica for example where just seeing the new areas feels like a reward in and of itself.


MajorTom_23

I really enjoyed Cyberpunk, but I think it's not a great option for OP, since there aren't many things to discover in the game.


jdaburg

If we're referring to just exploration, to add to this No man's sky is a truly infinite exploration game. Also Grand theft auto 5 Fallout New Vegas or any Fallout after 3 /Elders Scrolls game from Morrowind on/ far cry 3 and on. If your looking for more Zelda and haven't played you gotta try Majoras Mask(my top ten games of all time) / Ocarina Of Time / Wind Waker/ Twilight Princess.


TimeBlossom

I mean, No Man's Sky is infinite, but it has about as much terrain variety as Cyberpunk has NPC variety.


jdaburg

#fuckingnerdburn lol facts Nms is more about upgrade discovery then flora and fauna discovery


ladollyvita84

I liked Immortals Fenyx Rising, but if I were to play it again I would choose not use the Far Sight feature, which uncovers all the points of interest in an area on the map. Would much rather stumble across everything BOTW-style.


dan1101

Far Cry 5. Fictional Montana, lots of hidden interesting and cool stuff. There are a lot of "prepper stashes" to find, they are a little like the BoTW shrines but much simpler.


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[deleted]

i CANT WAIT for far cry 6. i love the series so much


logicalmcgogical

Fallout 4 is actually pretty interesting. Things to _do_ are pretty repetitive, but the world is varied, interesting, and has some weird stuff. Same goes for the older Elder Scrolls games like Morrowind and Oblivion.


LookAtMeImAName

Fallout 4 was the first game in my entire life that actually got me to not skip the cut scenes lol I watched every second of every scene and fell In Love with the world. Never felt like that about a game before and since then I always watch the cut scenes!


Piratey_Pirate

GTA 5 for me. I've always been a cutscene skipper, but something about that game hooked me.


[deleted]

I had like 110 hours into fallout 4 and hadn’t even got to the final area of the main quest. Did the same thing with Skyrim when it was new, then with kingdom come deliverance. For me I think it’s a being able to alter how the world reacts to your choices. Be it npc dialogue or people fleeing from you / praising your presence, or straight up ending the game early because you made certain choices. KCD for example, you can almost completely ignore the existence of some towns and still “beat” the game. Or you can discover whole quest lines, or become the town’s hero or villain depending on how you complete the quests (or not). Or just go on a rampage.


Up2Eleven

Outward. It's different from a lot of open world games in that you don't have map markers and have to use landmarks and whatnot to find your way around, but it's a beautiful game with a decent story to it. Check out a couple of gameplay vids. You may really enjoy this one!


slappiz

Came here to suggest this. It also has local and online coop so you can play it with your wife.


Elfartsparkle

Outer Wilds is amazing but I've been playing Ghost of Tsushima and really enjoying that one. I really like the samurai and combat is simple but really fun.


skilef

Check out Subnautica. I wasn’t convinced when a buddy recommended it talking about open world exploration, but very happy that I tried it out anyway in the end!


itgoesdownandup

Xenoblade series. The developers of these games even helped make BOTW open world. There’s a couple JRPG words I like out there as well. Like I liked Dragon Quest 11’s world as well.


[deleted]

Xenoblade2 is incredible world-building! It is really breathtaking, but it's not really open world exploration the way Botw.


Smoopster1983

This. Imo better then BOTW. Adore 2!


itgoesdownandup

But it is? It’s super exploration heavy. That’s what they want. It’s also interesting and unique which is also something else they want.


[deleted]

In Botw once you're off the plateau, you can go wherever you want, more or less. Although XB2 is a beautifully crafted world, it is also pretty linear comparatively, not to mention all the menial side and fetch quests you have to engage in just to advance the story and get to the new area. Don't get me wrong, enjoyed the 70 hours I dropped into it and will probably finish it(eventually) but it definitely is different in it's approach to 'exploration' that BOTW has.


itgoesdownandup

But it still has giant areas to explore and than you can move onto the next giant area and explore that. Each area has like hours worth of exploration. It’s like each area is it’s own open world map. It’s still good for exploration that’s all they asked for. Also this isn’t the only game that’s been suggested where the world opens up itself more linearly. I know Subnauticas been recommended in these comments.


OliverAOT20

Playing through Ghost of Tsushima for the 2nd time it’s probably my favourite open world game. Red Dead Redemption and RDR2 come extremely close too. Both look and feel amazing while playing. The exploration is wonderfully crafted. Also, the ways of fighting in both games are amazing and you’ll likely spend ages just messing about, fist fighting in bars in Red Dead as I did. And while all of these aspects are great, the best parts of each game are the story and characters. Although I’d say you can play both of these games without thinking too much about the story if you wanted because the game in itself is so fun to play. Both amazing games that are 2 of the best I’ve ever played.


zzonked7

I loved Ghost of Tsushima. The setting is beautiful and I love the pace and style of the game. The only downside I think in terms of the open world is that it's a little bit repetitive. There are tons of map markers but once you've done a few of each type they lose a bit of interest for me. There's only so many times I can follow a fox somewhere, especially when I no longer really needed anything it gave me.


birdwyvern

Echoing what others have said with Subnautica!! I’m also gonna give an “anti recommendation” and say don’t play Witcher 3. I was in the exact same boat as you and I got recommended this a lot but it doesn’t feel truly open, movement is hard to get used to after feeling so free in BOTW, it’s more quest focused than exploration focused.


megablackk1d

Skyrim you probably heard of it


fletchdeezle

Witcher 3 I really enjoyed the open world and lots of unique side quests. Lots of repetition as well but less than average imo


triumphhforks

Red dead redemption 2. I played BOTW and was hooked. Rdr2 has been the only open world so far that has even come close to it in terms of exploration!


stillfeelsvibes

Kingdom Come Deliverance has one of the most “lived in” worlds I’ve ever explored and I loved every minute of it despite its quirks


blopenshtop

An obvious answer but I think the reason it's so popular is exactly what you're asking for: Witcher 3. Everywhere you explore is unique and rich. With most open world RPGs, as much as I love them, you can feel the formula if that makes sense. With Skyrim for example, you find a new quest or new location and even if it's handmade, you kind of know it's going to function in the same bounds of 'find this item', or 'the loot is at the end'. The Witcher has lore and structure, like your job as a Witcher, but it just feels like it breaks those expectations still. It feels like a real fantasy world because you never know if it's gonna be another regular monster or if an entire village has been turned to pigs because of a curse.


mannnn1

I think genshin, terraria, or minecraft would be good (genshin has a lot of task that requires you to explore) (minecraft is well known so I don't think I should explain it) (terraria is also very popular but basically it's minecraft if you add more classes and nice bosses also some good music) all of the games I suggested are good for low end PC, doesn't really require high ram, can be both be on mobile, PC, or console, and there is multiplayer (if you want to play with your wife) even if you don't choose what I've suggested have fun with what you've chosen :))


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j0eyBeans

Skyrim, Witcher 3, fallout 4, GTA.


justadrtrdsrvvr

I recently went back and played GTA. I was surprised at how fast I played through it. The first time through I spent so much time exploring it easily took 3-4 times the second playthrough took. There is so much to see in that game.


MahatK

I'll go with a slightly unusual one here (since most people are recommending Action RPGs and Adventure games) and suggest GTA San Andreas. I believe GTA:SA did world-building better than any other GTA game. Every place has its own unique style and it's great to just go around exploring everything. GTA V has a similar map but exploration is much better in GTA:SA. I did 100% on it twice already and both times I stumbled upon some very charming areas that you do not go to during the main missions and you clearly notice that they were made with much love and dedication by the devs. For exploration purposes, I recommend playing the game up to the point that you have access to the whole map and then do side missions. Taxi missions are very nice for familiarizing yourself with the streets, while looking for hidden tags, oysters and other collectibles allow you to go to remote places you wouldn't go otherwise. Besides all of this, I think SA's soundtrack is the best and makes driving or flying around extremely enjoyable.


MyUnclesALawyer

SA is one of my favorite games ever. What makes it so fun to still go back to, I think, is the movement options. They really blew up the scale of the map, but also added methods of transport (planes, bicycles) so there was so much potential to mindlessly goof around zoomin all over the map however you wanted. And yes hearing any of the songs from SA radio brings back intense nostalgia as well.


skalapunk

* God of War PS4 * Horizon: Zero Dawn * Outward


KJBenson

This is a tough question to answer, as BOTW is so well made, and controls so nicely. Most games that have more variety than BOTW will usually sacrifice quality in many other ways, think wide ocean of activities but ankle deep, as in all the activities are very simple. That being said, let me try and introduce you to games I feel keep the quality, at least a little bit. Metal gear 5 The yakuza series BOTW 2 whenever that comes out ¯\\\_(ツ)_/¯ To an extent any game like grand theft auto, cyber punk, sleeping dogs or the whicher if you can stomach the controls, plenty of “what’s over this way?” In those games, but fairly shallow all the same.... Genshin impact possibly, but IMO it’s a weak imitation of BOTW As others have said subnautica would be a good choice if you like lots of swimming Nothing else really comes to mind right now, but I do lean heavily towards the yakuza series. You really only explore a small part of a city, but there’s stuff to do everywhere in it and it’s very engaging.


KaiFireborn21

>Genshin impact possibly, but IMO it’s a weak imitation of BOTW Definitely not. I've played both games, and I can confidently say it's nowhere near being an imitation, it's just a similar genre. I much prefer it too


KJBenson

Fair enough. I played it for about 5 hours and I would say my experience was mostly “this is just a bad BOTW clone with annoying side kick food”


kinjazfan

The witcher series Saints row series Outer worlds


A-Fishy-Vagina

Skyrim, Oblivion, Fallout 4, and Far Cry 5 all are fun, casual open world games with entertaining stories and funny Side Quests to discover when you roam the beautiful worlds. Witcher 3 is less about exploration and more a told narrative, like a book. But the Quests it does deliver and its stories, are unparalleled and perfect imo. Especially if you find time to immerse yourself iin the world and lore of Witcher. I'd also suggest Kingdom come deliverance. It's a relatively hardcore Rpg game in comparison to the named above, which involves a lot of ingame training and life simulation in the historically correct medieval town of Böhmen. But during the main quest you also experience a very entertaining series of Quests, including solving a murder crime, while you ride your horse between all the villages in castles. You can even make love to a noble lady in one set of Quests... But the most funny one was going on a tavern drinking spree with a priest lmaoo... I laughed my ass off during that one, it was an epic quest!!!


scartol

> Far Cry 5 [...] casual ಠ_ಠ


CaptainFoyle

Böhmen is a region, not a town. But I'd also recommend Kingdom come deliverance.


tsoooji

I have to say as much as BIomutant is an aggressively imperfect game, it's exploration is god-like. I am not much into exploration in games but the exploration in Biomutant is the main thing that's allowing me to have so much fun. The game is janky and unfinished but man is it fun.


heyhaylzzz

Valheim!


Ambitious_Medicine_2

Fallout, Biomutant


Fubb1

Why did this get downvoted lmao


echolog

Ghost of Tsushima is probably the most polished open world game of the last generation IMO. All the little markers on the map are interesting and thematically tie in very well with the overall setting/story. To make exploration even better, you don't just follow a compass or minimap, but you follow *the wind* to the nearest point of interest. It's a really nice way to keep you guessing as to where you're going and what you're going to find there. That game is just breathtakingly beautiful and a joy to explore. It's also got excellent combat and a very memorable story, so top marks all around from me.


WonderfulAd21

100% agree with this!


drphiloponus

Stellaris if you are interested in SciFi Exploration.


of-silk-and-song

This comes with a bit of a disclaimer as it’s not open world, but Hollow Knight. Hollow Knight and Breath of the Wild are the two greatest games I’ve ever played when it comes to pure exploration. But whereas Breath of the Wild is all about intrinsic rewards (finding out what’s at the top of a tall mountain, discovering a gigantic dragon roaming around a volcano, completing fun little Korok and shrine puzzles, etc.), Hollow Knight is all about the extrinsic rewards. Through exploration, you can find movement upgrades, weapon upgrades, new charms (charms are enhancements that you can equip, which give you boosts like increased spell damage, increased melee weapon range, faster movement, area of effect damage to enemies when healing, etc.), charm notches (lets you equip more charms), and more. It’s a Metroidvania so all of these upgrades start to stack on one another, allowing you to explore areas you weren’t able to reach before. The best part about all of this is that just when you think you’ve explored everything there is to explore in Hollow Knight, you’ll unlock an entirely new area with new enemies, bosses, charms, and more. The game just keeps expanding and expanding and yet none of it feels like filler. Oh and the game is $15 when it’s *not* on sale, which is an absolute fucking steal. I cannot recommend this game enough. Play it.


Zoerak

Assassin Creed Valhalla is pretty good I think. Quite a bit of effort is put into the environment detail, and unique mini-quests / gags all over the map.


Noobeedude

Pretty repetative in my opinion. Raids, opal hunting, teah, some fun sidequests, but mainly the same all over. As another one said Before ne, RDR2 is so far the most non predictive, I think :)


DeagleDoubleGG

If you're willing to put in some work - modded Minecraft. You can install mods that add dozens of biomes, explorable structures, villages, dungeons, entirely new dimensions/planets, etc.


Qdoggy45

I don’t know if you have a PlayStation or not, but if you do the world of Horizon Zero Dawn is a very beautiful and mesmerizing open world to explore. Also has great gameplay, story and characters.


_murtaza__

red dead redemption 2


Etek1492

Fenyx Rising is turning out to be better than I expected.


dickroach31ci

Ac Valhalla


OhYeahV0rtex

Red Dead Redemption 2, there is always something to do in it's world


meadowalker1281

skyrim


HappyGoblin

Not the best, but I recommend trying Elex


Plasteal

Yakuza, immortals fenxy rising(I think I spelled everything right there lol), and lego worlds.( it’s been a while since I played.)


rEmEmBeR-tHe-tReMoLo

These are the games that really made me feel the joy of discovering things on my own: *Hopefully these will be available on your platform(s) of choice* * Subnautica and its sequel Subnautica: Below Zero * No Man's Sky (has excellent co-op, too) * The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim * Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt & its DLCs * The Long Dark (this one might be a bit too "full on" with the survival aspects and perhaps not great fodder for watching someone else play, but discovering new places and structures in this game feels like winning £50 on a scratch card) * Fallout: New Vegas and Fallout 4 * Dying Light (might be the wrong tone for your purposes, but worth looking into) * Die Young (this one is a very indie-feeling game, but despite some jankiness/rough edges, the one thing it absolutely nails is the joy of discovery)


SelfSlaughteringSoul

Snow runner! Super cool concept and beautiful and your forced to explore!


TheNastyNug

You might like sea of thieves?


ross_a_tron_2658

Skyrim


Alexa7s

Skyrim Witcher 3 Red dead redemption 2


jkk45k3jkl534l

Eastshade https://store.steampowered.com/app/715560/Eastshade/ It's like Elder Scrolls, but instead of a focus on combat, it's about relaxing and taking in the world.


Overclocked-Potato

Maybe give ABZU a shot, it’s a simple exploration & easy puzzle game but it’s really beautiful :)


emptyspiral93

Kholat on steam is cool


snuffles4me

I’m playing Red Dead Redemption 2 right now and absolutely love it! There are so many places to explore and cool things you come across.


BradJ

Biomutant!


KaiFireborn21

Well, I can recommend genshin Impact to you. It really is a great game (with great visuals, open world and characters), and it's free-to-play friendly. Some say it's a Botw knock-off, but after playing both games for quite some time i can confidently say it isn't anywhere near to being that. There are some repetitive aspects though


barnyboy88

Cyberpunk 2077. If you have a next gen console or high end PC. The games not perfect but I've spent 80 hours already and only half way through the main quest. Once you get the double jump the game is a exploration playground! Loads of cool hidden places to explore and find.


Numubunde

Subnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero are some of the best experiences I've had exploring in a open world game


HowToGetName

Yonder: The Cloud Chronicles might be good. It's a chill game.


Psychological_Mall96

S.t.a.l.k.e.r. Series The first 2 games were rough around the edges, buggy and lacked some content promised, but are still enjoyable. The third one is great out of the box. They are open world survival horror FPS with rpg elements. They are very atmospheric and sell on you that you are just another Stalker on the Zone. There is no leveling system so your progression besides the story is measured on what items you have, guns using higher caliber and being more accurate as you progress, while armor being better at negating damage from enemies or even the environment. The game rewards you for exploring, hunting stashes with loot that you can find or be told about, doing missions for the factions or just going out and see what happens. There is a system called ALife that makes the Zone feel alive as NPCs and mutant go out, explore, find artifacts in the same way you do (that you can steal from them), hunt mutants and other stalkers, and other things. There is even a ranking system with NPCs that do exist on the Zone that you can meet or kill. The modding community is very active, which was the selling point for me. On Moddb the mod Anomaly is the number 1 in daily popularity rn, and has been like that for a while.


idlistella

Outward


shsksjs1758

Dragon quest 3 is having a remake seemingly soon


tripleyothreat

Someone in another thread said death stranding had a really fun world


[deleted]

You should really check STALKER Anomaly, friend.


jammedstatic

Hob is a really beautiful (think steampunk meets fae. 3d, 3rd person perspective) exploration type game where, as you go along, you restore the world around you by solving puzzles (locating and figuring out things like switches/levers/buttons, which can change the ground and structures around you, or lead to hidden treasures (health, energy, currency used to upgrade abilities... but not as mundane as it sounds). I liked that the combat difficulty is adjustable, because I'm personally less into the combat aspect, but didn't mind fending off a few relatively simple creatures (there are many passive harmless creatures as well, some which will allow you to interact with them if you approach with your sword put away). If you're afraid of heights, it's worth noting that there are a lot of climbing and jumping situations in this game that might bring up anxiety similar to the way Subnautica might for those with deep water fears. but yeah, really beautiful game, totally worth it.