5 most diverse video game open worlds (and 5 that left a lot to be desired)

Open-world video games are the bread and butter of the gaming industry and are generally the most sought after by players. A large experience and generally worth the money, these are guaranteed to keep people immersed for hours on end without even trying.

In the last two decades, the industry has seen a rise in such video games, with RPGs typically taking the stage as the largest games to come out in recent times. But not all such releases are a success. This largely depends on if the game can deliver a good experience in its open worlds.

Looking at both ends of this spectrum, here are five open-world video games with the most diverse maps and five which left more to be desired.

Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinions.

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5 diverse open worlds in video games

1) The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

When it comes to diverse open worlds, the Witcher 3 will be a video game that always jumps to players' minds. The third game is based on Andrzej Sapkowski's novels, and it follows protagonist Geralt (the eponymous Witcher) as he tries to locate his long-lost ward/adoptive daughter, Ciri.

In a testament to gaming history, the Witcher 3 has gone down as one of the most beloved video games of the genre. With a rich narrative and an even richer open world. The map is littered with side quests and game events that keep rewarding players for exploration. From intriguingly crafted side quests to simple collectibles to the age-old fetch quests, this video game has it all.

The game also has a detailed choice tracking system, which affects further gameplay based on what options players choose on certain quests. This is true of side quests as well, leading to small enjoyable mini-stories throughout the Continent. Developer CD Projekt Red has announced a new game, so players should get their horse whistle ready to call on Roach soon.

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2) Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

Out of all the Assassin's Creed video games out there, through the different eras, Odyssey stands as one of the largest explorable open worlds, second only to Black Flag. But while a lot of Black Flag's map is allocated to the sea (to enable large-scale ship battles), Odyssey is more balanced and provides more areas to explore on land.

One of the complaints against Odyssey for many was that it was simply too big, and there was too much to do in terms of getting a full 100% in the game. This was true and also the reason why many other players loved the game.

Set in ancient Greek, this game places players in an epic tale across the lands. Each landmass is divided into many sub-regions, which were filled to the brim with content. Side quests, legendary animals, outposts, collectibles, you name it.

Throughout the map, there were also large areas of the Mediterranean sea, which on their own were eventful. Also, underwater exploration made a return from Black Flag and ship battles. Heading out to far corners might have let players engage legendary captains of the sea, while far-off islands hid mysterious secrets (they were the mythical monsters from Greek mythology). Anyone who has enjoyed this game to its fullest will agree that it feels like an Odyssey.

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3) Spider-Man (2018)

Insomniac's Spider-Man for the PS took comic book fans by storm when it dropped in 2018. With an original story incorporating many of Spidey's rogues, interesting side characters, and a combat system that was actually fun to use, this video game stole the show for many people.

Out of the many things this game does right, though, two of the most important things are the open world and swinging. As a Spider-Man video game, it was bound to be set in Manhattan, New York, and it looks great.

The city is a living, breathing atmosphere with civilians almost always on the streets (who can be interacted with) and an ever-present crime element waiting to strike around the corner. Side activities, while being monotonous a few times, are generally enjoyable.

Next is the superb swinging mechanic. While a bit hard to get the hang of at first, it eventually becomes quite organic, with players having a lot of input on how it looks and where they can take Spider-Man. This was such a hit that most players would avoid the fast travel mechanic at first, preferring to swing across large portions of the city simply for the feel of it.

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4) Forza Horizon 5

Forza Horizon has always been the cooler, younger brother to the more serious Forza Motorsport series, and Horizon 5 is no exception. Set in the wide open world of fictional Mexico, this racing simulator stepped up from its last entry with visuals, driving, and races.

Simply put, the world of Forza Horizon 5 is beautiful to look at, driving at cruising speed in whatever car is available at the beginning of the campaign. Speaking of the beginning, the game starts off with a montage of seasons through which players can play, showcasing the game's talent for rendering different environments (one of which is an actual volcano).

Aside from the looks, Forza has always had activities and jobs to do in its open world, which is the primary way players can keep themselves entertained. There is no overarching plot but simply the choice to build a reputation, which players can pursue at their pace. Additionally, there are various events to take part in, from simple races to time trials to simple stunt runs. Forza Horizon 5 makes proper use of its open world for a racing video game.

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5) Red Dead Redemption 2

Of course, this list would not be complete without Red Dead Redemption 2. The second video game in this series about a protagonist seeking some sort of recompense for their more questionable deeds, Red Dead Redemption 2 sees players step into the shoes of Arthur Morgan during the late 1800s.

Red Dead Redemption 2's world map is one of the most intricately designed maps in video game history. From beautiful sunlit mornings to dark thunderstorms that might spook Arthur's horse to clear night skies, the game can capture weather unlike any before.

Going into the freezing atmosphere means Arthur will require a warming jacket or start slowly freezing. Too humid surroundings and Arthur will need something less warm, or he will start sweating. And these are just a few mechanics in the game that work into the realism of it all.

The world itself is designed to respond to players' input, with random encounters, interactive NPCs (literally all the NPCs), and animals behaving like actual wild animals (a grizzly bear can tear Arthur to shreds). Filled to the brim with such innovative design, the map itself is diverse, with deserts, grasslands, snowy mountains, regular mountains, and some amount of boat travel as well.

Red Dead Redemption 2's praises are endless and will probably remain so for years to come.

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5 open worlds that left more to be desired

1) Sniper Ghost Warrior 3

Sniper Ghost Warrior is a series dedicated to sniping realism and does it well. The first couple of video games showcases this with their expertly designed levels and realistic (for the time) sniping mechanics. But Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 fell into the pitfall of trying to be open world when it didn't need to be.

Trying to emulate the success of larger franchises like Call of Duty and Far Cry, developer CI games failed to put enough effort into the world for the game to shine. While the missions and target assassinations were fun enough, the actual purpose of the open world seemed misguided.

The large map mostly existed for players to collect loot and level up. With a few NPC hubs dotted around the map, it felt hollow and lacked any real feeling of a lived-in environment. In addition to this, the objective of wiping out all possible hostels in an area to advance the skill tree felt at odds with the stealth focus of the core gameplay of the series.

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2) The Amazing Spider-Man 2

In contrast to a good Spider-Man game, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 stands here to showcase how not to make a bad one. Set as the tie-in video game to the movie of the same name, this game was as uninspiring as it was mind-numbingly dull.

This video game had many flaws with a bad story, buggy gameplay, and repetitive side quests. But the open world stands out like a sore thumb. The city of Manhattan here is depicted in a drab and gloomy environment, where nothing attracts players' attention. Even swinging through Central Park feels just as dull as any other area on the map.

In a Spider-Man game, swinging is the heart and soul. And in that case, this game was a soulless husk. Even compared to previous games, swinging was just monotonous and looked dreadful. Spider-Man Web of Shadows, a game that came out six years before this one, had already nailed the swinging, so there was really no excuse at this point.

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3) Fuel

In this open-world racing video game set in a post-apocalyptic desert world, players might have gotten to live their dreams of a Mad Max simulator if the game had been done right. But as might be evident from its place on this part of the list, that was not the case.

Fuel's core gameplay itself was problematic, to begin with. The driving mechanics had many problems and didn't feel intuitive, while the races were unremarkable and didn't hold up to standards.

However, the open world had its own issues. Subverting the expectations of players, the vast map of Fuel did nothing to embody a Mad Max vibe, instead going for a dreary expressionless ruined landscape which only became a drearier blur when racing at full speeds.

While boasting one of the largest maps in gaming, all that area was not put to good use, as while the game had diverse biomes to speak of, it offered little else. Simple exploration was not a rewarding enough experience, and driving from one point to another on the map could take up to 10 in-game minutes. This would have been fun if there was actual scenery to admire along the way, but as established already, such was not the case.

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4) Crackdown 3

A series once fun to play, which has since declined over the years, Crackdown released its third game in February of 2019. Debuting to middling reviews, this video game had many problems, from repetitive missions to a boring gameplay loop to uninteresting characters (even Terry Crews couldn't save this game). But one of its largest failures was the open world.

In an era when GTA V and Red Dead Redemption were out, Crackdown 3 could not pass even as a decent video game with its generic open world. The futuristic lighting and aesthetic of Neon City gave the impression of a fun new sandbox to play in, but it was just that, an impression.

Side activities in the open world are also not intriguing enough to keep players engrossed. Collecting hidden orbs across the map without any relevance to the larger story or character feels like something out of an early 2000s game. All in all, this is mostly a sub-par experience unless players enjoy mindless destruction and mayhem.

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5) Metal Gear Survive

After the departure of Hideo Kojima from Konami, the developers tried very hard to keep the Metal Gear series alive. Releasing Metal Gear Survive in 2018, using the same engine as Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Konami tried its hand at the series by itself in an effort to interest players. In hindsight, they would have probably done better if they had stayed away from it.

This game was the equivalent of holding loyal fans in a chokehold until they eventually pass out or rather pass on playing this game. Set in a bland open world, littered with zombies and tasked to 'survive,' it was a stark departure from everything Metal Gear. The core gameplay was to set up fences whenever zombies approached and then stab them through the said fence. Yes, that is exactly what it amounted to.

On the other hand, the larger open world proved no different in terms of detail. Set in a desert expanse, the open world was simply a setting for players to utilize to gather food and resources. There was no other purpose for it, and it was just a backdrop for the game's plot (if it can even be called a plot). This is what people in the video game industry call 'a cold-blooded murder of a franchise'. Kojima wisely seems to have moved on to greener pastures.