Open world console game recommendations?

Brian G Turner

Fantasist & Futurist
Staff member
Supporter
Joined
Nov 23, 2002
Messages
26,431
Location
UK
Looking for a new game to play - we love Skyrim and Oblivion, Fallout, No Man's Sky, and Horizon Zero Dawn. Not so keen on Witcher and Dragon Age isn't open-world enough. Played Biomutant and was okay.

GTA isn't our scene, and while Far Cry Primal was good, the rest of the series looks more shooter based when we're looking for something more focused on exploration.

Any suggestions for another great open world game that's available now for the PS4 or Xbox One?
 
Last edited:
Your tastes sound quite a lot like mine. Have you played Fallouts 3 and 4, as well as Fallout New Vegas? I don't know if there is a console version of Morrowind, but it might be worth a look, even if it's very dated. Bioware have made a number of SF games - Knights of the Old Republic 1 and 2 (probably pretty dated now, but good), the Mass Effect games and The Outer Worlds - that are somewhat open world, but they might be a bit too much like Dragon Age for you. I've never played them, but the Batman games might be that sort of thing.

There are several open world games where you have to collect resources and make stuff, like a more complex version of Fallout's base building subgame. Subnautica is one, I gather. Might be worth a look, as you can roam about and look at things.

I don't know what you'd make of Dishonoured: it's a stealth game in which you move around a set of large open missions, which might or might not be of interest. I enjoyed them, but they're not exactly open world.
 
Red Dead Redemption 2?

I really liked Assassins Creed Odyssey, sailing about ancient Greece as Kassandra (then going to the Elysium fields, Hades and Atlantis if you get the DLC). It can get a bit 'radiant quest' hence samey, but the main missions can get quite fun. By far the best city scenes I've seen in a game in a very long while. Athens is huge - it's easy to get lost in it, and full of people, makes Whiterun look like a ramshackle hamlet that's on the verge of being abandoned. Loads of islands, forests in the north, desert-like Crete with Minoan ruins in the South. The whole map is gorgeous.

Obviously an Assassin creeds game, so mainly stealth, finding ways to pile up bodies without getting caught (or like my dad charge in like a barbarian and just wave your sword around.) Has loads of boss and big boss battles (Just trying to get the animals pelts for Diana - involving very powerful 'Normal' creatures from Greek Myth, like the Cretan Bull, the Ceryneian Hind, the Nemean Lion etc... are pretty difficult) so you do need to figure out the combat mechanics. Not quite Dark Souls, I believe, but can lead to sore fingers. The more 'mythological' creatures such as the Minotaur, Cerebus and Medusa are another level and very satisfying when you (eventually) beat them.

I spent almost 380 hours in it on Hard.

I haven't seen Assassins Creed Valhalla - but similar sort of mechanics but set in England (and Ireland I think in DLC) could be one to entice you, or if Odyssey floated your boat.
 
The Batman games do get increasingly more open world with each one, and there's a fair amount of exploring, although there's also a lot of dropping down on groups of criminals and taking them out (although the fights are very fun and fluid once you get the hang of them). In a similar vein, the Spiderman game on PS4. VERY open world, though again your main thing is obviously you're a crime fighter, though it also has a mix of loads of mini quests, including scientific and technological. But the best thing about this game -- I recently read someone say it's the only game they have never fast travelled in, and I completely agree, I think I recall fast travelling literally once. Swinging your way across an entire city is just far too much fun.
 
I really enjoyed Days Gone.

More of a Zombie Survival game, though. It is open world and quite thrilling in my opinion and i was genuinely gutted to have finished it. I'm not too sure whether it would be your thing, so it might be worth watching a few YouTube videos.
 
Last edited:
hey Brian G Turner :) how are you :)

Burnout Paradise, I had it on PS3 but now there is a really nice remake for PS4 , Burnout Paradise is the open world version of The Burnout Games, you can drive around and explore the large City, lots of buildings to look out if you like realism, very are mountain areas and a small beach area, lots of jumps to fly off of, gates and billboards to smash, cars to collect and paint your way, just a brilliant game, fast paced driving with an amazingly realized open world, rivals to compete with in races ect and yiphee they made the Online Free, you can have disk or download from store and when you in the game find the online button and it will bring you to like a party often 5 ish players but it can vary, the max is 8 Online players at a time ( plus you can invite or join your friends) you can race them, talk to them if you have a mic, travel the map together, show off your car, do Marked Man and Cops and Robbers, and get this there is 500 challenges you can do with people online its really a brilliant game to explore by yourself and have a lot of fun in or with friends too :) plus the music is excellent lots of great songs :) this is why I am putting it at the top of the open world pick :)

Bloodborne amazing game, and its open world, you can travel basically to most places just by walking/running from one section to another, lots of winding and connecting paths plus there are small lamps to help you fast travel if you need, lots of bosses and scary creatures and there are some dungeons that are procedurally generated but the main game is super fun, lots of Gothic horror, lots to learn and speculate very great game you just want to explore and find out more :)

I think both Infamous games but I have Infamous Second Son, really sweet game, has an emotional story, a big city you can explore, clear out baddies from districts ect you gain various powers and some help you glide around the City anyway its really fun :)

Rime has like levels but it all feels open world, lots of exploration and you can keep progressing from one 'section' to another, very beautiful and moving game (my first Platinum on my Birthday) its really nice :)

Ratchet and Clank (well I think all the Ratchet and Clank games are open world with story missions too) the 2016 has lots of beautiful worlds to explore, lots of hidden secrets and a bunch of fun :)

Lego Marvel Avengers, you have the story missions like any Lego Game but there are maybe 5 hub worlds you can explore and I think its Manhattan, its basically an open city with parks, tall buildings you can fly to ect so lots of space there plus Lego Games are super fun :)

Metal Gear Solid 5 : The Phantom Pain - Very open world lots of bases to sneak up on and take out, very large map.

Hope you find amazing open world games plus there are loads at there :)

Regards - Declan Sargent
 
Just finished the entirety of Assassins Creed: Valhalla, pretty much my first Assassin's Creed game. It's taken me about 150 hrs to get through it and all the DLC. More coming in December.

If you like Vikings its the way to go. You can stealth or brute force it, doesn't matter. Stealth is slower but safer, it's how I played.

Graphics are amazing. The game can feel a bit samey after a while but you can go off and do DLC when you get bored with that, they are a bit more story focused and take about 10-15 hrs to complete each.

 
I'm not sure if it's on consoles yet, but Sable might be a worth a look. It's pretty low-key: you're a woman on a jetbike, riding around a post-apocalyptic desert that looks like a Moebius picture. You solve problems rather than fighting, and there's a lot of climbing and jumping. It's mysterious and engrossing.

daytimetowerscreen-1550489728.jpg
 
Many thanks for all the recommendations - most of which we have. :D

Sounds like we need developers to hurry up with open world games - though am looking forward to the new Horizon Zero Dawn game and Starfield next year. :)
 
Apparently there is a Star Wars open world game in the works. Not sure how it’d work over multiple planets, but I’m very much looking forward to that.
 
Subnautica and sequel Subnautica Below Zero.

Open world exploration and survival. Beautiful graphics. Amazing diversity of thing to explore and do. Great story.
Looking for a new game to play - we love Skyrim and Oblivion, Fallout, No Man's Sky, and Horizon Zero Dawn. Not so keen on Witcher and Dragon Age isn't open-world enough. Played Biomutant and was okay.

GTA isn't our scene, and while Far Cry Primal was good, the rest of the series looks more shooter based when we're looking for something more focused on exploration.

Any suggestions for another great open world game that's available now for the PS4 or Xbox One?

Subnautica and it's sequel, Below Zero.

Exploration and survival based open world. Excellent story. Diverse environments. Always something new to discover, as well as new gear and vehicles. Base building mechanics. Beautiful graphics, creature, and world design. Not combat orientated. My fave games of the last couple of years. Still discovering new things in it.

I wouldn't reccomend full on mode though, where you have to consider food and water as that does sap the fun out of it with 'admin' (Hunting, finding water and farming). But the resource gathering and exploring the wreckage of your ship for equipment is great.

 
My wife loved the first one, but reviews of Below Zero don't seem promising - but what did you think?
It's more of the same - which is no bad thing.

Key differences are that there is more story, although as with the first you don't have to follow. More and longer sections on land, and you aren't completely alone anymore if you follow the story.

New gear, buildings and vehicles too.
 
It's more of the same - which is no bad thing.

Key differences are that there is more story, although as with the first you don't have to follow. More and longer sections on land, and you aren't completely alone anymore if you follow the story.

New gear, buildings and vehicles too.

On your recommendation, I bought it for my wife for Christmas and she's loving it, so thanks for that. :)
 

Back
Top