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Open-world video games have evolved significantly over the course of the last two decades, bringing more and more to the table each time. These games offer players an immense sandbox to play around in and have fun at their own discretion.
Such video games also generally offer the most content, with the traditional main story being embellished with additional side missions, optional activities, and collectibles. Players can stay invested in these games for long periods of time without getting easily bored.
Whether it's a medieval setting, a fantastical one, or one set in the real world, there are tons of open-world games out there to select from. Here are five such video games that are worth taking another crack at this month.
Note: This article reflects the writer's opinions.
5 open-world video games to revisit in June 2022
1) Marvel’s Spider-Man
Arguably, this is one of the best superhero video games out there, while also being open-world. Insomniac’s Spider-Man launched in 2018 to critical acclaim. One of the best things about the game was how it depicted the city of Manhattan, which is worth going back to, since a sequel is soon to be released.
Bustling with traffic and pedestrians, the open-world contributed a great deal to making it feel like a Spidey game. Crimes would take place in the vicinity, and players would have an opportunity to actually be a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Aside from this, the game also featured various simple side activities which involved helping out civilians and living the hero's life.
The story takes place over the course of a few days, and this allows the game to showcase the city during both day and night. Spidey could also interact with random pedestrians on the street, posing for a selfie or giving them a high five. At certain points in the story, the city’s atmosphere also changes in accordance with the larger narrative. And, of course, the swinging made it all the more enjoyable to get around the rooftops of New York.
2) No Man’s Sky
After launching in 2016 to numerous complaints due to a host of missing features, No Man’s Sky has since made quite a comeback, with many major updates over the last couple of years. These finally added a lot of the promised content the video game should have originally launched with.
Launching in July 2018, the fourth major update known as No Man’s Sky Next added a full multiplayer experience of up to four players. It greatly revitalized the procedural generation for each planet and made major changes to the game’s engine. Another update titled Beyond was released in 2019. It improved upon the multiplayer aspect even more and added other significant features.
Currently, No Man’s Sky allows the exploration of an expansive universe with different worlds, each one having a different look and feel. Players can take on missions (solo or in multiplayer), battle aliens, collect resources, and build bases across various different worlds. It is a game worth checking out in 2022.
3) Legend of Zelda: The Breath of the Wild
With a Breath of the Wild sequel set to release next year, this seems like a good time to take a look at the first video game once again. This entry into the Legend of Zelda series sees protagonist Link awaken from a century-long slumber, only to see Hyrule Castle being engulfed by Calamity Ganon, with Princess Zelda being sealed within.
Link sets out on his journey to defeat Ganon once again and rescue the titular princess. Players are then let loose upon the wide open-world of Hyrule, encouraged to travel and explore to their heart’s content. Aside from tough enemies, there’s nothing keeping them from going about the entire map.
The game is chock full of side quests to undertake, collectibles to mop up, and various unlockables to gain access to (including a fantasy-themed motorbike). The game introduces a durability mechanic for most weapons, and this encourages players to switch up their styles often and try different tactics. This is probably the best Zelda game in recent times and is considered by many to have the best exploration and traversal mechanics for an open-world game.
4) Red Dead Redemption 2
There is no real reason not to replay Red Dead Redemption 2. Rockstar Games’ pièce de résistance, the second Red Dead Redemption game broke new ground in various areas, including the open-world genre. The diverse in-game map (depicting fictional areas of the US Wild West) was filled to the brim with things to do, and many players didn’t even feel like progressing the main story.
Riding around on a horse can sometimes be a more exciting event than some missions in the game’s story. Hunting animals is fun and realistic, even while getting mauled to death by a grizzly bear. Fishing is almost as calming an experience as it is in real life, if not more. And being an outlaw has its perks, as the player can hold up any store clerk for some extra cash.
In addition to this, the game is full of random and scripted encounters that might occur across the map. Protagonist Arthur Morgan can give advice to a heartbroken teenager or rescue a person being kidnapped on horseback. Players can even break out prisoners being transported, although it will alert the lawmen nearby. RDR2 has one of the best open-worlds in video game history.
5) Elden Ring
Elden Ring came out in February of this year, and for many, it may be too early to revisit the game. However, the Journey 2 option allows players to keep all of the items and levels gained during their first run and start a second playthrough. A Journey 2 (or New Game + for the older generation of fans) is generally a much easier experience due to the player character being so OP this time around.
Released by FromSoftware, Elden Ring is the first video game by the developer to embrace the open-world format. Like Breath of the Wild, this video game does not prevent players from exploring any area they wish from the very start of the game, with workarounds for even the most gatekeep-y bosses.
This game also lets players re-spec their characters quite sparingly, which allows them to try out different builds and wield different weapons to find the one that best suits them. With five different large areas of the map to explore and about 120 bosses to defeat, this game will definitely be replayed many times over by Soulsborne fans.
