5 biggest open-world games of all-time

Video games have evolved in sophistication, and their level of technical brilliance in the gaming industry is something to marvel at. Over the years, the open-world genre has become extremely popular, and the reasons are multi-faceted than just face value.

The open-world genre, quite simply, offers a lot of playtime even after the completion of the story or the primary campaign. In theory, players can spend any number of hours in the open-world by just simply taking in the sights.

These are 5 of the biggest open-world games of all-time in the history of gaming, and purely based on the size of the map.

Five biggest open-world games of all-time

Note: Procedurally generated open-world games like Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall and No Man's Sky have been excluded because of their random, procedurally generated areas.

(Source: gamingscan)

5) Just Cause 3 (400 sq. mi)

Just Cause 3 is one of the most enjoyable open-world games, and a lot of it boils to the addition of the grapple-hook, which sees a lot of upgrades in this sequel. Just Cause 3's tropical paradise provides one of the most beautiful and sprawling open-world locations in all of gaming.

The game offers an exciting gameplay, and only a few other games can rival the sheer explosive fun of Just Cause 3. The story is adequate, but it is really the open-world and semi-destructible environments of Just Cause that keeps players coming back to the series.

4) Test Drive Unlimited 2 (618 sq. mi)

The Test Drive franchise might not be known as well as it was back in the early 2000s, but this 2011 entry has its place in gaming history as one of the biggest open-world maps ever.

The vast map was likely to be a key point of focus during development, as it was one of the game's biggest selling points. However, it does not have much to offer as it severely lacks the required content to go along with the huge map.

3) Final Fantasy XV (700 sq. mi)

Final Fantasy XV is one of the most controversial entries in the franchise, with some players fully behind the new approach to the series. However, some feel that the vast open-world is a deterrent to the game's overall quality.

Technically, the game world is quite large and ranks highly amongst other open-world game maps, but it can be a bit misleading. The open-world doesn't operate in the same way as other games such as Metal Gear Solid V or the GTA franchise.

2) The Crew (1900 sq. mi)

Racing games have been attempting to create the biggest open-world area for a while now, but only a few games can match the sheer vastness of the map of The Crew.

Ubisoft drove home the point with their marketing that The Crew had one of the biggest open-world maps in gaming history. Players estimated that it took up to nearly 2 hours of playtime to traverse across from one coast to the other, and that is extremely impressive.

1) Fuel

Fuel holds the distinction of being the biggest open-world map without being procedurally generated and is generally regarded as a fairly average game apart from that particular feat.

The game is fairly decent when it comes to the driving mechanics. However, the vastness of the open-world is what takes center stage. However, the game lets players down in terms of offering any real substance in the open-world as it is mostly barren save for a couple of bright spots.