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There is nothing like open-world games when it comes to offering players alternate realities to escape into. It offers unparalleled player agency whether someone wants to play the main story, or someone wants to explore every nook and cranny of the meticulously created world of the game.
The open-world genre of games has gone through much refinement and reiteration since the days of GTA III. While filler side content has plagued some below-par open-world games, the standout games of this genre have meaningful side-quests and rewarding exploration at the heart of their game designs.
The expansive library of Xbox Game Pass features quite a lot of open-world games for players to delve into. Here are the best ones among the lot.
Five enjoyable open-world games on Xbox Game Pass (as of December 2021)
5) State of Decay 2
Set in a zombie apocalypse, State of Decay 2 is a horror survival game with a vast open world and an addictive gameplay loop. Players scavenge for resources, embark on quests, fight off hordes of zombies, and build and improve their base.
After finishing an in-game tutorial, the player is allowed to choose between three maps: Cascade Hills, Meagher Valley, or Drucker County. Players can transverse between the three maps at any given time. It’s the perfect game to scratch the Walking Dead itch for an Xbox Game Pass subscriber.
4) No Man’s Sky
No Man’s Sky has come a long way since its rocky launch in 2016. Through regular and free content updates, Hello Games has delivered what the game was initially promised to be.
No Man’s Sky presents players with a galaxy to explore, filled with unique planets and lifeforms, and constant danger and action. With the latest Frontiers update, No Man’s Sky also caters to the player’s colony management itch, while the base building has gotten progressively better with each update.
3) Yakuza 0
The game worlds of the Yakuza series are tiny compared to most open-world titles. Yakuza 0’s rendition of 80’s Japan and the Yakuza culture follows the same formula of small world and meaningful content.
The game's open-world is filled to the brim with enjoyable activities to do, ranging from discos and hostess clubs to classic SEGA arcades, and there are tons of distractions to pursue in the richly detailed, neon-lit world. The other Yakuza titles are on Xbox Game Pass as well.
2) The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
Bethesda’s instant classic, Skyrim, continues to nurture a healthy player base more than 10 years since its release, partially due to the modding scene. Even in the vanilla game, players get hundreds of hours' worth of joy as they explore the open-world of the northernmost province of Tamriel.
Xbox Game Pass is the perfect place to pick up the game before Starfield releases next year.
1) Forza Horizon 5
Microsoft’s big November release this year was the open-world racing game from Playground Games. The vast and vibrant game world of Mexico in Forza Horizon 5 offers players countless things to do, ranging from the Festival playlists to other fun challenges and exploration.
The Xbox Game Pass subscription is a great way to pick up and play the casual arcade-y racer.
