5 best open-world PC games like GTA 5 in 2021

Console players have had a great year in, with plenty of quality exclusives. However, PC has had an equally great year in games. The "PC Master Race," as deemed so by the internet, remains one of the best ways to experience games in 2021.

The past year saw the release of powerful new GPUs by Nvidia, which pushed the boundaries of a gaming PC. To truly push the hardware to its limit, there are a few open-world games that have provided benchmarks.

The open-world genre makes for some of the most expansive experiences one can have in gaming. The last few years have seen plenty of innovation in the genre and resulted in some of the best games one can play on their PC in 2021.

Here's a look at some of the most expansive open-world titles that will push PC setups and gauge how powerful it truly is.

5 best open-world PC games like GTA 5 in 2021

#5 - Death Stranding

Released in 2020 for PC, players can witness Kojima Production's experimental phenomenon in its most beautiful form using their high-powered GPUs. Death Stranding is unbelievably gorgeous with its idyllic mountainsides, cliffs, and flowing rivers. It can also take a turn for the worse at the drop of a dime.

Even in its most genuinely terrifying moments, Death Stranding remains starkly beautiful and an unforgettable experience. The game is, perhaps, the most daring open-world title to date. It takes plenty of risks with regards to gameplay and storytelling, which makes for an entirely original experience.

While the game isn't flawless, it never runs the risk of being derivative or unoriginal. Death Stranding on PC is one of the most visually impressive games to ever be made.

#4 - Horizon Zero Dawn

Another PS4 exclusive that is now available on PC, Horizon Zero Dawn is one of the finest open-world titles of the last decade and will keep players hooked for hours on end.

The game engine, developed by Guerilla in-house, also powers Death Stranding, does not fail to impress and makes full use of the powerful hardware on PC.

Horizon Zero Dawn's innovative and wonderous open-world is chock-full of interesting lore and fascinating creatures that will have players come back to the game frequently. The combat and exploration are balanced extremely well, making for a wonderfully rewarding gameplay experience.

The game rarely ever runs the risk of becoming tedious or repetitive. It always keeps players on the lookout for new areas and new enemy types to keep things interesting.

#3 - Red Dead Redemption 2

The pioneers of the genre, Rockstar Games, return to the "Old West" for a sequel/prequel to the critically acclaimed Red Dead Redemption. The game picks up the story before the events of the original game. It provides much-needed context that led to the gang going their separate ways.

The story of Arthur Morgan will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression on the player and shows just how far Rockstar has come in terms of storytelling. The game looks every bit as next-gen as, perhaps, some of the newer titles. With Ray-Tracing capabilities of the newer GPUs, the game is drop-dead gorgeous.

Red Dead Redemption II sets the bar for future games to live up to in terms of storytelling and technical brilliance. The gameplay is also interesting with one of the most fleshed-out, lived-in, and masterfully crafted open-worlds to date.

#2 - Assassin's Creed Valhalla

For a lot of players, the Assassin's Creed franchise had run out of steam by the time Origins had rolled out. However, the new RPG direction the series has taken has breathed new life into it and resulted in some of the best Assassin's Creed game in years.

Odyssey did a fine job of presenting an absolutely gargantuan open-world with plenty of interesting things for the player to do. Valhalla doubles down on it with even more content and a large map to satisfy fans of the open-world genre to no end.

Valhalla tells the story of Eivor, as he and his clan of Vikings leave Norway to make England their new home. What follows is the player forging alliances with various kingdoms of England, which makes up for the majority of the story in the game.

Assassins and Vikings might not have been the easiest combination to sell. However, the way the game fits into the mythology of the series makes it an extremely valuable entry to the franchise.

#1 - Cyberpunk 2077

Despite its state on launch on base last-gen consoles, Cyberpunk 2077 seems to fare better on PC. While not completely devoid of bugs, glitches, and other annoyances, the game is a damn sight better on the PC.

Underneath all the bug-riddles issues is a game that is worthy of praise. Cyberpunk 2077 offers a seemingly endless supply of content. While the main story isn't necessarily long, wrapping up in about 20 hours or so, the majority of the game's value comes from the side missions.

The world-building of the game is second to none as it crafts an interesting universe that is full of interesting stories for the player to sink their teeth into. Side missions are fully acted-out missions that could even be a major quest mission in another game.

Cyberpunk 2077 is not without its fair share of flaws, but it certainly is a title with a lot to offer and is undoubtedly going to get better with time.