Roam around simulated cities, steal cars, kill anyone and do whatever you want and however you want. GTA is great. GTA is love. GTA is life.
But sometimes you need a break from love and life. Sometimes you just need something different. So here is a list of 5 games that you can try out in an open world sandbox if you ever feel tired of stopping that train.
1. Red Dead Redemption
Bored of playing the same type of games? Well then, Red Dead Redemption will give you a perfect dose of the Western feel and the best action adventure game experience you can dream of.
Another Rockstar masterpiece which was critically acclaimed for its uniqueness where players can ride horses, catch bandits, play short missions, use different firearms to engage in combat and a whole arsenal of side activities to keep you engaged.
The game has the perfect blend of a countryside world with an awesome story-line. From the game’s melancholic music to its gripping story about John Marston and his quest for revenge, Red Dead Redemption lives on as one of the best open world games ever made.
2. Watch Dogs 2
After the success *cough cough* of its previous instalment, Ubisoft released Watch dogs 2 with a much wider scope of open world that turned out to be better than its predecessor in almost every aspect. The franchise is quite different due to its idiosyncratic style of hacking and parkour elements added into the open world.
Watch Dogs 2 perfectly combines the hacking elements with free running and different action sequences which provide you with a high octane adventure game.
Fun Fact: Real hackers were consulted to validate the scripts and the game mechanics for authenticity and references to real life hacktivism were fictionalised, which proves how serious Ubisoft was about their game.
Plus if you ever want to sandbox it in a real life city, it doesn’t get better than Watch Dogs 2’s San Francisco.
3. Assassin’s Creed Black Flag
There is a lot of weight to the argument that Assassin’s Creed established the open world genre. It also set in stone the Ubisoft method of realistic settings with narratives, touching history and people closely.
On the other hand Assassin’s Creed Black Flag is a study in fun. Its about time you commandeered a ship. Become a pirate, raid the seas and take down ships. Assassin’s Creed Black Flag is to pirate fantasy lovers what Deus Ex is to conspiracy theorists. Heralded by many as the last good Assassin’s Creed game, Black Flag is something you won’t regret picking up.
Out and out action, parkour elements, extreme action sequences, dedicated storyline, swashbuckling stunts have helped the game make its own name in the open world/sandbox genre.
4. Batman Arkham Knight
There was a time when Batman games were considered miserable. Then Eidos handed Batman to Rocksteady Studios. The rest they say is History. The Arkham series was born and finally someone solved the superhero combat issue.
But it wasn’t until Arkham Knight that the game truly became an open world franchise. The entire Gotham city becomes your playground, or rather battleground more appropriately, as you rescue civilians, wrestle super villains and solve riddles all the while rolling in perhaps the best way the Batmobile has ever been integrated into anything.
Nobody knows Batman like Rocksteady. And with Arkham Knight they proved that nobody knows Gotham and Batmobile like Rocksteady. Pity they didn’t know PC optimisation that well. But it’s a good thing they have taken some time and effort to patch things up.
The series has all the elements that a Batman fan can expect from the caped crusader, including smooth flowing action sequences, stealth predatory tactics, personalised gadgets, mind blowing combos and most importantly a wide array of super-villains.
Gotham, or rather, North Gotham, is a living, breathing character in the game, its streets filled with menace and danger.
Playing as Batman game was never so much fun.
5. The Witcher 3: Wild hunt
Well, the Witcher series has become one of the most well known franchises known to man since the release of it’s third installment. It is praised for it’s nigh perfection, both on the lines of outstanding narrative, in-depth gameplay and breathtaking graphics. It combines the action RPG genre with an exquisite open world experience and has raised the bar of both the genres equally.
It provides an incredible experience not only to fantasy geeks but also to players who want to play something more challenging than just QTE fests.
From unique monster fights(many folklore creatures), intricate melee combat sequences, wide engaging open world to intriguing side quests and a memorable storyline, this game gives you all the essentials that you can expect out of a fantasy game. The game is a pure example of endurance, enthusiasm and also hints us with a trace of CDPR’s laborious intent, of how the developers put their hearts and souls into making the game.
Thats our list of the 5 Open world games you can try instead of GTA V. Did your game make the list. Do you think we missed out on any? How many of the above have you tried? Let us know in the comments below.
