10 Best Open-World Fantasy Games Of All Time

Open-world fantasy games like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 invite players to explore landscapes filled with magic, myth, and adventure. With an often tremendous sense of freedom, players can choose where they go, what they do, and how they tackle challenges. The world exploration is filled with fantasy tropes, towering castles, mythical creatures, magic systems, and epic quests, where the joy of discovery is a major appeal. Players can wander through enchanted forests, stumble upon hidden dungeons, or climb mountains; there’s always something new to find around the next corner.

The open-world element of games allows players to complete quests at their own pace, while the fantasy aspect adds lore to discover, from cryptic messages etched onto ancient stones to forgotten dungeons teeming with treasure. These games allow for unexpected encounters, spontaneous challenges, and the thrill of players forging their own narrative within the larger story.

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10
Minecraft

Metascore: 82

Minecraft is a game that continues to find new players despite its age. This best-selling open-world fantasy game lets players run their creativity wild in its vast, blocky landscape. Minecraft caters to all playstyles. In Survival mode, players gather resources, build shelters, and fight to survive. Creative mode removes limitations, letting players focus on pure building.

Minecraft is a fantastic open-world and fantasy game because it offers limitless creativity through its sandbox gameplay. The world is procedurally generated, and the building mechanics are simple to use, but there’s enough depth that players can create anything they can imagine – from giant castles to working computers. Regular updates keep Minecraft fresh. Regular new features, biomes, and mobs ensure there’s always something new to discover, even for long-time players. Whether it’s an adventure, building grand structures, or simply enjoying relaxing exploration, Minecraft offers an unparalleled open-world experience.

9
Dragon Age: Origins

Metascore: 86

Dragon Age: Origins shines with a detailed fantasy world, a captivating story, and impactful player choices. But what sets it apart is how the picked character’s background shapes the story. Players get to pick their character’s origin story, influencing their personality and the narrative. From the character’s origin story to important choices made throughout the game, the decisions ripple outward, affecting the fate of the world and relationships with companions. Forget pre-defined heroes. In Dragon Age: Origins, players can craft their own legend.

The story in Dragon Age: Origins is both epic and personal. Players take on the role of a Grey Warden, tasked with saving the world from a Blight, a monstrous invasion. The story is told through rich dialogue and cinematic cutscenes, drawing the protagonist into a world of intrigue, betrayal, and sacrifice. Fans of BioWare RPGs will find themselves at home with Dragon Age: Origins. While the graphics might not be cutting-edge by today’s standards, Dragon Age: Origins remains a beloved RPG for its deep world, impactful choices, and memorable characters.

8
Fable 2

Metascore: 89

Fable 2 offers the vast and interconnected world called Albion to explore. Albion is filled with diverse areas, from snowy towns like Bowerstone to lush forests and bustling cities. Each location feels distinct and immersive, and the details in the environment make it feel real. The worn cobblestone streets, layered snow, and overall aesthetic create a believable and engaging environment. Albion isn’t a cliché fantasy world – it presents contrasts between rich and poor, old and new, and offers choices that impact the world and character.

Fable 2 takes traditional fantasy tropes and subverts them. Players don’t play as a pre-destined hero; the main protagonist of the game, Sparrow, is an orphan driven by revenge. Fable 2 also doesn’t shy away from emotional weight. The narrative is filled with loss, including the main character witnessing his sister’s death as a child, which sets the tone for the hero, fueled by a bittersweet purpose. Taking a dramatic shift from the lightheartedness of the original Fable, Fable 2 dared to be different. This willingness to experiment with storytelling and themes makes it stand out in the fantasy genre.

7
Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Metascore: 89

Unlike some open-world games that can feel overwhelming, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 offers a good balance between exploration and content. The world is scaled-down but still has plenty of places to explore with quests to do, people to meet, and monsters to fight. The game features familiar fantasy tropes like a heroic journey, epic battles, and a world filled with diverse creatures and locations. A highlight is Xenoblade Chronicles 3‘s DLC, Future Redeemed, which serves as the closing chapter for the entire Xenoblade Chronicles trilogy.

The biggest strength of Future Redeemed lies in its ability to tie together the narratives of all three Xenoblade Chronicles games. It acts as a prequel, sequel, and finale, bringing closure to plot points and character arcs that spanned years. This deepens the emotional impact for players who have been invested in the series from the beginning. Despite being the final chapter, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 itself is considered approachable for newcomers to the series.

6
Bloodborne

Metascore: 92

Bloodborne‘s world, Yharnam, is a gothic Victorian city steeped in Lovecraftian horror. The atmosphere is thick and oppressive, easily drawing players into the mystery of the hunt and the horrors that plague the city. While Bloodborne doesn’t have an exceptionally vast open world, its areas are intricately connected, forming a cohesive and mysterious whole. Exploring these areas is highly rewarding. Hidden shortcuts unlock as players progress, revealing new paths and encouraging players to explore the world’s secrets. This interconnected world design promotes a sense of discovery that’s key to the open-world experience.

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Bloodborne is notoriously difficult, but overcoming challenges feels incredibly rewarding. Each enemy defeated, and each area conquered represents progress and mastery of the game’s mechanics. While the difficulty may resemble that of the Souls game, Bloodborne‘s combat is fast-paced and aggressive, a departure from the slower, methodical style that adds uniqueness to it. Bloodborne might frustrate newcomers with its unforgiving difficulty and cryptic lore. But for those who stick around, it offers an unforgettable open-world experience that blends gothic horror with thrilling combat and a world waiting to be explored.

5
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Metascore: 92

Unlike many open-world games where side quests feel like repetitive chores, The Witcher 3‘s side quests are well-written and impactful on the overall world. Completing them expands the story, fleshes out the characters, and rewards the player meaningfully. These side quests become a way to experience the world through the eyes of the common people, adding depth and emotional impact. The game offers a high degree of freedom in how players approach situations. The choices made have real consequences, forcing players to consider them from Geralt’s perspective. This makes the world feel more reactive and alive.

The world of The Witcher draws inspiration from Slavic folklore and offers a dark and mature take on fantasy tropes. Unlike some high fantasy settings, Witcher‘s world feels grounded and unforgiving. The story goes beyond the typical hero’s journey. It explores the topic of war, the struggles of common people, and the moral ambiguity of Geralt’s world. The game prioritizes character development and emotional impact over complex mechanics. Choices matter because they impact the story as well as Geralt’s personality.

4
The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom

Metascore: 96

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and a significant leap forward for open-world games. Tears of the Kingdom takes Hyrule from Breath of the Wild and adds new content to it. It doesn’t completely overhaul the map, instead opting to add Sky Islands and the Depths, offering more to explore without losing the familiarity. TOTK places a greater emphasis on telling a focused story compared to its predecessor.

Tears of the Kingdom set a new standard for both open-world and fantasy games, offering an unforgettable adventure filled with wonder, challenge, and a world unlike any other. Link ventures out to find new Sages to combat a growing threat. The story adds depth with Zelda being sent back in time, creating an interesting dynamic between her and Link. Crafting mechanics are well integrated into TOTK, encouraging players to explore and use the world’s resources.

3
Elden Ring

Metascore: 96

Elden Ring stands out as a fantastic open-world fantasy title for several reasons. Players can choose their path and explore at their own pace without being constantly directed by the game. Unlike previous Souls games, it offers a brighter and more open atmosphere, encouraging exploration. Elden Ring‘s lore is deep and intriguing, revealed through item descriptions, environmental details, and cryptic NPC dialogue, with this rich history adding a layer of mystery that keeps players engaged.

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Elden Ring Review: Hands Across America

Elden Ring is a staggeringly large, nearly perfect culmination of everything FromSoftware has developed since the release of Demon’s Souls.

Elden Ring retains the punishing yet satisfying combat FromSoftware is known for, where mastering enemy patterns and overcoming difficult bosses provides a great sense of accomplishment. Its evolution of the Souls formula offers an open-world experience unlike any other. Whether players jump into the game as seasoned veterans or newcomers to the genre, Elden Ring offers an unforgettable journey.

Metascore: 96

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, even more than a decade after its release, remains a beloved classic. Unlike many RPGs, Skyrim doesn’t restrict players to pre-defined classes. They forge their own path, becoming a warrior, mage, thief, or a unique blend of all three. The perk system lets players specialize in specific skills, rewarding them for the way they choose to play. Skyrim offers a massive amount of content, and while the main story is engaging, it’s just a small part of the experience. Guild quests allow players to dive deeper into different factions and their storylines, while countless miscellaneous quests offer exploration opportunities and rewards.

While Skyrim isn’t without its flaws, such as occasional bugs and AI quirks, the overall experience is what makes it truly special. The vastness of the world, the freedom of choice, and the sheer amount of content create an unparalleled sense of adventure. It’s a game where players can lose themselves for hundreds of hours and still have new things to discover.

1
The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

Metascore: 97

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is more than just another Zelda game; it’s a revolution in the open-world exploration genre. The game respects the legacy of the series while offering a fresh experience. It’s familiar but improved with new mechanics, a layered open world, and a more mature feel. This caters to long-time fans while attracting new players with modern open-world elements. Unlike many open-world games, BOTW doesn’t hold its player’s hand. After the intro, players decide where to go and how to progress. This creates a strong sense of agency and discovery.

The world is designed to encourage exploration. Players will stumble upon dangers and challenges as they venture off the beaten path, which can be exciting or risky depending on their preparedness. This makes exploration both rewarding and thrilling. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a significant evolution for the franchise. It embraces open-world concepts while maintaining the series’ core identity, an innovation that is refreshing for long-time fans and breathes new life into the Zelda experience, simultaneously setting it even further apart from genre standouts like The Witcher 3 and Xenoblade Chronicles 3.