I was out getting dinner with a couple of my friends over the weekend, and the conversation evolved to video game talk. We somehow ended up talking about Fallout: New Vegas, as one of us had never played it. As we kept chatting, my friend mentioned that I don’t seem to be much for open-world games. I was surprised, especially when I consider what some of my favorite games of all time are, but it was a valid accusation. I don’t talk about open-world games often, but I would be remiss if I acted like they haven’t been wildly formative for my taste in video games.

Fallout: New Vegas by Obsidian Entertainment

I went home after that conversation and opened up Fallout: New Vegas, and I sat there in front of my PC until nearly 2:30 AM. What an absolute beauty this one is! While Fallout 3 was an evolution for the series, and a game that I love dearly, the Mojave Wasteland that features here is so unique. From the second you set foot on the New Vegas Strip, you’re shown a vibrant, colorful, and lived-in world with plenty of interesting characters. Even when you’re out in the world, there is still more going on than was found in the Capital Wasteland of Fallout 3. The game’s expansions – excuse me, downloadable content- take the player further into the wastes, including up into the Zion National Park in Utah and entirely inclusive environments such as the Sierra Madre Casino.

Fallout: New Vegas is available for PC via Steam, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas by Rockstar Games

A lot of my childhood was spent at my friend’s house where virtually every Friday evening, his older brother would “watch” us, which is a term I use lightly. This basically included giving us a copy of the latest Grand Theft Auto entry, then him doing whatever he wanted. Honestly, it was an effective system, because my friend and I would be glued to the TV screen for hours. The pinnacle of this was following the release of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas which kept me entertained for hours and still does nearly two decades later. When you’re driving around the Bone County desert, the forests of Back O’ Beyond, up the hills of San Fierro, or through the strip of Las Venturas, there is no shortage of captivating areas. The oddball denizens of San Andreas make for hilarious encounters, and whether you’re playing the story or causing mayhem, the game remains masterful in 2022.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is currently in a sort-of limbo following the release of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definite Edition, but can be found physically for PlayStation 2 and Xbox.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim by Bethesda Game Studios

I have a confession before I start to talk about this one… I’ve never completed Skyrim! This might sound blasphemous given the game’s status as one of the best role-playing games of the 2010s, but it suffers from one thing: a gluttonous amount of content. I’ve tried playing Skyrim multiple times on multiple systems, but that sheer amount of content leads me off on uncharted pathways, away from the main storyline, and eventually away from the game. Despite this complaint, I’ve devoted a ton of time to this game. Getting lost in the titular world is beyond easy. You’re given a huge map with tons of stuff to do and plenty of non-playable characters to talk to. This lends itself to multiple unique ways to approach the game, and one day when I finally stick to the main storyline first and foremost, I’ll be beyond excited to dive back into the world of Skyrim.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is available on PC via Steam, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.

Shenmue by Sega AM2

Even though it seems like a distant, but beloved memory, the Sega Dreamcast is a remarkable system with a ton of really good games. My favorite on the system, and one of my favorite games ever released, is Shenmue. The passion project of Yu Suzuki introduced the world to Ryo Hazuki, a teenager on a quest for revenge following his father’s death, and takes place in the Japanese city of Yokosuka. There is a clock in the game which dictates how the world works. In the city center of Dobuita Street, shops will be open and Ryo can interact with the people who run these shops or spend time in You Arcade playing other Sega games such as Space Harrier or Hang On. When the clock hits 7 PM, a cinematic plays where the streetlights come on. The bars open up at this time and the signage shines, although Ryo will have to return home at some point as he’s only 18, only to start again the next day. It always brings a smile to my face the first time it snows in the game (which is not necessarily going to be the same across playthroughs), and I know Yokosuka will always welcome me back.

Shenmue is available for Sega Dreamcast, PC via Steam, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

No Man’s Sky by Hello Games 

The hype leading up to the release of No Man’s Sky could have been cut with a knife. The game promised a procedurally generated open-world, more accurately an open galaxy, where players could explore planets for the first time while engaging in combat with local fauna, or trading with inhabitants in new and unfamiliar languages. Unfortunately, the release didn’t go quite as planned with a seeming lack of content despite the unreal scope of the universe. With continual updates, cross-platform play, base-building, and more, the literal universe of No Man’s Sky has turned its reputation around. Exploring new planets or jetting through the universe in your spaceship alongside your friends is a ton of fun. The game is set to come out on the Nintendo Switch and has new content coming this year, all of which comes alongside everything that has already been added to the game. 

No Man’s Sky is available on PC via Steam, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and is coming to Nintendo Switch later this year.

Horizon Zero Dawn by Guerilla Games

Guerilla Games is responsible for one of my favorite console first-person shooter series in the form of Killzone. While the series had an entry on the PlayStation 4, it didn’t come with the same highs that were found in the original trilogy. Guerilla Games would shift their direction during the PlayStation 4’s lifespan, releasing Horizon Zero Dawn in 2017. The game’s world takes place in a post-apocalyptic version of the United States’ Mountain West region. While the game is riddled with robotic creatures that look like various dinosaurs, the player takes control of Aloy, an outcast from the Nora tribe. While the machines are oftentimes peaceful, coexisting with humans who are living in a way that feels antiquated, though they utilize weapons that speak to futuristic capabilities. There are these robots called “tallnecks” that Aloy is able to climb to the top of. Once on the tallneck’s plateau-like head, there are few moments as beautiful on the PlayStation 4 as looking out over the world. While I haven’t played Horizon Forbidden West, our own Hayden Epstein says that it’s better than Zero Dawn, especially when it comes to content and the diversity of the environments. 

Horizon Zero Dawn is available on PlayStation 4, and PC via Steam.

While I’ve spent more time in multiplayer games over the past couple of years while social activities pause and resume, I am still a huge fan of a great open-world game to get lost in! There are plenty of shining examples of great options if you’re looking to get lost virtually, and as the technology that runs our games improves, I can’t wait to see what worlds we’re given, what evolutions of worlds we’re familiar with come to fruition, and what stories we’ll be able to weave in whatever ways we see fit.