7 Games With the Most Lifelike Open Worlds

If you really want to have fun in a game, you need to be fully immersed in its world. Both the macro and micro details in open worlds matter. In the macro, a cyberpunk world needs flying cars, and a wild west story needs a gang of bandits to feel real. In the micro, the tiniest details from the trail of footprints to the hair physics matter.

Generally speaking, life-changing games always have lifelike open worlds. Open worlds where NPCs interact with you in an unpredictable yet natural way. Maps where the architecture complements the narrative, and its random world events keep you invested in what’s happening on-screen. The good news is that there is no shortage of such games. So, with that said, here are the best games with the most lifelike open worlds you need to play.

1) Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 is the perfect embodiment of the name. Both its open world and the people in it look the part. The city basks in striking neon lights. Flying cars pass over your head, neon-lit billboards hang on all buildings, and giant holograms light up intersections. The people of Night City are loaded with implants. They have artificial body parts and weird enhancements installed. Every time you encounter an NPC, just by looking at them, you can tell there’s a whole story behind who they are.

But Cyberpunk 2077’s realism isn’t just limited to the visuals. Even in gameplay, there is consistency. Everything and everyone in the open world is hackable. NPCs speak different languages, which shows the diversity of the population. Buildings have multiple explorable floors, and the verticality in world design represents how big the scale is. Rival gangs can be seen picking fights with each other in the districts. Cyberpunk’s Night City is one of the most lifelike open-world settings ever. It’s a place you’ll never want to leave once you get settled in.

2) Metal Gear Solid 5: Phantom Pain

Things don’t spawn out of thin air in the open world of Metal Gear Solid 5. If you are on the trail of an NPC, you’ll first need to learn their whereabouts. But in a second playthrough, you can find the NPC instantly because you already know the location beforehand. NPCs also follow a routine. They sleep, patrol areas, and if you are spotted, they methodically try to gang up on you.

The open world of MGS5 has mechanics like sandstorms and dense fogs that limit visibility. Enemy bases have communication arrays, street lamps, and things like power generators. All of these can be destroyed to disrupt enemy behavior. Wild animals roam the lands and may attack your enemies. Gunplay is very realistic, too. Recoil, reloading speed, and aiming all have some difficulty to them. Missions can be completed in many ways. You can ignore markers, reach the objective on your own if you’re smart enough, and skip giant parts of missions. To sum it up, Metal Gear Solid 5’s world isn’t just a backdrop. It’s a tool you can use to your advantage, and that fact makes it all the more lifelike. 

3) Assassin’s Creed: Shadows

The Assassin’s Creed games may be lacking in many aspects, but one thing the entire series always gets right is the settings. Whether it’s Italy, America, Ancient Greece, or London, Assassin’s Creed games do a great job of recreating the architecture and vibe of that place. Most recently, Assassin’s Creed Shadows took us to feudal Japan, and it was an absolute blast from the past.

Shadows faithfully captured the ancient Japanese aesthetic. Buildings are historically accurate, people wear clothing from that era, and the famed samurai patrol the borders of the open world. Beautiful countryside lies to your right, rivers to your left, and mountains right in front. The open world also has a weather change system. All four seasons occur and dynamically change the map. NPCs have natural reactions to the weather, too, as they hide beneath cover to protect themselves from rain and such. The narrative storytelling of Assassin’s Creed Shadows might not impress some players. However, what will is the gorgeous interpretation of Japan.

4) Ghost of Tsushima

Like Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Ghost of Tsushima is also set in feudal Japan. However, Ghost of Tsushima often receives praise for its stunning visuals, but its equally impressive open world isn’t talked about enough. Its world is full of life, exciting side quests, and wonderful sights that no other game has come close to recreating.

Ghost of Tsushima takes place on the titular Tsushima, a place near mainland Japan. The island is beautifully decorated. There are fields of red and white, lifelike swamps, tall green grass that are perfect hiding spots, and stunning locations where Jin writes Haikus. The entire island is under Mongolian invasion, so enemy outposts and patrols are everywhere. The locals are oppressed, and you often see them fighting with the Mongolians. 

Quests explore folklore, send you to recover legendary armor sets, make you fight with master swordsmen, and even let you infiltrate enemy castles without alerting anyone. Random foxes and birds appear, and if you follow them, you discover shrines and hidden side quests. The weather is dynamic, and the direction of the wind guides you to the current objective. All these little details make Ghost of Tsushima’s open world feel so lifelike that you are immersed in it for hours at a time without knowing it.

5) Red Dead Redemption 2

You hunt a deer and skin its hide. If you return 24 in-game hours later, the hide will have bite marks from predators eating it. Wait another 24 hours, and the hide will have rotted away. Red Dead Redemption 2 takes the meaning of a lifelike open world to a new level.

Rockstar has added an insane amount of realism to RDR2. When you move Arthur through the snow, there’s a long trail behind you. Diving in the water gets your clothes wet, and they dry off slowly. Dozens of small towns are spread across the map. Hundreds of unforgettable NPCs are found in them. On one corner of a city, there will be a blind beggar who will get afraid when you aim a gun at him. In another area, bandits will be terrorizing the neighborhood. The world of Red Dead Redemption 2 has a crazy attention to detail. Nothing is forced, and what results is an open world that often blurs the lines between fiction and reality.

6) The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

When roaming the continent in The Witcher 3, you’ll have encounters that are natural and not forced. One day, you might stumble upon a merchant beset by wolves, another, two NPCs might be dueling in a mini-narrative. NPCs talk about events you’ve been a part of and places you will visit. They eat, sleep, talk about recent happenings, and follow a routine.

There’s a dynamic day-night cycle. What’s lifelike about it is that some monsters only appear during the night. All regions of the map are handcrafted, and that avoids visual repetition. Quests alter the narrative. Saving an NPC might lead to meeting them again in another quest. The open world is full of these details that make it seem like an inhabited and real place. The Witcher 3’s map is simply a lifelike open world at its best.

7) Death Stranding

Putting Death Stranding on this list is a bit ironic, given that the entire game is based on a post-apocalypse. For the most part, the entire map in Death Stranding is empty. Huge terrains divide points of interest, and the gameplay loop has you figure out optimal traversal routes.

But what makes Death Stranding’s barren world feel lifelike is that it accomplishes what it sets out to do. The world is infested with supernatural entities as well as bandits that steal your cargo. You can find these different hazards lurking around every corner. Huge mountains, rockslides, unbuilt roads, and decrepit buildings lie everywhere. Sure, the world is barren, but it’s intentionally made to mimic an apocalypse. It’s made in a way so players experience feelings like loneliness, hope, and excitement about what new things they’ll encounter during Sam’s journeys. 

The entirety of Death Stranding is a long, beautiful hike through a post-apocalyptic landscape. It isn’t for everyone. But if you are someone who is open to liking an unusual and relaxing setting, then you will appreciate Death Stranding’s open world.