25 Assassin’s Creed Mirage OpenCritic Rating: 76 For many, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla served as a palate cleanser of sorts, helping them to wash away the stale taste of the series’ tired and tested formula. However, for those who still find themselves yearning for the familiarity of classic Assassin’s Creed games, Assassin’s Creed Mirage might just be worth a look. Mirage is set in ninth-century Baghdad, thus providing players with a detailed glimpse into a part of the world that is so often overlooked by Western media. The gameplay may be a little drab in places, but the setting is anything but, making this a great title for those who enjoy exploring rich and vibrant open worlds. 24 Dying Light 2 OpenCritic Rating: 76 Both of the Dying Light games offer up a refreshing take on the open-world formula, with the ever-present threat of zombies helping to completely transform the way that players interact with and explore their surroundings. The fluidity of the game’s parkour system and the paraglider help a lot in this regard, allowing players to remain on their toes and escape from danger at just a moment’s notice. Sure, there are plenty of great open-world games where players need to worry about their surroundings, with the likes of Fallout 4 and Elden Ring being some of the first to spring to mind. However, while these games tend to promote the idea that there could be danger around every corner, Dying Light 2 players are instead conditioned to believe that there more than likely is. 23 Immortals Fenyx Rising OpenCritic Rating: 79 Those on the lookout for open-world PS5 games like Breath of the Wild could definitely do a lot worse than Immortals Fenyx Rising. Released in late 2020, it provides players with a wonderfully well-realized world to explore and a surprisingly solid combat system that combines melee attacks and godlike powers to great effect. Where Immortals Fenyx Rising really shines though is in the narrative department, with its take on Greek mythology managing to be both funny and engaging. Like in a lot of other open-world Ubisoft games, the core gameplay loop can start to feel a little repetitive after a while, but most players should be able to power through. 22 Assassin’s Creed Valhalla OpenCritic Rating: 83 Those who grew up playing Assassin’s Creed games (or indeed any franchise with annual releases) will know that the same old formula can grow tiresome after a while. This is ultimately what led to Ubisoft mixing up their approach for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, with many big changes being made for the PS5 launch title. Like some of the more recent God of War games, Valhalla is steeped in Norse mythology, making it a great title for those with an interest in Vikings and the Aesir gods. The game primarily takes place in Anglo-Saxon England, allowing players to visit numerous counties and cities, including Yorkshire, London, and Lincolnshire. 21 Stellar Blade OpenCritic Rating: 82 Although quite different thematically, Stellar Blade is a lot like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth when it comes to the design and implementation of its world, with the game boasting several large open-world areas that are linked together by smaller, more linear sections designed to drive the narrative forward. Some may refer to this type of game design as semi-open-world. Whatever it is, it works incredibly well. Ahead of the game’s release, a lot was made of the appearance of the main protagonist, but the environments that she’s tasked with exploring are every bit as stunning as EVE herself. The world’s chock full of collectibles and upgrades for players to track down too and the combat system is pretty much as good as they come. Those looking for a fun time can definitely find that here. 20 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition OpenCritic Rating: 81 It would be difficult to talk about the best open-world PS5 games without at least mentioning Skyrim, even if the game’s PS5 port did come as a bit of a letdown. Much like its predecessors, the game helped to push the boundaries of what many thought possible in open-world titles, with its wonderfully well-realized setting offering deeper immersion than anything that came before it. A lot of this stems from the fact that just about anything is possible in Skyrim, particularly with the help of mods. Unlike a lot of other console games, the PS5 and Xbox Series ports of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition do actually feature fairly robust mod support, though those with access to a powerful PC would probably be better off playing the game there instead. 19 Street Fighter 6 OpenCritic Rating: 92 Street Fighter 6 remains a fighting game first and foremost, but the introduction of World Tour Mode could prove to be a real game-changer in the long run. The idea of being able to run around the streets of a fictional city and start fights with just about anybody is simple enough on paper, but the execution here is really quite masterful, and there’s still plenty of room for growth. That the developers were somehow able to integrate a coherent story into all of this is no small feat and deserves a tremendous amount of credit. Granted, this type of open-world Shenmue-esque experience is never going to replace the genre’s traditional Arcade Mode, but it does complement it quite nicely and has the potential to deliver a much more enjoyable narrative without having to dilute the combat. 18 Hogwarts Legacy OpenCritic Rating: 84 Trying to compare Hogwarts Legacy to the best open-world games on the PlayStation 5 is an incredibly tricky task. On the one hand, it’s probably the best Harry Potter game ever made and does an incredible job of allowing players to live out all of their wizarding world fantasies while adding to the series’ rich lore. However, just as its RPG mechanics are fairly generic, most seem to be in agreement that Hogwarts Legacy is a great game in spite of its open-world mechanics rather than because of them. Other than Hogsmeade, being able to explore the areas surrounding the titular castle adds very little to the overall experience. In fact, many of these areas arguably dilute and detract from the game’s quality by forcing the player to trek across an unnecessarily large landscape and engage with content that feels like it’s only there for the sake of making the map feel just a bit less baron. Again, Hogwarts Legacy is a great game, and thus, technically speaking, a great open-world game, but those expecting an Elder Scrolls-style experience will undoubtedly be left wanting more. 17 Animal Well OpenCritic Rating: 89 Described by its publisher as the very first open-well type game, Billy Basso’s Animal Well bears all of the trappings of a great open-world title. Save for a few locked doors and a handful of secret areas, players are able to freely explore pretty much all of its sizable map right from the get-go and are actively encouraged to do so by the plethora of secrets that are hidden throughout the game’s carefully crafted world. Some will perhaps try to argue that a Metroidvania can’t be classed as open-world due to parts of the map being locked behind story progress or the need for certain items. Using this definition, though, genre-defining titles like GTA 3, Shenmue, and even the Switch-era Zelda games can’t be classed as open-world either, which seems like a somewhat ridiculous argument to make. 16 Grand Theft Auto 5 OpenCritic Rating: 92 These days, Grand Theft Auto 5 is nowhere near as revolutionary as it was when it first was first released back in late 2013, but that’s not to say that it isn’t still a fantastic open-world game. Each new iteration brings with it a series of noticeable improvements, with the PS5 version of the game allowing players to explore the fictional city of Los Santos both in 4K and at 60 FPS. Aside from Yu Suzuki’s Shenmue series, it’s difficult to think of a franchise that has had quite as big an impact on the open-world genre as Grand Theft Auto has, and a lot of the reasons for that can be seen throughout this incredible game. For instance, many of the locations that players can visit are based on real-world LA landmarks, helping to add some additional sparkle to what is already a truly stunning setting. 15 Ghostwire: Tokyo OpenCritic Rating: 77 Though its combat is a little shallow and its main story leaves an awful lot to be desired, Ghostwire: Tokyo boasts one of the best open-world settings in all of gaming. Its pixel-perfect portrayal of Japan’s capital city is an absolute joy to explore, and some of the side quests and characters that players will come across while doing so help to enrich the overall experience. Another area where Ghostwire: Tokyo shines is through its enemy design, with many of the foes that Akito and KK encounter being inspired by Japanese folklore. It’s a little on the short side, but for those looking for a game that combines horror, open-world mechanics, and Japanese culture into a single, well-presented package, it’s definitely worth checking out. 14 Death Stranding Director’s Cut OpenCritic Rating: 83 A lot of open-world games find themselves facing criticism for the cookie-cutter approach that’s typically taken when it comes to populating their open worlds, while others are condemned for feeling far too empty. At a glance, Death Stranding might seem like a game that’s destined to fall into that second category, but there’s actually something delightfully deliberate about its dreary and desolate world. The uninhabitable wasteland does a wonderful job of capturing the isolation felt by the game’s protagonist Sam. It’s not much to look at and exploring it rarely yields rewards, but there’s a strange sense of satisfaction that can come from successfully navigating a particularly unhospitable piece of terrain. The setting’s sparsity also helps to emphasize the unique nature of the game’s Social Strand system, which does an excellent job of highlighting the importance of personal connections. 13 Diablo 4 OpenCritic Rating: 88 The open world in Diablo 4 is a bleak one, but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable to explore. In fact, the ever-present threat of Goatmen, Cannibals, and Cultists helps to keep players on their toes as they explore Sanctuary in the hopes of finding more altars, strongholds, and dungeons. In short, its uninviting nature is one of its biggest strengths. The game itself is one of the best Diablo games in years with a satisfying gameplay loop and a fairly well-balanced approach to farming. Being able to tackle its many challenges with others only serves to sweeten the deal, with the game’s full crossplay support making it easier than ever to party up with a few friends and cause a bit of chaos. 12 Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth OpenCritic Rating: 93 The definition of open-world gaming has changed a lot in recent years, with titles like Pokemon Legends: Arceus and Monster Hunter Rise offering players a carefully curated semi-open-world experience rather than providing them with one sprawling, seamless setting. Some may not like this approach to game design, but Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is arguably a much better game due to the perceived limitations that it places on exploration. The game’s open-world areas are big enough for players to get lost in, but not so big as to detract from the overall experience. Players shouldn’t ever feel like they’re mindlessly trecking from objective to objective as they might in larger, more sparsely populated settings and are free to explore the areas at their leisure, or not at all if they’d prefer to stick to the critical path. In that sense, it’s difficult to compare Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth with some of the other great open-world PS5 games, but it’s a must-play title nonetheless. 11 Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales OpenCritic Rating: 85 New York has served as a setting for many great video games, including both Marvel’s Spider-Man and its 2020 sequel, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Some will perhaps argue that creating a compelling video game world from scratch is a far greater achievement, but recreating a real-world location with such meticulous attention to detail is an incredible achievement nonetheless, and one that is worthy of a lot of praise. Not content with creating a phenomenal sandbox for players to goof around in, the team at Insomniac Games then set about crafting one of the best map traversal mechanics in video game history. Swinging through the streets of New York feels immensely satisfying and allows players to see the Big Apple from a whole other perspective. The rest of the game is fantastic too and well worth checking out for fans of the open-world genre. 10 Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered OpenCritic Rating: 87 Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered comes bundled with the deluxe edition of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales and applies an extra glossy coat of paint to an already exquisite work of art. However, despite the remaster first becoming available in late 2020 and then receiving a PC port a few years later, it wasn’t until May of 2023 that it finally got its own standalone PS5 release. Though this delay frustrated a lot of players, it was arguably worth the wait, as this is undoubtedly the best way to experience the 2018 classic on the console. It’s one of the best PlayStation-exclusive games of all time, and, thanks to the increased power of the former, looks considerably better on the PS5 than the original did on PS4. Those who played the original can probably skip it, but for anybody who didn’t, it’s well worth checking out. 9 No Man’s Sky OpenCritic Rating: 72 Perhaps more open-universe than open-world, No Man’s Sky boasts one of gaming’s ultimate redemption arcs. Released amidst an ungodly amount of hype and expectation, to say that the game was initially a massive disappointment would perhaps be a bit of an understatement. To Hello Games’ credit, though, the developer refused to give up on what was clearly a very promising idea. Fast forward seven years or so, and a series of patches have completely transformed the experience, bringing with them many of the missing features that were promised pre-launch as well as plenty of others that weren’t. In its current state, No Man’s Sky is an incredibly enjoyable game and is more than worthy of its place among the very best open-world PS5 games. 8 Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth OpenCritic Rating: 90 Despite series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi’s departure from Sega in late 2021, the Like a Dragon series continues to go from strength to strength. Building off of the successful changes made in the franchise’s previous installment, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth offers players a brand-new world to explore, with much of the game taking place in Honolulu, Hawaii. In addition to Honolulu and Isezaki Ijincho, players are also able to visit Dodonko Island, which serves as a fully fleshed-out resort management simulator. There are plenty of other mini-games available in Infinite Wealth too, with the game also boasting a huge variety of classic Sega arcade games and the returning Sujimon: a Pokemon-esque mini-game that becomes available in Chapter 4. 7 Horizon Forbidden West OpenCritic Rating: 88 Horizon Forbidden West is one of the best-looking games on the PlayStation 5 and boasts a huge open world full of interesting characters, enemies, and locations. As alluded to by the game’s title, the further west players travel, the more dangerous their surroundings become, with powerful machines and an army of rebels and devotees standing between Aloy and her goals. The base version of the game is fantastic in its own right, but just like the Frozen Wilds DLC did with the game’s predecessor, the Burning Shores expansion takes Horizon Forbidden West to a whole other level. Rarely does a game manage to successfully blend so many ideas and gameplay mechanics together this seamlessly, nor are there many sequels that manage to improve on their predecessors quite so definitively.