Good open-world role-playing games (RPGs) are some of the most difficult games to come by. They take a lot of work to create. This is due to their nature. Many of them have plenty of side quests and expansive skill trees along with different forms of character customization. A good open-world RPG keeps players playing even after their first run-through.
This list will highlight open-world RPGs that do a great job at immersing a player in the world that they create. These games will be different in the aspects of enjoyment that they present, but they present those aspects idiosyncratically.
10 Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor
Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor has some of the smoothest gameplay on this list. The combat is quick and can be devastating. Players have the option of taking on a more stealth-like approach in their combat. They can additionally choose to go in and deal a large amount of damage to their foes.
The world is large and free for the player to explore while continuing to provide different secrets around it. The combat can be a little repetitive at times. That being said, the game also introduces the amazing Nemesis System where Orc captains can learn and grow from previous encounters with the player.
9 Dragon Age: Inquisition
Dragon Age: Inquisition feels like a huge upgrade to the games that came before it. The map feels a lot bigger with sprawling areas full of side quests to take part in. Each side quest opens up opportunities to make progress in the main story. The narrative itself is mediocre, but this is nevertheless a nice added feature.
The combat is a great highlight of this game as players can control their main character as well as their squad. The squad control mechanics make it feel like a large-scale game of Dungeons and Dragons, and it’s wonderful.
8 Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 is hated by many, but it is not because of the game itself. It is because of the bugs. Now that some time has gone by since its release, the game still faces some bug problems, but they are not as annoying or game-breaking as before. Ignoring these now ignorable bugs, the game is a fantastic experience for lovers of the Cyberpunk genre.
The game offers over 70 different implants and various ways to customize a player’s character. The different styles of armor that the game offers are also some of the most appealing in gaming.
7 Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is one of the largest games in terms of what players are capable of doing. It offers a true role-playing experience where players don’t ever have to focus on the game’s main story if they don’t want to. The game is so big and full of quests that players can get lost within it for hundreds of hours.
There are also different guilds that players can join. This adds on top of the already massive skill tree that the game offers to players.
6 Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout: New Vegas is a game for anyone that wants an immersive post-apocalyptic experience. There are different perks, skills, and traits that allow players to customize characters to their liking. There are also a ton of different factions in the game, some of which are friendly and others that will be hostile.
The game, much like Skyrim, has so much that players can do without them ever actually following through with the main story. The weapon choices, along with the moral decisions and the way a character is built, make for absorbing gameplay.
5 Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Deus Ex: Human Revolution is unlike any other game on this list. That is because even though the game is an RPG, it mainly focuses on stealth Mechanics. The different upgrades the player gets can create a character that deals more damage. Nonetheless, for the majority of the game, players will predominantly use stealth.
The atmosphere in this game is amazing, and it provides some of the best levels that have ever been seen in gaming. Being a sneaky person has never been better.
4 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a game that’s carried by a large and wonderful story. This is something that a lot of RPGs seem to not focus as much attention on. The scale of the game is massive -- alongside the enemy variety that the game offers. Part of what makes this game so great is that every enemy is unique in the way in which they are dealt with.
The customization options for Geralt are plentiful which allows for a lot of different ways to play. The game also made the important quality of life changes that its predecessors didn’t have such as creating an easier-to-use potion system.
3 Valheim
Valheim is distinct in how it presents itself as it has a lot going on. This game is a survival RPG that takes place in a setting mixed with Viking mythology. Players will have to try to survive as they scavenge to summon different large monsters that they will have to kill. The game is best when played with friends as playing it alone can be extremely difficult at times.
The game has a big difficulty spike, but the way the game makes players feel when exploring is fascinating. There are a lot of moments where players will find new areas with different enemies and that is truly satisfying.
2 World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft is undeniably one of the best role-playing games that has ever been created. There are a total of 8 expansions, and each of them includes different quests and raids for players to explore and enjoy. Players can go into player-versus-player matches, kill low-level people in enemy areas as powerful baddies, or join forces and take on Raids.
The game has what now seems like an endless amount of tasks to do. These tasks are also pretty fun for the most part and always great with friends. There’s also basically a Pokémon clone minigame with adorable little creatures to unlock and fight!
1 Elden Ring
Elden Ring is by far the best open-world role-playing game. For all of those who have yet to play, it without a doubt deserves all the praise it receives. This game is a true open-world adventure, as all the map can be accessed fairly early on. This free exploration can be both beautiful and the worst thing ever since players might get trapped somewhere impossibly hard.
There is so much to do that players can find themselves easily getting lost. There are hundreds of enemy types and what seem like dozens of biomes to explore, all separated into larger areas of the map. The customization is also some of the most enjoyable with the ability to build a character as unique as players would like.