Like a literal, pleasant, long walk kinda like a journey like Shrek?
- Minecraft
- Skyrim
- Zelda (botw totk)
- Kingdom Come Deliverance 1,2
- Cyberpunk2077
- Red Dead Redemption
- Pokemon Sword/Shield/Scarlet/Arceus
EDIT: DayDreamGaming on Youtube seems to have a gold mine of these type videos
Add raft as well
As the game Raft is fun, fairly simple, huge, good for playing with friends or kids with out a ton of experience playing games, it’s got a decent story. Spent last summer beating it with my daughter and we both really liked it
As you specifically mention Minecraft: check out Valheim. In default settings you can hardly call it a pleasant stroll, but exploring the biomes is beautiful with especially stunning lighting.
A Short Hike
It’s a cute indy game about reaching the top of a mountain (no, not a Celeste clone i swear)
A Short Hike is the best answer to this question. I’m sad that we haven’t had a release of “Another Short Hike” yet.
Guild wars 2, large world, lots of variety in scenery.
Also can try stuff where that’s the point like Wildmender is about healing the land and chill, or eastshade. Which is just about enjoying the scenery.
I have high hopes for Light No Fire.
Right now I find Cyberpunk 2077 surprisingly pleasant to wander around in. Sure it’s dangerous, but when you’re so chromed to the gills you can shake off a high speed collision there isn’t much threat.
Rain World
Two Worlds (if you can emulate 360)
If you have Minecraft try Sildur’s Shaders with a texture pack of your choice
Caves of Qud
Metroid Prime Series (I dont think that counts as open world but damn it felt like exploration)
Star Fox Adventure (GameCube emulation)
Elder Scrolls Oblivion
Draken and the Ancient Gates is also a ps2 game thats like half open world but it was so cool.
The original Earth Defense Force felt open world to my child mind.
Voxel Libre is like Minecraft
Theres a ton I’m not pulling off the top of my head but check itch.io for the voxel games as there are a ton of interesting Minecraft clones.
- A Highland Song. I can confirm that this one is nice to take a walk through because it is a game about running through a fictionalised version of a place I frequently enjoy walking through in real life. Possibly stretching the definition of open world a little, but the gameplay is about navigation
- Shadow of the Colossus. Which is good because you do spend a lot of time walking across it.
Also, not an open world game at all, but the environments in Pacer are amazing. You barely get a chance to look at them because you’re zooming along a racetrack at 400 mph, but they’re still there. Sonashahar is a futuristic neoclassical Indian city, and I want to explore that
World of Warcraft
Red Dead 2. Law killed my horse in Valentine, so I decided to walk and hitchhike back to Clemens Point. I wrestled a bear, found the plague village, blew up a KKK gathering… just regular old west things.
The early STALKER games are also nice, if you’re into that sort of atmosphere. Nothing beats the feeling of sitting in the rookie village next to the world’s most mediocre guitarist.
Skyrim
If you’ve played and enjoyed skyrim and want more of it, do check out Enderal!! Trailer 1, Trailer 2
The version you install will depend on the version of skyrim you own:
Tons of new scenery, and fast travel is way limited so if you want a game to just slow down in and soak in the sights, look no further.
Easily one of the best stories I’ve ever experienced.
Enderal is so friggen good. Just, uh, remember that it’s not Skyrim. The levelling is different, enemies are scaled to their location not to the PC’s level, your dialogue choices actually matter, exploration is rewarded both mechanically and narratively.
And don’t start the game with kids around.
Sky cotl
Nobody mentioned elden ring, seriously?
The visuals in that game were amazing, and the changes in different scenery and themes. Holy shit. My #1.
The visuals were stunning but am I fuck taking a walk through:
- The ultra-plague fallout zone
- The lake of giant sniper lobsters
- The mountaintops of giant spiders made from hands with way too many fingers
Absolutely hell yes.
Just walk fast.
Eh.
Without the unique boss designs and gameplay mechanics, the world looks and feels like every other Souls, but with more pixels. Not bad, but not strong enough on its own.
I don’t think I agree with that. None of the Souls games ever had anything like Siofra River or Liurnia. Areas like Leyndell and Farum Azula, sure, but there’s a lot of variety in the Elden Ring map
There’s a short and sweet Zeldalike called Night Stones.