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Open-world video games have become a staple of the gaming industry, offering vast landscapes to explore, endless freedom to players, and unparalleled immersion. Over the decades, the genre has grown from simple, confined environments to massive, living worlds that rival reality in complexity and scale, and sometimes even have players take specific services like a WoW power leveling service to complete all the challenges.
In this article, we’ll dive into the open-world game evolution, define their key features, show what was the first open world game, and highlight key milestones that have shaped the genre into what it is today.
What Is Considered an Open-World Game: Key Aspects
At its core, you can understand what is open world game by its sense of freedom. Unlike linear games that follow a strict sequence of events, open-world titles provide players with expansive environments where they can choose how, when, and where to engage with the game’s content. This freedom is what makes the genre so appealing, but it’s also supported by several key aspects:
- Expansive Maps
Open-world games feature large, interconnected environments that encourage exploration. Whether it’s the bustling streets of Grand Theft Auto V’s Los Santos or the sprawling wilderness of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, these maps are designed to feel alive, often filled with secrets, NPCs, and dynamic events to discover. - Non-Linear Gameplay
Players are not bound to a specific path in open-world games. They can follow the main storyline or completely ignore it in favor of side quests, world events, or simply wandering around to enjoy the scenery. For instance, in Elden Ring, players can bypass some main bosses and forge their unique journey through the Lands Between. - Player Agency
A hallmark of open-world games is the ability to shape your own experience. Whether it’s deciding how to approach a mission in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain or customizing your character and playstyle in Skyrim, player choice is front and center. - Dynamic Worlds
A true open-world game feels alive. NPCs have schedules, wildlife reacts to your presence, and weather or time changes alter the gameplay experience. For example, in Red Dead Redemption 2, Arthur Morgan’s interactions with the world are affected by the time of day, weather, and even his level of cleanliness. - Emergent Gameplay
The open-ended nature of these games often leads to unexpected player experiences. Sandbox mechanics, such as the physics-based interactions in Breath of the Wild, allow players to experiment and create their solutions to challenges. - Immersion
Open-world games aim to pull players into their worlds with detailed environments, atmospheric sound design, and deep storytelling. From the neon-drenched streets of Cyberpunk 2077 to the ancient wilderness of Horizon Forbidden West, these games are crafted to make players feel like they’re part of the universe.
With these aspects in mind, it’s easy to see why open-world games are beloved by so many. They offer the perfect mix of freedom, creativity, and immersion, giving players an unparalleled sense of adventure.
Evolution in Titles: The Most Important Sandboxes to Know About
Elite & Legend of Zelda — Open-World’s Ancestors
The concept of open-world gaming dates back to the early 1980s, when technical limitations didn’t stop developers from dreaming big. Elite (1984) by David Braben and Ian Bell is often considered one of the first open-world games. While its world was technically vast due to procedural generation, the game was centered on space exploration, trading, and combat. Players were given the freedom to chart their course through an expansive galaxy, setting a precedent for open-ended gameplay.
Just two years later, Nintendo released The Legend of Zelda (1986), a revolutionary title for the NES that introduced open-world concepts to the action-adventure genre. Its sprawling map encouraged players to explore freely, uncover secrets, and tackle dungeons in a semi-nonlinear fashion. It was a game that rewarded curiosity, embodying the ethos of the open-world genre long before the term was coined.
Both Elite and The Legend of Zelda highlighted the potential of giving players agency in vast, interconnected environments, laying the groundwork for future innovation in the genre, making them first sandbox game prototypes that were to develop later.
Morrowind — Early 3D True Open-World
As gaming entered the 2000s, the leap to 3D allowed open-world games to truly shine. Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (2002) marked a major milestone, providing players with an immersive, fully-realized world that felt alive. The game’s sprawling island of Vvardenfell was packed with cities, dungeons, and secrets to discover, with players free to wander off the beaten path and carve out their adventures.
What made Morrowind truly special was its depth. NPCs had unique dialogue, factions provided meaningful choices, and the game allowed for remarkable freedom in how you approached quests or built your character. Players could explore the alien landscape, steal from a shop, or even ignore the main quest entirely to live as a mercenary, mage, or thief.
Morrowind not only solidified Bethesda’s reputation as a pioneer in open-world gaming but also demonstrated how the genre could create intricate, living worlds that encouraged player creativity and immersion.
Ubisoft Titles: Assassin’s Creed, Ezio Trilogy
Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed series took the open-world formula to new heights with its blend of historical settings and sandbox gameplay. The first Assassin’s Creed (2007) introduced players to a semi-open-world experience, allowing them to explore sprawling cities like Jerusalem and Acre while blending parkour mechanics and stealth combat. However, it was the Ezio Trilogy (Assassin’s Creed II, Brotherhood, and Revelations) that truly refined the formula and captured players’ imaginations.
Set in Renaissance Italy, the Ezio Trilogy provided players with meticulously crafted cities like Florence, Venice, and Rome, each teeming with life and historical detail. Ubisoft elevated the sense of freedom by integrating side quests, collectibles, and a rich narrative into these living environments. Players could scale towering landmarks, seamlessly leap across rooftops, and interact with a cast of memorable characters, all while unraveling a deep story of revenge and conspiracy.
These titles showcased how open-world games could be used to transport players to historical periods, combining freedom of exploration with cinematic storytelling. The success of the Ezio Trilogy paved the way for Ubisoft to expand its open-world approach across franchises like Far Cry and Watch Dogs.
Golden Age of Open-World Begins: Skyrim, Minecraft, and More
The early 2010s ushered in a golden age for open-world gaming, with titles that expanded the genre’s boundaries and attracted mainstream attention. Leading the charge was The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011), a monumental RPG that offered an unparalleled sense of freedom. Players could traverse the rugged, snow-covered lands of Skyrim, engage in epic dragon battles, join factions, or simply spend hours crafting potions and upgrading gear. With its diverse world and nearly limitless ways to play, Skyrim became a cultural phenomenon and is still a benchmark for open-world design.
Meanwhile, Minecraft (2011) revolutionized the genre by emphasizing creativity and survival in a procedurally generated sandbox. Unlike traditional open-world games, Minecraft empowered players to shape their environment rather than merely explore it. Whether building towering castles or braving the depths of caves, players became creators in their own right, and the game’s simplicity masked its endless possibilities.
Other notable titles like Red Dead Redemption (2010) and Far Cry 3 (2012) contributed to the era, blending captivating narratives with expansive worlds and engaging mechanics. This period cemented open-world gaming as a dominant force in the industry.
Growing and Developing: GTA V, The Witcher 3
The mid-2010s saw open-world games reach new heights with larger, more immersive worlds and advanced storytelling techniques. Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto V (2013) set the gold standard with its meticulously crafted rendition of Los Santos, a sprawling city filled with dynamic NPCs, detailed environments, and endless opportunities for chaos or exploration. Its online counterpart, GTA Online, further amplified the experience by introducing multiplayer activities within the same rich sandbox.
CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015) redefined what it meant to tell a story in an open-world setting. Players controlled Geralt of Rivia as he navigated the Continent, a world teeming with political intrigue, mythical creatures, and deeply human stories. Unlike many games that prioritized scale, The Witcher 3 filled its massive world with meaningful content—every side quest felt impactful, and every character added depth to the story.
These titles demonstrated how open-world games could achieve a balance between freedom and narrative depth, delivering experiences that resonated deeply with players.
Open-World as a Part of Game: Death Stranding, Breath of the Wild
By the late 2010s, developers began to integrate open-world elements more meaningfully into gameplay, redefining the genre’s purpose. Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding (2019) introduced a unique take on open-world design. Players traversed a desolate yet hauntingly beautiful post-apocalyptic landscape, where every step and decision contributed to a larger goal of reconnecting humanity. Its innovative “strand” system allowed players to indirectly interact with others by building structures and pathways, turning the open world into a collaborative experience.
Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017) broke the mold by focusing on player freedom and environmental interaction. The vast kingdom of Hyrule invited exploration, with players encouraged to climb mountains, glide through the air, and experiment with physics-based puzzles. It wasn’t just about the size of the world—it was about how every element worked together to spark curiosity and reward ingenuity.
These games showcased how open-world mechanics could serve as more than just backdrops, becoming integral to gameplay and storytelling in innovative ways.
The evolution of open-world games — from the pioneering days of Elite and The Legend of Zelda to the groundbreaking experiences of Breath of the Wild and Death Stranding — highlights how far the genre has come. Developers have continually pushed boundaries, creating worlds that are not only bigger but also richer in narrative, interaction, and creativity.
As technology advances, open-world games will undoubtedly evolve further, offering even more immersive experiences. Whether you’re a fan of crafting your own stories or uncovering intricately designed ones, the genre’s diversity ensures there’s something for every player. Open-world games will remain a cornerstone of the industry, inviting us to lose ourselves in their vast, boundless horizons.
