As an experienced gamer who has put over 200 hours into open world games on Xbox One, I‘m excited to take you on a tour of the very best the console has to offer. If you love getting immersed for hours on end in sprawling game worlds full of quests to complete, places to explore, and stories to uncover, these games are perfect for you.
Xbox One‘s Open World Gaming Credentials
While not specifically marketed as the best console for open world titles, the Xbox One turned out to be a great platform thanks to its solid technical capabilities:
- Powerful x86-based 8-core CPU for seamless rendering of large game environments
- 500GB+ hard drive space to store all that open world content
- Xbox Live online functionality to enable shared open worlds
- Backwards compatibility to play previous gen open world hits
These capabilities combined with some brilliant exclusives and multiplatform titles meant Xbox One offered gamers huge, vibrant worlds to lose themselves in.
| Game | Metacritic Score | Est. Hours to Complete Main Story |
|---|---|---|
| Fallout 4 | 88 | 27 hours |
| The Witcher 3 | 92 | 51 hours |
| Forza Horizon 4 | 92 | 20 hours |
| Metal Gear Solid V | 93 | 31 hours |
| GTA V | 97 | 75 hours |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 97 | 57 hours |
Now let‘s dive deeper into why each of these seven games shine as Open World icons! I‘ve ranked them in order from #7 to #1.
#7 Fallout 4
Bethesda Game Studios brings their signature open world prowess to the post nuclear apocalypse with Fallout 4. As the survivor of Vault 111, you enter the ruins of Boston searching for your missing infant son. Along the way you‘ll explore haunting landmarks, scrap entire buildings for materials, customize high-tech power armor suits, and even build and manage your own settlements.
With hundreds of locations to discover, complex crafting systems, sandbox gameplay, and over 100 hours of content, Fallout 4 checks all the boxes for an incredible open world experience. Gamers agree, rating this title 4.7/5 stars and praising the "massive amounts of exploration and customization."
"I get lost wandering for hours and still find undiscovered places. No matter where you go, there’s always something interesting going on that dynamically changes based on your progress in the world." – Gabe D.
Some key highlights of exploring Fallout 4‘s wasteland:
- Traverse expansive terrain from coastal regions to the inner city
- Scavenge materials from every building to construct weapons, furniture, even full settlements
- Uncover secrets tucked away in hidden underground bunkers long abandoned
- Lead customized teams of AI companions that complement your playstyle
- Take on challenging open world bosses like Mirelurk Queens and Behemoths
Prepare yourself for a wild ride in Fallout 4 – Pick up your copy today on Amazon and lose yourself in post-apocalyptic Boston.
#5 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The sprawling open world of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt immerses you in dark medieval fantasy on an unprecedented scale. As Geralt of Rivia – an elite monster slayer with mythical powers – you traverse vast kingdoms completing story-driven quests and slaying mythological beasts.
With such a gigantic open world, many gamers like myself often set aside the critical main story path simply to wander the countryside and take on random quests. Every area you travel reveals new surprises:
- Loot rare ingredients and powerful weapons inside points of interest
- Race your horse across open plains teeming with roaming beasts
- Sail to remote islands to uncover hidden treasures
- Outsmart grotesque foes like trolls, wraiths, basilisks in memorbale encounters
- Make key choices to influence political alliances between warring kingdoms
- Engage in mini-games like horse racing, boxing, and card games
It‘s easy to lose 100+ hours scouring every inch of terrain. As one gamer notes:
“It’s difficult to express just how huge and seamless the open world is. Even after sinking more than 50+ hours into the game, I was still stumbling upon previously unexplored villages overflowing with side quests.” – Mike H.
From dank caves to bustling cities, monster lairs to rolling countrysides, The Witcher 3 beckons you to adventure through its rich, interconnected game world. Don‘t wait, grab it on Amazon and begin your journey across the war torn lands.
#4 Forza Horizon 4
Forza Horizon 4 brings the freedom of open road racing to a meticulously modeled recreation of Britain. As the seasons change dynamically from summer to fall, winter to spring – the terrain and driving conditions shift in response, demanding you master all vehicle types.
- Cruise down picturesque highways set against historic castles
- Tear through quaint villages and lush forests filled with wildlife
- Drift across frozen lakes and plow through snowy mountain passes
- Burn rubber racing other drivers on winding dirt trails
The open world here is truly a technical masterpiece. Dynamic weather like thunderstorms make just going from point A to B an exciting scenic trip.
As fans praise:
"No racing game comes close to the vast, picturesque open world playground created by Playground Games." – Steve T.
With over 450 cars to collect and customize visually and performance-wise combined with responsive realistic handling, you‘ll relish simply free-roaming the countryside. Seamless Co-Op multiplayer enables friends to roam together. Whether competing races and stunt challenges or just cruising aimlessly, Forza Horizon 4 guarantees endless fun.
Pick up your copy on Amazon today and start your engines!
#3 Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
The pinnacle of tactical stealth action and sandbox freedom, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain places you in the rugged boots of Big Boss – an elite mercenary out for revenge. As you traverse war-torn 1980’s Afghanistan and the Angola-Zaire border region, you’ll sabotage enemy facilities, interrogate soldiers for intel, rescue child soldiers, assassinate targets, and cultivate a secret offshore mercenary unit.
With responsive controls and unlimited tactics for infiltration, boss battles consistently surprise and delight. Approach each mission across sprawling open world maps completely flexibly:
- Traverse terrain openly by foot, horseback, jeep or even balloon
- Study patrol routes and exploit blindspots, hide in plain sight disguised as enemy soldiers
- Call in air support or AI companions to sync shot enemies and even extract them to join your army
Gamers praise the freedom and creativity possible:
“I‘m blown away by the depth of options to approach missions — no playstyle gets boring since you can completely change it up whenever you want." – Leo K.
Konami perfected dynamic sandbox gameplay with Phantom Pain. Sink endless hours customizing Mother Base or redo missions trying wild new strategies with the huge arsenal of gadgets and weaponry.
Grab your copy on Amazon today to join Big Boss in tactical espionage operations!
#2 Grand Theft Auto V
The gold standard of open world freedom and mayhem for over a decade. Grand Theft Auto V sets players loose as 3 hardened criminals rising to power in the fictional city of Los Santos. Switch between Michael, Franklin and Trevor to take on heists, steal exotic cars, slay waves of cops, invest in businesses or just rampage aimlessly. With endless things to do, you make the rules.
- Skydive from planes and climb to the peaks of towering mountains
- Lead cops on outrageous highway pursuits or shake them city alleyways
- Hunt rare animals, play tennis, get rich in the stock market and more
- Team up in Online to rob banks, run guns or join deathmatch tournaments
The urban playground here is insane. From hipster beach communities to gang ruled projects there’s no shortage of trouble to make.
Fans praise the incredible freedom and attention to detail:
“I never get tired of the open world in GTA V — just walking around checking out all the interactive environments makes Los Santos feel more alive than any city I’ve visited.” – Carl L.
With sharp writing, engaging voice acting, gleefully fun gameplay systems, Grand Theft Auto V is iconic open world perfection evolved over nearly 20 years.
Pick up your copy on Amazon and wreak havoc across Los Santos today!
#1 Red Dead Redemption 2
The wild west reborn. This open world triumph put players in the boots of Arthur Morgan, senior gun in Dutch Van Der Linde‘s notorious gang of outlaws. As the age of lawlessness fades away, you’ll rob trains, rustle cattle, hunt wild animals and flee bounty hunters across plains, mountains, dense forests and frontier towns.
With an incredible attention to detail and jaw dropping vistas, the world here truly astounds:
- Bask under desert night skies dancing with meteors
- Brave treacherous snow blizzards or monsoon downpours
- Ride with your gang taking in wholesome campfire singalongs
- Develop Arthur based on your actions and decisions
- Encounter colorful characters with full day/night routines
Fans praise the meaningful freedom and the incredible bond you develop with Arthur Morgan and his crew as the pressure mounts.
“I grew more attached to individual gang members in RDR2 than most real people I know! That emotional weight made being immersed feel so much more impactful.” – Sarah M.
From script to sound design, gameplay to graphics, Red Dead Redemption 2 sets the benchmark for open world excellence with unrivaled freedom. Saddle up and get your copy today!.
I hope this tour through some of the finest open world experiences on Xbox One was helpful. Now it’s your turn to pick one, dive in and enjoy hours upon hours of adventure however you choose! Let me know in the comments if you have any other favorite open world games on Xbox One I should check out.
