A really good open world game that manages to hook you right from the start.
Second things go, it’s all gas and no brakes. There is no time to rest or wait for the game to really start, alas Grand Theft Auto 5. Think more along the lines of something like Elden Ring, which throws you into its open world, impresses you from its opening minutes, and does not stop.
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We live in a world where open world games dominate the gaming landscape, but not every open world game is good from the start. Take the Crimson Desert, for example. It takes your sweet time to really get going, and we don’t always have that kind of time to spare. Luckily for us, these open world games don’t waste our time.
10
Elden Ring
Impressive Open World From the Start
As I said in the introduction, it sounds like the Elden Ring is a good place to start. It should come as no surprise that Elden Ring is good from the start. This is FromSoftware, after all, a developer that pulls no punches and asks you to “get gud” in the opening moments.
Elden Ring’s tutorial does a great job of introducing you to its mechanics before throwing you into the open world and forcing you to find things. While it may refuse to hold your hand, it does a great job of helping you delve into the Elden Ring experience without drowning you like you’re drinking from a firehose. Instead, trust that you’ll be able to continue from the beginning, resulting in something you’ll never forget from start to finish.
9
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Consecutive Sequences for a Cause
There are actually a lot of similarities in how Elden Ring and Breath of the Wild start, both leading to an equally iconic sequence where you step out of the opening tutorial cave and into the amazing open world gameplay that awaits you.
Like the Elden Ring, Breath of the Wild offers little hand-holding, forcing players to figure things out on their own. It results in a more immersive gaming experience, with the best moments happening naturally. All this is supported by the way the enemies behave in Breath of the Wild, as if they react to everything you do. Say what you will about its robust system, but Breath of the Wild and its open world work in perfect harmony from start to finish, resulting in the best gaming experience of all time.
8
Donkey Kong Bananas
You will go Bananas in its Open World
To be honest, I had a hard time deciding between Donkey Kong Bananza and Super Mario Odyssey in this slot, as both offer excellent open platform gameplay. However, I think Bananza has the edge for two reasons.
First, an expanded, refined, and improved experience of the Odyssey formula that takes full advantage of the Switch 2 hardware. Second, and most importantly, like Breath of the Wild, it’s the Nintendo formula perfected. Introduce key gameplay mechanics from the start, always throw new ideas at the player, but find a way to not overwhelm yourself. Also, you can spend hours exploring and finding secrets before you even get started with the game properly.
7
World of Warcraft Classic
Don’t Call Me Boomer Yet…
The modern World of Warcraft new player experience is flawed, and that’s putting it nicely. I’m fully aware, too, that the “right” way to get Classic WoW is through extensive guides and help, something that rightly puts people off.
That said, if you want to get lost in an open world, there’s no better place to start. Imagine this: it’s 2005, you’ve become a Human Paladin, and you’re walking through the Elwynn Forest. There are secrets to be discovered, talk of a conspiracy against Stormwind, and the quests do a great job of building up the threat to the Defias Brotherhood leading to an unforgettable confrontation with the Deadmines.
The human quest in Classic WoW remains untouched to this day, serving not only as a massive open world from the start, but something that continues to inspire developers to this day.
Okay, Now Call Me Boomer
I’ll keep this simple: Patrick Stewart gets out of jail and, in his dying breath, tells you to find Sean Benn. If that doesn’t bother you, I don’t know what will.
While Bethesda has done well to deliver a more refined gaming experience over the years with Skyrim and Fallout 4, there’s just something magical about Oblivion that has made it the quintessential Western RPG for over 20 years now. Part of it is those opening moments, which draw inspiration from some great RPGs that came before their time, and throw it into this massive open world that helped usher in the world of HD gaming. Oblivion is a special game, and I’m so glad that its Remaster was such a rousing success.
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5
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Arguably the Best GTA From Start to Finish
Modern Grand Theft Auto games get a lot of fluff by taking a while to progress. What, you don’t enjoy towing cars or working on the dock during the opening hours of the game? That’s the kind of stuff that makes you love video games!
On a more serious note, I get why it’s there, but sometimes, you don’t want to wait for a game to get to the good part. That’s where San Andreas comes in, tying you into an exciting GTA adventure from the start and continuing to up the ante as you progress through its story. Here’s to hoping GTA 6 borrows more from this philosophy rather than spending its opening hours progressing at a snail’s pace.
4
Red Dead Redemption 2
Arguably Rockstar’s Greatest Achievement From Start To Finish
One of the frustrating parts of dealing with the slow opening of a modern GTA is that we know they can hit the gas from the start, as seen with Red Dead Redemption 2. What’s the deal here, Rockstar? Why couldn’t you give GTA 5 and 4 the same love you gave the opening of Red Dead 2?
This is the perfect balance to present a great open world game. Characters are introduced, stakes are set, and you’re introduced to game mechanics at a decent pace. There is no random downtime that makes your opening hours drag on; instead, it does an excellent job of setting the stage for everything to come.
3
Cyberpunk 2077
Welcome to Night City
One of the best redemption stories in all of gaming, Cyberpunk 2077 has always been great at throwing players right into the dystopian cyberpunk world of Night City. Even when the game was launched with all its problems, there was one thing that always won over its harshest critics: its ability to hook players in the first place.
You know an open-world RPG is good from the start when it can pull you in and conquer you before Keanu Reeves shows up. That’s what happens here, with the opening story winning from the start, it grabs your attention and refuses to let go.
2
Marvel’s Spider-Man
It Makes You Feel Like Spider-Man
Yes, I know it’s a meme (and one I always laugh at), but the best thing Marvel’s Spider-Man does is, well, make you feel like Spider-Man from the start.
Look, this is a game where you play as Spider-Man, and you’re going to want to be Spider-Man and pull off some Spider-Man-esque moves right from the start. Good news: Marvel’s Spider-Man isn’t wasting any time letting things get going. From its high-octane opening and capturing the essence of what makes Spider-Man fun, Insomniac Games has hit a real home run here.
1
Baldur’s Gate 3
One of the Best Games of the Decade
Yes, there’s going to be a huge tonal whiplash when you go from Marvel’s Spider-Man and its action-packed combat to the slow and methodical turn-based strategy of Baldur’s Gate 3. The two games have one thing in common, and that’s delivering amazing opening moments.
Baldur’s Gate 3 makes no mistake in letting you know that you’re in for a big time investment here, but the best part is that it doesn’t waste time to actually get going. More often than not, these types of games fall victim to requiring countless hours of investment before they start to get good. Baldur’s Gate 3 is not one of those games. You’re thrown straight into the thick of it, and it only gets better from there.
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