Since Rockstar popularized the open-world genre with Grand Theft Auto, developers have created fantastic worlds and some of the best forms of escapism imaginable. Open-world games can take the form of vast sprawling RPGs like The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, a superhero game where you can save the day or play a criminal and conquer the city with force.

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There are many open-world games to choose from, but few have beautiful visuals that will drop jaws. Moreover, many lack a sense of immersion that can make the world feel alive and lived in, but that is not the case for these open-world games. This list looks at the best-looking open-world games that offer stunning graphics and immersion in spades.

Updated January 5, 2023 by Michael Llewellyn: There are so many open-world games that cover a variety of genres, from RPGs to shooters. However, it takes something special to stand out as one of the most visually impressive and immersive experiences on its respective platform. This list has been updated to include more games that impress with beautiful graphics and draw you into their vast worlds.

24 Grand Theft Auto 5

Grand Theft Auto 5 Del Perro Pier's Roller Coaster, Ferris Wheel, And Various Attractions Daytime
  • Launched: 2013
  • Developer: Rockstar
  • Platform: PC, PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S

Even ten years after its initial release, Grand Theft Auto 5 is still a benchmark title in the open-world genre. The title has enjoyed several upgrades across the generations, but the ray tracing update on modern consoles helps bring GTA 5 to life.

The ray tracing features have been implemented in GTA 5's single-player campaign and GTA Online. It adds stunning lighting effects, realistic shadows, and reflections that add a sense of realism and beauty. Even without the upgrades, GTA 5 has a world that feels alive. Its NPCs feel like they are going about their daily lives, making you feel a part of their world and not the other way around.

23 Final Fantasy 15

Noctis, Prompto and Gladiolus exploring
  • Launched: 2016
  • Developer: Square Enix
  • Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S

After its initial development as a spin-off for Final Fantasy 13, Final Fantasy 15 became a mainline entry in the famed JRPG series. Adopting an open-world design, it has a vast overworld filled with monsters and lore that alludes to the Final Fantasy 13 trilogy's mythology.

Honestly, FF15 would have benefited from being smaller with a more cohesive and interconnected design, but there's no denying that the game is beautiful. The characters are stunningly designed, and the combat system looks like it was taken from Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children.

22 Infamous Second Son

Infamous Second Son: Delsin Rowe gliding through the air
  • Launched: 2014
  • Developer: Sucker Punch Productions
  • Platform: PS4

The fact that Infamous: Second Son makes its way to a list like this after so many years is a testament to how good their eye for detail is. It's also impressive how well their propriety engine holds up to modern titles.

Character models, facial capture, and animation still look fantastic. However, the recreation of the developer's hometown of Seatle takes center stage in Second Son. The attention to detail is excellent as the sun sets on the rainy city streets, giving a sense of atmosphere lacking in many other open-world titles. Delsin's and Abigail's superpowers are impressive, with smoke and neon-light-based powers that play into combat and traversal.

21 Elden Ring

Elden Ring - Tree Overlooking The Ruins
  • Launched: 2022
  • Developer: FromSoftware
  • Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S

As one of the best games in 2022, Elden Ring is FromSoftware's most ambitious and stunning achievement to date. While not as accomplished on a technical level as other games on this list, Elden Ring is beautiful in its sense of wonder and incredible art design.

There are few games as densely packed with side quests, lore, and mystery as Elden Ring. There is no hand-holding, and Elden Ring's world is begging to be explored. There are hidden dungeons, caves, and an underground map almost as vast as the overworld. Elden Ring is an RPG designed to be played over and over again.

20 Far Cry 6

Far Cry 6 urban environment
  • Launched: 2021
  • Developer: Ubisoft
  • Platform: Amazon Luna, PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S

Released in 2021, Far Cry 6 is still running on the same Dunia engine that its predecessors used, but on the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, the game looks and runs better than ever.

The fictional setting of Yara can offer some spectacular sights despite its slightly cartoonish aesthetic by today's standards. The Far Cry series has always had gorgeous environments, and Far Cry 6 is the best the series has ever looked.

19 Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition

Xenoblade Chronicles environment at night
  • Launched: 2020
  • Developer: Monolith Soft
  • Platform: Switch

First launched on the Nintendo Wii in 2011, Xenoblade Chronicles was already a remarkable achievement. On the Switch, however, the game reaches its true potential in what was already one of the best narratively-driven JRPGs of a generation.

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Exploring the world of Xenoblade is a joy to behold with its varied environments, terrain, and creatures to discover. The game is vast, and you can lose yourself for hours just exploring and finding everything the JRPG has.

18 Death Stranding

Sam Porter from Death Stranding
  • Launched: 2019
  • Developer: Kojima Productions
  • Platform: PC, PS4, and PS5

Launched in 2019, Death Stranding is undoubtedly a beautiful game with some of the most incredible motion capture work ever seen. The sense of scale and scope is immense, and the terrain is stunning and treacherous.

However, what prevents the game from placing higher on this list is that despite its beautiful visuals, the world itself feels empty. Nevertheless, Death Stranding is a stunning but divisive experience with some of the most realistic-looking landscapes of this generation.

17 Xenoblade Chronicles 3

A screenshot from Xenoblade Chronicles 3's ending, showing Noah and the party looking at a sunset over the horizon
  • Launched: 2022
  • Developer: Monolith Soft
  • Platform: Nintendo Switch

Like its predecessors, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a stunning open-world JRPG that pushes Nintendo's little system to its absolute limits. Better still, it includes one of the biggest and most beautiful worlds with very few hiccups at launch.

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Monolith Soft seems to get the best out of the hybrid console, and Xenoblade 3 is a pleasure to explore in handheld or docked mode. In place of realistic visuals, Xenoblade 3's art design takes center stage with attractive characters and a stunning mix of science fiction and fantasy.

16 Forza Horizon 4

Shiny sports car zooming down road in Forza Horizon 4
  • Launched: 2018
  • Developer: Playground Games
  • Platform: PC and Xbox One

Launched in 2018 for the Xbox One and PC, Forza Horizon 4 is an open-world racing game set in the United Kingdom. This entry doesn't just surpass the visual benchmark set by its predecessors but blows them out of the water.

One of the reasons why Forza Horizon 4 sets itself apart is the incredible dynamic weather system and the way the changing of the seasons affects visuals and the locales. Lakes freeze over in the winter, and the leaves fall in Autumn, changing the look and mapping of the roads. Despite being an open-world racer, Forza Horizon 4 has an RPG-like leveling system that makes you want to play again and again.

15 Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey

Assassin's Creed Odyssey protagonist on giant statue
  • Launched: 2018
  • Developer: Ubisoft
  • Platform: PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One

Launched in 2018, Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey is an open-world action RPG set in Ancient Greece. The gaming world is filled with beautiful landscapes of color, sunny vistas, and stunning architecture.

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In addition to the size and scale, Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey feels populated and alive. The weather and environmental effects look beautiful, and clear that the developers have gone to a great deal of effort into making this historical epic look and feel as immersive as possible.

14 Mafia: The Definitive Edition

Mafia Definitive Edition the lighting and shadows look next gen
  • Launched: 2020
  • Developer: Hanger 13
  • Platform: PC, PS4, and Xbox One

Mafia: The Definitive Edition is a complete remake of the original title from 2002. Despite the next generation of consoles coming out the same year, Mafia was still one of the best-looking open-world titles on any platform.

Surprisingly, the game features a technique visually similar to ray tracing - a feature achievable on more powerful hardware. The developers at Hanger 13 used ray-traced SSR, which gives you a glimpse into the future. While not quite as good as the real thing, it’s a stunning achievement on older hardware with its beautiful lighting and weather effects.

13 Kingdom Come: Deliverance

Approaching a fort town in Kingdom Come Deliverance
  • Launched: 2018
  • Developer: Warhorse Studios
  • Platform: Amazon Luna, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One

Kingdom Come: Deliverance is an open-world action RPG set in Medieval Europe. Its developers at Warhorse Studios set out to create one of the most realistic gaming experiences available, and the stunning visuals certainly help it achieve this.

Everything down to the finest detail in Kingdom Come has been created to give the impression of a world that feels lived in. It’s grimy and dirty, but its countrysides and landscapes are a spectacle and a pleasure to explore.

12 Marvel’s Spider-Man

Marvels Spider-Man with Black Cat
  • Launched: 2018
  • Developer: Insomniac Games
  • Platform: PS4 and PS5

Marvel’s Spider-Man is one of the best games on the PS4/PS5 and one of the most beautiful. In addition to its incredible animation and character models, Spider-Man has one of the most beautifully rendered takes on New York City in gaming.

No other city in a Spider-Man game has ever felt this alive. Even lowing down from web-slinging and taking a stroll in New York is a beautifully immersive experience. The densely populated city of citizens going about their daily lives eating at restaurants - seen through windows - or working the daily grind can draw you in like no other superhero game.

11 Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Link looks out at scenery full of autumn colours
  • Launched: 2017
  • Developer: Nintendo
  • Platform: Switch and Wii U

Launched in 2017 for the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Wii U, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was one of the most highly anticipated games ever. Thankfully, it exceeded fan expectations and allowed us to explore one of the most beautifully crafted open worlds ever created.

What it lacked in technological prowess compared to other games on this list is more than made up in its imaginative art design. For this reason, Breath of the Wild will likely be considered a timeless classic for many years.

10 Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk Edgerunners Is Great, But It Won’t Make Me Play 2077 3
  • Launched: 2020
  • Developer: CD Projekt Red
  • Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

Launched in 2020 for consoles and the PC, Cyberpunk 2077 was one of the most hotly anticipated video games of all time, coming from the same studio that brought us The Witcher video game series. Unfortunately, the game was surrounded by controversy regarding its poor performance on base PS4 and Xbox One consoles.

However, since the launch of Cyberpunk 2077 on better hardware and the boost to sales since the Netflix anime Cyberpunk Edgerunners, the Blade Runner-esque title is in a much better place now. On PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the most beautiful and explorable open worlds.

9 The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt

Geralt on Roach approaching a town in The Witcher 3
  • Launched: 2015
  • Developer: CD Projekt Red
  • Platform: PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One

Since its launch in 2015, The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt has made it to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, the PC, and even the Nintendo Switch. Five years after its release, The Witcher 3 is still one of the most atmospheric and intricately designed worlds ever seen in gaming.

Every town, village, city, and farmstead feels lived in, unique, and has character. The Witcher 3's gritty medieval world has a sense of realism, making it look and feel more immersive. Furthermore, thanks to the next-gen upgrade featuring enhanced visuals, The Witcher 3 remains one of the most influential open-world games ever.

8 Forza Horizon 5

forza horizon 5 on a wing and a prayer
  • Launched: 2021
  • Developer: Playground Games
  • Platform: PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S

Released in 2021, Forza Horizon 5 is another open-world racing game setting a new benchmark for driving games and visuals in a new generation. Forza Horizon 5's world is packed with a variety of terrains and environments that seamlessly interconnect with each other.

It lacks the beauty of the changing seasons seen in its predecessor, but it makes up for this with maps that cover jungles, volcanos, and more. As a cross-gen title, it doesn't leverage the full power of the Xbox Series X/S, but it's still one of the most impressive-looking games available.

7 Ghost Of Tsushima

Ghost Of Tsushima Directors Cut
  • Launched: 2020
  • Developer: Sucker Punch
  • Platform: PS4 and PS5

Released in 2020, Ghost of Tsushima, along with The Last of Us Part 2, is one of the PS4's last big-budget exclusives. Developed by Sucker Punch Games, the same studio that created the open-world superhero series Infamous, Ghost of Tsushima takes you back to 13th-century Japan.

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While its setting is very different from Infamous’ urban city, Sucker Punch's flair for combining vibrant colors, stunning weather effects, and attention to detail remain. Ghost of Tsushima is a culmination of many other open-world games that have come before it, from Red Dead Redemption to The Witcher 3. However, the developers have created one of the most stunning environments of a generation.

6 Horizon Zero Dawn

A forest at night in Horizon Zero Dawn
  • Launched: 2017
  • Developer: Guerrilla Games
  • Platform: PC and PS4

Released first on the PlayStation 4 in 2017 and the PC in 2020, Horizon Zero Dawn is not only an excellent open-world action-adventure game but one of the visually striking games too.

In addition to having some of the most technically accomplished graphics this generation, the art design in Horizon Zero Dawn is simply beautiful. Everything from the varied lush green landscapes to the icy lands of The Frozen Wilds DLC looks astonishing and is an absolute pleasure to explore.

5 Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla

Valhalla features stunning landscapes
  • Launched: 2020
  • Developer: Ubisoft
  • Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S

Released in 2020, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla is the most recent entry in the long-running action-adventure series. Valhalla has embraced the RPG genre more than ever before and offers gamers a huge world to explore.

On a technical level, Valhalla isn’t that different from its predecessors Assassin’s Creed: Origins and Odyssey. However, the stylized color palette and beautiful art design make this particular entry stand out above the rest. The sunsets and weather effects do have the ability to stop anyone in their tracks. Unsurprisingly, Valhalla looks better on newer hardware, but it still surprises the PS4 and Xbox One.