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Want to find the best open-world games on PS5? Then look no further. Our comprehensive list of the best open-world games on PS5 includes fabulous games, such as Ghost of Tsushima, Elden Ring, Dying Light 2, and so much more. These games feature a large, explorable open world filled to the brim with sidequests, adventures, and treasure just waiting to be plundered.
Elsewhere on the PS5, we’ve collated lists of the best action games on PS5 and the best RPGs on PS5 that you can play right now. And now, on to the best open-world PS5 games.
Ghost of Tsushima
Ghost of Tsushima is the ultimate samurai experience, putting you in control of Jin Sakai as he fights against the invading Mongol army. As an open-world game, you get to explore every nook and cranny of the stunningly beautiful world, going from natural springs, heavy forests, snowy peaks, stunning marshland and so many more gorgeous environments. Combat is fast-paced and deadly, with fluid and satisfying sword animations in the melee-focused action. As an open-world game, it doesn’t suffer from much bloat, and everything legitimately has something new to see over the next hill. Make sure you read our review of Ghost of Tsushima to see what we loved about it.
Horizon Forbidden West
Horizon Forbidden West is the sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn and it features much of the same systems. As an open-world game, it suffers from a lot of bloat but the combat shines through more than anything. There is a great sense of wonder and exploitation as you make your way through new areas and find new machine dinos to scrap. This is a direct sequel to Zero Dawn, which means it is recommended you play the original game first before diving in, but it does give you a recap if you want to skip all of that. Plus, you can’t go wrong with a female protagonist. Find out more of what we liked during our time with Horizon Forbidden West in our review.
Elden Ring
Elden Ring has a ton of issues, pacing being chief among all of them, but it is still a decent open-world game. Ignoring that face the Souls formula that FromSoftware is keen to play out to the nth degree doesn’t translate super well into an open-world game, the gameplay and challenge are nowhere near as fun as it was in Dark Souls or Demon’s Souls. If you want open-world Souls with beautiful armour pieces, weapons, and a rich adventure, then Elden Ring is one to try. The co-op system is needlessly gated and hindered by silly rules when all you want to do is run around the world and explore dungeons with a friend. We don’t have any problems with how difficult the game is, but we do take issue with how Elden Ring is made to be difficult. Read our Elden Ring review to get a better idea.
Hogwarts Legacy
If roaming around the halls and grounds of Hogwarts isn’t enough for you, there is a huge open world outside of the grounds to explore by foot or by broom. Hogwarts Legacy lets you create a character who is just enrolling at Hogwarts and you do much of what you might expect: attend lessons, form friendships, learn spells, and take out hordes and scores of dark wizards. While it is a bit ridiculous your teenage character is galavanting and dealing with life-and-death situations, it is undeniably fun to blast opponents with one of your many spells. The combat is fast and fun, while not being challenging in the slightest which makes for an enjoyable time.
Grand Theft Auto 5 / Grand Theft Auto Online
Grand Theft Auto 5 is a game that was first released in 2013, which might sound bizarre when you consider how many times the game has been re-released and tweaked. GTA 5 on PS5 is a beautiful experience, letting you enjoy the story mode or jump headfirst into the chaos, joys, and horrors that is GTA Online. You can play with your friends in the Online mode and build a lucrative criminal empire together while taking on daring heists and other fun missions. The single-player story remains excellent, but the best thing about GTA is always the open world, which is just sitting there ready to be waylaid by your most chaotic urges. See more of what we think about Grand Theft Auto 5 in our review.
Dying Light 2: Stay Human
Dying Light 2 is a fantastic open-world game set in a fictional city overrun by zombies and other horrors following the events of the first game. As Aiden, you are on a quest to find your sister who is rumoured to be in the city. Explore, forge weapons, dropkick zombies off rooftops, jump off ledges with them and use their bodies for a safe landing, and get into so many more ridiculous and fun situations. Dying Light 2 is best enjoyed in its multiplayer mode, allowing four people in a party to fully roam and progress the story with zero bars or interruptions. In our review of Dying Light 2, we praised the incredibly fun parkour and the skill-tree progression.
Skyrim
Skyrim is one of the best open-world games out there, just by sheer reputation – or rather, memes – alone. As an Elder Scrolls game, it has everything you could want from an open-world adventure: dragons, magic, charming towns, janky NPCs and tons of awkward characters and glitches. Jokes aside, Skyrim offers a fabulous experience as you create your custom character and take up the mantle of Dragon Born. As you adventure, you become embroiled in local politics and guilds as you tackle quests and explore vast dungeons.
Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 has had a rocky time on console, releasing with several bugs and terrible optimisation issues. Over time, these issues have mostly been fixed on console, and the game is now in a thoroughly enjoyable state. You create a character and a background and explore the extremely blade-runner-esque Night City, full of cybernetically enhanced citizens and filth. And with the paid expansion pack, Phantom Liberty, on the horizon that will bring with it heaps of changes and new content, now is the perfect time to take to the streets of Night City and explore everything it has to offer. Find out more in our review of Cyberpunk 2077.
No Man’s Sky
No Man’s Sky takes the meaning of ‘open world’ to a whole new level. While it isn’t a typical open-world game with a hub and people waiting to send you on endless errands, No Man’s Sky has an infinite procedurally generated universe ripe for exploring. You set off among the stars in your ship, ostensibly to reach the centre of the known universe. On your travels, you encounter planets, all of which are created with RNG, even down to the flora and fauna you find. The exploration in No Man’s Sky is truly infinite and it captures a fabulous sense of wonder and excitement as you travel. Play the game in co-op to sail through the stars together while bickering about who discovered what thing first for an even better experience.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is as fantastic as it is hyped and ambitious. As the monster hunter Geralt, you are travelling across a war-torn land filled with death, horrific creatures, and intricately designed characters to find Ciri, someone incredibly important to Geralt. If you’ve read the books and want more Witcher in your life, the games are considered a fun spin-off, following a different canon from the book’s endings. The combat is fun, exploring is rewarding and challenging, and the characters you meet along the way will grip you with brilliant writing. During our time reviewing The Witcher 3, we were incredibly impressed with the world and side quests especially.
As ever, this list of the best open-world PS5 games will be updated regularly with new entries, so make sure you check back. In the meantime, read our list of the best free PS5 games to get stuck into right now.