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Large, expansive open world games offer players unprecedented freedom with vast maps packed with activities to explore. Sometimes smaller urban settings offer better storytelling and detail in the environment, and a faster pace of exploration. Games like Fallout 4, Watch Dogs 2, Batman: Arkham Knight, and Cyberpunk 2077 offer players a rich urban exploration experience.
Open world games are becoming more and more massive. More than ever before, there is an emphasis on games with vast maps packed with things to do. Many games feature maps that aim to create entire countries, and sometimes even entire solar systems.
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But often a small-scale approach is best. The most iconic video game cities have better environmental storytelling and are much richer in detail. Exploring tight, focused urban environments cuts out the frills and creates rapid discovery and enemy encounters. The next open-world game won’t just be set in a city; instead, it’s a game that encourages players to push their limits, walk every street, climb every rooftop, and practice their craft in true urban exploration style.
1. Fallout 4
Post-apocalyptic Boston
Fallout 4
Released on November 10, 2015
Both Fallout 3 and Fallout 4 have vast urban areas to explore. The difference between the two is that due to technical limitations, much of Fallout 3’s Washington urban area was disjointed and cumbersome to navigate. Fallout 4’s Boston, on the other hand, is fun to explore… if exploring a post-apocalyptic city full of cannibalistic raiders, ghouls, and mutants can be called fun.
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Many fans would agree that Fallout 4 isn’t the best Fallout game. The story is a bit boring, and to make the game easier, Bethesda removed many of the RPG elements that fans love. But it’s a great game for urban exploration. There are countless buildings to explore, many of which are unmarked and each has its own story. Rotting around bombed-out buildings in Fallout 4 never gets boring, and with enemies almost always present, there’s rarely a quiet moment.
2. Watch Dogs 2
San Francisco Hack
Watch Dogs 2
Released on November 15, 2016
Watch Dogs 2 is notable for fixing many of the issues fans had with the original Watch Dogs, taking place in a San Francisco region that’s twice the size of the original’s open world and packed with things to do, with improved hacking mechanics and a more interactive feel to the game’s setting.
Watch Dogs 2’s map is packed with hidden side activities and collectibles around every corner. It’s one of Ubisoft’s most immersive games to date, and the developers seem to want players to explore every back alley and rooftop. Despite some sci-fi elements to the game, the map feels like a living city to explore.
3. Batman: Arkham Knight
Stalking the Gotham Sky
It wasn’t easy to choose between Batman: Arkham City and Batman: Arkham Knight on this topic. Arkham City is arguably one of the best open-world superhero games of all time, while Arkham Knight failed to live up to the expectations of many. However, in terms of pure urban exploration, Arkham Knight slightly outshines its big brother.
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First, the maps are big. Arkham City’s map was great, but it was limited to a portion of Gotham. This made for a more condensed exploration experience, which was great, but it also meant players spent a large portion of the game wishing they could break out of its boundaries and explore the rest of Gotham. Secondly, Arkham Knight introduced fans to the Batmobile. Sure, many players hated the over-the-top tank section, but it was a lot of fun to race around Gotham on Batman’s iconic wheels. Despite its size, Arkham Knight’s map felt full of puzzles to solve, answers to mysteries to find, and side missions to complete.
4. Gravity Rush 2
Gravity Survey
Gravity Rush 2
Released on January 20, 2017
Few games can match the pure joy of urban exploration in Gravity Rush 2. The gameplay revolves around a cool gravity mechanic that, once mastered, will let players have fun roaming the open world searching for collectibles, completing side missions, and taking on a multitude of traversal challenges.
The game’s urban exploration feels incredibly natural; the open world is full of beautiful vistas to see, and it’s easy to get lost in the joy of flying around and taking in the scenery. The maps aren’t as dynamic or packed with things to do as in other titles, but they’re just as thrilling to explore.
5. Tom Clancy’s The Division 2
The Looting of Washington DC
Tom Clancy’s The Division 2
Released on March 15, 2019
Genre Third-person shooter
Ubisoft’s flagship games are open-world games, but when it comes to urban exploration, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 is one of the best. In the game’s opening mission, players are dropped outside the White House and tasked with reclaiming Washington DC from a gang of thugs who have taken over. To do so, players must complete missions and explore every nook and cranny in search of side content, resources, and hidden loot.
The game’s urban exploration is entirely street-level, with few flashy movement mechanics in sight. The Division 2 perfectly recreates the feeling of exploring a war-torn city. The streets are chaotic and filled with hordes of enemies that shoot first and hear nothing back. There are a surprising number of buildings players can enter to loot, and resources are scattered all over the place. The numerous activities, from hostage rescues to airdrops to thwarting public executions, all feel appropriate to the setting, and there are hardly any quiet moments.
6 Like a Dragon 7: The Whereabouts of Light and Darkness
The city of Yokohama is wild
Like a Dragon 7: Where Light and Darkness Go
Released on November 10, 2020
Genre JRPG
The Yakuza series has been set in some impressive cities for nearly two decades now, and Yakuza 7: Whereabouts of Light and Darkness was very different from other entries in the series not only because it featured turn-based combat, but also because it left Tokyo to explore a new city: Yokohama. As it turns out, Yokohama is just as much fun to explore as the iconic Tokyo.
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Yokohama is a vibrant city, and to get the most out of it, players will need to make sure they cover every nook and cranny. In true Yakuza tradition, there are countless side activities and mini-games to discover and enjoy, as well as hidden collectibles. The game excels in bringing the real-world setting to life while also incorporating more Yakuza-flavored quirkiness than ever before.
7. Dying Light 2
Parkour and Zombies
Dying Light 2
Released February 4, 2022
There’s a lot that fans of the original Dying Light didn’t like about the sequel. Dying Light is one of the best zombie games of all time, but Dying Light 2 got off to an incredibly shaky start and is still undergoing frequent updates and bug fixes. There’s only one reason why Dying Light 2 is featured here and not its bigger brother:
Both games feature great parkour mechanics and first-person melee combat that make their respective cities a joy to explore. But where Dying Light 2 excels is in its vertical exploration. The second area of April’s game is filled with skyscrapers that are seemingly impossible to climb. They become environmental puzzles that players must combine different parkour abilities and tools to reach. Additionally, many of these skyscrapers have open floors and interiors full of zombies and materials that players can roam and explore.
8 Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
Explore London’s Industrial Revolution
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
Released on October 23, 2015
Despite being one of the most iconic cities in the world, there are surprisingly few great open world games set in London. Assassin’s Creed Syndicate is known as one of the best open world games in existence. Industrial-era London is vibrant, densely packed, and packed with things to do, landmarks to visit, and collectibles to seek out.
In recent years, the series has ditched urban environments in favor of ever-expanding maps. Valhalla’s map is a scaled-down version of the entirety of England. It’s easy to forget how much fun it was to explore the city maps of the older games. Syndicate’s parkour is solid and a perfect fit for the crowded streets of London. These streets made the game’s combat feel more personal and close-quarters, especially with Jacob’s brawl-focused fighting style. Ubisoft’s open-world design may have its flaws, but they’ve always been good at urban exploration.
9. Cyberpunk 2077
Take a trip to Night City
Cyberpunk 2077
Released on December 10, 2020
Cyberpunk 2077 may have struggled at first, but it’s now considered one of the best open-world games out there. It’s as if CD Projekt Red took note of what was great about other urban settings and borrowed elements from them to incorporate into Cyberpunk. Firstly, Night City is a beautiful place to explore. The streets are filled with neon lights and, despite the futuristic setting, the city feels lived in.
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Night City is packed with little details and Easter eggs that make its world-building top-notch. Though it’s mostly set at street level, there’s a sense of verticality and you can climb many of the city’s tallest buildings (though that doesn’t mean much beyond the challenge). Add in the fact that there are meaningful side quests, missions, and secrets hidden around every corner, and Cyberpunk 2077 delivers better urban exploration than any game before it.
10. Infamous: Second Son
Multiple ways to explore
Some readers may have expected Marvel’s Spider-Man to make an appearance here. But those games are more about navigating the city than exploring. In those games, players fly around New York, completing one task after another, with little time to actually explore the city. Infamous: Second Son, on the other hand, is a superhero game that encourages both movement and exploration.
The game is set in Seattle, where the protagonist, Delsin, explores the bustling streets and cluttered rooftops while learning how to control his powers. The game places equal emphasis on both areas, with side goals and collectibles sprinkled throughout. Delsin’s mobility is limited, especially early on, forcing players to explore the environment and plan the best route from point A to point B. Similarly, Delsin draws his powers from the environment, forcing players to constantly seek out environmental objects to recharge his powers.
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