The concept of open world was developed a long time ago. So much so that we can even say that it has been with many of us for almost our entire lives, asit was born in 1981 with Ultima I and laid its foundations in 1986 with The Legend of Zelda.
Since then, the industry has offered us all kinds of great open-world experiences, but… What is the best open world ever created? Realistically, it is impossible to answer this question objectively.
Each person has their own sensations, experiences and opinions. In addition, an open-world video game can be approached in many ways. In other words, each has its own virtues. See, for example, the cases ofSkyrim or Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Both are at the top of any podium and I can safely say that they aretwo of the best games in history and two of the best open worlds ever created.
The Witcher 3: the best open world I’ve ever experienced
Which is the best of them all? Personally, I prefer The Witcher 3 with and without expansions. On an interactive level, it’s the one that has offered me the most – personally – as a player. Of course, it was not an easy decision.
Being more or less strict, we could consider the maps of GTA V, Assassin’s Creed, Elden Ring or Fallout, for example. There are many games whose open world is (with good reason) the best of all for some players.
However, for me it is CD Projekt RED who takes the cake. Firstly, because it is simply beautiful. Within the destruction and despair of a war-torn world full of monsters, its world is incredibly beautiful.
The artistic direction is of a very high standard. In fact, it’s so good that it invites you to explore every corner of the map without rest. From this point comes the second reason why I give it the first place: looking for its secrets is tremendously fun.
In a very organic and natural way, The Witcher 3’s map offers you all kinds of secrets, activities and side quests. The construction and design of these seems simply fascinating, as they give a lot of life to its world.
In addition, we can go wherever we want whenever we want at almost any time. While it’s true that there are some restrictions and that free exploration sometimes doesn’t fit with the urgency of its main plot, these are details I forgive when I consider it in its overall context.
Ultimately, what The Witcher 3 offers me is a world full of life. Its side characters, the interaction with the intelligent monsters that can be found here and there, the design and behavior of the NPCs, etc. are just some of the features that make The Witcher 3 stand out so much.
Despite being a 2015 game, it is tremendously good at everything it does when it comes to its open world. Besides, I consider that it has the right extension: it is big enough to get lost in it for hours, but not so much as to feel overwhelmed.
In addition, when switching between Toussaint and the main map, it is like living two completely different (and perfectly connected) experiences in a single game. Full of well-differentiated biomes, it offers everything we could ask for in a fantasy map.
However, don’t Skyrim or Breath of the Wild do all that too? Yes, of course. Any of these games, or GTA 5, or Elden Ring, or Fallout 4, also offer open worlds of a very high level. Any of them could be “the best”.
So why The Witcher 3 and not another? It’s simple: personal taste. For me it is the best, but I do not consider it to be indisputably so. There are hundreds of factors that can tip the balance, which is why I think it is a subjective matter. That said, which is your favorite?