Hideo Kojima is considered by many to be one of the greatest video game developers of all time, and one need only look at the popularity of theMetal Gear Solidseries to understand why this is the case. It catapulted the developer to superstardom, with Kojima being able to showcase the fullest extent of his strengths withthese espionage thrillers.
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The last entry in the series developed by Kojima isMetal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain— a game whose development period is infamous due to the tensions that arose between Konami and Hideo Kojima, leading to the latter leaving the studio and working under Sony instead. Regardless of the problems that this game’s story might have, there’s no denying the fact thatThe Phantom Painis easily one of the greatest open-world titles of all time.
For people who want to recapture the magic of playing this brilliant title, here are ten open-world games in the same vein asMetal Gear Solid V.
10Marvel’s Spider-Man
People were craving for aSpider-Mantitle that would showcase the strengths of the web-head in the best way possible —something that has been surprisingly hard to do ever since the groundbreakingSpider-Man 2.
Thankfully, Insomniac Studios managed to accomplish just that withMarvel’s Spider-Man— a title that is considered by many to be the greatest game ever made featuring the iconic wall-crawler. Movement is smooth, combat is fluid, and the story is also brilliant, making for an unforgettable and must-play experience.
9Mass Effect: Andromeda
While the latest entry in theMass Effectseries does drop the ball when it comes tothe story and character writing, it definitely excels in a number of other departments that most people don’t give this game enough credit for.
The exploration and combat featured inAndromedaare definitely two of the game’s biggest highlights, making it quite evident that a move to a more open-world design definitely ended up playing in the game’s favor… although the other aspects of this title could’ve used some work.
8Batman: Arkham City
TheArkhamseries is considered by many to be one of the greatest open-world franchises of all time, with Rocksteady’s reputation as a studio skyrocketing post the massive success of this series.
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Most people considerArkham Cityto be the best game of the lot. The title was a massive improvement overArkham Asylum, featuring a robust open-world, smoother combat, and a host of other mechanics that alleviated one’s experience with the game substantially.
7Far Cry 5
TheFar Cryseries has consistently boasted great open worlds and amazing stealth-combat gameplay, andFar Cry 5features the greatest application of both these mechanics.
Of course, it certainly helps that exploring the open world, taking down the Seed family, andunlocking a host of alternative companionsin any order can prove to be quite an engaging experience as well.
6Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
TheAssassin’s Creedseries might lead more heavily towards its RPG roots nowadays, but there’s no denying the fact that there was a time whenthe games focused more on its exploration and stealth mechanics.
For people who want to experience the series in its heyday, there’s no better game thanBlack Flag. Aside from the extremely boring real-world segments, there’s no other reason as to why anyone shouldn’t play what is easily one of the greatest games in theAssassin’s Creedseries.
5Middle-Earth: Shadow Of Mordor
The announcement of aMiddle-Earthtitle was met with a ton of hype… and a fair bit of skepticism. After all, the series wasn’t really notable for featuring excellent titles, and one couldn’t help but wonder what new thingsShadow of Mordorwould bring to the table.
The answer to this was the Nemesis system — a masterpiece of procedural generation that allowed players to experience new and unique stories in the world of Mordor. Of course, it certainly helped thatShadow of Mordorfeaturing great exploration and gameplay as well, which helped it stand out as one of the biggest surprises of 2014.
4Watch Dogs 2
The first title in theWatch Dogsseries was a disappointing title that ended up underwhelming audiences due to a lack of many promised features and the poor implementation of existing ones.
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Thankfully, Ubisoft learned their lesson withWatch Dogs 2— an infinitely better experience that improved on everything its predecessor set out to do… without any false promises either!
3The Saboteur
In the conversation of open-world titles, there’s one particular game that never got the recognition it deserved — something that proved to be the final nail in the coffin for its developer.
It’s a shame, sinceThe Saboteuris easily one of the more unique and artistic games out there. Featuring a focus on stealth gameplay,The Saboteurwas unfortunately swept under the rug due to a myriad of technical issues. By the time the game received any sort of praise, it was already too late — Pandemic Studios ended up shutting its doors afterThe Saboteur’s poor sales.
2Horizon Zero Dawn
Horizon Zero Dawnhas all the hallmarks of a Hideo Kojima title. A wild yet interesting story? Check. Excellent and polished gameplay? Check. Characters that constantly give exposition but somehow don’t bore the player? Check, check, and check.
The idea of roaming through a post-apocalyptic landscape that’s been overrun byrobot dinosaurssounds like the most enjoyable thing in the world, and props should be given to Guerrilla Games for turningHorizon Zero Dawninto one of the highlights of 2017.
1Death Stranding
The Decima engine used inHorizon Zero Dawnwas used by Hideo Kojima for his first-ever title post his unceremonious exit from Konami. So, it was only a given that the hype forDeath Strandingwould’ve been through the roof before release.
While the game might not have been what most people expected, there’s no denying the fact thatDeath Strandingis easily one of the most unique attempts at creating an open-world titlethat didn’t lean heavily towards combat. The story is incredibly obtuse — just like most Kojima games — and ends up being the strongest and most memorable part of the overall experience.
NEXT:15 Games You Need Play If You Love Metal Gear Solid
