Open World
Ongoing coverage on Open World.
Latest coverage
The Blood of Dawnwalker – 15 Things That Make It Worth Watching
Rebel Wolves' debut title, The Blood of Dawnwalker, is set to release in September 2026 and offers a unique take on vampires with a focus on player choice and approach. Players can switch between human and vampiric forms, each with distinct abilities and skill trees, impacting combat and exploration in the open world of Vale Sangora. The game features a dynamic antagonist, Brencis, who reacts to player actions, and a narrative that weaves together various stories with tangible world consequences.
Every Forza Horizon Game Ranked: From Colorado to Mexico and Beyond
This article ranks all Forza Horizon games from best to worst, with Forza Horizon 4 taking the top spot. The author praises Forza Horizon 4 for its seasonal mechanics, community focus, and cohesive design, while placing Forza Horizon 5 last due to its shift towards PR stunts and lack of a compelling narrative. The ranking considers gameplay, narrative, and visual design across the series.
Lifelong Bethesda Fan Finally Answers: Does Starfield Actually Suck?
After 85 hours, the author concludes that Starfield is a flawed but compelling experience, evolving Bethesda's open-world design while retaining its signature immersion. Despite technical issues and repetitive procedural generation, the game's faction quest lines are praised as some of Bethesda's best, offering genuine choice and consequence.
Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight balances fan service with an Arkham-style open world
Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight retells the iconic hero's origin story, blending fan-favorite moments with new gameplay mechanics. The game features an Arkham-style open world, offering players a fresh experience within the Lego Batman universe.
Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight Gets the Caped Crusader’s Silly Soul
Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, the upcoming open-world action-adventure from TT Games, blends familiar Lego gameplay with combat inspired by the Arkham series. The game will feature a narrative covering Batman's origin, an expansive Gotham City, and a vast array of characters and collectibles. It is set to release on Xbox Series X|S on May 22, with a Deluxe Edition available on May 19.
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight Preview — Meet the Bat-Family!
TT Games is bringing its signature LEGO charm to LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, offering a family-friendly take on the iconic hero. The preview showcased gameplay featuring the Bat-Family, including Batman, Robin, and Catwoman, with a focus on puzzle-solving and platforming across diverse environments. The game will feature three difficulty levels and a customizable Batcave, releasing on May 22, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
Playing Lego Batman didn't scratch my Arkham itch, but open-world Gotham has never been so charming
Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight aims to capture the essence of the Arkham series with an open-world Gotham, a counter-focused combat system, and detective modes. While it channels inspiration from Rocksteady's acclaimed titles, the preview suggests TT Games' approach feels somewhat stiff and clunky compared to its inspirations. However, the game retains the signature Lego charm, humor, and interactivity, offering a unique take on the Batman universe with a focus on the Bat-family's distinct abilities.
Preview: PS5's LEGO Batman Rivals the Arkham Classics in IP Love Letter
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is a new PlayStation 5 title from TT Games that celebrates the entire history of the Batman IP, drawing inspiration from movies, comics, and video games. The game features an open-world Gotham City with combat mechanics heavily inspired by the Batman: Arkham series, alongside numerous side objectives and puzzles.
A New Open-World Era of ATOM Begins! 1,225 km² of the Caspian Wastes!
ATOM RPG 2 has reached its crowdfunding goal on Kickstarter, enabling the development of a new era for the series. The game will feature a seamless 35x35 km open world set in the Caspian Wastes, offering players freedom to explore, drive, and survive without constant loading screens. New physics support will enhance world interaction and destruction.
The Blood of Dawnwalker Makes It “Absolutely Possible” to Skip Everything “If You’re Skilled Enough”
Rebel Wolves has confirmed that players can skip a significant amount of content in their upcoming open-world RPG, The Blood of Dawnwalker, and attempt to defeat the final boss after the prologue if they are skilled enough. Lead quest designer Rafał Jankowski stated that while this path is not encouraged for a first playthrough, the game's design allows for it. The Blood of Dawnwalker is set to release on September 3rd for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC.
Review: NTE: Neverness to Everness (PS5) - Ambitious Anime Open World Gets a Lot Right
Neverness to Everness, an ambitious anime-inspired open-world game from Hotta Studio, launches on PlayStation 5 with a blend of exploration, life simulation, and gacha mechanics. While combat and menu controls need refinement, the game offers a generous gacha system, engaging quests, and extensive life-sim elements like managing businesses and customizing apartments, showing significant promise as a live service title.
Demos and Freebies
Belts of Iron, a new open-world factory automation game, has been released on Steam for PC. The game features extensive conveyor belt systems, power management, and fluid networks for players to build and manage.
Dread Delusion Review | TheXboxHub
Dread Delusion offers a vivid fever dream of retro role-playing, prioritizing a unique aesthetic and dark fantasy narrative over modern realism. The game features pixelated visuals that run at 4K 60FPS on Xbox Series X, and gameplay mechanics reminiscent of classic Elder Scrolls titles like Daggerfall and Morrowind. While its combat and exploration can be barebones, the immersive world and emphasis on player choice make it a compelling experience for fans of the genre.
Crimson Desert devs know combat "became less frequent" the more players progressed, so a new patch adds re-blockades and rematches for 69 bosses
Pearl Abyss has released a patch for Crimson Desert that addresses player feedback regarding combat frequency in the open world. The update introduces 'Rematch' and 'Re-blockade' content, allowing players to re-engage with bosses and stronghold fights to maintain a sense of challenge as they progress through the game.
A new Crimson Desert update just fixed its empty world problem, and added two legendary pets
Pearl Abyss has released Crimson Desert update 1.05, addressing player frustrations by adding 'rematch' and 're-blockade' features. The update allows players to re-fight defeated bosses with adjustable difficulty and increases the frequency of stronghold enemy respawns. Additionally, two legendary pets, the Iron Eagle and Hyacinth Macaw, have been introduced, along with other minor improvements and bug fixes.
The Blood of Dawnwalker's Road to Launch Event gives us an hour of new and exciting information
Rebel Wolves and Bandai Namco revealed new details for their upcoming game, The Blood of Dawnwalker, during the Road to Launch Event. The event showcased over 10 minutes of gameplay, developer commentary on the open world and narrative, and behind-the-scenes motion capture footage. The game is set to release on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on September 3rd, 2026, with multiple editions available for purchase.
PS5 Gigaflop Mindseye Gets a Permanent Price Reduction, Free Update and PS Plus Premium Trial
Build a Rocket Boy has permanently reduced the price of their game MindsEye to $34.99 and is offering a two-hour trial for PlayStation Plus Premium members. A new free mission, BLACKLISTED, has been released as part of the game's ongoing support, delivered through its ARCADIA user-generated content platform.
South Island City - Free Online Browser Game
South Island City: Blood & Chrome is a new top-down 2D open-world browser game that offers a procedural sandbox experience inspired by crime simulations. Players take on the role of Marcus Cole in a 21-mission story arc, navigating a dynamic city with day/night cycles, weather systems, and a variety of interactive elements and weapons.
GTA 6 Could Learn a Few Lessons From Bully, Rockstar’s Schoolyard Gem
Rockstar Games could benefit from lessons learned from its 2006 title Bully regarding map size and content for the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6. The article suggests that restraint and quality over quantity are key design principles that should be applied to the new installment, especially given rumors of its expansive map.
The Best Star Wars Games Of All Time
This article ranks the best Star Wars games of all time, spanning various genres from flight simulators to RPGs and VR experiences. It highlights titles like Star Wars: TIE Fighter, Knights of the Old Republic, and Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, discussing their impact and gameplay.
