Whatoplay presents 25 of the Best PlayStation 4 open-world games of all time! All arranged
by playscore. To check out the full list, visit our page on all the Best PS4 Open-world games.
25. Cat Quest II In a list of massive Triple-A titles,
the Gentlebros’ Cat Quest II stands on the shoulders of these giants. For starters,
it’s an open-world action RPG similar to known titles like Skyrim and Dragon Age.
Instead of big-budget effects and visuals, this sequel leans into adorable kind presentations,
with cats and dogs as their main characters. It receives a playscore of 8.57.
24. L.A. Noire Rockstar’s piece
of work from a decade ago still holds up as an impressive open-world title.
This neo-noir adventure takes us to 1947 Los Angeles, roaming around and solving odd cases.
Whether it’s by foot, or by car, this open-world playground gives you the freedom to explore and
find clues in every nook and cranny. Think of it as a reverse-GTA where instead of causing chaos,
you’re bringing order to this transitioning era. A playscore of 8.59.
23. InFamous: Second Son Sucker Punch’s ambitious
sequel to their acclaimed InFamous series had a lot of expectations from fans.
Considering it’s a PlayStation 4 launch title, there’s so much potential in its scale,
gameplay, and story. It delivered, somehow. It gave Sucker Punch the proper formula to develop
their future open-world titles, namely their latest opus, Ghost of Tsushima. Collecting
powers and messing around the city are some of the game’s strongest moments. A playscore of 8.59.
22. Death Stranding Hideo Kojima’s latest IP was controversial,
to say the least. It only gained praise months after it was released, especially when it came
out on the PC. This open world is fueled by gorgeous landscapes and an entrancing soundtrack.
Navigating around treacherous mountains with a baby strapped to your body
is something only Kojima could deliver. A playscore of 8.60.
21. Far Cry 4 This first-person
open-world adventure from Ubisoft was the first of the series to embrace a massive scale.
By that, we mean the density of its war-torn lands. 4’s action-packed story may not be as
memorable as 3’s island-vibes, but its multiple side-quests and living world paved the way
for the future of the series, especially with the upcoming Far Cry 6. A playscore of 8.62.
20. Middle-Earth: Shadow Of Mordor Far from J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy-epic,
this standalone adventure set within the world of The Lord of the Rings is a fan-fiction that
brought new flavor to the lore. It’s the perfect example of how one would simply walk into Mordor,
by creating an army of Orcs at his bidding and using Elven powers.
Explore the lush fields and desolate plains the game has to offer. A playscore of 8.67.
19. Gravity Rush 2 A unique example of how open-world games operate.
This sequel to Japan Studio’s space-bending JRPG maximized the game’s 3D environment.
It gives players the ultimate freedom of movement by floating around the air.
With the power of gravity, you can manipulate Kat
and take her to places unreachable to regular people. A playscore of 8.70.
18. Assassin’s Creed: Origins
The game where Ubisoft’s science fiction slash historical series took a crazy turn. Origins was
the origin of the series’ future RPG mechanics, which continues to be a topic of controversy.
It still had its impressive replication of Egypt’s Ptolemaic Period, but it was the beginning of
them bloating their open-world with irrelevant activities. Either way, Bayek’s journey around
this sun-bathed jewel of civilization was a favorite among fans. A playscore of 8.71.
17. Subnautica Unknown Worlds’ underwater
alien abyss gave the world a sight to behold… and fear. Within this foreign planet are hours
and hours worth of scanning, crafting, and running away from “what the fuck could that possibly be”.
It’s open-world, yes, but to say it another way,
it’s open-ocean since you’re basically spending most of your time underwater. You might want to
check out Below Zero if you enjoy this one! Subnautica receives a playscore of 8.72.
16. Outer Wilds
A similar case of sense and wonder...and anxiety can be taken from this BAFTA Award-winning
open-world puzzle game from Annapurna. Outer Wilds is a game best played without knowing anything
about it. If you enjoy exploration, especially anything involving science fiction in space,
then we recommend you try this game out. It’s so remarkable some players would want
amnesia just to experience it for the first time again. A playscore of 8.72.
15. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
We all know how Skyrim is out on every modern console known to man, even your refrigerators.
Anyone not living under a rock has already heard enough of Skyrim. Bethesda’s playground of
medieval fantasy moments is truly something else. It’s even made better with the addition of mods,
which might change how the game is experienced, for better or worse. A playscore of 8.76.
14. Dreams I know what you’re thinking,
how is Dreams an open-world game?! Well… as a massive game-creating project such as this,
there’s bound to be one guy making an ambitious open-world for the community to play. Its wild
range of genres might go from well-designed to clunky, but Dreams is a paradise of imagination
taken form. So there’s more than just one genre here! Look it up! A playscore of 8.79.
13. Dragon Quest Builders 2 Square Enix’s own version of a voxel-based
open-world. While it does have a few similarities to Minecraft, Builders is a game combined with
JRPG mechanics. If you’re not busy building a giant fortress made of cubes, you’re encouraged
to explore its fantasy world and find the rarest treasures inside dungeons. A playscore of 8.84.
12. Yakuza 0 The series has come a long way.
Now that it has embraced Song of Life’s goofy turn-based combat, let’s take a look back at the
series’ highest playscored game so far. Zero takes players into fictional locales in Tokyo and Osaka.
While not a huge open-world game - its free-roam is bite-sized - the amount of
stuff to do and enemies to punch is packed into every corner. A playscore of 8.90.
11. NieR: Automata 20 points ahead of the newly released Replicant,
Automata was the beginning of a new age of fans of Yoko Taro’s bizarre science-fiction RPG.
Taking place on a now-desolate Earth, playing as (hot) Androids discovering the pain of existence
is an existential crisis we never expected. It’s not the biggest game in terms of its free-roam
elements, but its multiple endings make up for its lack of exploration. A playscore of 8.93.
10. Dragon Age: Inquisition BioWare’s prodigal son is making a return soon,
but before we get to welcome him with open arms, we look back on its most ambitious title to date.
Inquisition was the series’ huge leap to semi-open-world environments.
Lead your band of heroes and explore a fantasy world corrupted by an otherworldly threat.
It doesn’t have that Skyrim of Witcher 3 kind of freedom,
but its tight-knit areas are packed with secrets and treasures to uncover. A playscore of 8.95.
9. Fallout 4 Bethesda’s
post-apocalyptic open-world RPG followed Skyrim’s footsteps with its freedom of exploration.
Its first-person shooter combat is made better with a branching narrative that can let players
make their own choices. The world of Fallout 4 is huge and it’s home to many relics of the past,
alongside a legion of mutated freaks. A playscore of 9.00.
8. Batman: Arkham Knight The biggest Arkham game Rocksteady has created.
The map is so huge they brought in the Caped Crusader’s Batmobile to level the playing field.
It’s also the most visually stunning Batman game to date, with realistic portrayals of
Batman’s Rogue’s Gallery. The rain-soaked Gotham City is ripe with criminal activity and playing
it really makes you feel like you’re in the brooding detective’s shoes. A playscore of 9.02.
7. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
His exaggerated swagger gave him 1 point ahead of Insomniac’s first Spider-Man game.
Miles Morales is a breath of fresh air from the usual superhero games on the market. What
makes his standalone adventure different is that he’s just a kid juggling two responsibilities.
Swinging around New York has never been this satisfying. A playscore of 9.10.
6. Ghost Of Tsushima Second Son’s success gave
Sucker Punch another project that flexed the PlayStation 4’s hardware. Tsushima’s gorgeous
oriental landscapes are a stark contrast to its brutal combat. One minute you’re riding
on horseback appreciating the scenery then you’re slashing Bandits at a moment’s notice.
It’s the final Sony Triple-A open-world game for the PlayStation 4
and it delivered with a playscore of 9.11.
5. Horizon: Zero Dawn The Decima Engine is
one of the strongest gaming engines right now. This resulted in a gorgeous open-world
environment for Aloy in her journey across lush plains teeming with mechanical wildlife. Zero
Dawn is an ambitious game from Guerilla Games. Its weird mix of primitive and high-technology
makes this an immersive game from start to finish. If this game is breathtaking, then
imagine what they’re cooking up with its sequel, Forbidden West. Zero Dawn has a playscore of 9.12.
4. Grand Theft Auto V Rockstar’s impressive
selection of open-world titles still holds up to this day, including this eight-year-old
masterpiece. Jumping from one system to another, GTA V hasn’t shown its age. It keeps getting
upgraded and remastered and can go on par with current-gen titles. A playscore of 9.24.
3. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain We have two open-world Kojima titles on this list.
While Death Stranding is an impressive game, none can outshine the legacy
that his Metal Gear Solid series delivered. The Phantom Pain takes emergent gameplay to a whole
new level. Players can mix and match their strategies to fulfill their objectives.
There is no right way to reach your goal, and it’s all up to you. A playscore of 9.25.
2. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt CD Projekt Red’s dark-fantasy open-world RPG
will remain as their strongest title so far. If it weren’t for Cyberpunk 2077’s unfortunate debacle,
it could’ve been a part of this list. Nonetheless, Geralt of Rivia’s final journey in this
treacherous war-torn land is memorable as ever. Every corner there’s a side-quest waiting to be
completed with some characters that are either unsavory or attractive. A playscore of 9.29.
1. Red Dead Redemption 2 Taking the crown for the best
open-world PlayStation 4 game of all time is none other than Rockstar’s western action-adventure.
Even if you’re not too invested in the main character’s story,
you’d still be impressed with the level of detail this game has to offer. Whether you’re
RP-ing as a cowboy, or simply roaming around uncharted territories in search of adventure,
RDR2 has something for every gamer out there who loves the open-world genre. A playscore of 9.30.