10 Best Open-World Video Games Of 2022

"Open-world" and JRPG are not exactly two terms that have been bedfellows for a long time. Japanese role-playing games have largely resisted the urge of a massive world in favour of a more curated series of locations that serve their narrative. But if there is one series that's flying the flag for it then it's certainly Xenoblade Chronicles.

These large scale explorative maps have been part of the franchise's identity since the first game and every title since has just improved exponentially upon the state of the last. Now at the point of Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Monolith Soft have hit their stride.

There are a lot of places to visit, lots of great monsters to fight and the class system and larger party set-up invites a lot of experimentation that makes the game hard to put down. Best of all, the map isn't just a series of locations dotted with towns. Because the events of the story can have major impacts on civilisations that you've discovered, it's always interesting to return to them and see what's new, creating a more inter-connected world.

More than that, Xenoblade 3 is frankly beautiful. Whilst the Switch is clearly the most underpowered system on the market, Monolith Soft have found a way to create wonder with scale and with spectacularly designed biomes that keep players addicted to exploring further.