10 Humongous Video Games You'll Completely Lose Yourself In

GTA V just edges Just Cause 3 and Saints Row 3 for a place on this list for "Biggest Playground" award.

While Just Cause 3 is one of the largest maps currently on the market for open-world sandbox action, and Saints Row 3 allows the player the option we always wanted but didn't know it - to skydive with tanks - it is GTA's balance between the absurd and reality that absorbs you fully into its world.

Single player is more than sufficient to occupy hundreds of hours, with its innovative three main character setup providing three very different perspectives on the state. The story is Hollywood-worthy, made all the more replayable by the introduction of heists that can be carried out in multiple ways. Then there is the world itself which, for all its size and realism, is still one heck of a playground.

Cars, jets, submarines - wildlife roams the countryside, while similarly primal creatures stumble out of the strip clubs in the early hours. Want a break from killing people? Play tennis or golf. Go hiking, skydiving, jetskiing or cycling. When the sun comes down, the street racers come out. Or just kick back in your pad and enjoy the hours of in-game TV shows and ads.

Of course, this is all amplified when you take the game online and challenge players around the world to these events, or team up for big money heists - features that Rockstar have bolstered considerably since launch.