15 Best Open-World Video Games Of All Time

5. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

Bethesda has got the best of both worlds right now; the high-octane, apocalyptic Fallout series contrasted with the swords and sorcery styling of the Elder Scrolls games.

If the nuclear destruction of mankind isn't your thing, then the latter fantasy RPG series that has been causing gamers sleepless nights since 1994 will probably do it for you. Oblivion was released in 2006, taking off from the excellent Morrowind and creating an enormous fantasy world for players to get lost in forever.

Oblivion's world is an amazing feat of technical wizardry, a functioning world that has more little nooks and crannies than you'd ever find with a strategy guide. There's towns, holds, dungeons, caves, side-quests and who knows what else, all there for the player brave enough to find them. Oblivion encourages pure exploration perhaps more than any game on this list, as the lofty hills and valleys all hold incredible secrets to discover.

One can get lost in the world of Cyrodill easily, as it is a beautiful and lovely place to just visit every so often.