15 Best Open-World Video Games Of All Time

15. Dead Island

As far as zombie games go, it's hard to deny the undisputed king in the very first Resident Evil. It began the meteoric rise of zombies in gaming, a trend that has continued as recently as games like The Last Of Us and Deadlight.

And even as one of the most recent games on the list, Dead Island has managed to carve out its own slice of the zombie craze, even inspiring a franchise of its own. When it comes to open-world zombie madness, you should look no further than Techland's impressive take on the concept with Dead Island. Though many gamers bemoaned the game for not having the emotional resonance of the three-minute CGI trailer, it's hard to deny how much fun one can have playing Dead Island.

The island is full of character and interesting little detours to go on, encouraging exploration as any good open-world game should do. The melee-focused combat does take some getting used to, but there's a certain understated charm to swinging a paddle at a zombie and crippling his arm as you go in for the kill. Dead Island was quite an experience when it came out back in 2011, and it still manages to hold up as an excellent take on the open-world genre.