15 Best Open-World Video Games Of The Decade

5. Grand Theft Auto V

gta v
Rockstar

Grand Theft Auto V is the most successful piece of entertainment ever. In the six years it's been on sale, Rockstar's epic has made over $6 billion, an amount that dwarves the success of the highest-grossing movie (even adjusted for inflation), and an amount of money I literally cannot even begin to comprehend.

Of course, money and popularity doesn't necessarily equal quality, but GTA V deserves the success it's garnered. At the time it was the developer's most ambitious game ever, with three playable protagonists and a huge sandbox that most players at this point probably know better than the streets they grew up on.

This is a game that originally came out on last-gen machines that still matches the scale and polish of anything that released on the newer tech - and that's not to mention online, which has kept players engaged for six whole years primarily because Rockstar's Los Santos provides such a great foundation for any game mode.

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Josh has over 11 years of experience as a published writer, having worked nine of those years as a full-time content producer at WhatCulture. In that period he has created hundreds of articles, videos and podcast episodes for multiple WhatCulture channels, specialising in gaming, horror and film & TV. He now primarily works as a senior content producer and presenter on WhatCulture Gaming where he co-hosts the WhatCulture Gaming Podcast, a top 3 UK most listened to gaming podcast that he co-created in 2018. Over the years he has reviewed several high-profile gaming releases, covered industry events with on-site reporting, opined on breaking news, and even kicked off his interviewing career by chatting to childhood hero, Tommy Wiseau.