15 Best Open-World Video Games Of The Decade

4. The Witcher 3

It wouldn't be hyperbolic to say that The Witcher 3 changed the world. The previous two games had their fans, but this third game launched the franchise into the mainstream, partly because it showed just what the next-gen consoles were capable of.

At the time, an RPG of this scale that accounted for just about every decision the player made, allowed them to explore anywhere they could see with their own two eyes and also retained the detail and polish of a linear single-player game was unthinkable.

Even now it's no longer novel, The Witcher 3 continues to boast one of the most impressive, engrossing game worlds ever crafted. Whether you're taking on odd jobs and hunting down monsters or following the main thread of stopping The Wild Hunt, Geralt's journey always has something new to see and interesting NPCs to briefly enter the lives of.

Even better, no part of the environment feels slapped together for the sake of decoration. Everything is important and everything has a story, just waiting for you to uncover.