20 Most Underrated Open-World Video Games Of The Decade (So Far)

Despite various games having all sorts of open world-esque aspects like the rolling fields of Hyrule in Zelda's Ocarina of Time, once GTA III proved you could structure an entire game around the environment itself, it was off to the races.

Now a decade-and-a-half later (yes, really), the impact of Rockstar's masterpiece can be felt across the breadth of the industry. Everything from Assassin's Creed to Terraria, No Man's Sky to Just Cause has worlds positively bursting with things to see, do and explore. Even veterans of the industry like Lara Croft and Mario have made the jump, prompting the question: Is every game made better by going open-world?

It's an interesting thought considering their endless popularity, but when so many triple-A titles have adopted the formula, what does that mean for the competition? Let's round up the most underrated open-world games of the decade, starting with...