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00:00Guys, there are tons of open-world games out there, but which ones are the most unique?
00:05Which ones offer worlds that truly stand apart from the rest?
00:09Maybe this list won't include the best game in each franchise, but it will include the most different.
00:15The ones that broke away from the usual formula, where most open-world games tend to feel like more of the same.
00:22I've selected 18 open-world games that are the most unique and different.
00:26No fluff, no fanboying. Let's get straight to the list.
00:301. No Man's Sky
00:33Alright, kicking this list off with something that, let's be honest, had a rough launch, but has since become the poster child for redemption stories.
00:42No Man's Sky.
00:44You want to talk about unique? Forget a single open-world.
00:48This game hands you a procedurally generated universe.
00:52That scale is just bonkers.
00:53I remember my first jump through a black hole, landing on a planet with giant, glowing mushroom trees, and thinking,
01:01Okay, this is what different feels like.
01:03The gameplay loop itself is what sets it apart.
01:06It's not about following a rigid path.
01:08It's about survival, exploration, and crafting.
01:11You're constantly managing your resources, keeping your life support charged, and fixing up your ship.
01:17It's got that chill, almost meditative grind to it.
01:20Until a giant space pirate decides your hard-earned chrominance is his.
01:25For me, the perfection of this open world is the sheer impossibility of seeing it all.
01:30Every time I play, I stumble upon a new alien race, a busted-up freighter I can salvage, or a planet with truly bizarre fauna.
01:38It's a sandbox where the entire galaxy is your playground.
01:42What didn't I love?
01:44Early on, the grind was painful.
01:46Like, punching rocks for hours painful.
01:49But Hello Games has smoothed so much of that out.
01:52Now it's less of a chore and more of an endless cosmic road trip.
01:55If you haven't jumped in since the major updates, you are seriously missing out on the most vast open world experience ever created.
02:04It's a total vibe check for the genre.
02:102. Ghost Recon Wildlands
02:13Next up, we've got Ghost Recon Wildlands.
02:17Now I know what some of you are thinking, it's just another Ubisoft map.
02:21Hold up, give me a second.
02:22What makes Wildlands unique is its setting, and more importantly, the freedom of approach.
02:30Santa Blanca's Bolivia is the real star here.
02:33It's not just a backdrop, it's a living, breathing narco state.
02:37You've got arid deserts, dense jungles, snowy mountains, and high-altitude salt flats, all woven together seamlessly.
02:45Unlike other military shooters that put you on a linear path, this game drops you into this massive country and says,
02:53there's the cartel, go dismantle it however you see fit.
02:57The gameplay is all about tactical co-op, even if you're playing solo with the AI squad.
03:02I absolutely love how every mission objective can be tackled from five different angles.
03:08You can roll in with an armored vehicle, repel from a helicopter at night, or snipe every dude from a mile away on a hilltop.
03:15My favorite authentic experience was one time when my buddy and I spent 20 minutes scouting a base,
03:21only for a random rebel patrol to roll through and start a massive firefight, turning our stealth op into a chaotic rescue mission.
03:29That kind of unscripted chaos is what makes the open world perfect.
03:34The one thing that always slightly bugged me was the story.
03:37It's there, but it's kind of thin and repetitive.
03:40I wasn't really invested in the why as much as I was invested in the how.
03:45How are we going to blow up this cocaine lab today?
03:49But honestly, the sheer scale and the tactical flexibility make this one of the freshest open world maps I've ever played.
03:57It's a must-play if you like military sandboxes.
04:003. Assassin's Creed 4 Black Flag
04:08Okay, now let's talk about a game that completely changed the flavor of a massive franchise.
04:16Assassin's Creed 4 Black Flag.
04:19When this game came out, I was so burnt out on the AC formula, but pirates?
04:25Pirates!
04:27The open world of Black Flag isn't a city.
04:29It's the Caribbean Sea.
04:31And man, is it glorious.
04:34Forget rooftop parkour.
04:35The true exploration is sailing your ship, the jackdaw, across the shimmering blue, spotting a distant island, and just heading straight for it.
04:44This isn't just about fast travel.
04:46It's about the journey.
04:48What makes it unique is the naval combat and exploration.
04:52Hearing your crew sing a shanty while you're chasing down a Spanish galleon is peak gaming.
04:57The sense of progression, upgrading your ship, hiring better sailors, and then taking on legendary ships?
05:04That's an authentic feeling of power.
05:07Edward Kenway is an awesome protagonist, too.
05:10A charming, self-serving pirate who just so happens to get caught up in the assassin-Templar nonsense.
05:16He felt so much more human and relatable than some of the more stoic assassins.
05:22The world is perfect because it balances the open sea with dense, small pockets of land.
05:27You get the epic scale of sailing, then you land in Havana or NASA and get that traditional AC feel,
05:34followed by diving for sunken treasure or harpooning whales.
05:37It's a world of pure adventure.
05:39If I had to complain about one thing, it's that sometimes the required stealth missions on land felt jarring and clunky compared to the smooth sailing and ship battles.
05:49It's like the game briefly remembered it was an Assassin's Creed game and tried to pull you back from being a total badass pirate.
05:56But overall, it's the best pirate game ever made.
05:59Full stop.
06:004. Far Cry Primal
06:06Next on the list is a game that took the Far Cry blueprint and totally threw it back to the Stone Age.
06:12Far Cry Primal.
06:13This one is often overlooked, but for pure uniqueness in an open world, it deserves a spot.
06:19Look, it's still Far Cry.
06:21You're capturing bonfires instead of radio towers,
06:24and you're fighting Udum and Azilla tribes instead of crazed modern-day villains.
06:28But the entire environment changes the game.
06:32Suddenly, your best weapon is a spear or a bow,
06:34and the biggest threat isn't an outpost full of dudes with AKs.
06:38It's a saber-toothed tiger or a woolly mammoth ambushing you in the middle of the night.
06:43The unique thing here is the beast master mechanic.
06:46Taming animals and having them as your companions, that's what makes this world shine.
06:51Having a cave bear bodyguard or soaring through the sky with your owl companion to scout an enemy camp
06:56is just ridiculously cool.
06:59It forces you to think differently.
07:01You're not just a soldier.
07:02You're a primal survivalist.
07:05The map, Oros, is perfect because it feels genuinely hostile and wild.
07:10Everything wants to kill you.
07:12I had one moment where I was being chased by a pack of wolves,
07:15climbed a cliff to escape,
07:16and literally came face-to-face with a massive cave lion.
07:20It was pure panic and adrenaline.
07:22That sense of truly being at the bottom of the food chain
07:25is something most open-world games totally miss.
07:28My biggest gripe?
07:29The lack of weapon variety.
07:31I get it.
07:32It's the Stone Age.
07:33But after a while,
07:34throwing the same few spears and shooting the same bow
07:36can get a little repetitive.
07:38But for taking a well-worn genre and flipping the script
07:41by removing all modern convenience and giving us animal companions,
07:45primal is absolutely one of the most unique open worlds out there.
07:485. Hogwarts Legacy
07:54Okay, let's talk about pure fantasy wish fulfillment.
07:59Hogwarts Legacy.
08:00Listen, I know Harry Potter has been around forever.
08:03But for me, this game nailed the open world experience
08:07in a way I didn't think was possible.
08:09The uniqueness isn't just the magic.
08:12It's the fact that the Hogwarts castle and its surrounding highlands
08:15feel like a genuinely magical place to exist.
08:19It's not just a big map full of icons.
08:22Exploring the castle, finding those secret classrooms,
08:25running into a headless hunt,
08:27or discovering a hidden path behind a tapestry,
08:30it felt like I was actually there.
08:32The gameplay perfectly integrates magic and exploration.
08:36You're not just walking around.
08:38You're casting spells to solve environmental puzzles,
08:41soaring on a hippogriff across the Scottish countryside,
08:43or brewing potions in the room of requirement.
08:46The combat is fluid and spectacular,
08:50making you feel like a powerful young wizard right from the jump.
08:54Where this open world truly shines
08:56is the verticality and detail of Hogwarts itself.
09:00It's perfect because every corner tells a story.
09:03I spent hours just wandering,
09:06forgetting the main quest entirely.
09:08My only small critique,
09:10the main protagonist,
09:11you know, your custom character,
09:13sometimes felt a little bland
09:15compared to the amazing world they built around them.
09:18I wanted more personal drama.
09:20But honestly,
09:21riding my broomstick over the Black Lake,
09:24pure, unadulterated magic.
09:26If you're a fan of immersive worlds,
09:28this is an absolute must.
09:33Six, Death Stranding.
09:35All right, get ready for a total curveball,
09:38because Death Stranding is the most unique open world game
09:41on this whole list, period.
09:43Hideo Kojima basically invented a new genre,
09:47the Strand game.
09:48The premise is insane.
09:50You are Sam Porter Bridges,
09:52and your job is to reconnect
09:54a fractured, post-apocalyptic America
09:56by delivering packages.
09:58Sounds boring?
09:59Trust me, it's not.
10:01The open world,
10:02a scarred and desolate America,
10:04is the actual star and the biggest obstacle.
10:07You're fighting the terrain itself.
10:09Every step is a calculated decision.
10:12How will I cross this river?
10:13Do I need a ladder?
10:14A bridge?
10:15The gameplay loop revolves around
10:17infrastructure building and pathfinding.
10:20I found myself completely addicted
10:22to perfecting my delivery routes
10:24and helping other players
10:25by leaving behind useful gear or roads.
10:28What makes it unique
10:29is the sense of isolation
10:31mixed with the multiplayer connection.
10:33The feeling of battling a BT or a mule camp,
10:37then finally reaching your destination
10:38and hearing that little chime,
10:40it's the most rewarding feeling in gaming.
10:43It's perfect because it forces you
10:44to slow down and appreciate the journey.
10:48What didn't I love?
10:49The sheer amount of cut scenes and exposition,
10:52especially at the start.
10:53It's Kojima, right?
10:54You have to wade through a lot of weird lore.
10:57But once you embrace the slow,
10:59deliberate pace of the traversal,
11:01it becomes a mesmerizing
11:02and truly original open world experience.
11:05It's a game about connection,
11:07and it hits deep.
11:12Seven, Watch Dogs 2.
11:14Next up, let's talk about bringing the open world
11:17into the modern age with Watch Dogs 2.
11:20Forget the gritty, dull vibe of the first one.
11:23This game totally shifted gears
11:25and gave us a vibrant,
11:27hyper-connected San Francisco Bay Area.
11:30The uniqueness is the hacking.
11:32This isn't just a side activity,
11:34it's your main weapon.
11:35The entire open world is your sandbox.
11:38Being able to hack literally anyone's phone,
11:41cause traffic pileups,
11:42or remotely controlled drones
11:44and forklifts to complete missions,
11:46that level of systemic interaction
11:48is what truly sets it apart.
11:51It turns every encounter
11:52into a complex puzzle.
11:54San Francisco is perfect for this.
11:56The atmosphere is light,
11:58colorful, and full of life.
12:00You've got the tech scene,
12:01the counterculture,
12:02and the beautiful geography.
12:04Marcus Holloway is an awesome protagonist, too.
12:07Witty, smart,
12:08and part of the dead-set crew
12:09that genuinely feels like
12:11a group of tech rebels fighting the man.
12:13Their chemistry is fantastic.
12:16My favorite authentic experience
12:17was hacking a security camera on a high-rise,
12:20daisy-chaining to another,
12:22and triggering a gang turf war
12:23just to create a distraction
12:25so I could walk right into a restricted area.
12:28It's all about creating chaos through code.
12:31If I had to pick a flaw,
12:32sometimes the driving physics felt a little too arcade-y
12:36for such a grounded world,
12:37but that's a minor thing.
12:39Watch Dogs 2 is the game
12:40that finally delivered on the promise
12:42of a true, interactive,
12:44hackable open-world sandbox.
12:46It's a blast.
12:51Eight Days Gone.
12:53Rounding out this segment,
12:55we've got Days Gone,
12:56a game that took the familiar zombie apocalypse setting
12:58and gave it a totally new, terrifying twist
13:01in the beautiful, rugged open world of Oregon.
13:04The uniqueness here is all about the hordes.
13:06These aren't just small groups of slow walkers.
13:09We're talking hundreds of freakers
13:10swarming you at once.
13:12Facing your first 300-strong horde
13:14is a pure panic moment
13:16and a true test of your resourcefulness.
13:18That mechanic alone
13:19elevates the survival loop dramatically.
13:21The Oregon Sang is perfect.
13:23The vast forests, snowy peaks,
13:25and burnt-out towns
13:26create a hauntingly beautiful backdrop for the mayhem.
13:29As Deacon St. John,
13:31you're always riding your trusty bike,
13:32which is practically a character itself.
13:34Motorcycle maintenance and fuel management
13:37are woven into the gameplay,
13:38making the open world feel big
13:40and often dangerous.
13:42It gives you an authentic feeling
13:43of being a true lone survivor.
13:45The gameplay is a fantastic mix
13:47of stealth, crafting, and explosive action,
13:49especially when you're setting up traps
13:51for those massive hordes.
13:53Deacon's story is surprisingly emotional and grounded,
13:55dealing with loss and brotherhood.
13:57What didn't click for me initially
13:59was how slow the story ramped up.
14:01It takes its time,
14:03which can feel a little draggy
14:04when all you want to do is fight more freakers.
14:06But once that story hits its stride
14:08and you start tackling those mega hordes,
14:10Days Gone offers a unique, visceral,
14:13and beautifully grim open-world survival experience.
14:15It's an underrated gem, hands down.
14:20Number nine, Immortals Fenyx Rising.
14:24Let's switch gears completely
14:26and talk about Immortals Fenyx Rising.
14:28This game is often called Ubisoft's Zelda,
14:31and honestly, that's a compliment
14:33when you consider how fun and vibrant it is.
14:36The unique appeal here
14:37is the lighthearted, comedic take on Greek mythology.
14:40The entire map, the Golden Isle,
14:43is this stunningly colorful, stylized world
14:46narrated by Prometheus and Zeus
14:47who are constantly bickering.
14:49That running commentary alone
14:51makes the exploration feel totally unique and hilarious.
14:55The gameplay is all about exploration and puzzle solving.
14:59You're not just clearing bandit camps,
15:00you're flying around with Daedalus's wings,
15:02solving physics-based puzzles in the vaults of Tartarus,
15:05and wrestling with massive mythological beasts.
15:08The world is perfect
15:10because it constantly rewards your curiosity
15:12with a new puzzle, a cheeky quip, or a piece of gear.
15:16I love the combat system.
15:18It's fast, flashy, and really satisfying.
15:21Using god powers like Ares's wrath
15:23and Heracles's strength,
15:25it makes Phoenix feel like a true demigod.
15:28My one small issue,
15:29maybe the sheer volume of puzzles
15:31can feel a little much sometimes.
15:33You just want to smash things, you know?
15:35But for an open world that manages
15:37to be both epic in scale and genuinely funny,
15:40Immortals Fenyx Rising is a breath of fresh air.
15:44It's a total charm offensive for the genre.
15:4610. Cyberpunk 2077
15:54Next up, we have a game that defines high-tech open world.
15:59Cyberpunk 2077.
16:01Yeah, we all remember the launch issues,
16:03but post-patch, this is a masterpiece,
16:06and Night City is the real star.
16:08What makes this world unique
16:10is the density and verticality.
16:12It's not just a big, flat map.
16:14It's layered.
16:16You've got soaring skyscrapers,
16:18grimy underpasses,
16:19packed alleyways,
16:20and corporate high-rises,
16:22all existing within the same footprint.
16:25Walking through the crowded streets
16:26of Japantown or Westbrook,
16:28you feel the constant, overwhelming energy
16:31of this future metropolis.
16:33The gameplay is deeply personal.
16:35It's about player choice and role-playing.
16:38You can be a stealthy netrunner,
16:39a heavy-duty solo,
16:41or a quick-talking corpo,
16:42and the game genuinely adapts to your style.
16:46My most authentic experience
16:47was spending an hour
16:48just exploring the hidden markets and bars,
16:51completely forgetting the main mission.
16:53It's that immersive.
16:55Night City is perfect
16:56because it oozes atmosphere.
16:58The vibrant neon,
16:59the flying cars,
17:01the constant sense of danger.
17:02It's everything I dreamed of
17:04in a dystopian future setting.
17:06The minor drawback, even now,
17:08is that sometimes the police AI
17:10can still be a little wonky.
17:12But seriously,
17:13plugging into the net,
17:14taking on gigs with Vee and Johnny Silverhand,
17:17the story is dark, compelling,
17:19and gives the most unique setting
17:21in the modern open-world genre.
17:23If you haven't played
17:24the Phantom Liberty expansion,
17:26you're missing the best version
17:27of this incredible city.
17:31Hope you find something useful.
17:3311. Monster Hunter Wilds.
17:36Now, let's talk about a game
17:38with one of the biggest
17:39and most unique worlds
17:41on this entire list,
17:43Monster Hunter Wilds.
17:45The franchise has always worked
17:47with separated zones, right?
17:48But Wilds is here to change everything
17:51with a massive,
17:52fully seamless open world.
17:55No more loading screens
17:56while you chase a monster.
17:57Now you can track an elder dragon
17:59across kilometers
18:00of living, dynamic terrain.
18:02The big difference here
18:04is how the environment
18:05reacts to the hunt.
18:07Imagine fighting a brute wyvern
18:09when suddenly a huge sandstorm
18:11starts swallowing everything,
18:13changing the monster's behavior
18:14and nearly blinding you.
18:16Or exploring the savannah,
18:18mounted on your seeker,
18:20noticing an entire ecosystem
18:22functioning right before your eyes.
18:24The core remains the same.
18:26Deep, challenging combat,
18:28and the infinite loop
18:30of hunting and crafting.
18:31But doing all of this
18:33in a true open world
18:34completely transforms
18:36how we hunt, track,
18:38and even plan each encounter.
18:40It's the first time Monster Hunter
18:42truly puts the wilds into practice.
18:46And they nailed the biome variety.
18:49It's not just desert and grasslands,
18:51there's diverse climate
18:52and wildlife everywhere.
18:54Monsters actually interact
18:56and move freely across the map,
18:58making this potentially
18:58the most immersive
18:59Monster Hunter ever made.
19:02You need to play it,
19:04because this game
19:05didn't just redefine the franchise,
19:07it redefined the entire
19:08open world action genre.
19:1412. Red Dead Redemption.
19:17Time for a classic
19:19that absolutely defined
19:21an era of open world gaming,
19:23the original Red Dead Redemption.
19:25Look, RDR2 is technically
19:28a better game,
19:29but the first one
19:30delivered the most unique
19:31feeling at the time.
19:33The uniqueness
19:34is the sheer loneliness
19:36of the frontier.
19:38You're John Marston,
19:39a rugged former outlaw,
19:41forced to track down
19:42his old gang
19:43in this massive,
19:44beautiful,
19:45and dangerous slice
19:46of the American West.
19:48The map,
19:49New Austin,
19:50Nuevo Paraiso,
19:51and West Elizabeth,
19:53feels genuinely vast
19:54and untamed.
19:55The gameplay loop
19:57of riding your horse,
19:58getting into random shootouts,
20:00hunting,
20:01and dealing with moral choices,
20:03the honor system,
20:04it all creates this
20:05incredibly authentic
20:06Western experience.
20:08My favorite thing
20:09was just galloping
20:10across the desert
20:11at sunset,
20:12spotting a distant town,
20:14and feeling like
20:14the only person
20:15for a hundred miles.
20:17That sense of isolation
20:18is perfect.
20:20John Marston
20:21is an iconic protagonist.
20:23His dry wit,
20:24his struggle for redemption,
20:26and his dedication
20:27to his family
20:28make his journey
20:29one of the most compelling stories
20:31in the entire genre.
20:33If I have to be critical,
20:35some of the mission design
20:36felt a little repetitive,
20:38especially those early
20:39go-here,
20:40shoot-that missions.
20:42But man,
20:43the atmosphere,
20:44the duels,
20:45the iconic ending,
20:46it defined
20:48the open-world Western.
20:50Red Dead Redemption
20:50set the standard
20:52for immersive storytelling
20:53in a vast,
20:55dusty sandbox.
20:56A true legend.
21:0213.
21:04Mad Max
21:05Alright,
21:06let's slam the gas pedal
21:07and talk about Mad Max.
21:09For pure atmosphere
21:10and dedication
21:11to a post-apocalyptic theme,
21:13this open world
21:14is absolutely unmatched.
21:16The uniqueness
21:17is the car combat.
21:19The wasteland
21:20isn't just a place
21:20you walk through,
21:21it's a place
21:22you drive through,
21:23and your vehicle,
21:24the magnum opus,
21:25is your life.
21:27The gameplay loop
21:28of scavenging for scrap,
21:29upgrading your armor,
21:31and strapping on better weaponry,
21:32it's all centered around
21:34survival on four wheels.
21:36The visceral feeling
21:37of ramming a rival vehicle
21:38and watching it explode,
21:39pure satisfaction.
21:41The vast,
21:42dusty,
21:43and hostile open world
21:44is perfect
21:44because it really sells
21:46the desperation.
21:47You're constantly fighting
21:48for water and fuel,
21:50which makes every supply run
21:51a genuinely tense experience.
21:54Max himself
21:54is a silent,
21:56brutal protagonist,
21:57and his isolation
21:58feels authentic
21:59in this world
21:59of war boys
22:00and scavengers.
22:02I really appreciate
22:03how the map mechanics
22:04tie into the theme.
22:05Instead of radio towers,
22:06you're using a hot air balloon,
22:08and clearing enemy camps
22:10always involves
22:10a cool mix
22:11of on-foot brawling
22:12and demolition.
22:14My main hang-up,
22:15the on-foot melee combat
22:16got a little repetitive
22:18compared to the
22:19incredible car chaos.
22:20But honestly,
22:21for an open world experience
22:23that perfectly captures
22:24the gritty,
22:25violent heart
22:25of the Mad Max universe,
22:27this game delivers
22:28in spades.
22:30It's a road warrior fantasy
22:31brought to life.
22:3214, Horizon Zero Dawn.
22:39Next, we're jumping
22:40to the future
22:41and getting primal
22:42with Horizon Zero Dawn.
22:44This game took me
22:45completely by surprise
22:47with one of the most
22:48compelling and unique
22:49open worlds
22:50I've ever explored.
22:51The uniqueness
22:52is the blend
22:53of tribal society
22:54and futuristic machinery.
22:57You're exploring
22:58breathtaking natural landscapes,
23:00lush forests,
23:01snowy mountains,
23:02and red deserts.
23:04But everywhere you look,
23:05giant, beautiful
23:06machine beasts
23:07are roaming
23:08like living
23:08metallic dinosaurs.
23:11That juxtaposition
23:12is just stunning.
23:14The gameplay
23:14is a master class
23:15in tactical combat
23:16and hunting.
23:18Aloy is an awesome
23:19protagonist,
23:20fierce, curious,
23:21and a fantastic hunter.
23:23Figuring out
23:24the weaknesses
23:24of a Thunderjaw
23:25or a Stormbird,
23:27setting traps
23:27and stripping off
23:28their armor plates
23:29piece by piece
23:30with your bow and spear,
23:31that strategic depth
23:33is fantastic.
23:34The open world
23:35is perfect
23:36because it constantly
23:37begs the question,
23:38what happened here?
23:40The mystery surrounding
23:41the old ones
23:42and the origins
23:43of the machines
23:44is woven
23:44into the environment.
23:46Every ruined building
23:47or abandoned bunker
23:48you find
23:49just pulls you
23:50deeper into the lore.
23:51If I have
23:52one tiny complaint,
23:54it's that sometimes
23:55the sheer number
23:56of side activities
23:57felt a little overwhelming.
23:58But hey,
23:59that's a small price
24:00to pay for such
24:01a rich world.
24:02Horizon Zero Dawn
24:03gives us a singular vision,
24:05a beautiful
24:05post-apocalyptic
24:06playground
24:07where nature
24:08has fought back
24:08and giant robots
24:10are king.
24:11Go play it.
24:1615.
24:17Ghost of Shishima
24:18Let's slow down
24:20and talk about
24:20the breathtaking beauty
24:21of Ghost of Shishima.
24:23This game
24:24isn't just an open world,
24:25it's a living,
24:26playable samurai film.
24:27The unique factor here
24:29is the minimalist UI
24:30and the cinematic guidance.
24:32Forget many maps,
24:33you're using
24:34the guiding wind,
24:35a genius mechanic
24:36where the wind
24:37literally points you
24:38towards your objective.
24:39Following the wind,
24:41seeing the autumn leaves
24:42fly past,
24:43or spotting a golden bird
24:44leading you
24:45to a hidden shrine,
24:46it makes the exploration
24:47feel organic
24:48and completely immersive.
24:50The island of Shishima
24:51is perfect
24:52because it's
24:52a visual masterpiece.
24:54It's the most beautiful
24:55open world
24:55I've ever experienced,
24:57transitioning from
24:58colorful fields of flowers
24:59to misty bamboo forests.
25:01The combat
25:02is phenomenal too.
25:03Switching between
25:04samurai stance
25:05and the stealthy
25:06ghost style
25:07gives you amazing flexibility
25:08and the standoffs
25:09are the coolest duels
25:11in gaming,
25:11period.
25:12The story of
25:13Jinsekai's transformation
25:14from honorable samurai
25:16to the pragmatic ghost
25:17is deeply compelling.
25:19The game does
25:19an incredible job
25:20of making you feel
25:21the weight of his decisions
25:22and the honor
25:23of the warrior code.
25:23My only critique
25:25is that the enemy
25:26variety sometimes
25:27felt a little limited,
25:28especially considering
25:29the length of the game.
25:30But that's minor.
25:32Ghost of Shishima
25:32is a stunning,
25:33unique achievement
25:34that delivers
25:35a seamless blend
25:36of incredible combat,
25:37cinematic storytelling,
25:38and a world
25:39so beautiful
25:40it makes you want
25:40to stop and take
25:41photos every five minutes.
25:4216, Skyrim.
25:48All right,
25:49we can't talk
25:50unique open worlds
25:51without bowing down
25:52to the absolute
25:53heavyweight champion,
25:54The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim.
25:57I mean, come on,
25:58this game is practically
25:58a cultural phenomenon.
26:00The uniqueness of Skyrim
26:01isn't just its size,
26:03it's the systemic freedom
26:04in emergent storytelling.
26:06You can start off
26:07following the main quest
26:08and then two hours later,
26:10you're the leader
26:10of the Thieves Guild,
26:11a master alchemist
26:12or married to some
26:13random dude in Whiterun.
26:15The game genuinely
26:16lets you be
26:17whoever you want to be.
26:19The world of Skyrim,
26:20the frosty peaks,
26:21the ancient Nordic ruins,
26:23the bustling cities,
26:24the literal dragons
26:25flying overhead
26:26is perfect because
26:27it feels like a dense,
26:29lived-in fantasy history.
26:31Every cave,
26:32every dungeon,
26:34every crumbling fort
26:35seems to have its own
26:36little story
26:36waiting for you to uncover.
26:38The gameplay is all about
26:39that unrestricted exploration.
26:41I can't tell you
26:42how many times
26:43I've walked past a mountain,
26:45thought,
26:45can I climb that?
26:47And spent the next 20 minutes
26:48proving that,
26:49yes,
26:49I absolutely can.
26:51That sense of freedom
26:52is why people still
26:53play it today.
26:54What didn't I love?
26:56Okay,
26:56we have to mention
26:57the bugs.
26:58This game is famously buggy,
27:00even today,
27:01but honestly,
27:02sometimes those glitches
27:03just add to the legendary chaos.
27:06Skyrim is the gold standard
27:07for pure,
27:08magical,
27:09unrestricted,
27:10open-world role-playing,
27:11and it's truly one-of-a-kind.
27:1617.
27:17Sleeping Dogs Definitive Edition
27:19Switching to something
27:21completely different
27:23and totally unexpected,
27:25Sleeping Dogs Definitive Edition,
27:27this game is so much more
27:29than a typical
27:29open-world crime game.
27:31it's a deep dive
27:32into Hong Kong action cinema.
27:35The uniqueness is
27:35the setting,
27:36Hong Kong.
27:38The island is densely packed,
27:39vibrant,
27:40and incredibly atmospheric.
27:42You're playing as Wei Shen,
27:44an undercover cop
27:45infiltrating the triads,
27:47which immediately gives
27:48the open world
27:49a unique tension.
27:51Every corner of the city,
27:52from the bustling night markets
27:53to the peaceful temples,
27:55feels authentic and alive.
27:57The gameplay is
27:59a fantastic mix,
28:00but the martial arts combat
28:01is what truly sets it apart.
28:04Forget shooting.
28:05The hand-to-hand combat
28:06is fast,
28:07brutal,
28:08and incredibly satisfying,
28:10often utilizing
28:10environmental finishers.
28:12My most authentic moments
28:14involved getting
28:15into a foot chase,
28:16leaping onto a boat,
28:17and taking out gangsters
28:18with flawless kung fu.
28:20The world is perfect
28:22because of that
28:22visual density and speed.
28:25Driving through those
28:26neon-soaked streets at night
28:27while listening to
28:28the in-game radio stations
28:29is peak open world immersion.
28:32My only slight issue
28:33was that the gunplay
28:34felt a little less polished
28:36than the spectacular
28:37melee combat,
28:38but honestly,
28:39for delivering an unparalleled
28:41cinematic experience
28:42rooted in a truly unique setting,
28:44Sleeping Dogs
28:45is an absolute must-play
28:47and often overlooked gem.
28:49It's the open world game
28:50Hong Kong deserves.
28:52Let's stick together.
28:5618. Fallout 4
28:58And finally,
28:59to cap off the main list,
29:01we have the king
29:02of post-nuclear exploration,
29:04Fallout 4.
29:06I've spent more hours
29:07in the Commonwealth
29:07than I care to admit,
29:09and it's because
29:10this open world
29:11offers something
29:11fundamentally unique.
29:13The uniqueness lies
29:15in the base building
29:15and the scavenging loop.
29:17The world of post-war Boston
29:19isn't just a map
29:20you explore.
29:21It's a giant,
29:22dangerous scrap heap
29:23you can rebuild.
29:24The gameplay revolves
29:25around constantly
29:26managing your junk
29:27and resources
29:28to power up settlements.
29:30That drive to find
29:31a desk fan
29:31just to get that
29:32single piece of screws,
29:34that's pure,
29:34addictive fallout.
29:36The Commonwealth
29:37is perfect
29:37because it's a dense
29:38layer of history
29:39and danger.
29:40Every collapsed house,
29:42every super mutant camp,
29:43every ghoul-infested
29:44subway tunnel
29:45tells a story
29:46about the world
29:46before the bombs fell.
29:48It's got that
29:49chilling blend
29:49of 1950s Americana
29:51mixed with horrifying
29:52nuclear devastation.
29:54The combat is awesome,
29:55blending real-time shooting
29:57with a strategic slowdown
29:58of the VATS system.
30:00And the companions?
30:01Dogmeat and Nick Valentine
30:02are amazing
30:03and they add so much
30:05personality
30:05to your solitary journey.
30:07My one nitpick,
30:08which is minor,
30:10is that sometimes
30:10the main storyline
30:11didn't give enough room
30:12for the more organic
30:13emergent stories
30:14of the wasteland.
30:16But,
30:16when you're customizing
30:17a power armor suit
30:18and strolling
30:19through a raider camp,
30:20few games feel
30:21more authentically unique.
30:23It's a brilliant,
30:24haunting sandbox.
30:28And that's it, folks.
30:3018 incredibly unique
30:32and different open world games
30:33that managed to break the mold
30:35and deliver maps
30:36that truly stand out.
30:37Which of these unique worlds
30:39is your absolute favorite?
30:41Or,
30:41if you didn't agree
30:42with the list,
30:43what would your list look like?
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