By Arven Expand your horizons
What could possibly be better than amazing stories masterfully crafted with each quest? Completely ignoring the main storyline to explore wide open worlds for our enjoyment. Open world sandbox games take care in the creation of their characters and their quest lines but there’s one thing that takes the cake for a large number of players.
There’s nothing quite like losing yourself for endless hours with exciting interactable components and side quests sprinkled across a wide map. Just like Skyrim, Fallout, and The Witcher 3, a lot of developers continue to build open world games for eager players.
We took a look at some of the best upcoming open world games releasing just before 2021 ends. Take a side quest detour as we run through five of the most exciting games we can’t wait to explore.
New World
Your new open world game is almost here. We’re kicking off the list with a brand-new MMORPG offering from Amazon. That’s right, the massive ecommerce giant tried their hand building a fully-fledged open world!
New World unfortunately suffered multiple setbacks in its rocky development, most recently two release delays. Despite the numerous delays, the trailers show a promising new online world for players to enjoy.
You can get your hands on New World when it officially launches on PC on September 28, 2021.
Far Cry 6
Far Cry 6 – Gameplay Overview Trailer – YouTube
Far Cry is back with its sixth major installment! The franchise has established itself as a serious open world sandbox contender among the genre’s longstanding titans.
Far Cry 6 sees players fighting against a dictator on a fictional Caribbean island. Players will employ deception, bribery, or full-frontal combat in their quest to overthrow a tyrannical leader on the island.
We’ve seen quite a few gameplay trailers from Ubisoft and what we’ve seen is very promising. The series has evolved beyond improved graphics for this latest installment.
Far Cry 6 launches on PlayStation, Xbox, PC, Stadia, and Amazon Luna on October 7, 2021.
Forza Horizon 5
Forza Horizon 5 – Official Cover Car Reveal Trailer
No one would ever think of racing games when it comes to open world games, but hear us out. Forza Horizon 5 may not offer chicken-chasing or side-questing but it allows players to explore beautiful maps while you zip through in amazing cars.
Forza has remained a frontrunner in amazing racing mechanics and graphical quality. Forza Horizon 5 continues that legacy alongside sprawling roadways through forests, dry deserts, and other diverse biomes.
Race through a brand new world on Xbox and PC on November 9, 2021.
Dying Light 2: Stay Human
Dying Light 2 – Welcome to Villedor Gameplay Trailer
Dying Light 2: Stay Human kicks off 20 years after the events of 2016’s Dying Light. If you want a little terror in your open world exploration, maybe this game is right up your alley.
This game will have you moving across an apocalyptic zombie-infested world as you fight to survive. Generally, the gaming scene has been drowning in zombie games since the late 90’s but it’s a rare sight for the zombie story to be set in a massive open world.
Players can perform parkour to aid in their exploration. It will encourage you to cautiously explore a destroyed world as you look for any semblance of survival to keep your story going.
Dying Light 2: Stay Human launches on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC on December 7, 2021.
Horizon: Forbidden West
Horizon Forbidden West – State of Play Gameplay Reveal | PS5
Horizon: Forbidden West sees the return of the huntress Aloy as she travels towards the West of a post-apocalyptic fictional US. Forbidden West is a direct sequel to 2017’s highly successful Horizon: Zero Dawn.
Aloy’s own story arc may have come to a conclusion in the first game but her adventures continue on in the sequel. Forbidden West offers brand new mechanics to make exploring this vibrant and terrifying open world more exciting.
One of the biggest newcomers to the table is the introduction of underwater exploration. This new mechanic opens up brand new areas for players to enjoy.
Developer Guerrilla Games initially planned on releasing Forbidden West this year but the game was unfortunately delayed. Horizon Forbidden West now officially launches exclusively on PlayStation 4 & 5 on Feb 18, 2022. But who knows, Horizon Zero Dawn started off as a PS4 exclusive before it launched on PC. Maybe we’ll see Forbidden West on other platforms in the future.
Just like your favorite sandbox or open world game, the best thing about having numerous options is taking the time to explore them yourself. It’s about time to let go off past games to see what the future of open world games has to offer. Good luck and happy exploring!
