Once just a distant aspiration, the idea of an unbounded and extensive open world has now become a common goal for game designers. They aim to create the most voluminous and content-rich open world that has ever been imagined, especially when it comes to developing narrative-rich role-playing games.
Permitting players to explore a world on their own is an excellent approach to engaging them in its mythology. While a few games take this idea to an extreme level, the biggest maps in RPGs can literally take many hours to traverse.
In this article, Gurugamer is going to showcase the 10 biggest Open World RPGs ever created.
10. Assassin's Creed Odyssey - 98 sq miles
The second game in the Assassin's Creed franchise to venture into role-playing territory, following its predecessor Origins, was Assassin's Creed Odyssey. It gave players the ability to explore a vast portion of Ancient Greece, measuring almost one hundred square miles. The visuals in Odyssey were stunning and encompassed everything from beautiful forests to glistening blue waters.
Moreover, the narrative of Odyssey, which followed the journey of Kassandra or Alexios, was not merely visually appealing. It intensified the suspense by throwing players into the Peloponnesian War, as descendants of Leonidas I of Sparta, while also presenting a challenging path to return from exile. Additionally, there was an array of mythological creatures to battle against.
9. Xenoblade Chronicles X - 154 sq miles
Despite being a JRPG, Xenoblade Chronicles X boasts a substantial world spanning 154 square miles. What's remarkable about it is that it was designed to run on the relatively low-powered Nintendo Wii U gaming console.
Although creating vast and surreal landscapes is feasible on more advanced hardware, the developers' ability to fit such a large game world within the Wii U's limited technical constraints is an impressive accomplishment that still holds up today.
8. Black Desert Online - 154 sq miles
Black Desert Online, a massive multiplayer online role-playing game developed in Korea, generated a lot of excitement when it was first revealed due to its stunning character models and comprehensive character creation tools. Although it did not quite captivate Western players, it still gained a devoted fanbase.
One of the game's notable features is its intricate, action-based combat system that necessitates more than just pressing buttons randomly. Furthermore, its vast open world provides an enjoyable experience for players to immerse themselves in and explore without any particular objective in mind.
7. Star Wars Galaxies - 200 sq miles
Star Wars Galaxies, an MMORPG released in 2003, was an ambitious title that offered players the opportunity to define their own roles and chart their own course in the Star Wars universe.
At the time of its release, it was a unique experience to be able to freely explore the world created by George Lucas without any restrictions, and it was truly awe-inspiring. The game's vast world spanned over 200 square miles and encompassed several planets. It is unfortunate that the game's support was discontinued as far back as 2011.
6. EverQuest - 294 sq miles
EverQuest, a massive multiplayer online role-playing game launched in 1999, was a grandiose project that was ahead of its time when it first hit the market. Its enduring popularity is a testament to its quality, as it still has a devoted community of players.
Despite its conventional fantasy theme, mundane actions, and antiquated graphics, EverQuest was once a groundbreaking game. Players who choose to explore this dated classic will have access to a colossal 294 square miles of playable area, which can be almost overwhelming in scale.
5. Asheron’s Call - 500 sq miles
Asheron’s Call, another MMORPG released in 1999, gained notoriety in 2017 when a video was posted on YouTube of an individual's grandfather playing the game with characters he had created when the game was first launched.
If a player is committed enough to maintain a character's existence for such an extended period, it is a testament to the high quality of Asheron's Call's online experience. Although the servers were finally shut down in early 2017 after nearly 17 years of service, devoted fans will always cherish the time they spent exploring the game's massive 500 square mile map.
4. Final Fantasy 15 - 700 sq miles
Final Fantasy 15 garnered attention for its colossal size and for redeeming the Final Fantasy franchise's reputation among gamers who had been disappointed by lackluster previous releases. However, the game received mixed reviews.
At its core, Final Fantasy 15 is a JRPG with some Western influences. Players will enjoy spending over 100 hours playing through the game's story. The game features bosses that are almost as big as entire maps in other games, making it an unforgettable experience with incredible longevity.
3. Guild Wars Nightfall - 15,000 sq miles
Guild Wars Nightfall, which came out seven years before Guild Wars 2, is a lesser-known MMORPG installment in the popular series. Despite being only a minor upgrade compared to the first game released a year earlier, Nightfall's significant improvements came in the form of playable area and map design.
Although it's still set in a medieval fantasy world, Nightfall allowed players to explore an immensely detailed and extensive terrain. With approximately 15,000 square miles of digital terrain to traverse, Nightfall remains one of the biggest playable worlds ever created.
2. Lord Of The Rings Online - 30,000 sq miles
Lord of the Rings Online, often regarded as the largest MMORPG ever, boasts a map scale so massive that it would have impressed even Tolkien himself. It's a fantasy franchise that truly deserves a detailed and immersive MMO experience.
Despite being launched in 2007, the game still holds up well and is definitely worth playing. With a staggering playable area of approximately 30,000 square miles, LotR fans could potentially spend years exploring this vast digital world.
1. The Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall - 62,000 sq miles
The Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall, despite being released in 1996, is a game that dwarfs the worlds of Morrowind, Oblivion or Skyrim in terms of size. Although the game is quite dated by today's standards and may appear unattractive in certain instances, it is difficult to comprehend the sheer scale of Daggerfall.
It is surprising to think that the largest playable space ever created in a game was launched during a time when Quake was considered a significant game and required high-end computer setups to operate. Fans of Bethesda's recent Elder Scrolls titles should take a trip down memory lane and experience this game for themselves.
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