16 Best Open World Games That Keep Giving

This recap is not intended to highlight the 16 best open world games of all time. No, instead we're looking at these worlds in a more nuanced way, with the goal of highlighting what keeps you coming back after the main story ends.

The open world games featured in this list could excel in wonderful side quests that add more meat to the bones of the game world, they could incorporate player choices in fascinating ways in order to affect the game world realistically, or they might continually spring surprises. or something new, that no matter how many hours you spend exploring, you are always likely to encounter something unique. Of course, some can be so beautiful that they're simply a joy to exist in – the look of an open world has value too.