19 best open world games to come in 2021 and beyon
One of the most prolific genres for a couple of generations has been open world games, a situation that doesn’t seem set to change for years to come. Due to its volume, the number of titles that are launched under the embrace of its characteristics is enormous, as is the number of ideas around them. That is why we have prepared a list of the 19 we most look forward to this year and beyond.
Some time ago the “open world” was a tag that gave those video games with large free character mapping, one more label that did not deserve to be considered its own genre. If we look back now, to that moment, we would realize how much the paradigm has changed around what are now known as open world titles, video games in which their environment has as much prominence as their characters or their history; so much so that these characteristics determine some gameplay characteristics to some extent , as we have seen on some occasions.
Of course, due to their popularity, not all open world games are the same, many even belong to families of different genres, but many players are looking for that “breath of freedom” that only a video game with an open concept map. can offer them, regardless of the rest of the mechanics or systems that accompany it. For all this, as we have done with so many other genres , we have prepared a list with some of the open world titles that are to come and we look forward to it as soon as possible , either in the current year 2021 or some time later, without not go too far either. This is the reason why we have discarded titles likeThe Outer Worlds 2 , which was announced at E3 2021 and which, it seems, has barely advanced a bit in its development.
In the same situation we would have The Elder Scrolls 6 , or the new Playground Fable, of which we hardly have data and are not expected in the short term. Even so, as you will see in this special there are a good handful of video games that should be noted in the lists of the most desired, for reasons are not lacking.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
We had not heard from Avatar for so long that it had almost fallen into oblivion, especially considering that the new James Cameron films have accumulated several delays, which suggested that the game would suffer the same fate. It has not been the case, and during E3 2021 we could see a first trailer of this action and open world video game that will tell a completely original story, alien to that of the movies, betting on a first-person view. Protagonist? Ubisoft and the authors of The Division will put us at the controls of a Na’vi, leaving human soldiers out of the equation.
What we can expect:
- A great and beautiful open world created with the Snowdrop Engine, the graphics engine of The Division.
- Bet on the first person and the Na’vi as protagonists.
- It seeks to take us to a world that feels alive, so the NPCs will react realistically to changes in the environment around them.
- Ubisoft assures that it is pure new generation, an impossible game experience in the current platforms of the last generation.
Far Cry 6
The Far Cry saga has become, over time, one of Ubisoft’s great workhorses , but the succession of titles after its third installment seems to have worn away part of the differentiating nuance of this series. With this new installment of the saga, Ubisoft seems to want to recover part of the tropical atmosphere of its third installment, but it dresses it with a revolutionary air that, together with the stars who take part in the title, such as Giancarlo Esposito , shape a sandbox that excites again.
What we can expect:
- Environmental mix between Far Cry 3 and Far Cry 5, recovering the tropical environment so present in the saga.
- The return of the Ubisoft formula for open worlds, with everything learned.
- A greater focus on the characters of the story, perhaps the spark that the saga needed at the narrative level.
- Some production values unbelievable, which the company has accustomed us Frankish origin.
Hazel Sky
The first time we saw this indie title in motion was in February of last year, since then it has made little noise, but it is expected to see the light during the present 2021. We wanted to give it a gap among our titles to have in counts this year because, as shown in presentations and trailers, it promises to be a fun mix between a modern adventure title, with a clear focus on the story to tell, and simple puzzles with platforms that can make it a most exciting experience. pleasant.
What we can expect:
- The re-release of an indie studio based in Brazil that promises to bring interesting ideas behind Blade & Bones.
- The curious mix of puzzles and platforms in an open world adventure context.
- A showy staging to accompany a paradisiacal setting.
- A concise open world , focused on the core experience of the title.
Forza Horizon 5
It is a racing game, yes, but also a spectacular open world that we can freely roam as we overcome special challenges. The Forza Horizon saga has earned the love and respect of millions of players around the world, and this new episode, set in Mexico, has already managed to surprise locals and strangers with its spectacular graphics and the new game modes it introduces , so that even the most veteran continue to be surprised by the crazy things you can do in this speed video game.
What we can expect:
- Beautiful recreation of Mexico with incredible scenarios in which to compete.
- Lots of vehicles designed with great detail.
- New game modes such as Piñata Pop, a kind of battle royale , or Event Slap, bowling with cars.
- Wide variety of circuits, challenges and secrets scattered throughout its gigantic open world
Dying Light 2
After a long season without news of Dying Light 2, in recent weeks the Techland team has allowed us to learn more about its highly anticipated action, horror and open world game, surprising us with some of the great novelties of this adventure that not only It looks for the most and the best in terms of its game mechanics, but also in the plot, with a survival experience in which each act that we carry out has incredible consequences in the world around us.
What we can expect:
- A title in which everything learned throughout the journey of its predecessor is applied.
- The same emphasis on movement as a navigation and defense tool in a hostile world.
- That the RPG mechanics of the title are outlined , which contrasted with the speed of certain elements of the game.
- An improvement in the situation of the study, both for the employees in it, and for the future that Techland may bring us to the environment.
Atomic Heart
Moving between the curiosity for the strange and a peculiar sense of violence, an independent title that stands out, above all, for its proposal sneaks among our highlights; Well, Atomic Heart is an open world shooter with RPG touches in which the true protagonist is the hostile sci-fi nature that populates its world , and that reminds us, to a certain extent, of what we live at an environmental level in works like Prey (2016), although with a clear and intentional lack of subtlety on the part of Mundfish, the studio in charge of the title.
What we can expect:
- A frenetic gameplay , in which the RPG elements only support the fierceness of the combat.
- Certain touches of humor to accompany the gloomy and bizarre style of the title.
- A hidden story that smears the events that preceded our arrival at the research center where the title takes place.
- A good staging, which stands to show the crazy ideas of the Russian studio.
Horizon: Forbidden West
The long-awaited sequel to Aloy’s story , which premieres on PS5 and PlayStation 4, seems to have taken good note of what she liked and, of course, what she didn’t like in her first big adventure, giving us a more spectacular, big adventure. and varied in which exploration gains prominence, with many more options to interact with the scene, as well as new ways to combat the dangers that surround us. It looks scandalous and looks to greatly improve the sensations of the first Horizon. So be it!
What we can expect:
- Live more of the dystopian world of Horizon in which nature has returned to claim what is his.
- A story that broadens the horizons set in the predecessor of this open world title.
- A logical development of the mechanics that we could play in the original, starring the hunting of its great mechanical beasts.
- A technical display that makes Sony’s next-generation hardware shine.
Little devil inside
Although its original presentation was much earlier , the trailer that we saw last year for the confirmation of its launch on PlayStation 5 was accompanied by a release date that we are looking forward to. This indie title describes itself as an action game with a semi-open world of survival and action , a description that does not do justice to what we have seen of it so far, which we find even more interesting .
What we can expect:
- The ability to explore a living world separated into different biomes , represented by a careful visual section, and featuring a minimalist style.
- The constant appearance of graphic humor as a tool to facilitate our journey through the title.
- Fight great beasts and interesting creatures through the action and survival mechanics shown.
- The long-awaited premiere of a promising indie studio: Neostream Interactive , with a title we’ve been hearing about for years.
Halo Infinite
After a small hiatus of about a year to improve the title, the most followed saga of the Redmond consoles seems to be closer than ever to seeing a definitive launch. A launch that is not only important for being the first installment of the saga in the new Xbox Series , but it is also a difficult opportunity to repeat to recover the hearts of the staunch fans of the saga, as well as to give some freshness to the game. fantastic level design that the saga has always enjoyed, being the first installment of it in a completely open world. We look forward to the next 343 Industries project , and the decisions made around it are encouraging.
What we can expect:
- The return of the Master Chief, continuing the story of Halo 5: Guardians after a few years of waiting.
- An explosive gameplay focused on movement more than ever, both in the movement itself, and in the recognition of each combat zone.
- An approach to the environment different from that of the rest of the titles in the saga, with greater freedom of action .
- An intensive use of the capabilities of the new Microsoft consoles.
Starfield
With more than two years of absolute silence, the information about the future Bethesda game was Bethesda’s best kept secret until last E3 2021, where we already had the opportunity to discover a first -and brief- video preview, accompanied by details about this long-awaited sci-fi RPG and its release date. We will still have to be patient as the authors of The Elder Scrolls promise to surprise their fans with a gigantic futuristic universe that will delight millions of players around the world.
What we can expect:
- Bethesda Softworks’ first “new IP” in years.
- The Space Opera setting does not have many current references in video games, and Starfield could be the one who redeemed the genre.
- An advanced version of the veteran Creation Engine, the technology behind The Elder Scrolls.
- More than 100 hours of content, with alien races, factions and a lot of role-playing.
STALKER 2
Talking about STALKER 2, and doing it with a release date on the horizon, is a dream come true for thousands of players who once fell in love with the legendary STALKER and its open world action. Developed by GSC Game World, this survival adventure with horror and RPG overtones surprises once again with its powerful setting, great technical section, and the freedom it gives players to explore their world while facing all kinds of dangers.
What we can expect:
- The same rawness as its original both when presenting its world and when treating its players.
- A complete renovation of its technical section , putting it at the height of the current titles.
- One of the largest open worlds of its kind, both in dimensions and content.
- Unveil more of the history of your gray world .
The Eternal Cylinder
It may not be an open world adventure to use, since the world of The Eternal Cylinder is almost literally crumbling under our feet, but this indie from the parents of Rock of Ages seems to us an interesting proposal to the to follow closely , both for its proposed adventure of puzzles and survival in a world in full apocalypse that is generated in a procedural way, as well as for the curiousity of its designs and ideas.
What we can expect:
- A unique concept in which the label of “survival” is not put in vain.
- Its staging, as well as the designs of its creatures and its world promise to be most interesting.
- Mechanics based on procedural puzzles where urgency prevails.
- A story that seems to be hidden behind a layer of uncertainty and urgency that we want to know more about.
No More Heroes 3
Ten long years have passed since we last had a new release of the main series of this quirky and fantastic series from the active mind of Suda51 and his development team. At the gameplay level NMH3 brings with it the same display of charisma and crazy mechanics that, although seemingly unrelated, end up clicking on us during the course of the adventure. The title will have a restrained open world, the word of its own creator, although it also claims that it will be the largest NMH to date .
What we can expect:
- The return of one of the most charismatic sagas that we have enjoyed on Nintendo consoles.
- The biggest No More Heroes to date , according to Suda51 himself.
- The introduction of the new mechanics of “Switch” along with the active gameplay of the title promise a frenetic experience.
- A crazy story that simply justifies the gameplay of the title with the same mastery as in previous installments.
Gotham knights
Gotham Knights is the next title from the hands of WB that will arrive in our environment, and although it will do so in 2022 , we really want to see what the guys from Warner Bros. Montreal do with the immense legacy, both mechanical and narrative, that Rocksteady left with his Dark Knight titles; a situation relatively similar to that of the protagonists of the title with respect to the figure of Batman.
What we can expect:
- A wide open world in which to exploit the abilities of the 4 heroes of the adventure.
- An active, additive, cooperative and interesting combat system , in which each character faces situations differently.
- An epic story in a Gotham that has lost its eternal vigilante.
- A wealth of additional content to the main narrative , bringing the WB Montreal title to life.
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Legacy
What fan of the famous “boy who survived” saga has not ever dreamed of forging his own story in his magical world? That is exactly the premise of Hotwarts Legacy : to give us the possibility of living an adventure different from what we have seen so far with the different adventures that the Wizarding World has had so far in our midst. Unfortunately, we will have to wait until 2022 to experience this possibility.
What we can expect:
- To be part of the magical world in a story of your own in the 19th century.
- The return to the ring of Avalanche Software as a developer of AAA.
- Visit the most famous locations in the vicinity of the well-known School of Magic and Wizardry.
- Finally a big-budget video game for consoles, set in the Harry Potter universe.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus
Game Freak takes a giant step forward with this new role-playing adventure that is firmly committed to open worlds, leaving aside the more linear approach of previous Pokémon games. This first great adventure of Pokémon Legends also wants to surprise with its history and setting, since it will allow fans of this long-lived JRPG series to travel back in time, to discover the origins of some of the most iconic creatures of the series in a feudal version from Sinnoh , the setting for the fourth generation of Pokémon.
What we can expect:
- A Pokémon in the style of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
- No transitions between exploration and combat interfaces; everything takes place in the same environment.
- A new region of Sinnoh, built with a feudal world perspective.
- Game Frea still has many secrets about action, fighting and capture.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2
Finally, we will not have the new The Legend of Zelda game in time to celebrate the 35th anniversary of this mythical Nintendo saga but, at least, we do have a new video advance that already makes us expect great things from what it is, without a doubt , one of the most anticipated video games of the moment. It took Eiji Aonuma’s team a few minutes to unleash speculation about what we can expect from this new adventure, in which it seems that time control will have more weight in the action, without forgetting the possibility of going to the skies to explore floating islands, over Hyrule.
What we can expect:
- Link will be equipped with new abilities and gadgets that promise to change the action.
- A logical evolution of the gameplay that the original title presented.
- Recovery of classic elements (dungeons?), Preserving those introduced by its predecessor.
- Control of time, as a possible axis of action.
Elden ring
Another one of those games that has been made to beg for a long season. We’ve finally seen Elden Ring, what’s new from the authors of Dark Souls and Sekiro, in action, and it’s hard not to get excited about what Hidetaka Miyazaki and his team are up to. The brutal and challenging combat typical of the Souls with a more open style, in a gigantic scenario that we can explore on the back of a mount, from which we can also fight. With its usual and incredible design of characters and monsters, it promises to be one of the bombings of 2022.
What we can expect:
- A story in a world built by George R. Martin , author of Game of Thrones.
- The game stage is the largest and widest of all that Fromsoftware has made.
- Elden Ring promises more freedom to go your own way and face challenges.
- We will have a crafting system to make items and equipment.
Redfall
One of the latest video games to join this list, the work of the authors of the Dishonored saga or the formidable Prey, which at first glance is surprising because it does not look like an Arkane game. We say it because of its commitment to cooperative action, although this fantastic team of creatives has already confirmed that we will be able to enjoy Redfall alone, and that this open-world action game will have an immersive story. To deal with the threat of the bloodsuckers we will have several firearms, but also with all those special powers that have made us enjoy so much in other Arkane projects. Redfall is a mystery for now though, so we’re dying to discover all it has to offer.
