10 Great Open-World Games That Are Fun From the Get-Go

A truly great open-world game is able to hook you from the very beginning.

The second things get underway, it's all gas and no brakes. No downtime or waiting for the game to truly get started, ala Grand Theft Auto 5. Think more along the lines of something like Elden Ring, which throws you into its open world, impresses you from its opening minutes, and never stops.

We live in a world where open-world games dominate the gaming landscape, but not every open-world game is great from the very beginning. Take Crimson Desert, for example. It takes its sweet time to truly get going, and we don't always have that kind of time to spare. Luckily for us, these open-world games don't waste our time.

10 Elden Ring

An Impressive Open World From the Beginning

Since I mentioned it in the introduction, it feels like Elden Ring is the perfect place to start. It should come as no surprise that Elden Ring is great from the start. This is FromSoftware, after all, the developer that doesn't hold back any punches and asks you to "get gud" from the opening moments.

Elden Ring's tutorial does a great job of introducing you to its mechanics before throwing you into its open-world and forcing you to figure things out. While it may refuse to hold your hand, it still does an excellent job of easing you into the Elden Ring experience without drowning you as you drink through a firehose. Instead, it trusts that you'll be able to get going from the very beginning, resulting in an unforgettable experience from start to end.

9 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

An Iconic Opening Sequence for a Reason

There are actually a lot of similarities to the way Elden Ring and Breath of the Wild begin, both leading to an equally iconic sequence where you exit the opening tutorial cavern and take in the majestic open-world playground that awaits you.

Like Elden Ring, Breath of the Wild offers minimal hand-holding, forcing players to figure things out on their own. It results in a more immersive gaming experience, with the best moments happening organically. This is all backed by the way enemies behave in Breath of the Wild, as if they're reacting to everything you do. Say what you want about its durability system, but Breath of the Wild and its open-world work in perfect harmony from beginning to end, resulting in one of the best gaming experiences of all time.

8 Donkey Kong Bananza

You'll Go Bananas Over Its Open-World

To be honest, I had a hard time deciding between Donkey Kong Bananza and Super Mario Odyssey in this slot, as both offer excellent open-world platforming gameplay. However, I think Bananza has the edge for two reasons.

First, it's a more expanded, refined, and improved experience of the Odyssey formula that takes full advantage of the Switch 2 hardware. Second, and more importantly, like Breath of the Wild, it's the Nintendo formula perfected. Introduce essential gameplay mechanics from the very beginning, constantly throw new ideas at the player, but find a way not to overwhelm them. Plus, you can spend hours exploring and discovering secrets before even getting started with the game proper.

7 World of Warcraft Classic

Don't Call Me a Boomer Yet...

Modern World of Warcraft's new player experience is flawed, and that's putting it nicely. I'm fully aware, too, that the "optimal" way to experience Classic WoW is through extensive guides and assistance, something that rightfully puts people off.

Having said that, if you're just looking to get lost in an open-world, there's no better place to start. Picture this: it's 2005, you've made a Human Paladin, and you're venturing through Elwynn Forest. There are secrets to discover, talk of a conspiracy against Stormwind, and the quests do an excellent job of building up a threat in the Defias Brotherhood that ultimately leads to an unforgettable confrontation in the Deadmines.

The Human questing storyline in Classic WoW remains untouched to this day, serving as not only a great open-world experience from the start, but something that continues to inspire developers to this day.

Okay, Now Call Me a Boomer

I'll keep this simple: Patrick Stewart breaks you out of jail and, with his dying breath, tells you to find Sean Benn. If that doesn't get you hyped, I don't know what will.

While Bethesda has done well to deliver a more refined gameplay experience over the years in Skyrim and Fallout 4, there's just something magical about Oblivion that has made it the quintessential Western RPG for over 20 years now. Part of it is those opening moments, drawing inspiration from some of the great RPGs that came before its time, and dropping it into this massive open world that helped usher in the world of HD gaming. Oblivion is a special game, and I'm so glad its Remaster was a rousing success.

5 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Arguably the Best GTA From Start to Finish

Modern Grand Theft Auto games get a lot of flak for taking a while to get going. What, you don't enjoy having to tow cars or work on a dock port in the game's opening hours? That's the type of stuff that makes you fall in love with video games!

On a more serious note, I get why it's there, but sometimes, you don't want to wait for a game to get to the good part. That's where San Andreas comes in, strapping you in for the GTA thrill ride from the very beginning and only continuing to up the ante as you progress through its story. Here's to hoping GTA 6 borrows more from this philosophy rather than spending its opening hours progressing at a snail's pace.

4 Red Dead Redemption 2

Arguably Rockstar's Greatest Accomplishment From Start to Finish

One of the frustrating parts of dealing with modern GTA's slow openings is that we know that they're capable of hitting the gas from the very beginning, as evident by Red Dead Redemption 2. What gives here, Rockstar? Why couldn't you give GTA 5 and 4 the same love you gave Red Dead 2's opening?

This is the perfect balance of introducing you to a massive open-world game. The characters are brought in, the stakes are set, and you're introduced to the gameplay mechanics at a proper pace. There's no random downtime that makes its opening moments drag on; instead, it does an excellent job of setting the stage for everything that's to come.

3 Cyberpunk 2077

Welcome to Night City

One of the best redemption stories in all of gaming, Cyberpunk 2077 has always been good at throwing players straight into the dystopian cyberpunk world of Night City. Even when the game launched with all of its issues, there was one thing that always won over its harshest critics: its ability to grab players from the very beginning.

You know an open-world RPG is good from the very start when it's able to draw you in and win you over before Keanu Reeves ever shows up. That's what happens here, with the opening story winning you over from the very beginning, grabbing your attention and refusing to ever let go.

2 Marvel's Spider-Man

Makes You Feel Like Spider-Man

Yes, I know it's a meme (and one that I constantly laugh at), but the best thing Marvel's Spider-Man does is, well, make you feel like Spider-Man from the very beginning.

Look, this is a game where you play as Spider-Man, and you're going to want to be Spider-Man and pull off Spider-Man-esque moves from the very beginning. Good news: Marvel's Spider-Man wastes no time in letting things get going. From its high-octane opening and capturing the essence of what makes being Spider-Man fun, Insomniac Games hit a true home run here.

1 Baldur's Gate 3

One of the Decade's Best Games

Yes, there's going to be some major tonal whiplash when going from Marvel's Spider-Man and its action-packed combat to the slower and methodical turn-based strategy in Baldur's Gate 3. The two games have one thing in common, though, and that's delivering incredible opening moments.

Baldur's Gate 3 makes no mistake in letting you know that you're in for a major time investment here, but the best part is that it doesn't waste any time to truly get going. Far too often, these types of games fall victim to requiring dozens of hours of investment before they start getting good. Baldur's Gate 3 isn't one of those games. You're thrown right into dire straits, and it only gets better from there.