Open World Games That Are the Best Value

Some days, I can't ever stop popping in and out of the digital gaming storefronts, whether it's just one peek at an ongoing sale on the PSN store or a quick glance at the latest daily deals on Steam's front page.

Out of most deals, I reckon a ton of people come itching to see what new open-world game they can invest their time and effort in. I mean, you can totally get it at the base price to instantly scratch that itch, but let's be real: you'll enjoy it more for the better value.

And that's exactly why I've put together my personalized picks for the best open world games with the best value that have the best of both worlds, so that you can get your money's worth from them.

10 Days Gone

A Biker's Life For Me

On the topic of best value, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to mention Days Gone, and while I can sense the disdain toward it from some people, respectfully, it's not too bad a game, in my humble opinion.

In fact, it is honestly one of the best PlayStation exclusives you can get for a bargain. The game takes a while to pick up, especially in the beginning. Still, once you get access to more major settlements and the map itself, it honestly becomes an enjoyable time to ride Deacon's bike across Oregon while occasionally fighting off a massive number of Freakers.

Supposing you get hooked by the adrenaline rush from mowing down those hordes or riding across the hellacious countryside via your customizable Drifter bike, then the game also has a bunch of post-game challenges to test out your wits in, as well as content from the Broken Roads DLC that can keep you engaged once you wrap up the base game.

9 Mad Max

Survival of the Fittest

From the release day when I bought it full-price for my birthday to even now, Mad Max is a perfect example of an open world title that punches far above its price tag. Given the amount of content it offers compared to its recent digital sales or bundle price, it's a travesty we never got another game like it from Avalanche Studios. And honestly, I still think it's underrated.

A wasteland that nails the desolate apocalypse look, yet also has a ton of things under its barren dunes. From enemy strongholds, camps, lost bunkers, and roaming convoys—this is all in addition to the progressive gameplay mechanic of lowering each region's threat level to take it back from the Warlords. The cherry on top is a gruesome brawler combat system that captures the feel of the Arkham games.

My favorite aspect that I'll never shut up about is Max's car, AKA the Magnum Opus. The customization is so crucial that it shapes your playstyle during the vehicular combat scenarios.

From managing offensive tools such as the ramming grill, spikes, and the harpoons that Chum uses to defensive elements like your armor plating, it adds such a tactical perspective to the game and how you slowly build your own personalized battle machine for Max.

It Just Works

It took me a while to understand all the re-releases Skyrim's gotten over the years, and part of that is owed to how infinitely replayable the game is in the grand scheme of things. It has one of the highest modding communities in the world, and although not the biggest ever in gaming, the world is densely packed.

Your character's stats and traits are shaped by your playstyle usage, a system that's still miles better than most RPGs on the market. Even besides the countless mods that turn it into a never-ending landscape, Skyrim has a ton of different aspects at every step of the way—dungeons, factions, guilds, Alchemy, housing, all in addition to the emergent encounters and world events.

Next to Cyberpunk 2077, it is one of my most-played open-world games since my teenage days, and I know some players who have double that playtime. It's well-deserved to be in the genre of games with the best value.

7 Cyberpunk 2077

A Thing of Beauty

Speaking of which, a game that had one of the best comebacks in the modern era and that won me over with its story, characters, and gameplay was Cyberpunk 2077. The world of Night City is absolutely enthralling to me, to the point where I've done a total of three playthroughs on separate occasions with different builds and choices in mind.

And if that isn't much of a seller to you, it also has one of the best expansions for a video game, Phantom Liberty. The base game already goes frequently on sale, and if you manage to grab the complete bundle, you're looking at the ultimate modern RPG experience.

And uh, friendly advice, if you're like me and develop a crush on your V, don't hesitate to go absolutely wild with the modding scene, since there's an endless array of outfits, vehicles, texture packs, and other assets that you can cram in here to make the game feel a bit more refreshing on repeated runs.

6 Fallout New Vegas

The Consequences of My Own Actions

Switching gears back to Bethesda, one of the most trailblazing titles under their umbrella has always been Fallout New Vegas by Obsidian Entertainment, an open world game with insane player agency for its time.

Whether it be your actions with or against any of the four main factions, your tactics for approaching quests, the intricate dialogue choices you pick for any given moment—they all contribute to reshaping the penultimate state of Mojave.

And most importantly, with how dirt cheap the Ultimate Edition is on sale, you get access to a plethora of more well-written and designed DLC that add further layers to an already densely-packed RPG.

Although I don't have to point out the obvious here, make sure not to skim over the mods either, because New Vegas' constantly thriving modding community has created an arsenal of custom quests, storylines, and entire overhauls to further extend the game's longevity past the vanilla game.

5 Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen

An Ambitious ARPG

Dragon's Dogma is a hand-crafted Medieval ARPG by Capcom that won the hearts of the hardcore masses for its unique mechanics and systems. The best part is how it held up extremely well all these years despite a decade-later sequel.

The most notable mechanic is the Vocations system, which allows you to tailor your character to a unique class and their respective playstyle. At the same time, the second is the Pawn System, where a major member of your party can learn the enemy's behavioral patterns and can be suited to your liking with your own character.

The combat is dynamic and strategic, allowing you to scale certain bosses and ensuring that you use your Vocations' kit to their maximum potential to take them down.

The cherry on top is the Dark Arisen's Biiterblack Isle, one of the best pieces of post-game content that makes you want to run it back in NG+ to min-max your party. All this, on sale for less than ten bucks, makes it the perfect way to get into the series if you're concerned about investing in the 2024 sequel.

4 Kingdom Come: Deliverance

Historically Complex

While you'll see everyone on the block rightfully claiming the sequel to be their GOTY contender, the original Kingdom Come: Deliverance was just as mechanically dense and complex as an open world RPG. And with the second being a direct follow-up sequel, I honestly think it is a no-brainer to get the first entry to fully comprehend Henry's journey.

A combat system that pushes you to the grit to learn the art of medieval swordfighting, all the while making sure you also have proper positioning, timing, and reflexes as you execute it. And to complement it, you have one of the most realistic RPG systems out there with an incredibly reactive world and character traits that can drastically alter your outcomes during main quests.

Many modern open-world games will often aim for instant enjoyment or showcasing spectacle—with KCD, it's the exact opposite, which helps it stand out so much with fans. A slow-paced progression, survival/simulation elements, meaningful consequences and actions, along with a truly accurate historical atmosphere, all contribute to an open world game that'll reward you for taking the time to grasp it.

3 Sleeping Dogs

Where's The Movie, Simu Liu

Back on the X360 and all the way to the PS4, Sleeping Dogs has been one of those games that has stuck with me, not because there was anything meaningful in it or personal, but as an open world game, it is arguably the best you can get for the current value.

Aside from the painfully obvious bargain price tag nowadays, it's a crime drama that plays off the B-grade Chinese action flicks you'd see Jackie Chan in, like Police Story, but with a slightly grimier tone. The fictionalized depiction of Hong Kong is extravagant, and Wei Shen instantly pulls the player into his back-and-forth conflict narrative as an undercover cop trying not to cross his own boundaries.

Even excluding the DLCs in the Definitive Edition, the base game is chock-full of things to do, just as you'd see in other sandbox titles like GTA or Saints Row, from street racing, drug busts, fight clubs, to comical relief stuff like betting on cockfighting events.

There's never a dull moment in this game for me, and I owe it so much for making me adore games with hand-to-hand or brawler combat systems, a small part of which further led me to cherish the Yakuza series' games.

2 Yakuza 0

Real Estate & Hostess Cabaret

I know the timing of my mentioning this is slightly unfortunate, given that the original release is being delisted and replaced by the cash-grab Director's Cut. Still, asa video game on the core, Yakuza 0 is easily one of the best open-worldinvestments out there.

A story that spans and intertwines between two characters who later become the founding pillars of the series, as well as a tightly-packed world that showcases the glitz and glamor of late 80s Japan during the Bubble economy.

And most of which is elevated to the point where it rivals Rockstar's sandbox model with activities to immerse yourself in, such as Karaoke, Club Dancing, Pocket Car Racing, and even two dedicated mini-games for both our protagonists. The icing on the cake is an action-packed and over-the-top combat system that makes you fall in love with the series, especially if you're a newcomer.

1 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Toss a Coin

While we're still reeling off another medieval RPG, it seemed fitting to mention the greatness that is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the magnum opus from CDPR. A game with such an immaculate display in both quantity and quality that it is a no-brainer purchase for the Complete Edition, especially now with the next-gen release.

You're rarely traveling without stumbling into something meaningful along the way, whether it be a sidequest chain that has an entire main story-esque writing depth to it, or a monster lair that has Geralt using everything in his arsenal to overcome it. Each major region has its own thematic lore, from Novigrad's politics-heavy city to Skellige's Nordic archipelago.

And for the price, you don't just get the packed base game but also both of the critically acclaimed expansions, with the latter, Blood and Wine, feeling like a mini-sequel due to how it introduces a whole new region along with wrapping up Geralt's journey. I can confidently say it has enough value that even years later, it can easily compete with some of the latest open-world game releases.