The best open-world games have always been right at home on PC. From the early days of Ultima and Hydlide, to fin de siècle 3D trailblazers like Grand Theft Auto 3 and Morrowind, to the sprawling modern hits we now enjoy, freedom of exploration has always been intrinsic to PC gaming. These days, open-world games are their own genre. You can find accurate depictions of real-life cities or countries, huge fictional expanses with their own landmarks, complete worlds to check out – or even entire galaxies, depending on where you want to go on your next adventure. Not only are these the greatest open-world games, but a lot of them are among the top PC games, period.
Best open-world games 2026: exploring magical worlds
2 March 20260

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