Schools are out, the sun is beating down on us, the beaches, surf and cocktails are singing their siren song. It’s also a time to catch up on gaming, and what better games to play than immersive open-world games. Where you not only visit beautiful fantasy realms, but also incredible science fiction worlds, or experience Earth in the past or a fictional present where you can take part in an epic storyline or chart your own course. We know sometimes real-world vacations can be expensive, so here’s a bunch of vacations you can go on, at a very nominal ticket price.
Horizon: Zero Dawn
Is the heat getting to you? Then you can transport your mind to the 2017 hit, Horizon Zero Dawn. A sci-fi game that’s set in a world that’s filled with dinosaurs, except that these are robotic monstrosities that terrorise tribes of humans. You play Aloy, a brave hunter and archer, an outcast who becomes aware that she has got a deeper connection to the machines.
The world of Zero Dawn is unparalleled in its beauty, and is one of the wonders of modern gaming: from laying down traps for massive robotic T-Rexs to roaming around on the back of your bionic steed, admiring the lush snow-clad countrysides, the dense forests, the red rock canyons all littered with remnants of a world swallowed up by a terrible past.
Assassins Creed: Origins
A true work of art, Assassins Creed: Origins has just gotten better with every update, expansion pack and in-game event. Set in ancient Egypt, at the zenith of one of the greatest civilisations history has ever seen, you experience the origins of the Assassins through Bayek and his wife Aya, as they avenge their murdered son. Origins is a world you can immerse yourself into, and learn something from.
In case you want to take a break from the violence, Ubisoft has built in a non-violent pure educative Discovery Tour, that lets you experience their recreation of Egypt.
Origins is a sight to behold, completely recreating not only the architecture, fashions and people, but also their way of life. You can literally just stop anywhere in the game and watch, as life plays out in a simulation of what it would have been way back then. Plus, you get to schmooze with Cleopatra and other historic celebrities.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
For a game that came out way back in 2015, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is still on top of several lists, and has become a mainstay in pop culture, with its own show incoming on Netflix in the near future.
The game follows a mutant monster hunter Geralt of Rivia, as he tracks down his daughter. Except that he’s not the only one after her. A horde of undead wraiths that gallop across the skies is also on the hunt for her. As a monster hunter, you explore and meet new people and track down and slay all manner of monsters.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The perfect open-world to play if you’re travelling and own a Nintendo Switch. Breath of the Wild is a breath of fresh air, with its unique cell-shaded graphics and delightful vast world crafted with love. You will spend hours catching and finding ingredients to cook food with, or interacting with its cute denizens or animals, as you try everything to see how the world reacts to you and your actions. Not to mention it has some devious puzzles and it’s one of the most beautiful worlds that you can carry around with you.
Super Mario Odyssey
Also on the Nintendo Switch, Super Mario Odyssey falls in the same bracket as Breath of the Wild, as one of the most delightful games out there. Mario partners up with Cappy, a sentient cap, to save their respective loves from Bowser and his friends across the world. Odyssey is a different type of open-world, that’s made up of several smaller worlds you can travel to, though each one of them is as zany as the last. From the desert filled with ice, to a food world, to Super Mario’s own version of New York, called New Donk City, Odyssey is a joy to play, that will bring out that extra ray of light in your day.
Far Cry 4, Primal and 5
It’s been more than a month since the latest Far Cry game launched, and no doubt you’re probably still traversing rural America, putting bullets in redneck cultists and making friends with the local wildlife. Once done, if you’re craving for more Far Cry, then you can dust off or pick up a copy of Far Cry 4, set in the Himalayas in a fictional part of India. This is the series high point. Once done with that, you can travel to the Mesolithic age and experience the world through the eyes of Neanderthal man.
Monster Hunter: World
The latest Monster Hunter game has gained a lot of ground internationally with its latest game.
It’s worth a trip into, especially for the lush open-world and the chance to team up with other hunters to go out and take down some big bad monsters and hopefully even a few Elder Dragons, the biggest monsters in the game. A bit heavy on the RPG statistics side, the weapons and armour more than make up for the numbers, especially for the seasonal outfits.
