The free-to-play market is dominated by battle royales like Warzone, and team-based multiplayer games like Team Fortress 2. There are some free RPG and co-op games here and there but rarely do open-world games go the free-to-play route.
This is largely because open-world games such as GTA V, Watch Dogs, Skyrim, or Red Dead Redemption 2 entail high development costs and a market value that’s difficult to ignore. However, that hasn’t prevented some from taking a different approach to monetization and releasing their big, beautiful digital worlds for free, though perhaps at the cost of paid DLC or microtransactions. According to Metacritic, these are the best open worlds a gamer can dive into without spending a dime.
Updated on February 17, 2021, by Reyadh Rahaman: The main draw of an open-world game is the sense of freedom it grants to players. Wide expanses of fields, dense forests, or even a bustling cityscape can allow one to get fully immersed in a world where they can escape from the mundane aspects of the real one. There should also be a sense of power and progression so that gamers can feel like they are growing stronger as well as more renowned in this wide and varied digital world enough to keep them coming back time and again to continue their saga.
15 APB Reloaded (Metascore: 56; User Score: 5.8)
In 2010, years before GTA Online was out, APB Reloaded was released. However, it didn’t take off exactly as planned. Like GTA, it’s also centered on urban gangster life. The open world of APB is filled with PvP events such as gang wars, and lets players take each other on in massive open spaces within the world. APB Reloaded has MMO mechanics that result in an entirely different gameplay experience from GTA. That’s not to say that the game doesn’t come with its own problems though. However, since it’s free, there’s not much to risk. The free-to-play aspect of APB is the definitive dealmaker, considering its online experience is arguably on par with GTA.
APB Reloaded is available on the following:
- Microsoft Windows
- Xbox One
- PlayStation 4
14 Defiance 2050 (Metascore: 64; User Score: 6.5)
Some players of Defiance 2050 say that it’s way too good to be a free-to-play MMO. Released in 2018, this open-world futuristic shooter engages players in all sorts of activities both PvE and PvP oriented. There are seven playable classes in the game, each with their own unique abilities and play style. The game also has an amusing story together with random events and activities in the world. Defiance 2050 is like the lesser-known variant of Destiny 2, but with a touch of Borderlands.
Defiance 2050 is available on the following:
- Microsoft Windows
- Xbox One
- PlayStation 4
13 Trove (Metascore: 65; User Score: 5.5)
Another blocky game following in the footsteps of the renowned Minecraft yet one that grants much more freedom to players right away. Trove gives gamers the chance to explore a massive world where they can harvest resources, build awesome bases, and acquire epic, flying mounts. The visuals are also incredible, with the kind of lighting and textures that Minecraft and similar games can only usually compare with after having mods installed.
Trove is available on the following:
- Microsoft Windows
- Mac OS
- PlayStation 4
- Xbox One
12 Creativerse (User Score: 6.3)
Like Minecraft, Creativerse explores its players’ creativity by giving them an entire world to explore and dwell within. Players can also harvest resources, craft tools, and build structures in Creativerse. However, one major difference between Minecraft and this game is that Creativerse is absolutely free.
On top of that, Creativerse adapts more futuristic elements from Minecraft, sporting a Ratchet & Clank aesthetic and feel. The ease-of-learning, early-game simplicity, to the late-game complexities of Creativerse rivals those of Minecraft, making it an excellent alternative to the open-world sandbox game.
Creativerse is available on the following:
- Microsoft Windows
- Mac OS
11 Unturned (User Score: 7.8)
Another game inspired by Minecraft, Unturned is an open-world zombie game that features similar mechanics to DayZ. Players start out with nothing, looting and scavenging their way up to building a community. Alliances can be formed, animals can be hunted, and crops can be planted in this survival game. The amazing part about this game is that since it sports a Minecraft art style and graphics, anyone with even a 2007 office laptop can run it. This free-to-play game has a surprisingly high Steam rating too, with an impressive 91% positive score.
Unturned is available on the following:
- Microsoft Windows
- Mac OS
- Linux
- Xbox One
- PlayStation 4
- Xbox Series X
10 Neverwinter (Metascore: 74; User Score: 6.4)
Set in a Dungeon & Dragons setting, fans of both classic RPGs and MMOs will likely adore Neverwinter, for it has many elements of gamers’ favorite titles in these genres rolled into an epic fantasy setting. With tons of magic, weapons, and skills, players can build any kind of character they desire from among 12 races including fascinating and unique ones like the not-often-seen Tieflings and Dragonborn.
Neverwinter is available on the following:
- Microsoft Windows
- Xbox One
- PlayStation 4
9 Dauntless (Metascore: 78; User Score: 5.3)
Fans of Monster Hunter: World should consider trying out this free-to-play alternative. Despite being more bare-bones and simplified, there is much to be said about how those are advantages. There is no requirement to play through a single-player campaign, nor is there any convoluted mechanics to wrap one’s head around. Dauntless offers a super-quick and easy way for players to begin hunting monsters immediately after downloading the game. The weapon creating, armor crafting, and equipment upgrading are also simple to get into, which lets gamers improve their beast-slaying gear without any headaches.
Dauntless is available on the following:
- Microsoft Windows
- PlayStation 4
- Xbox One
- Nintendo Switch
8 Genshin Impact (Metascore: 81; User Score: 6.2)
In an absolutely gorgeous world, players can roam about for hours and hours without ever seeing everything in this expansive game. Genshin Impact boasts a diverse world where players can explore vivid verdant forests, scale mountains, or even swim in the ocean as they fight fierce foes and solve perplexing puzzles. There is also a robust party system with a ton of allies that one can align themselves with to suit their preferences.
Genshin Impact is available on the following:
- Microsoft Windows
- PlayStation 4
- Android
- iOS
- Nintendo Switch
- PlayStation 5
7 Fortnite (Metascore: 83; User Score: 4.9)
The immensely customizable Fortnite has become legendary over the few years since its release due to the massive amount of fun gamers across the globe can have in this digital world. Players do battle in this royal rumble spanning huge maps as every one of the dozens of active, real people build and destroy forts of varying complexity and strengths. The goal, as with all battle royal games, is to be the last ones standing. For one of the most unique and diverse games in this crowded genre, gamers in need of a ton of hours to kill should check this title out at some point.
Fortnite is available on the following:
- Microsoft Windows
- Mac OS
- Nintendo Switch
- PlayStation 4
- PlayStation 5
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X
- iOS
- Android
6 Star Wars: The Old Republic (Metascore: 85; User Score: 6)
This absolutely free RPG lets players fully immerse themselves in the universe of the Star Wars franchise. What’s interesting about Star Wars: The Old Republic is that besides having eight different classes to choose from (and great customization options), the game has a different storyline for each of them. This tailors a unique narrative experience depending on how players play the game. There are also various PvE and PvP activities sprawled across more than 20 different planets across the galaxy far far away, making for an impressive amount of content for even free-to-play players.
Star Wars: The Old Republic is available on the following:
- Microsoft Windows
5 Destiny 2 (Metascore: 87; User Score: 4.4)
Every looter-shooter RPG live service game is likened and compared to Destiny 2, and understandably so. Destiny 2 is an action-packed RPG game with a story that can be experienced in co-op with friends. Missions are varied, giving players fresh experiences each time.
They can decimate hordes of enemies, leap across a bottomless pit, scale various puzzle platformers, explore different worlds, and take down the huge bosses. If that wasn’t enough, each planet in Destiny 2 is a wide terrestrial landscape to immerse in, made even better with speedy hoverbikes. Combat is also varied with three different classes, each having a few different specialties.
Destiny 2 is available on the following:
- Microsoft Windows
- PlayStation 4
- Xbox One
- Stadia
- PlayStation 5
- Xbox Series X
4 Warframe (Metascore: 86; User Score: 8.4)
Destiny 2 and Warframe are at each other’s necks in dominating the open-world RPG market. Like Call Of Duty and Battlefield, they each do something very different from the other but are loved nonetheless by the same types of players. Warframe lets players choose from more than 30 different Warframes, which essentially make up the game’s class system, and each gives a totally different gameplay experience from the other. The open world of Warframe is beautifully crafted to immerse players in the galactic setting of the game. With 18 different worlds, players surely have some time to invest in this free-to-play game.
Warframe is available on the following:
- Microsoft Windows
- PlayStation 4
- Xbox One
- Nintendo Switch
- PlayStation 5
- Xbox Series X
3 Lord Of The Rings Online (Metascore: 88; User Score: 7)
Yet another movie franchise-based RPG game, Lord Of The Rings Online lets players explore the shared open-world of Middle Earth. There are six different races to choose from in the game; dwarf, elf, high-elf, hobbit, man, and beorning. There is also a wide array of classes and specializations to select from in LOTRO. The game is an amazing recreation of Tolkien’s books and is available for everyone to dwell and immerse themselves in. Whether a fan of the movies or an MMORPG-head in general, this is definitely a title worth getting into.
Lord of the Rings Online is available on the following:
- Microsoft Windows
- Mac OS X
2 EVE Online (Metascore: 88; User Score: 7.7)
EVE Online is a highly complex game with an even more complex yet flourishing community. Taking place in the vastness of space, players engage in countless activities spanning war, politics, pillaging, and trading, with each having their own complex in-and-outs.
Some of the biggest and longest battles in gaming take place in EVE Online. One battle, in particular, the Bloodbath of B-R5RB, took 22 straight hours with nearly 8,000 real-life participants. For a game that costs nothing at all, there’s an incredible amount of content here.
EVE Online is available on the following:
- Microsoft Windows
- Mac OS
1 World Of Warcraft (Metascore: 93; User Score: 7.4)
World Of Warcraft is the king of the MMORPG, even today. There are 12 great classes to choose from in WOW, each with various specializations as well. Released in 2004, WOW is still going strong with tons of new content and updates. In the world of Azeroth, there are a lot of epic quests to embark on, along with lore to uncover. With the community keeping this game alive for nearly two decades, it’s no surprise that WOW is the best-rated free open-world game today.
World of Warcraft is available on the following:
- Microsoft Windows
- Mac OS
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