So far, 2026 has given us Crimson Desert and Gothic, just to name two open-world RPGs. While they might not linger in the mind to the same extent as legendary masterpieces like The Witcher 3, it is safe to predict that these titles won’t be forgotten in a decade’s time. Sadly, plenty of open-world RPGs fail to escape this fate, dooming them to a present and future that mostly consists of appearances in “forgotten games” discussions.
One of my favorite things to do is revisit games from the 2000s and 2010s that have almost no digital footprint, just to see what they offer, whether they hold up, and if they should be better known. To be honest, open-world RPGs aren’t that plentiful, but a few great titles exist that fans of either genre should really check out. While far from perfect, they are fantastic in their own right.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)
Drakan: The Ancients’ Gates
A PS2 Open-World RPG That Lets You Ride A Dragon
Drakan: The Ancients’ Gates
- Released
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January 29, 2002
- ESRB
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M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Violence
- Developer(s)
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Surreal Software
The deepest cut in this article, Drakan: The Ancients’ Gates, is a PS2 cult classic that just about qualifies for the “cult” part, as it barely seems to be remembered by most people. The definition of a flawed masterpiece, Surreal Software’s project was arguably ahead of its time, presenting a sense of scale that even modern AAA developers still struggle to integrate.
17 Video Games That Let You Ride Dragons
Take to the skies on the back of a fire-breathing lizard in these dragon-riding games.
The gameplay loop is split into on-the-ground and in-the-air sections, with the latter involving heading to the sky on the back of a fire-breathing dragon. Both halves are well-developed for their era, with ground combat featuring skill trees, weapon types, magic, and puzzles. Drakan‘s aerial dogfights are its main selling point, and raining down fire on camps across the hub areas still looks pretty impressive.
The “flawed” part comes from the many bugs that plagued Drakan: The Ancients’ Gates, a side effect of an ambitious project that couldn’t quite get everything to work smoothly. I wish the game were ported to PC, as modders could really work wonders.
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13
The Forgotten Final Chapter (And The Best FF13 Game)
I know what you are thinking: “No Final Fantasy game is forgotten.” Generally, I would agree, but Lightning Returns definitely comes the closest to being an exception. We are talking about the third entry in a polarizing trilogy that had long since lost steam by 2013; only die-hard FF13 fans would have even noticed that Lightning Returns came out.
Unlike the linear hallways of the original game, Lightning Returns is an open-world game with four regions that can be explored in any order. Despite not featuring a traditional party, the game’s Schemata system delivers one of the most satisfying active combat loops in the JRPG genre, with Lightning effectively acting as multiple classes by switching her customizable garbs. Battles are fast-paced, tactical, and visually spectacular; FF13 would have been received far better if it played closer to Lightning Returns.
As much as I enjoy this bizarre final chapter, Lightning Returns can be straight-up alienating. The messy cosmic story reads almost like fan fiction, presents Lightning as a pseudo-goddess, and forces players to rush with a countdown clock (which isn’t too strict once you learn the mechanics, but it still feels unnecessary).
Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura
An Ambitious RPG That Gives You Complete Freedom
Troika’s Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura exists in that weird bubble of being highly regarded among enthusiasts and a complete nonentity to everybody else. In terms of pure role-playing freedom, Arcanum set the standard in the early 2000s, and it still puts many modern titles to shame. Although not built like GTA, the game nevertheless features an open world that mostly lets you go where you want, with a level of reactivity that very few RPGs attempt.
As the title implies, Arcanum takes place in a society divided by science and magic, and you decide whether to prioritize technology or play as a mage. Quests encourage you to adopt different approaches, be it brute force, diplomacy, stealth, or even engineering. Just be prepared for the consequences.
Due to its age and general jank, Arcanum can be difficult to appreciate nowadays, especially since the combat isn’t particularly great by any stretch of the imagination.
Yo-kai Watch 2
Yo-kai Watch Went Open-World Before Pokemon
Hard to believe in retrospect, but for a brief moment, Yo-kai Watch seemed poised to join Pokemon as Nintendo’s new big creature-collection franchise. The original game did incredibly well, leading to an avalanche of spin-offs, sequels, and other media. Perhaps it was oversaturation, or the fact that its international release took more than 2 years to materialize, but Yo-kai Watch 2 didn’t attract anywhere near the same attention as its predecessor.
15 Years Later, These Forgotten PS3 Fantasy Masterpieces Have Aged Like Fine Wine
Rayman Origins, Child of Eden, and other overlooked PS3 gems have held up remarkably well 15 years later, offering timeless gaming experiences.
Naturally, fans of the first entry should 100% play all the sequels, all of which incorporate new ideas that enable them to stand on their own two feet. However, people who have never heard of the franchise should specifically try the second entry, as it ranks among the 3DS’ best and most atmospheric open-world games. Blending monster collecting with slice-of-life elements, Yo-kai Watch 2 brings rural and suburban Japan to life incredibly well, all the while using time travel to change the world’s appearance.
The battle system is a bit too passive for its own good, so I wouldn’t specifically recommend the game as a turn-based JRPG.
Kenshi
The Greatest Open-World RPG That Most People Will Never Play
Kenshi
- Released
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December 6, 2018
At this very moment, Kenshi has more than 4K players on Steam, which should automatically disqualify it from receiving the “forgotten” label. While I get that, Kenshi is arguably the most underappreciated open-world RPG of all time, one that is beloved by a select group but completely ignored by everybody else. Dropped in a massive Mad Max-esque sandbox, you are nobody and have to decide how to live, survive, and prosper.
Your actions determine your place in the world, and you can be everything from a nomad to a military leader or a trader. Progression feels incredible because it’s earned through actual struggle; for instance, if you lose an arm in a skirmish, you have to make do and not just wait for it to grow back. Kenshi excels at emergent storytelling.
7 Open-World RPGs That Are 10/10, No Notes
As the years go by, these open-world RPGs remain the unmatched pinnacle of the genre — and are absolutely worth playing today.
For its flaws, you only need to look at a single screenshot. Kenshi looks like an absolute trainwreck, and it runs like one too.
