Given their expansive nature, open-world projects tend to be some of the longest video games in existence. It's possible to pour hundreds and thousands of hours into a single open-world game without exploring every nook and cranny.

While there are short open-world games out there, Shadow of the Colossus and Mafia immediately come to mind, most entries in the genre require a significant time investment. That's part of the reason these titles are so popular – they reward commitment with content and immersion.

Updated May 26, 2023 by Mark Sammut: 2023 might be less than halfway through, but the year has already produced a couple of long open-world games. They also happen to be fantastic.

The times are taken from HowLongToBeat. The included range covers from the time required to finish a game's main story to a completionist playthrough. The former will be used as the primary metric, while the latter will be used in the case of a tie. If releases in the same franchise clock in at similar lengths, they will be combined into a single entry. Also, a game must have more than a single polled time to qualify.

44 Ghost Of Tsushima (25–63 Hours)

Serving as a swansong for the PS4, Ghost of Tsushima pushed Sony's last-gen hardware to its absolute limit. Set during the 13th century on Japan's Tsushima island, the game follows a samurai, Jin Sakai, who goes on a revenge mission after his clan is taken out by an invading Mongol army.

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Featuring a pretty good story along with a ton of side content, Ghost of Tsushima is, for the most part, a fairly conventional open-world game. However, it has a stellar hack and slash combat system and an amazing setting that has not been excessively explored within gaming. The gameplay is smooth as butter and packs enough of a challenge to be engaging while still remaining accessible. That said, players can always bump up the difficulty if they find themselves breezing past enemies.

43 Cyberpunk 2077 (25–106 Hours)

Cyberpunk 2077 is infamous for having a disastrous launch. All the hype this game had accumulated was completely crushed as a result of unfulfilled promises and a litany of bugs that hampered the overall experience.

However, players who are willing to look past these faults and focus on the game's strengths can find themselves enjoying a narratively rich experience that's full to the brim with excellent characters. It's one of the longest video games around, which is fitting for a title made by CD Projekt Red.

42 Pokemon Legends: Arceus (26–80 Hours)

Finally, Pokemon went open-world, and Game Freak did a pretty decent job of adopting this style. Pokemon Legends: Arceus is the franchise's most ambitious project in years, not just in terms of scale but also in its story and mechanics.

This time around, the focus is squarely on exploration and discovery as the time-traveling protagonist seeks to fill the Pokedex of the Hisui region. Hopefully, Arceus represents the franchise's direction moving forward, or at least sparks a new subseries revolving around open-world gameplay.

41 Hogwarts Legacy (27–67 Hours)

So far, Hogwarts Legacy is 2023's biggest cross-platform open-world game. Avalanche's Harry Potter game brings to life the iconic school from the novels and movies, along with a few beloved locations that surround the academy. As the story takes place long before Harry, Ron, and Hermione are born, players are allowed to create their own legend that stands up on its own merit.

Even though its narrative and combat are decent and very good respectively, the game's world is undoubtedly its highlight. Harry Potter fans have long wished they could immerse themselves in the Wizarding World, and Hogwarts Legacy offers them that opportunity.

40 Fallout 3: Game Of The Year Edition (28–115 Hours)

For the longest time, the Fallout series was limited to a top-down isometric perspective that was quite a blast in its own right. However, the manner in which Bethesda managed to modernize the series should definitely be commended.

Related: Fallout 3: Locations Most Players Missed

Fallout 3 was a return to form for the series that showcased the potential of the IP as an open-world action-adventure title. The game was absolutely massive and full to the brim with content, turning it into one of the longest titles ever made.

39 Final Fantasy 15: Complete Edition (28–121 Hours)

Final Fantasy 15 saw Square Enix's JRPG franchise embracing a Western-inspired open-world, a decision that garnered a mixed reception. Released in 2016, the story follows a prince and his closest companions as they go on a cross-country trip in search of the protagonist's bridge to be.

Focusing on real-time combat and devoting a fair amount of time to exploration, FF15 is a rather different experience than most of the mainline entries in the franchise. In fact, the game's open-ended map seems like a direct response to the criticism levied at FF13's linearity.

38 Subnautica (30–58 Hours)

Set on a water-themed alien planet, Subnautica is a survival horror game that leans heavily into exploration. As Ryley, players are tasked with traversing this world in pursuit of clues that might reveal what happened to a crew that landed on the planet a decade prior; in the meantime, they are also searching for a way to head home.

Subnautica takes place primarily underwater, with the only exceptions being two rather small islands. The sea is filled with wonders and threats, including the terrifying Reapers. Open-world projects can feel a bit samey at times, but Subnautica's setting, horror elements, and first-person perspective differentiate the game from its peers.

37 Horizon Zero Dawn – Complete Edition (30–78 Hours) & Horizon Forbidden West (29–89 Hours)

Horizon Zero Dawn is one of those games with a world that players can absolutely lose themselves in forever if they wished. Playing as the ambitious and clever Aloy, gamers take up her teched-out bow and set out across a post-apocalyptic environment with mystic tribes, rolling hills, lush forests, and robot dinosaurs.

It goes without saying that Horizon Zero Dawn's greatest strength is its world. In a genre where that element needs to be big, bright, and beautiful, this game undoubtedly succeeds. The sequel, Horizon Forbidden West, offers more of the same, only slightly better.

36 Assassin's Creed Origins (30–87 Hours)

Assassin's Creed Origins marked a new beginning for Ubisoft's franchise. Although the series had already experienced a lot of success prior to visiting Ancient Egypt, the games were starting to lose momentum; consequently, Origins shook things up by opting for a new combat system along with a heavier focus on loot.

Origins is one of the best Assassin's Creed games, and the 2017 release works well as a link between the action-adventure entries that preceded it and the RPG-driven ones that succeeded it. Unsurprisingly, the open-world is a sight to behold, and it manages to be expansive but not overwhelming.

35 Dysmantle (33–80 Hours)

An indie open-world survival game, Dysmantle establishes a gameplay loop that is irresistibly addictive. Set in a post-apocalyptic world featuring zombies, this title's bare-bones sound rather unspectacular, but everything comes together quite seamlessly for one main reason: progression is constant and highly enjoyable.

Players spend the majority of their time in Dysmantle destroying everything around them, and each action grants XP points that can then be used to forge better tools to cause even more devastation. It is a cycle that works brilliantly and ensures that grinding never feels pointless. The world is reasonably large too, even if the isometric camera angle makes the map seem smaller than it actually is.

34 Space Rangers HD: A War Apart (33–180 Hours)

Although it certainly shows its age nowadays, Space Rangers 2: Dominators was an impressive sci-fi title when it debuted in 2004. The Russian game blends a surprising number of genres, from trade simulators to shoot 'em ups and RTS. The base game launched with hardly a shortage of content, but 2013's Space Rangers HD: A War Apart adds even more material to it, expanding this title to enormous lengths.

Space Rangers HD takes place in a universe where evil robots called Dominators are trying to take over everything. The player steps into one of the game's various civilizations and must set out to complete faction missions, take a few trips to hyperspace, and make enemies and friends along the way. Not everything about Space Rangers HD: A War Apart has aged gracefully, but the game's open-ended nature is admirable and greatly enhances its replayability, making it one of the longest video games ever.

33 The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion – Game Of The Year Edition (33–181 Hours)

It would be impossible to list out a wealth of Bethesda titles without mentioning the legendary Elder Scrolls series. After the massive success of Morrowind, it was only a given that Bethesda would pull out all the stops for the next game in the series.

Oblivion definitely didn't disappoint in this regard, featuring an excellent story that would keep gamers occupied for weeks, if not months. It's one of the greatest and longest video games of all time.

32 Outward (34–79 Hours)

Usually, fantasy RPGs cast players as prominent figures, heroes summoned by the stars to change the course of history. Outward opts for a different take as its protagonist starts off as a common adventurer who is merely trying to pay off a debut, and it takes a while for them to become involved in a more important narrative.

While Outward has plenty of issues such as unsatisfying combat, the game nails its open-world. Players are allowed to explore the map to their hearts' content, and the game opens up very quickly. Sure, some routes lead to death, but that is to be expected in this sort of fantasy world.

31 Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen (34–117 Hours)

2012's Dragon's Dogma is a great action RPG, and Dark Arisen adds roughly 10 hours of awesome content to the base game. Capcom drops players in Gransys, a gorgeous open-world densely populated with monsters. While not colossal, the map is expertly crafted to maximize gameplay and combat, the latter of which is fantastic. Dark Arisen introduces Bitterblack Isle, a post-campaign area that significantly ramps up the difficulty and dread.

Dragon's Dogma does not have much in the way of memorable characters or writing, and the game's storytelling is unlikely to leave much of a lasting impression. However, almost everything else is well above average, and the simple act of exploration is satisfying. In 2022, Capcom announced that Dragon's Dogma 2 is on the way.

30 Fallout 4 – Game Of The Year Edition (34–226 Hours)

The sequel to Fallout 3 definitely had its fair share of detractors, with most people considering it to be a massive game that's devoid of any soul. However, there's no denying the fact that Fallout 4 has its merits.

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Exploration is still a blast, and settlement management is a welcome distraction that players can invest a ton of hours into. The combination of both these aspects — among many others — led to Fallout 4 becoming one of the longest video games around.

29 Days Gone (36–67 Hours)

Days Gone got lost in the PS4 exclusive shuffle and garnered a polarizing reception at launch. The zombie open-world game centers around Deacon St. John, a biker who goes on a journey to track down his supposedly deceased wife. A surprisingly character-driven piece, Days Gone's lengthy campaign does have some pacing issues and a slow start, but things do pick up after a couple of hours.

Even if the narrative fails to hit the spot with someone, they can at least look forward to driving their bike across a beautiful world while they try to avoid the undead hordes.

28 Conan Exiles (36–147 Hours)

Conan Exiles is one of those titles that someone can easily sink more than a thousand hours into, however, the survival game comes with such a steep learning curve that it can be really difficult to get into. Conan Exiles does have a story that can be somewhat followed, but the majority of the experience revolves around the basic gameplay loop of scavenging, crafting, building, and interacting with other players.

RELATED: Conan Exiles: How To Build A Great Base In Admin Mode

In some ways, this open-world game is similar to Minecraft, at least when it comes to the sandbox. Conan Exiles has amassed quite a dedicated fan base since its launch, and the game still averages thousands of players on Steam.

27 Fallout: New Vegas – Ultimate Edition (36–157 Hours)

A rich story with a player-driven narrative, Fallout: New Vegas is considered to be the best game in the series—and the longest! Completing Fallout: New Vegas under the completionist method will take players over 100 hours.

The main story is about 27.5 hours, but those who take their leisurely time may beat all the game's content in over 300 hours. Talking to every NPC, completing all the game's quests, and unlocking those achievements or trophies will keep players up night and day.

26 Elex 2 (37–87 Hours)

Piranha Bytes specializes in open-world games, an endeavor that goes all the way back to 2001's Gothic. Although typically known for their Eurojank, Piranha's projects are endearing and ambitious for the company's size. Gothic 2 is probably the developer's most famous title, but the Risen and Elex series also have their fans.

Debuting roughly a week after Elden Ring, Elex 2 was utterly overshadowed by FromSoftware's masterpiece. Now that the Lands Between has been fully explored, RPG fans might want to consider visiting Magalan for a fantasy sci-fi adventure. Elex 2 wastes little time in cutting players loose so that they can explore its world, and the game even hands out a jetpack.

Elex clocks in at 27 hours, along with a completionist time of 91 hours.

25 Don't Starve Together (37–209 Hours)

Don't Starve is a popular open-world survival game with a permadeath mechanic; meanwhile, Don't Starve Together frames many of the same ideas around multiplayer, acting both as a sequel and a standalone experience. As both titles have their positives and are worth owning in their own right, players will need to decide which title is better suited to meet their needs. If someone is specifically looking to play with friends, Don't Starve Together is their only choice.

RELATED: Differences Between Don't Starve And Don't Starve Together

Don't Starve Together is the longer of the two projects, although the time required to complete playthroughs will vary greatly since this is one of those games that plays it fast and loose with its story.