Open-world games become more prevalent with each passing year. Even franchises that started out as a different genre eventually embrace the formula, sometimes to mixed results. Many classic franchises are still holding out, despite how logical of a leap it might seem.
The ten franchises below either have settings, gameplay, or stories begging to be expanded into an open-world adventure. Some of them even have fans pleading for it. A few of these have new sequels or reboots in the works, so it is very possible a couple will have open-world entries in the future. Despite how logical some of these seems, crafting an open-world game is never an easy feat.
10 BioShock
BioShock and its sequel take place in the underwater city, Rapture. BioShock Infinite takes the action to the sky in the floating city of Columbia. Despite taking place in science fiction metropolises, no game allows you to freely explore the environment. Perhaps the new BioShock in development will expand upon the series by taking place in an open-world environment. The varied gameplay would only become more versatile in a sandbox.
9 Dark Souls
FromSoftware’s Souls series always lets players tackle progression with an element of freedom. The logical next step for this influential gameplay formula is a full-fledged open-world experience. The developer is currently working on Elden Ring, a collaboration with author George R.R. Martin. This upcoming title is said to be an open-world game. This will hopefully go a long way towards softening the genre’s extreme difficulty. More opportunities for exploration means it will be easier to level up, at least in theory.
8 Resident Evil
The Resident Evil franchise has come a long way since 1996. Over the seven mainline entries, the action has taken players to all corners of the globe. Certain elements of some of the games would lend themselves well to an open-world design.
Take Mr. X from Resident Evil 2’s remake. Imagine how exciting and terrifying it would be for a terrifying beast chasing you around an entire map. Many would be thrilled if it was Lady Dimitrescu from the upcoming Resident Evil: Village It is easy to imagine Raccoon City being the setting of an open-world Resident Evil.
7 Super Mario
Super Mario games have come close to being open-world, but still split events up into different worlds and levels. Super Mario Odyssey basically removes separate levels in favor of each world being one giant level. It is not a big leap to see a future Super Mario game taking place on one giant map. The recently released Bowser’s Fury, packed in with the Nintendo Switch release of Super Mario 3D World, is pretty close to this concept.
6 Uncharted
It has been almost five years since Uncharted 4 and four years since The Lost Legacy. We still have no idea what the future holds for the franchise, but we can see an open-world game being a part of it. Parts of Uncharted 4 and The Lost Legacy involve open areas with exploration and bonus content. The Last of Us Part II even further expands on segments this with the opening portion of Seattle. It is only a matter of time before a full open-world game comes along.
5 Silent Hill
Typically taking place in the titular town, the Silent Hill games feel bigger than other survival horror game because of the open streets you are able to walk down. Silent Hill: Downpour even has more exploration than other entries in the series. Since Konami’s radical shift in the mid-2010s, Silent Hill has been out of the spotlight, but fans are begging for a return. If it does come back soon, an open-world entry feels like it could be in the cards, letting players run around the entire town. Of course, puzzles and other hallmarks of the survival horror genre would still be prominent features.
4 Spyro
As far as 3D platformers go, it is hard to find something better than Spyro for the original PlayStation. Insomniac’s original trilogy was recently remastered for the PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, reminding players why the purple dragon’s early adventures were so compelling. If a new entry is in the cards, perhaps it could be an open-world platformer. Gliding from one end of the map to the other would be a thrill.
3 Battlefield
Battlefield has seen better days since Battlefield V’s mixed reception. With the formula perhaps getting a little tiring, it is time to reinvent the franchise. To significantly differentiate itself from other military shooters, why not make the next Battlefield an open-world game?
A large map with hundreds of enemies and other NPCs would play into the series’ strengths and remind everyone what is so unique about it. This could even create more multiplayer possibilities.
2 Mega Man
While a traditional Mega Man turned into an open-world game or a metroidvania could be interesting, this entry is more a plea for Mega Man Legends 3. The first two Mega Man Legends were incredibly unique adventures for the original PlayStation. A third Legends game was in development for the Nintendo 3DS before being cancelled. Capcom would win a lot of favor if they brought the series back on modern consoles, expanding upon the dungeon crawling gameplay and exploration of the predecessors.
1 Pokemon
After The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, fans started dreaming about other Nintendo properties receiving a similar treatment. The most desired among these is the Pokemon franchise (though it is not technically a Nintendo property). With the variety of Pokemon created over the years and unique world, an open-world game using these creatures would be a fan’s dream come true. Unfortunately, this is also one of the least likely to happen, though Sword and Shield have some elements of this with the Wild Area.
