Best Open-World Games On PS Plus Extra & Premium

Sony’s new PlayStation Plus model is out in North America, and subscribers to the Premium and Extra tiers are well served when it comes to open-world games. The platform is chock-full of massive maps that are just aching to be explored.

Whether searching for a PlayStation exclusive or a third-party juggernaut, PS Plus Premium and Extra have players covered. With so many titles to pick from, picking somewhere to start can be challenging; therefore, let’s take a look at the best PS Plus open-world games.

While every upcoming game is on PS Plus Premium, some titles are not part of the Extra tier.

Horizon Forbidden West

Approximately a year following its debut, Horizon Forbidden West has been officially added to PS Plus Extra. Besides being a big get for the platform, this announcement might provide some indication of how Sony plans to treat first-party titles when it comes to its subscription service. That said, one example is not a pattern, so expectations should be kept in check.

Guerrilla Games’ sequel sees Aloy heading west, visiting areas that were once part of Utah, Nevada, and California, just to name a few featured states. Horizon Forbidden West retains what worked in Horizon Zero Dawn, which is also on PS Plus Extra, all the while expanding on a few things that could have been improved upon. While the 2017 release has a beautiful and impressive open-world, its sequel fills it with more interesting side content and micro stories. Consequently, HFW‘s map feels slightly more alive. When it comes to combat, the game delivers thrilling encounters that pit Aloy against both humans and robots. The latter is undoubtedly the campaign’s highlight.

Tchia

Debuting directly on PS Plus Extra, which is a rare treat, Tchia is an indie open-world game that might have gone unnoticed if it was not readily available to a pre-existing user base. Cast as the eponymous girl, players traverse a beautiful island that is ruled by a less-than-beloved god. When her father is kidnaped, Tchia heads out to save him, using a unique power that allows her to take over the bodies of animals or objects.

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Considering it was created by a fairly small team, Tchia is an impressive achievement that can stand alongside most bigger budget projects in the genre. That said, the game is fairly short by open-world standards, although that can be viewed as a positive. While not devoid of combat, the title’s primary focus is exploration, which is enhanced through Tchia’s ability.

PS Plus Extra and Premium’s November 2022 line-up revolved around Kingdom Hearts, but the selection also included one of the most beloved open-world RPGs of all time. Debuting in 2011, Skyrim was a massive hit right out of the gate, and its popularity has not waned over the last decade. The Special Edition is the definitive way to experience Bethesda’s masterpiece on consoles, as it improves the visuals and provides support for mods (which have played a huge part in extending the RPG’s lifespan).

Skyrim‘s open-world approaches perfection as it encourages exploration and discovery. The main storyline is fine, but the game’s success lies in its immersive locations, customization options, and character writing. Even as the years continue to pass, Skyrim still comes across as a big deal, and its addition to PS Plus Extra makes the service seem far more complete.

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion is also on PS Plus Premium (but not Extra).

Final Fantasy 15 Royal Edition

Square Enix brought the Final Fantasy series into the Open World genre with the release of Final Fantasy 15. Prior to its release, fans still got a taste of “open world” gameplay with installments like Final Fantasy 7, which allowed them to traverse an overworld via an Airship. But Final Fantasy 15 marks the first time that the series has entered a state of true freedom, allowing players to traverse a large open world filled with enemies, items, towns, and secrets.

The end result is a fascinating and unique Final Fantasy title that follows four protagonists on a journey across an expansive land, built with the same hybrid-style ATB and Action combat that players have come to love.

Fallout 4

Bethesda’s latest single-player Fallout is on offering with PS Plus for players that are looking to patrol through the wastelands. With a map that’s even larger than Skyrim‘s, Fallout 4 gives players tons of areas to explore, with a multitude of sidequests to complete and secrets to uncover. Those looking for an FPS-style RPG with a myriad of areas to conquer should definitely fall in love with the iconic release.

The franchise has been going strong, offering players a multitude of great open-world adventures and Fallout 4 is no exception. Players can expect to put some serious time into this game if they want to “see and do everything possible,” and that’s not even counting the DLC add-ons.

Ghost Of Tsushima: Director’s Cut

The PS4’s swan song as Sony’s main console, Ghost of Tsushima transports players back in time to the 13th century as the Mongols invade Japan’s Tsushima Island. After failing to stop the invasion and almost meeting his end, Jin Sakai goes on a quest to recruit fighters that could help turn the tide of battle.

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Ghost of Tsushima‘s open-world is gorgeous, be it on the PS4 or the PS5. Tsushima Island is lavish, varied, and breathtaking. The same can also be said about Iki Island, the location of the expansion that is included in the Director’s Cut. Within this map, players can look forward to engaging in intense samurai-themed battles and decent side quests with memorable NPCs.

Yakuza 0

Sega’s Yakuza headlined PS Plus’s August line-up, adding three games to Extra and Premium’s libraries. While all these titles are fantastic, Yakuza 0 is the cream of the crop, and the entry’s status as a prequel means it works well as an entry point into this universe. Chronicling Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima’s early days in the Yakuza, the story expertly blends fist-pumping action with genuine emotion and even a hint of absurdity.

Yakuza values small but dense maps over sprawling behemoths, a creative decision that has worked wonders for the license. Yakuza 0 takes place in Kamurochō and Sotenbori, two cities filled with side activities to keep people engaged in between the exceptional main missions.

Yakuza: Like A Dragon

Another Yakuza recommendation might seem like overkill, but Like a Dragon is a considerable departure from everything that came before it. Released in 2020, the game initiated a new era in the franchise’s history, one that brought on a number of significant changes. Rather than Kiryu, Yakuza: Like a Dragon‘s protagonist is Ichiban Kasuga, a character with a much louder personality than his predecessor. Inspired by old-school heroes found in games like Dragon Quest, Ichiban is likable, and the same can be said for the rest of the main characters.

Like a Dragon utilizes a turn-based combat system reminiscent of Ichiban’s favorite game, and while not perfect, it is a solid first attempt at this style of gameplay. More importantly for this article’s topic, this RPG takes place in a new setting, Yokohama’s Isezaki Ijincho. As tends to be the case with this franchise, the open-world is small by the genre’s standards, but the map is densely packed with quests, mini-games, and stores.

The Forgotten City

The Forgotten City has a unique origin story as the game started life as a mod for Skyrim. The latter was (and still is) highly respected within the community, and it served as a great launching pad for 2021’s stand-alone adventure. After some time-travel shenanigans, players find themselves living among the Romans, and they are quickly set upon the task of solving a strange case involving people turning into gold statues. The campaign utilizes a time-loop mechanic, granting players the power to relive the same day as they try to piece together exactly what is happening in this strange metropolis.

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While not massive, The Forgotten City‘s map is detailed, lively, and explorable. The streets are filled with NPCs, some of whom hand out optional quests that are well-written and help expand on the game’s world-building. The Forgotten City is one of those rare open-world PS Plus games that can be effectively completed in a day or a weekend. The genre does not produce many short experiences, but if this release is anything to go by, maybe that should change.

Just Cause 4: Reloaded

Added to PS Plus Extra on January 17, 2023, Just Cause 4 has a mixed reception. In a vacuum, the game offers mindless entertainment as the ultimate super spy spends a few hours blowing up most of an island to free its people from the sinister Black Hand. Although not particularly deep, the gameplay is fun for what it is; however, Just Cause 4 is generally regarded as a step back from the previous entries in the franchise. Consequently, fans of the second and third Just Cause games might find the 2018 sequel disappointing.

Nevertheless, Just Cause 4 is still one of the better open-world PS Plus games, especially if someone just wants to make the world burn. Solis, the island, is quite large and, at times, gorgeous.

Days Gone

Due to launching in a less-than-stellar state and suffering from some genre fatigue, Days Gone got a somewhat mixed reception, at least by the standards of PS4 exclusives. The post-apocalyptic zombie game boasts quite a big world, and while the activities within are hit-and-miss, traveling through the roads of Oregon can be gripping.

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This mainly comes down to Days Gone‘s customizable bike, which develops into a beast over the course of the campaign. The game’s zombie hordes also ensure that this world always feels dangerous.

Outer Wilds

Outer Wilds is a fascinating open-world game with a time loop central mechanic. Every 20 minutes, the sun basically explodes, causing the player to reawaken on their home planet. Luckily, they happen to be astronauts and have access to a ship, so they can travel to other planets in search of clues to decipher the mystery of what exactly is going on.

Outer Wilds superbly makes its story the central puzzle as the protagonist collects slivers of information en route to stitching together a complete picture of what is going on. Gripping, ambitious, and unique, Outer Wilds is an incredible ride that everyone with a PS Plus Premium and Extra subscription should take.

Death Stranding

A Hideo Kojima project is always going to be something special, and Death Stranding‘s bizarre reveal and early trailers instantly made that apparent. Set in a post-apocalyptic version of the United States, players portray Sam, a person charged with traveling across the country delivering packages and establishing communication points.

Death Stranding is very much about the journey; in fact, Sam has to carefully plan his trips and every step he takes along the way. Barren landscapes dominate the scene, and the gameplay can be quite meditative once players get used to its rhythm.

Tom Clancy’s The Division 2

November 2022 continued the trend of Ubisoft games debuting on PS Plus, with Ghost Recon Breakpoint, Rainbow Six Siege, and The Division 2 joining the Extra tier. The latter has been out for more than three years, and while things have not always been smooth sailing, The Division 2 has cemented itself as one of the better live-services games on the market.

Set in Washington D.C., Ubisoft’s title envisions a post-apocalyptic alternate reality filled with warring factions and nature-covered landmarks. The series has quite a realistic presentation, although the sequel is slightly more colorful than its predecessor. The Division 2 has plenty of multiplayer-focused content, including PvP and an extensive endgame, but the story can be played solo and experienced as a single-player game.

Shadow Of The Colossus (2018)

Bluepoint Games can be relied upon to deliver high-quality remakes, and the studio’s 2018 rendition of Shadow of the Colossus is a treat for fans of Team Ico’s PS2 classic. Retaining the core elements of the original version, the remake improves the visuals and controls, providing a faithful but modernized experience.

Shadow of the Colossus drops players in a desolate world and gives them a straightforward task: kill 16 roaming colossi to save the life of one girl. The Forbidden Land is haunting but sporadically beautiful, and while the map is not that large, the game does a splendid job of making it feel epic.

LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes

LEGO is not just for children, and that goes for both the building blocks and the games. PS Plus Premium has a couple of LEGO titles, but anyone searching for an open-world experience should check out Batman 2: DC Super Heroes. Like a comedic version of the Arkham series, Traveller’s Tales’ game allows DC fans to explore a detailed and charming Gotham filled with references to the Caped Crusader’s legacy. The campaign even includes a trip to Metropolis, although it is not a sandbox like the Dark Knight’s hunting grounds.

DC Batman 2: DC Super Heroes has a relatively short but enjoyable campaign, one that assembles an impressive array of heroes and villains from DC’s extensive history. While the main missions are good, the game’s free-roam might be its greatest feature since it encourages players to explore every corner of the world.

Extra-only subscribers can check out Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, which trades one big open-world for smaller hub areas.

Far Cry 3: Classic Edition

PS Plus Extra and Premium subscribers can jump into Far Cry 3, Blood Dragon, or Far Cry 4. All three games are among Ubisoft’s better open-world projects, and first-person shooter fans are likely to have a blast with any of them. However, Far Cry 3 gets the nod since it is undoubtedly the most important and influential release in the franchise. An argument could be made that ever since the game debuted in 2013, each subsequent mainline entry has been trying to recapture its magic.

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Far Cry 3 takes place on a tropical island defined by violence, something the protagonist learns quickly when he comes across the charismatic but deadly Vaas. Compared to more recent Ubisoft releases, Far Cry 3‘s open-world is far more manageable in terms of size, while still being huge in its own right.

Unturned

Unturned takes a few pages from Minecraft and throws zombies into the mix. After loading into a map, players are mostly left to figure things out for themselves, regardless of whether they are offline or tagging along with some friends.

The survival element takes a familiar form, demanding the monitoring of resources and meters while strategically planning out actions to avoid attracting unwanted attention. There is even a base-building mechanic. Unturned provides an enjoyable way to spend a few hours. It is not the most graphically impressive or unique open-world game on PS Plus, but Unturned has its charm.

Marvel’s Spider-Man

Spider-Man games are a dime-a-dozen, but Marvel’s Spider-Man is anything but ordinary. Insomniac nailed the character’s movement better than any other Spidey game in history – the basic act of swinging through Manhattan is a joy.

These moments transition seamlessly into combat scenarios, be it the epic boss fights peppered throughout the story or the bursts of random encounters that populate the city’s streets and rooftops. Marvel’s hero is synonymous with New York, and that’s something Insomniac’s project respects and promotes. Manhattan feels like a living, breathing metropolis.

Crysis Remastered

The original Crysis became something of a meme since the game required a beefy computer to run. All these years later, the first-person shooter is still visually impressive, an element highlighted beautifully by the remaster. Dressed in powerful Nanosuits, Raptor Team lands on Lingshan Islands in search of important archeologists who have gone missing.

Predominantly set in a jungle, Crysis‘ open-world might not be particularly unique, but it serves as a suitable playground for a power fantasy-type experience. While by no means small, the map is nowhere near as big as open-world projects released post-2010, which is a blessing in its own way. Crysis Remastered is a good pick for anyone searching for a satisfying FPS that will not take them too long to complete.

Vampyr

Vampire games are (surprisingly) in short supply, but fans of bloodsuckers do have a couple of great games to choose from. Set in 1918 in London, Vampyr painstakingly recreates the city from that era, resulting in a gorgeous but fittingly grimy aesthetic.

Containing side missions in the form of “Investigations,” Vampyr‘s world is drenched in atmosphere and personality, permitting the game to truly stand out from anything else available on PS Plus Premium. For anyone seeking a novel and not especially long open-world game, this game is a great place to start.

Middle-Earth: Shadow Of Mordor

PS Plus Extra’s December 2022 line-up included Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War, two games that should hit the spot for fans of The Lord of the Rings. Utilizing a combat system reminiscent of the Batman Arkham series, both titles knock their gameplay out of the park. As Talion, players traverse relatively expansive maps littered with orcs and Uruks, completing quests in the process. The campaigns are somewhat linear, but they do provide some side content.

Shadow of Mordor should be a newcomer’s starting point, and it is arguably the more enjoyable of the two games. As the map is split into areas, the world is not quite as open as, for example, Skyrim, but the individual sections are quite large and can be explored freely. The Nemesis System also reflects the player’s actions, making it seem like the world is constantly evolving.

The Long Dark

The world finds itself in a post-apocalyptic era, leaving the player stranded in a freezing Canadian wasteland. The Long Dark has a story mode in the form of Wintermute, which guides players through a largely straightforward path that teaches them the basics of survival. Although this option is fine, it is merely an appetizer to The Long Dark‘s Survival mode. As its title implies, this section is all about persevering for as long as possible against the overwhelming challenges offered by the weather, cold, and wildlife.

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The Long Dark is at its best when it just lets its users do their own thing. With death lurking around every corner, the game creates a constant sense of tension as players desperately attempt to keep their meters healthy in an environment that feels tailor-made to destroy them. The Long Dark is far from an easy game, although it does come with a variety of difficulty settings so that players can customize their experiences.

Destroy All Humans!

A remaster of a 2005 cult classic, Destroy All Humans!‘s open-world is antiquated by today’s definition of the term. Rather than one massive map, the campaign is split into levels consisting of self-contained areas that can be freely traversed. While not particularly big by modern standards, the stages are reasonably sized for the type of gameplay that Destroy All Humans! offers. As the title suggests, this game is all about spreading chaos, mayhem, and destruction.

An alien dubbed Crypto invades Earth during the ’50s, and his arsenal of sci-fi weapons is a complete mismatch for humanity’s defensive options. Black Forest’s remaster is not particularly complicated or deep, but the game is good fun in a shut-off-your-brain-and-watch-everything-explode kind of way.

Gravity Rush 2

The underappreciated sequel to Gravity Rush, Gravity Rush 2 gives Kat a bigger playground to jump across. In this universe-swapping adventure, players will be taken to multiple locations, although the majority of their time will be spent in Jirga Para Lhao and Hekseville.

Gravity Rush 2‘s open-world is beautiful, large but not overwhelmingly so, and diverse. Like its predecessor, the sequel’s gravity-driven traversal system enhances the game’s world as it provides a unique way to interact with its highs and lows.

Stranded Deep

One of the best open-world games on PS Plus for survival fans, Stranded Deep drops players in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and tells them to make the most of a bad situation. As the terrain is procedurally generated, each run is at least partially unique, even if players generally have to follow the same steps.

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In terms of gameplay, Stranded Deep sticks close to the genre’s blueprint. Players need to monitor their health, build shelter, find food, and survive against wildlife. The environment sets Beam Team’s game apart from the crowd.

Elex

Piranha Bytes deserves praise for its ambition. The German company specializes in open-world games, and early releases like Gothic 2 represent the “Eurojank” sub-genre at its absolute best. That said, Piranha Bytes has struggled to recapture the 2002 game’s magic, even if the Risen series has its positives. That said, Elex and its sequel arguably came the closest to achieving just that.

Unfortunately, PS Plus Extra only has the first entry in the franchise, which is the definition of a mixed bag. Elex combines sci-fi and fantasy to create a post-apocalyptic world that allows for magic to exist alongside high-tech guns. The game takes place on Magalan, and the planet’s open-world is big, immersive, and diverse. Elex is arguably at its best when focusing on exploration, especially since the combat system takes a while to pick up steam. In the grand scheme of things, the 2017 release is not the best open-world game on Game Pass, but it has heart, charm, and good ideas.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance

Kingdom Come: Deliverance foregoes magic and fantasy in favor of harsh realism. Set during the 15th century, Warhorse’s game casts players as the lone survivor of a butchered village, a tragedy that drives the protagonist to seek revenge. In this cutthroat universe, such an undertaking is a grueling, slow task rather than an explosive and constantly satisfying sprint.

Kingdom Come‘s world is vast and naturalistic. While it might not contain as many awe-inspiring sights as some other settings found in the RPG genre, Bohemia is a fully-realized kingdom soaked in history. PS Plus Extra subscribers looking to immerse themselves in an open-world game should check this title out.

Immortals Fenyx Rising

Ubisoft has cornered a slice of the open-world market. The publisher’s franchises, mainly Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry, tend to stick fairly closely to a formula, although each entry tweaks a few things. While these are all good games, by this point, someone likely knows whether they are for them or not. As Ubisoft’s games tend to share a few common traits, people who are not fans of the company’s biggest IPs might be tempted to just ignore Immortals Fenyx Rising, an open-world game that was added in March 2023 to PS Plus Extra.

While not completely removed from Ubisoft’s other projects, Immortals Fenyx Rising definitely has its own identity, especially since the title is clearly inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Beyond sharing a visual style, the game utilizes a flashy hack and slash combat system that blends melee with ranged options. The campaign also has quite a few optional puzzles, and while there are a number of side quests, they are not overabundant. Immortals Fenyx Rising is a fun footnote in Ubisoft’s legacy.

Kingdoms Of Amalur: Re-Reckoning

Originally released during the PS3 era, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning received a remaster in 2020. More than anything, this version helped put the game back on the market as it was not the easiest product to come by for a few years. Kingdoms of Amalur is a relatively straightforward fantasy RPG, and its story should not hold too many surprises for veterans of the genre. However, the game’s world is refreshingly colorful and vibrant, helping to set it apart from some of its contemporaries.

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While somewhat dated in this day and age, Kingdoms Of Amalur: Re-Reckoning‘s gameplay is nevertheless a great deal of fun. Taking a few hints from hack and slash titles, the combat system is fluid, fast-paced, and explosive.

Prey

Set on a space station, Prey puts players in Morgan Yu’s shoes as he investigates the Talos 1 after it has been invaded by an alien threat. Combining elements of horror, stealth, and Metroidvania gameplay, Prey doesn’t handhold players, allowing them to explore the environment at their own risk.

Talos 1 is not as big of a location as some other open-world games, but it serves as a detailed and immersive sandbox filled with secrets to uncover and challenges to take on.

Infamous: Second Son

All the Infamous games on PS Plus Premium are worth playing. While Cole’s entries are highly rated, Second Son tends to get overlooked due to its (relatively) early release in the PS4’s lifecycle. Despite coming out within a year of the console’s launch, Infamous: Second Son is still one of the best-looking games on the PS4, and its iteration of Seattle is incredible.

As Delsin Rowe unlocks new powers and ways to interact with the world, Second Son grows into something truly special. This is also a pretty short open-world game, presenting a nice alternative to the RDR2s and Horizon Zero Dawns of the world.

Batman: Arkham City

Rocksteady revitalized the superhero genre with its Arkham trilogy. Expanding considerably upon Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City unleashes the Dark Knight on a large prison that is basically a section of Gotham.

While the story is quite linear and can be completed within 15 hours, Arkham City does contain plenty of other activities to distract Batman, be it the Riddler challenges or quests featuring DC villains such as Deadshot. Arkham City is a near-perfect open-world game and shows that the use of a map is far more important than its size.

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