For a while, it seemed like open-world games had plateaued. Video game design is often at its best when developers seek to reach new heights, permitting the studio has the resources to justify its ambition. Franchises like Assassin’s Creed are continually pushing the envelope for scale and design, and that is just one franchise that has helped establish the conventions of the open-world genre.

Open-world games excite players because of their lifelike nature, and the online scene has led to plenty of great titles. Projects like Red Dead Online and GTA Online seem to be never ending, offering a forever evolving multiplayer-focused world backed with constant updates to keep players coming back indefinitely. MMOs are incredibly popular on PC, with the likes of Black Desert Online, Final Fantasy 14, and Guild Wars 2 presenting gorgeous and engrossing settings for fans to immerse themselves in.

As exciting as online games can be, sometimes a solo, offline experience hits the sweet spot. What are some of the best open-world PC games that can be played without a constant internet connection?

Updated August 25, 2022 by Mark Sammut: Way of the Hunter, Saints Row, Stray, Dying Light 2 Stay Human, Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, V Rising, and GhostWire Tokyo are all open-world PC games that came out in 2022. The year is not done yet either since Skull and Bones, Goat Simulator 3, and Gotham Knights should also debut before 2023 rolls around. Basically, if someone is a fan of single-player open-world games, they should not have any issues finding a universe to get lost in.

Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 earned a negative reputation due to launching at a nearly unplayable state on certain platforms, and these criticisms were valid. However, CD Projekt Red’s game performed well on PC, as this version had considerably fewer technical issues. When analyzed on its own, Cyberpunk 2077 has plenty of positives that make it worthy of a mention as one of the best open-world PC games.

Night City is a dense metropolis filled with environmental storytelling and side content. Now, this title’s open-world does not reach the same heights as CD Projekt Red’s other foray into the genre, but that serves as a testament to The Witcher 3’s brilliance rather than Cyberpunk 2077’s lack of quality.

Just Cause 2

Avalanche Studios’ Just Cause license arguably peaked with its second entry, although the third game comes in at a close second. When a dictatorship needs to be toppled and an army blown to smithereens, Rico Rodriguez is the one to call. Armed with all the weapons in the world and the determination to make creative use of them, Rico parachutes his way into Panau and gets to work.

Just Cause 2 is an offline sandbox game, and players simply need to explore the map and destroy anything that remotely threatens to get in their way. In fact, just annihilate everything.

Mad Max

After decades of inactivity, Mad Max returned in a huge way in 2015. Along with the stellar Fury Road, the franchise also dropped a shockingly great game. Developed by Just Cause’s Avalanche Studios, Mad Max recreates the harsh post-apocalyptic wasteland seen in George Miller’s movies. The world is big but purposefully barren, which enhances the game’s atmosphere.

Mad Max offers some of the best vehicular combat in gaming history, and this feature only improves as the Road Warrior upgrades his Magnum Opus.

Horizon Zero Dawn

Horizon Zero Dawn follows Aloy, a Nora Brave and a machine destroyer who is deeply involved in this world’s history. In a future where humanity has been pushed back to its primitive state, Aloy must uncover secrets about her mother and protect her people.

The game had issues at the PC launch date, but patches have improved things. Horizon Zero Dawn is by no means flawless on PC, but its beauty, combat, and slow-building but satisfying story shine through despite some of the port’s rough edges. This single-player experience has some magnificent moments.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow Of Chernobyl

2007’s S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl and 2009’s Call of Pripyat are two of the best open-world survival games of all time. Even though the latter is the more polished experience, Shadow of Chernobyl should be played first by newcomers to the franchise.

Set in the Zone, Shadow of Chernobyl captures a sense of dread better than most other games on the market. Dated visuals aside, the world is still impressive and frightening today. The map is split into different areas that come with load screens, but Shadow of Chernobyl is non-linear.

Fallout 4

As a game that was ridden with bugs on day one, Fallout 4 has since done quite a turnaround. The game is by no means perfect, but the community has added more mods over the years, some of which improve gameplay, story elements, the environment, and more.

Building settlements is one of the fun things to do in Fallout 4. Mods can greatly enhance the settlement-building experience as well. Fallout 4 is played offline, with a connection only being needed to download updates or DLC packages.

Middle-earth: Shadow Of War

The acclaimed sequel to Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor comes with a massive open-world that is easily traversed with Wraith powers. Wraith mode is like an eagle vision that allows players to find points of interest.

Middle-earth: Shadow of War tosses gamers into the action with little explanation. The combat is unforgiving, so it can be considered a challenging game. If someone is willing to grind out some of the game’s final hours, Middle-earth: Shadow of War is worth the struggle. The Nemesis system also makes Shadow of War’s world feel alive, adapting to the player’s failures.

Death Stranding

Ever since Hideo Kojima parted ways with Konami, Kojima Productions has gone on to bigger and brighter things. Death Stranding contains masterful storytelling and gameplay that grows more exciting with each passing hour.

The graphics are among the best of any game on the PlayStation 4, but this experience can be enhanced even further on a PC. The spacious world is mesmerizing, making Death Stranding a must-play offline PC game. The game does offer some online interactivity, but it is not critical to the overall experience.

Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered

Another PlayStation exclusive that got ported to PC, Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered survived the transition mostly in one piece, and this version also comes with the DLC. Insomniac’s take on the superhero formula perfects the art of movement; in fact, an argument could be made that Spider-Man and its spin-off, Miles Morales, have the most enjoyable traversal controls in any open-world game.

When not swinging from building to building, Peter Parker heads to New York’s rooftops and streets to deliver some fast-paced and stylish justice. The game’s central storyline is quite good and should satisfy both fans of the Wall-Crawler and relative newcomers. Unfortunately, Spider-Man’s side content falls flat.

Fallout: New Vegas

Compared to some other games, Fallout: New Vegas can come across as dated. On the technical side, this RPG very much looks and plays like one that came out in 2010; however, its storytelling hold up well.

A spin-off developed by Obsidian Entertainment, New Vegas might be the best Fallout game in circulation. Taking place in a post-apocalypse, this open-world offline game lets players make story-changing decisions. Fallout: New Vegas has some great mods, which naturally require going online to download.

Elden Ring

FromSoftware flirted with open-world design in projects like Dark Souls and Bloodborne, but the developer did not fully embrace the concept until Elden Ring. The Lands Between has fallen into ruin, leaving behind remnants of a once prosperous kingdom. As the Tarnished, players are tasked with reforming the Elden Ring, a quest that sees them travel from the top of mountains to cities buried deep underground.

FromSoftware adapted its Souls-like formula into an open-world that grants players the freedom to carve their own path. Each region of the map also comes with a central dungeon reminiscent of the Metroidvania-style labyrinths of the developer’s previous masterpieces.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Depending on the person, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim might not be considered the greatest game in the series. At the same time, Skyrim is one of the most enduring and best open-world games ever made. The world is the ideal size for exploration and questing.

Skyrim’s regional design places it among the greatest open-world maps of all time. The landscapes can be traversed with a horse, but beware of dragons and other supernatural creatures. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is not going anywhere.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has overtaken many of the greatest RPGs because of its breathtaking open-world. Set in Norway and England during the Viking invasion of Britain, the game is packed with lush green and snowy areas.

The different environments provide immersion like few other open-world games. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is arguably the best Assassin’s Creed title, by extension making it one of the greatest (offline) open-world games on PC. That said, someone’s favorite entry in Ubisoft’s series is usually determined by their preferred setting.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Commended for its strong protagonist, Geralt of Rivia, and masterful RPG elements, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt set a near untouchable standard for open-world games. Velen can be stormy, providing an atmosphere that is not often seen in open-world games. The diverse environments expertly blend realism and fantasy.

There are loading screens, but the bulk of the content is experienced in a borderless world. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a shining example of open-world design.

How To Switch Steam To Offline Mode

In some cases, Steam will need to be set to “Offline Mode” for a game to start when there is no internet connection. This setting is found by following these steps:

  • Log into Steam Select the “Steam” menu Select “Go Offline” Select “Restart in Offline Mode”

For more information, Steam has a support page dedicated to offline play.