The longest-running open world game franchise.

Important points

• at
  Forza Horizon
  The series evolves from racetracks to city streets. Featuring a variety of locations and exciting challenges.
• at
  Driver
  The series features realistic 3D action. But it stumbled in later entries, losing its open world format in 2011.
• at
  far cry
  The franchise pioneered open world FPS games. But the game's formula may start to become dull for some fans, despite the game's rich world.

The developers have tried to give players an open world to explore. Since the arcade era This can be done in many ways. From first-person adventures to top-down exploration. Whether in 2D or 3D, some games have pushed the genre forward through a handful of entries, others have been doing it for decades. and became a part of it The longest-running open world game franchise.

To determine which franchise has been operating the longest This list comes with some rules. Each set must include a minimum of five items. (So ​​there is no repression or prototype– It also starts with the first open world game in the series, so it's the first. Far cry, which is a standard FPS does not count. far cry 2 So the run started with that game. Then close with their latest game. Including a sequel that has been confirmed in development.

10 Forza Horizon

Racing for free for 9 years

• First game:Forza Horizon (2012)
• Latest games:Forza Horizon 5 (2021).

spun out of Forza Motorsport set, Forza Horizon Take the car off the track and onto the road. Players will have to fight against traffic and other racers. In order to perform enough stunts Do enough activities and win enough matches to advance to the Horizon Festival, the more popular they become. Challenges and activities The more they unlock, the more they can unlock. Including racing against airplanes and helicopters.

Since its inception The series allows players to race around. All types of places From simulation locations in Colorado and Australia to the realistic depiction of the French Riviera and Edinburgh, Scotland, everything has been quiet since its release. Forza Horizon 5 In 2021, even if successful But it's hard to imagine the series being left dormant for long.

9 Driver

Stuck in a hole after 12 years of operation

• First game: Driver (1999)
• Latest games:Driver: Traitor (2011)

Everyone today knows Grand Theft Auto very successful But it doesn't always guarantee success. The first two top-down 2D games looked ancient next to each other. Driver– Allows players to drive around vacation spots in Miami, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York (and Newcastle upon Tyne on the PC version ) freely It pulls in different road jobs for one NPC or another. If they can get past the surprisingly difficult tutorial, that is.

The action takes place behind the wheel, in front of the car and in full 3D. Driver 2 Improve things by going abroad Visit Havana and Rio de Janeiro And let the player get out of the car to catch another car. However, the series soon lost its mojo when it got too rushed and buggy. drive 3r It came out as a failure instead of a front-runner. Despite improvements in follow-up results But it still wasn't enough to keep the series going in its open world format beyond 2011.

8 far cry

Doing the same thing over and over for 13 years.

• First Open World Game: far cry 2 (2008)
• Latest games: far cry 6 (2021).

manuscript far cry From 2004 it's open, although it's not a very open world. due to lack of additional activities and console version Far Cry: Instinct is more linear. Therefore, far cry 2 Remove the float and let players explore the game world set in Africa. This gives them many side objectives to complete alongside the main story missions.

Since then The game soon became a leading open-world first-person shooter. Have players blast their way from the tropical jungle to the jungles of Montana. Even after that far cry 3 Stuck with the gameplay and its charming, antisocial villains, there were a lot of fans who felt that each follow-up followed the same formula. It may not be broken, though, and these fans are growing bored with the series.

7 Saints Row

From a gangster to Goofy in 16 years

• First game: Saints Row (2006)
• Latest games: Saints Row (2022)

It is open to Saints Row 4 It shows that Volition's series is viewed as “Claimant to the Throne” first game Saints RowBeing seen as a person of good morals GTA A clone that players can own until the real thing. GTA The next generation of consoles has arrived. And then some people don't like it. GTA 4The brutal narrative direction becomes even more ferocious and bizarre. 2nd row of saints was there to get them back, then Volition turned the damn dial on. Third row of saints–

The game trades in the gangster edge and creative choices for a game show with murder and suspiciously shaped bats. Row St 4 Taking it a step further by adding superpowers, aliens, and dubstep guns to the mix, the 2022 reboot attempts to bring the series back to life. But when there's no edge or craziness It turned out to be the most bland experience. And most annoying with boring characters. It's sad for the series to come out.

6 Creed's Murderer

18 years of assassination

• First game:Creed's Murderer (2007)
• Latest games: Assassin's Creed: Shadow (Delayed until February 2025)

if far cry is a clear open world FPS and Forza Horizon Important open world racer Creed's Murderer The games are clearly a historic open world series. It has an overarching storyline that is relevant to the present. Shady company and futuristic sci-fi technology Even though it is a decorative background compared to the main setting of the series.

Whether the player controls Altair, Ezio, Edward Kenway, or someone else, the game is often about sneaking past enemies and parking over obstacles to assassinate the main target or complete other objectives. Creed's Murderer The games model the Italian Renaissance and England's Dark Ages in great detail. Making them as fun to explore as the game itself is next. Assassin's Creed ShadowsIt aims to do the same for Sengoku period Japan through new clues like Yasuke and Naoe.

5 Get up and die

18 years of undead fun

• First game: Get up and die (2006)
• Latest games: Dead Rising: Deluxe Remaster (2024)

if Deluxe Remaster Didn't come out. Get up and die The series will be cut short by 8 years. The original game alleviates players' urge to race around Williamette Mall, killing zombies with makeshift weapons. This gives time to management objectives and survivors to help. If they don't finish on time They will end up with a bad ending to the game.

The sequels have changed the setting and protagonists e.g. Dead Rising 2of Chuck Green and Dead Rising 3Nick Ramos. However, it is Dead Rising 4The return of Frank West and Williamette concludes the series. Due to declining sales, Capcom Vancouver, the game's developer, had to close its doors. Deluxe Remaster This episode attempts to bring the series back to life with some quality of life improvements. And judging by the reception It is considered well done.

4 Yakuza/Dragon-like

Moving from strength to strength over 20 years

• First game: Yakuza (2005)
• Latest games: Like a Dragon: Yakuza Pirates in Hawaii (February 2025).

at Yakuza/Dragon-like The series has an interesting life. It took half a lifetime to succeed in Japan. But it was such a cult classic in the Western world that Sega had little control over sales for localizing the series. Yakuza 5 It took three years to reach the West Coast. And even then Well, it's just a digital version.

already Yakuza 0 It was released with Atlus limiting its legal action and the series became an instant hit. Older games were re-released, remade, and adapted for modern systems. It created a new group of fans that made it a global success in the second half of the game. Newer mainstream games are RPGs, but the open and brawling gameplay is still there. Like a Dragon: Ishina– It's like Dragon Gaiden.and sentence game

3 Grand Theft Auto

Joyride for 28 years

• First game: Grand Theft Auto (1997)
• Latest games:Grand Theft Auto 6 (planned for 2025)

YakuzaMaking its mark in the early years was not helped by marketing as Grand Theft Auto Clone based on games like true crime and mafiaWhen it's more like that Shen Mu– The reason why GTA The clones that are stuck are because GTA It itself has reinvented the genre in its own image. Players love roaming around. A city that causes chaos And they want more of that experience.

That said, it takes time until GTA 3 In order for this series to be watched It brings the experience to life in complete 3D. The first two games presented the same devastation. with a deliberate argument with mass murder But it's a 2D, top-down game, and a much trickier experience in 3D. GTA It's much easier to manage. and has become the benchmark by which other open world games are based. that uses crime as a comparable basis

32 years of fantasy

• First game: Elder Scrolls: Arena (1994)
• Latest games:Elder Scroll 6 (planned for 2026)

After 13 years of updates, expansions, and refinements. Skyrim– Elder Scrolls The series will finally enter its 6th main game…finally. which has been tentatively named Elder Scroll 6 It's earmarked for a 2026 release, perhaps the next eagerly awaited game after waiting just as long. GTA 6– however, Test hit GTA Stings by making Tamriel an open world in its first outing Elder Scrolls: Arena– It's already at one level.

The world is procedurally generated. Therefore, players must use fast travel to get from city to city, otherwise they will wander the wilderness for eternity. However, they can still play side missions alongside their entry. Main dungeon and combat the game's day/night cycle. where monsters come up when the sun goes down It's a huge world to explore. And it's only gotten bigger ever since through its many sequels.

1 The Legend of Zelda

A legend 38 years in the making

• First game: The Legend of Zelda (1986)
• Latest games: The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (2024)

The Legend of Zelda– Open the world? Even before Breath of the Forest and Tears of the Kingdom– That's right, even top-down games allow players to progress at their own pace. They choose the dungeon they want to tackle first. What secrets must be discovered? And what missions do they want to do? It's been a winning formula for every game in the series since, even the CD-I games.

If there is anything The Legend of Zelda Set up a template for a modern 3D open world game via Khon Kaen of time– From side missions and upgrades to collectibles and mini-games. You can see the series' DNA in other shows. On this list and beyond Maybe that's why it's so durable. Captivating each generation with each step forward.