Thanks to the power of today's machines, developers can immerse players in captivating worlds. As a result, exploration games have become quite common in the gaming landscape. Sometimes, exploration is just one facet of the experience. Other times, it can be the very heart of the gameplay. Many big-budget productions offer huge maps or areas that can be explored from top to bottom. In 2025, titles of varying degrees of popularity invite us to explore their worlds.

This year, Sucker Punch will transport us to the Ezo region of Japan in 1603 with Ghost of Yotei. Like Ghost of Tsushima, exploration will be organic, thanks to elements of the scenery and effects such as wind. This playground will dazzle us with its extremely polished art direction and vibrant forests. Since Japan is in the spotlight here, how can we not mention Assassin's Creed Shadows?! While the franchise's formula is starting to show its age, Ubisoft is still the master of designing remarkable worlds, with plenty of secrets and areas to discover. Such absolutely huge maps reinforce the constant discovery, and all with the seasons that change how the different locations look.

Still in the realm of fully open worlds, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach stands out as a leader in the exploration game category. While the cinematic aspect is omnipresent in Kojima's productions, this second installment, like its predecessor, also features a vast world devastated by disaster. You have to understand the geography and dangers in order to move around easily and deliver cargo efficiently. Monster Hunter: Wilds also features huge, much wilder lands that are full of creatures to hunt. Capcom has succeeded in creating an extremely credible hunting ground that you have to master in order to kill your prey.

However, exploration can sometimes take on another dimension. Indeed, it is not necessary to be faced with a completely open map to get off the beaten track. Donkey Kong Bananza is a perfect example of this. Divided into zones, this Switch 2 exclusive encourages players to dig and destroy everything in order to find hidden locations. Demolishing a rock or digging a tunnel can lead us to a hidden golden banana or fossils that can then be exchanged for items. Hollow Knight: Silksong isn't strictly open-world either, but it rewards those that go back, retracing their steps to uncover treasures and leave no stone unturned... But be careful! There are threats in the shadows that won't hesitate to make your adventure a living hell.

We must also speak of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The city of Light may be sumptuous, bathed in sunshine, but the surrounding zones are no slouch either, with its ice mountains, cliffs, battlefields, caves, and other urban ruins just waiting to be explored. Sandfall has managed to create a coherent, dreamlike, and above all highly original world that echoes France during the Belle Époque. Once again, secrets await players who decide to explore the surroundings. A special mention goes to the Western RPG Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon, which brilliantly revives the open-world role-playing game formula, drawing inspiration from legends of the genre such as Skyrim and The Witcher 3. We find ourselves at the heart of Arthurian legends with a complex story full of twists and turns.

In short, exploration games are now legion. Whether they are open world or simply divided into semi-open areas, these titles encourage players to thoroughly explore every part of the game area. All with the aim of rewarding those who take the time to wander around. Before the release of GTA VI in May 2026, which will undoubtedly become the king of open worlds, all the games in this selection are just waiting for people eager to discover them.