Open world gaming is extremely popular when it comes to those gamers looking for an immersive gaming experience, and what’s better than something that’s free? When you look at the free-to-play market you’ll see that it is largely dominated by battle royale games, such as Warzone and other team-based multiplayer games like Team Fortress 2. You’ll be able to find quite a few RPG and co-op games out there that are open world games, but it is quite rare that you’ll find that they go the free-to-play route.
The reason for this is that a lot of the best open-world games, such as Skyrim or Red Dead Redemption 2, come with extremely high development costs as well as a market value that is definitely very hard to ignore. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t any great option out there though and there are some games that have taken a different approach to monetization and releasing their huge digital worlds out for free, perhaps with the help from microtransactions or at the cost of a paid DLC. To give you a good idea of some of the great games that are available to you, you’ll find a list of some of the best games below.
Top 6 Free-to-play Open World Games
Warframe
| Specs | |
| Release Date | 2013 |
| Developer | Digital Extremes |
| Platform | PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X |
When it comes to games that are currently dominating the open-world RPG market, you have Destiny 2 and Warframe at each other’s necks at the top of this category. Although these two games do very different things compared to one another, they are still loved by the same types of gamers, much like the Call of Duty and battlefield games. In Warframe you’ll be able to choose from more than 30 unique Warframes, which basically makes up the whole game’s class system, and each one of these Warframes give you a completely unique gaming experience than the others. The open world that comes with the Warframe game has been created in a really beautiful way that immerses all of its players into a galactic setting. This is a game that will easily keep you entertained for quite some time as you will have 18 different worlds to explore and invest into as well.
RuneScape
| Specs | |
| Release Date | 2021 |
| Developer | Jagex |
| Platform | PC |
Even though it has been a crazy two decades after RuneScapes debut, it is still around and thriving. The MMORPG style of this game was one of the first ones of its kind ever to hit the market, and since then there have been hundreds of other games that have shown up to try and take its place, but only a handful have the same longevity and appeal that RuneScape has had.
One of the most standout features of this game, and the thing that has made it so popular is the RPG’s calling card as its progression system. What this means is that it allows players to gain experience points through the execution of different skills. This is great because it makes most of your actions in the game feel purposeful, even though the combat itself is a little bit simplistic, compared to similar games out there. The open-world that this game is set in also offers a great variety, but if you do opt for the free version you will experience some restrictions that will reduce your overall enjoyment of the experience.
Genshin Impact
| Specs | |
| Release Date | 2020 |
| Developer | miHoYo |
| Platforms | Mobile, PC, PS4, PS5 |
The Genshin Impact open world game was a game that saw a huge amount of success as soon as it was released, and since then they’ve done a great job at being able to keep that momentum. Genshin Impact is an RPG set in a gorgeous world called Teyvat, where you are allowed to build teams of four characters that you’ll be able to swap in battle, then when you progress and get to the harder challenges in the campaign, you’ll quickly realise the importance of having a balances party that is filled with fighters that complement each other well.
The main focus that this game has had is the combat aspect but they also encourage players to explore the world. Genshin Impact initially launched with quite a big open world to explore and over the years it has just grown thanks to new updates that introduce new regions to the map. The end-game can definitely be pretty frustrating for those non-paying users but the main story is still quite entertaining, for it being a free-to-play game, that is if you tolerate Genshin’s gacha system.
Unturned
| Specs | |
| Release Date | 2014 |
| Developer | Smartly Dressed Games |
| Platforms | PC, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X |
Unturned is an open-world zombie game whose aesthetic has been inspired quite a bit by Minecraft and features mechanics that are similar to DayZ. At the start of the game, you’ll get nothing at all, so you’ll need to loot and scavenge your way up to building a community. During the course of this game, you’ll be able to form alliances, hunt animals and plant crops as well.
The great thing about this game is that since it has a sort of Minecraft style and graphics to it, it means that you won’t need the most powerful laptop or computer to run it. This game has been played by many and also enjoyed by many, and boasts quite an impressively positive rating on Steam.
Neverwinter
| Specs | |
| Release Date | 2013 |
| Developer | Cryptic Studios |
| Platforms | PC, PS4, Xbox One |
The Neverwinter games by Cryptic Studios has been set in a Dungeons and Dragons setting, and thanks to the many elements that this game takes from some of gamers’ favourite RPG and MMO titles, it makes it enjoyable for many people. This game is filled with a lot of magic, weapons and skills. The game is also quite customizable as you’ll be able to build almost any character you desire, as you have a choice between 12 different races, including unique ones like the not-often-seen Tiefling and Dragonborn.
Neverwinter has been around for quite some time and is coming up on its 10 year anniversary, and even though there are definitely some spots in the game where you’ll notice its age, it is still very enjoyable overall. Even though the new players are able to get quite far without needing to spend a single cent on the game, the MMORPG does push its pay system on gamers quite heavily.
Star Wars: The Old Republic
| Specs | |
| Release Date | 2011 |
| Developer | BioWare |
| Platform | PC |
This RPG is completely free and allows you to fully immerse yourself into the universe of the Star Wars franchise. What makes the game so interesting, not only the fact that you have eight different classes to choose from, as well as some great customization options, is that you will get a different storyline for each of these characters.
So, thanks to this feature it gives you a unique narrative experience depending on how players decide to play the game. Within the game you’ll also come across various PvE and PvP activities to indulge in, which you will be able to find scattered across over 20 planets across the galaxy. With all these impressive features, it really makes you wonder how this game is actually free-to-play.
Final Words
So, there you have some of the best open world games that are free-to-play in 2023. You have nothing to lose from giving these games a try, so why not just jump in, and hopefully you find something that you really like.
