I’d also argue that Arceus is more of an open-world than Odyssey. Both games also allow you to go back to areas you’ve previously done.
Both games are sequential, allowing you to wander around big areas which you unlock one at a time. You can say that either Pokémon Legends Arceus or Super Mario Odyssey are open-world without adding a couple of asterisks. I mean, what can I say? It’s Minecraft! Best Partial Open-Worlds (tie): Pokémon Legends Arceus and Super Mario Odyssey Minecraft‘s infectious mix of the sandbox genre with the open-world genre is one reason that game has stayed in the cultural zeitgeist for so long. Then you can mine it and make more stuff. Not only can you construct whatever you want you can go wherever you want.
And one of those many things is, technically, an open-world game. I have a friend who used to ride around on his horse in Breath of the Wild before going to bed, to calm himself. Exploration in Breath of the Wild can also be downright relaxing, as long as you avoid the ever-stressful Guardians. The map is big enough that there’s always a feeling of “Ooooo, what’s over there?!,” but it’s not too big that you give up hope of ever finishing the game ( cough Elden Ring cough). There is a giddiness to exploration in Breath of the Wild that I have yet to find in another game. Breath of the Wild is still recognizable as a Zelda game … but it shakes up the action series’ formula to its core. And don’t worry if you’ve never played a Zelda game before, either. That doesn’t mean it’s not rewarding for veteran players, as well. The game’s opening is well-paced, giving you enough time to get your bearings before it fully lets you lose into Hyrule. Breath of the Wild was my first open-world game, and it serves as a beautiful opening door to the genre. And I include Elden Ring in that (which is not on the Switch, by the way). Best All-Around: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildįortunately, the Switch is blessed with-I’m just gonna say it-the greatest open-world game to date. But that just means you’re getting some bang for your buck, right? If you’re curious about the open-world possibilities of your Switch but don’t know where to start, here’s a handy list. Just remember that it also means there’s nothing you should be doing-this is your relaxation time, after all! And holdup tends to be that open-world games are often expansive, with long playtime commitments. Want to gun it from the opening plateau to the final boss in only your undies? Go for it! For many players, this freedom can be incredibly intimidating. “Open-world” means that you can essentially wander off wherever you want, whenever you want. And it can be even more overwhelming to make sense of the ever-expanding world of open-world games. Especially if the Switch is your first new gaming system for a hot second (welcome!), it can be overwhelming to dig through the wealth of games available for the system. Sales for the five-year-old hybrid system are still going strong, with new players venturing into its alluring pull every day. Nintendo Switch is right on the precipice of becoming the gaming giant’s best-selling console of all time.