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If Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom hooked you with free-form travel, discoveries off the path, and a world that rewards curiosity, start with Immortals Fenyx Rising. It is the closest match here for Zelda-style traversal, puzzles, mythology and humor. Choose Elden Ring for a darker, much tougher action-RPG, Horizon Forbidden West for science-fiction exploration with climbing and underwater areas, or Genshin Impact for anime-styled fantasy with flight, swimming and climbing in an ongoing-service game.
“Bigger” is best understood as a broader-feeling adventure with more varied routes and places to investigate, not as a verified map-area ranking. The official pages for these games describe their worlds as vast, immense or open, but do not provide directly comparable measurements.
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What makes a Zelda-like open world worth playing?
The appeal of modern Zelda is not simply a large map. It is the way the world turns movement into play: you spot a distant landmark, decide how to reach it, find a shrine, cave or story thread on the way, and gain a tool or ability that changes what is possible. A good alternative therefore needs to be judged by the quality of exploration rather than by a claimed square-mile total.
Use these questions to decide what “more” means for you:
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- Traversal: Can you climb, glide, ride, swim or otherwise choose your route?
- Exploration rewards: Does leaving the main road lead to puzzles, equipment, lore or memorable encounters?
- Puzzle density: Are environmental problems a central activity or an occasional break from combat?
- Combat: Do you want Zelda’s approachable action, a demanding action-RPG, ranged machine hunting or character-based abilities?
- Tone and setting: Would you rather stay in playful mythology, enter a bleak fantasy, explore a science-fiction frontier or play in an anime-inspired world?
- Structure: Do you want a self-contained purchase or a game that keeps expanding as a service?
The four recommendations below occupy different points on those axes. None should be presented as objectively larger than a Zelda game without a comparable measurement.
Quick comparison
| Game | Best fit | Exploration and traversal | Combat shift from Zelda | World and structure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Immortals Fenyx Rising | Closest overall match | Free roaming across seven regions; puzzles and mythic landmarks | Action-adventure combat that remains relatively approachable | Stylized Greek-mythology world; standalone game |
| Elden Ring | Mystery and challenge | Seamlessly connected landscapes and dungeons; horseback travel | Significantly harder action-RPG combat with flexible builds | Dark fantasy; optional online play; standalone game |
| Horizon Forbidden West | Science-fiction discovery | Free climbing, underwater exploration, Pullcaster and Shieldwing | Ranged combat and machine encounters are central | Ruins, tribes and machines in a detailed sci-fi setting |
| Genshin Impact | Ongoing anime fantasy | Flying, swimming and climbing in an open world | Character-swapping elemental combat | Continuing service rather than a fixed one-time adventure |
1. Immortals Fenyx Rising: the closest Zelda-style fit
For someone asking for the same basic rhythm as BOTW, TOTK and Fenyx-style exploration, this is the safest first recommendation. Nintendo’s listing describes a stylized open world divided into seven regions, with puzzle-solving, free roaming and a choose-your-own-path approach. Ubisoft describes the game as an action-adventure starring Fenyx, a winged demigod who battles mythological beasts and solves ancient puzzles. Read the official descriptions at Nintendo’s game listing and Ubisoft’s game page.
Why it feels familiar
Fenyx’s world is built around the same satisfying loop Zelda players often describe: move toward an interesting shape on the horizon, improvise a route, and discover a challenge that makes the detour worthwhile. The seven-region layout gives the adventure a broad sense of place without requiring you to follow a single linear road. Ancient puzzles are not merely optional decoration; they are part of how the game communicates its mythology and tests your ability to read an environment.
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Where it differs from Zelda
Fenyx is more deliberately structured. Its mythological regions and puzzle spaces can feel like designed attractions, whereas Zelda often leaves more room for systems to collide in unscripted ways. The game is therefore a close thematic and mechanical neighbor, not a replacement for every part of Nintendo’s physics sandbox.
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Who should choose it
- Choose it first if climbing, gliding, environmental puzzles and playful mythology matter more than punishing combat.
- Choose it if you want a complete adventure rather than an evolving online service.
- Choose it if you play on Nintendo Switch; Ubisoft also lists PC, PlayStation and Xbox versions, but verify the current edition for your platform and region.
2. Elden Ring: the bigger-feeling world for players who want danger
Elden Ring is the right recommendation when the part of Zelda you love is stepping into an unknown landscape and having no idea what waits beyond the next ridge—but you are willing to trade Zelda’s accessibility for demanding combat. Bandai Namco’s official page describes vast landscapes and complex dungeons connected seamlessly, horseback traversal, optional online play and multiple ways to approach combat. See the official Elden Ring page.
Why exploration works
The world is designed to make detours consequential. A visible ruin may conceal a dungeon, a hostile patrol can signal a valuable route, and riding across open terrain lets you choose whether to engage or keep moving. The seamless relationship between outdoor areas and dungeons supports the feeling that the world is one connected place rather than a collection of disconnected levels.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteHorseback travel changes the scale of an outing. You can cover ground quickly, reposition during encounters and approach a landmark from a direction that suits your build. Optional online elements add another layer for players who want help or competition, while remaining nonessential to the basic exploration loop.
The important Zelda trade-off
This is not an easy Zelda substitute. Combat demands timing, spacing, stamina management and preparation. Enemies can defeat an underprepared character quickly, and progression often involves learning from failure rather than breezing through a puzzle. The mood is also markedly darker: the world’s mystery is expressed through bleak fantasy, disturbing creatures and fragmented storytelling instead of bright mythic adventure.
Who should choose it
- Choose it if discovering a strange landscape matters more than a cheerful tone.
- Choose it if you want build flexibility, challenging bosses and action-RPG depth.
- Skip it if you mainly want relaxed traversal, light puzzles or a low-friction difficulty curve.
3. Horizon Forbidden West: science-fiction exploration with vertical and underwater routes
Horizon Forbidden West suits players who want a world packed with visual detail, machines and multiple ways to reach a destination. PlayStation describes a vast setting of ruins, tribes, machines and hidden threats. Its exploration tools include free climbing, underwater areas, the Pullcaster and the Shieldwing. The core premise is science fiction rather than fantasy: you investigate a future shaped by technological remnants and robotic wildlife. Read the PlayStation game page.
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What makes its traversal distinct
Verticality is a major part of the experience. Free climbing opens routes across cliffs and structures, while the Pullcaster helps you reach or manipulate objects from a distance. The Shieldwing lets you descend safely and turn a high vantage point into a new travel option. Underwater exploration adds another dimension that Zelda’s land-focused traversal does not emphasize in the same way.
These tools make the world feel broader because they change which surfaces and spaces count as reachable. A ruin is not just a backdrop: it can be climbed, searched, crossed or revisited when a new ability makes an earlier obstacle manageable.
Combat and pacing
Horizon’s identity is tied to ranged combat and machine encounters. You study robotic creatures, target components and use weapons suited to the situation. That is a different mental rhythm from Zelda’s general-purpose sword, bow and improvised-object toolkit. The game also puts more emphasis on authored missions and character-driven storytelling, even though its open areas support free-form exploration.
Platform note
PlayStation’s franchise hub mentions a PC Complete Edition. Editions and platform availability can change, so check the current listing for your system before buying; the hub is PlayStation’s Horizon franchise page.
Who should choose it
- Choose it if you want a richly realized science-fiction setting instead of mythic fantasy.
- Choose it if climbing, underwater routes and ranged encounters sound more appealing than shrine-style puzzles.
- Choose it if you prefer a strongly authored story alongside open-area exploration.
4. Genshin Impact: a continually expanding anime-fantasy world
Genshin Impact is a possible fit for players who want anime-styled fantasy and the freedom to fly, swim and climb. HoYoverse’s official game page highlights those traversal options in its open world: the official Genshin Impact game page.
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Why it can satisfy the exploration itch
Movement is central rather than decorative. Climbing lets you treat terrain as a route, swimming opens waterways and flight turns elevated locations into launch points. If the pleasure you get from Zelda comes from seeing a place and immediately wondering whether you can reach it, Genshin offers the same kind of visual invitation.
The anime presentation and character-focused format also create a different kind of variety. Instead of one hero whose equipment defines every encounter, you assemble a party and switch among characters with distinct abilities. That can make familiar terrain feel different depending on who you bring.
The structural difference you must accept
Genshin is an ongoing-service game, not a fixed standalone adventure. Its world, characters and systems are maintained and expanded over time. That structure can be attractive if you want regular additions, but it is less suitable if you want one complete campaign with a stable endpoint. The official page consulted here does not provide a reliable current summary of platform availability, monetization terms or update details, so verify those specifics for your region before committing.
Who should choose it
- Choose it if anime fantasy, party-based abilities and multiple movement modes are priorities.
- Choose it if an evolving game is preferable to a one-and-done campaign.
- Approach it carefully if you want a self-contained purchase or do not enjoy service-game progression; confirm current account, platform and spending details first.
How to choose among the four
Pick by traversal
For Zelda-like gliding, puzzles and mythic free roaming, start with Immortals Fenyx Rising. For the most distinct movement toolkit, Horizon Forbidden West combines climbing, underwater exploration, the Pullcaster and Shieldwing. Genshin Impact adds flight, swimming and climbing within an anime-fantasy service world. Elden Ring emphasizes horseback travel and discovering how connected landscapes and dungeons fit together.
Pick by combat tolerance
Elden Ring is the clear choice for players who want difficulty and build experimentation. Horizon rewards deliberate ranged attacks against machine components. Fenyx keeps its action-adventure approach closer to an approachable Zelda-style flow. Genshin asks you to manage a party and combine character abilities rather than rely on one permanent moveset.
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- Welcome to the new world: taking on the role of a Hunter, players are tasked with going on a research expedition to a newly discovered continent known only as “new world”.
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- Online drop-in multiplayer: when the battle is too daunting to take on single-handedly, hail up to three other hunters to assist during quests by sending up a sos flare to a worldwide server.
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Pick by tone
| If you want… | Start with… | Because… |
|---|---|---|
| Playful mythology and jokes | Immortals Fenyx Rising | Greek gods and monsters are presented in a light, adventurous style. |
| Bleak mystery and danger | Elden Ring | Its landscapes and dungeons support a darker, more demanding fantasy. |
| Ruins, tribes and machines | Horizon Forbidden West | Its setting is a detailed science-fiction frontier with ranged machine combat. |
| Anime fantasy and a continuing cast | Genshin Impact | Its open world and party system are built around an ongoing service. |
Pick by ownership model
Fenyx, Elden Ring and Horizon are designed as standalone games, although platform editions and availability vary. Genshin follows an ongoing-service model, so current platform support, account requirements and monetization should be checked before you start. The available official descriptions do not establish current prices or a comparable playtime for any of these games.
What “bigger open world” can and cannot mean here
It is tempting to rank these games by map size, but the official material available for this comparison does not provide a shared area measurement. Descriptions such as “vast,” “immense” or “open” are not a standardized scale. A world can feel larger because it has more vertical routes, more distinct biomes, more hidden interiors, more traversal tools or more reasons to revisit a location.
That is why the recommendations focus on the kind of exploration each game offers. Fenyx broadens the familiar Zelda formula with seven mythic regions. Elden Ring makes distance and uncertainty part of a dangerous fantasy journey. Horizon fills its world with climbable ruins, underwater spaces and machine habitats. Genshin turns a traversable anime world into a continuing service. Choose the form of breadth you will actually enjoy rather than an unsupported numerical ranking.
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- Start with your favorite Zelda activity. If it is puzzle-solving and playful discovery, choose Fenyx. If it is wandering into danger, consider Elden Ring. If it is scanning wildlife and reaching vertical or underwater spaces, choose Horizon. If it is party experimentation and constant new content, consider Genshin.
- Set your difficulty boundary. Treat Elden Ring as a deliberate challenge, not an easy substitute. The other three offer different forms of complexity without making every encounter a severe action test.
- Choose a setting you will want to inhabit. Greek mythology, dark fantasy, science fiction and anime fantasy produce very different moods even when all four offer open exploration.
- Confirm your platform and edition. Fenyx is listed for Nintendo Switch, with Ubisoft also identifying PC, PlayStation and Xbox versions. Horizon’s franchise information mentions a PC Complete Edition. Current availability can change, and the cited Genshin page does not settle every platform or service detail.
- Decide whether you want an ending. Pick a standalone game for a defined adventure; pick Genshin only if an evolving service structure suits you.
Bottom line
Immortals Fenyx Rising is the best first stop for a Zelda fan who wants the most familiar combination of free roaming, puzzles, mythology and humor, with Nintendo describing seven regions in its stylized world. Choose Elden Ring when mystery and difficulty matter more than accessibility, Horizon Forbidden West when you want science-fiction traversal and machine hunting, and Genshin Impact when flight, swimming, climbing and an ongoing anime-fantasy world are the priority. These are different answers to “bigger,” not entries in a verified map-size league table.
Quick Recap
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