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Best Open-World Games to Play After Red Dead Redemption 2

Want an open-world game with a great story and freedom after finishing RDR2? These six picks match different parts of the experience, from historical horseback adventure to fantasy, difficult combat, and modern sandbox play.

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If you want another expansive world and a substantial story, start with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt—provided you are happy to trade the Old West for fantasy. For a historical horseback adventure, try Ghost of Tsushima; for player-led exploration and harder combat, Elden Ring. The best follow-up depends on which part of Red Dead Redemption 2 you want more of: its story, freedom, historical feel, or demanding systems.

Choose by what you want from your next open world

If you want… Try What changes from RDR2
A large world with a substantial, quest-rich story The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Western history gives way to fantasy, magic, monsters, and role-playing systems.
A historical adventure with a horse and an emotional story Ghost of Tsushima The setting becomes 13th-century Japan, with samurai combat instead of gunslinging.
Wandering, discovery, and a serious combat challenge Elden Ring Exploration is less guided, combat is more demanding, and the story is less conventionally presented.
Grounded historical role-playing and survival systems Kingdom Come: Deliverance More of the appeal comes from simulation-like needs and maintaining equipment.
A futuristic city and science-fiction role-playing Cyberpunk 2077 The frontier becomes Night City, with a distinctly technological, urban atmosphere.
Rockstar-style freedom in a contemporary setting Grand Theft Auto V The setting is a fictional, Los Angeles-like modern city, and the tone is a criminal sandbox rather than a Western.

These games are not interchangeable versions of Red Dead Redemption 2. Use the setting, story presentation, exploration style, combat, and appetite for upkeep as separate decision points; platform support is a practical check, not a measure of similarity.

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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is the broadest story-and-world pick

Choose The Witcher 3 if what you miss is getting absorbed in a large world full of quests, exploration, and optional diversions. It is an open-world RPG, but its appeal comes from a very different kind of setting: fantasy, magic, and monster hunting rather than a historical Western.

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PlayStation lists the game for PS4 and PS5. Its Complete Edition includes the Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine expansions, according to PlayStation’s game listing. Check that the edition you buy matches your platform and region.

Ghost of Tsushima keeps the historical horseback-adventure feeling

Ghost of Tsushima is the closest fit here if you want a horse, a historical setting, an evolving cast, and an emotional story. It takes place during the Mongol invasion of 13th-century Japan. The thematic overlap is in the journey and setting—not in reproducing a Western: you play amid feudal Japan and samurai combat.

Elden Ring is for wandering without much direction

Pick Elden Ring if discovery matters more to you than a steadily guided quest trail. GameSpot describes an experience with few explicit prompts, where exploration rewards wandering and experimentation. That freedom comes with a real trade: its combat is substantially more demanding than Red Dead Redemption 2’s, and its narrative is not delivered in the same conventional way.

Rank #2
Ghost of Tsushima - PlayStation 4
  • Available Now - Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, a new cooperative multiplayer experience inspired by Japanese folk tales and mythology.
  • Beyond war, ancient beauty endures: Uncover the hidden wonders of Tsushima in this open-world action adventure.
  • The rise of the Ghost: Forge a new path and wage an unconventional war for the freedom of Tsushima.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance emphasizes grounded role-playing

Kingdom Come: Deliverance suits players who want historical role-playing rather than fantasy or science fiction. Its systems include survival needs and upkeep for weapons, gear, and horse. Those details can make the world feel more simulation-oriented, but they also ask for more attention; it is a better match if you enjoy that kind of management, not merely because it is historical.

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Cyberpunk 2077 trades open country for Night City

For an open-world RPG with a very different atmosphere, consider Cyberpunk 2077. Its story follows V in the science-fiction setting of Night City, shifting the experience from open country to dense urban streets and futuristic technology. Bandai Namco Europe’s RPG catalogue groups it among open-world RPGs; the genre label does not make its tone or setting similar to the Western.

Rank #3
Mad Max - PlayStation Hits (PS4)
  • Be Mad Max - Become the iconic post-apocalyptic warrior, crafting and upgrading Max's equipment and weapons to survive by combining melee combat, gunplay and tactical techniques. Gamers must form alliances as they work towards the goal of building their "Magnum opus."
  • Immersive savage Wasteland - Explore the gritty, dynamic world while braving the treacherous landscapes, hostile weather patterns and deadly marauders.
  • survive the open-world landscape - Staying alive isn't easy. Players clash with deadly factions and gangs through scores of dangerous side-missions and quests in the dynamic open-world full of exploration.
  • intense vehicular combat - Engage in dynamic inter-vehicular combat, taking down enemy vehicles with a range of powerful weapons. Car combat is entirely physics-based, so no two battles are ever the Same.
  • build the ultimate survival machine - Players design, customize and upgrade their ultimate vehicle-the Magnum Opus-choosing from different car chassis and a slew of upgrades including mounted weapons, armour and engines to survive another day

Grand Theft Auto V offers a modern Rockstar sandbox

Grand Theft Auto V is worth considering if the draw was Rockstar’s open-world freedom and character-driven play. It shares that broad sandbox appeal, but moves to a contemporary, fictional Los Angeles-like setting and a criminal-sandbox tone. Choose it for the developer’s approach to an open world, not for a continuation of Red Dead Redemption 2’s historical mood.

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Check the platform and edition before choosing

Availability depends on the platform and edition you intend to play. For example, PlayStation lists The Witcher 3 for PS4 and PS5, while the Complete Edition includes both named expansions. Confirm the exact platform, region, and physical or digital format on the listing you plan to use; official platform support does not establish that a particular retailer has a disc in stock.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 2
Bestseller No. 3
Bestseller No. 4
SaleBestseller No. 5
Elden Ring - PlayStation 4
Elden Ring - PlayStation 4
Danger and discovery lurk around every corner in FromSoftware’s largest game to-date
$33.15
Best Value
Sale
Elden Ring - PlayStation 4
  • ELDEN RING is a fantasy action-RPG adventure set within a world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki—creator of the influential DARK SOULS video game series; and George R.R. Martin—author of The New York Times best-selling fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire
  • Danger and discovery lurk around every corner in FromSoftware’s largest game to-date
  • HIDETAKA MIYAZAKI: President and Game Director of FromSoftware Inc. Known for directing critically-acclaimed games in beloved franchises including Armored Core and Dark Souls
  • GEORGE R. R. MARTIN: the #1 The New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including the acclaimed series A Song of Ice and Fire—A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast For Crows, and A Dance with Dragons
Rank #4
Just Cause 4 - PlayStation 4
  • Day One Edition includes Neon Racer Pack with these DLC items Neon Racer Supercar, Neon Racer Wingsuit, Neon Racer Parachute; see description for full details
  • Bring The Thunder Soar through the skies with your wingsuit Skydive, Base Jump and Free Dive, as you fight your enemies harnessing extreme weather to your advantage
  • Rico’s Ultimate Mission Spearhead the rebellion and defeat a hi tech private military organization; Face off against the most capable adversary yet; Uncover the mystery behind Rico’s Father’s past
  • Huge South American World 100 square kilometers to explore from rainforest to desert, and across snowy mountain peaks as you explore the world of Solis from bustling cities to rural grasslands
  • Creative destruction at its best Customize your new grapple hook with evolved and new capabilities; Experiment with military jets, helicopters, turbo fueled sports cars, and construction vehicles

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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