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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →2025 is over, so this is a retrospective—not a guide to upcoming releases. GamesRadar+ selected Ghost of Yōtei, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake in its year-end editorial ranking of 2025 open-world games. That list offers a useful set of games to discuss, but it is GamesRadar+’s judgment, not an official GOTY nomination list or evidence of industry consensus.
What “GOTY contender” means here
There is no single universal Game of the Year shortlist. A game can make a credible case for year-end attention because of its setting, world design, central activities, or storytelling without being nominated for—or winning—any particular award. The five games below are GamesRadar+’s editorial selections, not a claim that an awards body nominated them.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Open World: Video Games and Contemporary Art | $53.94 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Ghost of Tsushima - PlayStation 4 | $22.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Mad Max - PlayStation Hits (PS4) | $18.74 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Just Cause 4 - PlayStation 4 | $11.80 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Elden Ring - PlayStation 4 | $33.32 | Buy on Amazon |
Open-world appeal is not just a matter of map size. Discovery, traversal, environmental detail, the central gameplay loop, and how readily a story can be entered all matter. The GamesRadar+ selection foregrounds a range of settings and experiences rather than establishing a definitive ranking of the year’s best games.
Five 2025 open-world releases to consider
Ghost of Yōtei
Ghost of Yōtei launched worldwide for PlayStation 5 on October 2, 2025. Sony describes it as a standalone experience set in rural Japan in the 1600s, about 300 years after Ghost of Tsushima, with Atsu as its protagonist. Its standalone story makes it a potential entry point for players who have not played the earlier game. Sony’s launch announcement confirms the release and premise.
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#1 Best Overall
The setting and Atsu’s story of healing and redemption give the game a distinct identity within this slate. Sony’s launch announcement listed US launch MSRPs of $69.99 for Standard, $79.99 for Digital Deluxe, and $249.99 for Collector’s Edition; these are historical launch prices, not current retail prices. Sony also announced Ghost of Yōtei Legends as free post-launch DLC planned for 2026, with patch timing then listed as to be announced. That announcement does not establish the mode’s current availability.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
GamesRadar+ included Death Stranding 2: On the Beach among its five selections. Its presence shows that the editorial list treats open-world games as more than conventional combat-focused adventures. The GamesRadar+ selection is an editorial assessment; it does not, by itself, establish award nominations or a shared industry verdict.
Rank #2
- 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.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A
Pokémon Legends: Z-A also appears in GamesRadar+’s selection. It broadens the list beyond action-adventure and historical settings, illustrating that open-world consideration can encompass different genres and core activities. No award nomination or result follows from its inclusion on that outlet’s list.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Assassin’s Creed Shadows launched on March 20, 2025, after Ubisoft revised its release date to allow extra time to implement community feedback and polish the day-one experience. Ubisoft describes its feudal-Japan open world through two protagonists: Naoe and Yasuke, whose stealth and combat playstyles differ. Changing seasons, unpredictable weather, and reactive environments are also central parts of Ubisoft’s description. See Ubisoft’s game page for the current platform list and its overview of the game.
Rank #3
- 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
Ubisoft currently lists the game for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, Ubisoft+, Amazon Luna, Apple-silicon Macs, and Windows PC through Ubisoft Store, Steam, and Epic Games Store. Platform availability can change, so consult Ubisoft’s page for current details.
Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake
GamesRadar+ selected Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake as well. Its inclusion extends the editorial slate to a remake, not only newly conceived entries. That makes the list a broad view of 2025’s open-world conversation, rather than a strict contest between one kind of game or one kind of release.
Rank #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
How to read the shortlist—and what it does not prove
The GamesRadar+ ranking is a useful starting point for comparing the range of games discussed as open-world standouts in 2025. It is not an official awards shortlist, a complete inventory of every qualifying release, or proof of consensus. The available evidence supports naming these five as that outlet’s selections; it does not support filling out the original title’s ten slots with additional guesses.
For context, Steam lists Kingdom Come: Deliverance II as released on February 4, 2025, and labels it an open-world role-playing game. That is a storefront listing, not a developer announcement or an award claim. Rockstar’s current Grand Theft Auto VI page lists November 19, 2026, for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, so it is not a 2025 release.
Best Value
- 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
Why these games invite different comparisons
- World and setting: Ghost of Yōtei is set in 1600s rural Japan, while Ubisoft frames Assassin’s Creed Shadows around feudal Japan. A shared broad setting does not make their worlds or stories interchangeable.
- Central activity: Ubisoft explicitly distinguishes Naoe’s stealth and Yasuke’s combat playstyles in Shadows. The GamesRadar+ selections also include games from other genres, so the same combat-focused yardstick will not fit every entry.
- Story access: Sony describes Ghost of Yōtei as standalone and set about 300 years after Ghost of Tsushima; a newcomer can approach it without treating the earlier game as required context.
- Evidence type: Release dates and platform availability are factual details supported by publisher pages or, for Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, a storefront record. GOTY potential is an editorial judgment, not a release fact.
What can be stated about award prospects
The supported conclusion is narrow: GamesRadar+ named five 2025 open-world games in a year-end editorial ranking, and that makes them candidates for discussion—not confirmed GOTY nominees. No named industry statistic or awards-body result in the available evidence establishes a broader consensus or a definitive contender field. Readers looking for an actual award shortlist should consult the relevant award body’s nominations and results rather than treating an outlet ranking as equivalent.
Quick Recap
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