Summary
2021 marked the 35th anniversary of Nintendo’s hugely popularLegend of Zeldaseries. Over the years, Link’s adventures have helped to shape the gaming landscape; from the terrific top-down 2D titleA Link to the Pastto Link’s triumphant leap into the third dimension inthe critically acclaimed masterpiece that isOcarina of Time. His last few outings, however, brought with them something a little different: an open world.
Open-world games were a thing long beforeBreath of the Wildentered the fray, but few had been able to fill those worlds anywhere near as spectacularly as Hidemaro Fujibayashi and his team. The title came as a real breath of fresh air, although remains one that only Switch and Wii U console owners are able to play. Thankfully though, there are plenty of other great open-world games likeZeldathat can also be enjoyed by PS4 and PS5 players as well.
Updated July 01, 2025, by Tom Bowen:Trying to pinpoint exactly what it is that makes the Legend of Zelda series so fantastic is a surprisingly difficult task. There are, after all, some pretty sweeping differences between its many entries, with each one typically built around its own unique ideas, mechanics, and art style. As a result, different people tend to love the franchise for different reasons, although there’s generally one thing that these people do all tend to have in common: a longing for adventure. It’s a thirst that each of the Zelda games has been able to quench to perfection, much like these other great open-world games like Zelda that are available on Sony’s PlayStation line of consoles.
1Sable
Metacritic Rating: 75 (PS5)
Sable’s art style can take a little bit of getting used to, but those who persevere will definitely be glad that they did. It’s a stunning game in just about every sense and shares more than a few similarities with Link and Zelda’s latest outing. This is particularly evident when traversing the game’smassive open world, but can also be seen through some of its many puzzles.
Despite these similarities, however,Sablediffers fromBreath of the Wildin one key way: there’s no combat in the game whatsoever. As a result, it offers a much more relaxed experience that centers around the joy and wonder of exploration rather than the monotonous task of killing generic creatures. It may not be for everybody, but those who enjoyed traveling around Hyrule inBotWwill likely have a really good time withSable.
2Windbound
Metacritic Rating: 64 (PS4)
LikeBreath of the Wild, 5 Live Studios’Windboundis an incredibly ambitious game that blends together elements from multiple genres. The art styles are pretty similar as well, as too are some of the methods used to traverse each game’s massive open world. Granted, the one found inWindboundis quite a bit smaller and broken up into smaller chunks, not to mention sparsely populated when compared to Hyrule, yet this actually plays into the game’s survival theme pretty well.
Unsurprisingly, perhaps, thesesurvival elementsbring with them cooking and crafting mechanics; both of which play an important role in keeping the playable character Kara alive. This is going to be vital while playing on the Survivalist difficulty, as dying will send players all the way back to the first chapter. Players can, of course, lower the difficulty setting to lessen the impact of death, which can in turn lead to a more laid-back experience.
3Death’s Door
Metacritic Rating: 89 (Switch)
Some consider Acid Nerve’sDeath’s Doorto be one of the best andmost underrated games to come out of 2021, and it’s easy to understand why. It’s one of the best-written games in recent memory and is able to back this up with wonderful visuals and a fantastic musical score. Granted, at just eight and a half hours, it is a little on the short side, but this should take nothing away from the game’s overall excellence.
In many ways,Death’s Doorfeels like a crossover betweenDark SoulsandZelda, with the title borrowing the tight and rewarding combat of the former and the puzzle and dungeon-oriented progression system found in 2DZeldatitles likeA Link to the Past. Thankfully, it’s not quite as difficult as a typical souls-like game, yet should still provide a decent challenge for all but the most skilled of gamers.
4Sonic Frontiers
Metacritic Rating: 75 (PS4)
At a glance,Sonic Frontiersmay seem like a game that is about as un-Zelda-like as they come. However, the game’s plethora of thought-provoking puzzles are actually quite reminiscent of the Shrines found throughoutBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom, as too is the sparseness of the game’s open world.
Unlike the aforementionedZeldagames though,Sonic Frontiersopts for a more realistic art style, which, in hindsight, was probably a mistake on the developers' part. It’s still a fun world to explore, even in spite of how jarring it can be at times, with plenty of secrets scattered throughout it for those who aren’t afraid to venture from the beaten track; much like inZeldagames.
5One Piece Odyssey
One Piece Odysseyfeels a little like a cross betweenWindwakerand more modernZeldatitles likeBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom. Like the latter games, it boasts a sprawling open world full of wonder and puzzles, while it can be likened to the former due to its visuals and nautical themes.
Granted,One Piece Odysseywill appeal more to fans of thepopular anime seriesthan it will to those with no interest in the medium, but the gameplay itself is a lot of fun nonetheless. There are certainly better games likeZeldaout there, particularly when it comes to open-world aspects, but there’s still a lot of fun to be had here.
6Effie
Metacritic Rating: 68 (PS4)
Much of the inspiration behind Inverge Studios' charming action-adventure game,Effie, can be traced back to some of the wonderful adventure games of yesteryear. It features great platforming, solid combat, and a wonderfully told story that’s played out by a cast of memorable and well-written characters.
Those expecting a groundbreaking title of the same ilk asBreath of the Wildwill likely come away from the experience a little disappointed. Assuming expectations can be kept in check, however, there’s definitely a lot of fun to be had. In many ways, it’s a game that’s cast from a similar mold as Link’s latest outing - albeit, at a smaller scale - and will likely appeal to fans of the Switch title as a result.
7Darksiders 2
Metacritic Rating: 84 (PS3)
TheDarksidersseries has gone through many changes since first making its debut back in 2010. There are some pretty big differences between its four entries, but many consider the second of these,Darksiders 2, to be the franchise at its absolute best. TheDeathinitive Editionof the game, which was released in 2015 is hands down the best way to experience it.
At its heart, the game is an action RPG with hack-and-slash elements and some wonderfully thought-out puzzles. In this regard, it’s easy to drawsimilarities betweenDarksiders 2andBreath of the Wild, though the tone and color palette of Gunfire Games' title is often a lot darker. There’s not quite as much to see and do either, although it will still provide completionists with more than 40 hours of entertainment.
8Skyrim
Metacritic Rating: 92 (PS3)
Hard though it may be to believe, there are still plenty of people out there who have never playedSkyrim. Those people are really missing out, particularly the ones who love a good adventure game. There’s an endless amount of things to see and do in the title, and it’s here, as well as through the heavy emphasis that it places on exploration, that the latest entry in theElder Scrollsseries can be compared to a game likeBreath of the Wild.
Granted, there are some pretty big differences when it comes to the games' respective art styles and their narratives veer off in dramatically different directions too. Even so, the similarities should be both numerous and obvious enough to appeal to fans of theLegend of Zeldaseries, especially those who also happen to have an interest inNorse mythology.
9Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla
Metacritic Rating: 84 (PS5)
While on the subject of Norse mythology,Assassin’s Creed: Valhallais another great open-world game that’s likely to appeal toZeldafans. LikeBreath of the Wild, its world is beautifully rendered and an absolute joy to explore, and although its gameplay can be both generic and repetitive at times, its excellent storytelling more than makes up for this.
Many people were driven away from theAssassin’s Creedfranchise after years of substandard and samey releases, butValhalladoes at least try to reinvent itself a little. Granted, not all of the new ideas land quite as well as Ubisoft would have wanted, but the experience is different enough to provide disenfranchised fans with a reason to return to the series; if only to check out what’s new.
10Death Stranding
Metacritic Rating: 85 (PS5)
There are times inBreath of the Wildwhen players can become overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the game’s massive open world. This, in turn, can lead to feelings of isolation, as if Link is entirely alone amidst an endless sea of Bokoblins and Lizalfos. Hideo Kojima’sDeath Stranding, though certainly a lot less colorful, can often evoke these very same feelings.
In terms of actual gameplay, there are very few similarities to be drawn between the two titles, but for those looking to lose themselves on a journey of self-discovery, they’re both able to scratch the same itch. The online social interactions in Kojima’s epic walking simulator serve in much the same way as those inBreath of the Wildwhen players do encounter an NPC: a reminder that neither Sam, nor Link, are truly alone, despite whattheir barren and desolate surroundingsmight otherwise suggest.
