Best PS5 Open-World Games Like Horizon Forbidden West in 2026 - Ultimate List

Hey everyone! As a huge fan of Horizon Forbidden West, I've spent countless hours exploring its vibrant world and taking down those incredible machines. 🎮 Honestly, finishing such an epic game leaves a void—you know that feeling, right? The good news is, the PS5 has become an absolute powerhouse for open-world adventures since its launch. So, if you're like me and craving more experiences that capture that Horizon magic, I've put together this list of the best PS5 open-world games that hit similar notes. Let's dive in!

First up, if you were completely mesmerized by the lush, colorful ecosystems of Horizon Forbidden West, then Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is literally your next logical destination. 🌿 This game is a visual masterpiece that brings the world of Pandora to life with insane detail—every glowing plant and floating mountain feels real. The core loop is super familiar: a huge open map packed with icons, activities, and collectibles. While it's primarily a first-person shooter (you can go third-person when riding those awesome flying creatures), the gameplay revolves around fast-paced combat against mechanical RDA enemies, plus tons of gathering, hunting, and crafting. It definitely follows that 'Ubisoft formula' some people critique, but the world is so breathtaking and the action so engaging that it's easy to lose yourself in it for dozens of hours.

⚔️ Rise of the Ronin: Samurai Souls-like Adventure

For those who loved the challenging, strategic combat in Horizon, Rise of the Ronin is a fantastic pick. This game blends a traditional open-world map of Japan with combat that's heavily inspired by Soulslikes—think precise, dynamic, and seriously tough fights. 🗡️ The combat system has amazing depth and a great sense of progression, which will keep you hooked as you master its mechanics. A heads-up: since it's rooted in historical Japan, don't expect the same wild enemy variety as Horizon (no robot dinosaurs here!). Graphically, it might not be the flashiest PS5 title, but what it lacks in pure visual polish, it makes up for with an immersive story, deep characters, and a world absolutely stuffed with activities, markers, and secrets to uncover. It's a satisfying, content-rich adventure.

🏛️ Immortals Fenyx Rising: Mythological Funhouse

Want something bright, funny, and packed with things to do? Immortals Fenyx Rising is your game. This title strikes a near-perfect balance between exploration, puzzle-solving, platforming, and combat in a gorgeous Ancient Greek setting. 🏺 You'll battle epic mythological creatures like Cyclopes and Medusas, explore freely, and use cool god-given abilities in combat. The narration by Zeus and other gods adds a hilarious, unique charm. And here's the best part for 2026: this game goes on sale all the time. You can regularly snag this massive, joyful adventure for a fraction of its original price, making it an absolute steal.

🧙 Hogwarts Legacy: The Ultimate Wizarding World Sim

One of the biggest open-world hits of this generation, Hogwarts Legacy, is a must if you love getting lost in incredibly detailed worlds. The star here is Hogwarts itself—a castle so meticulously crafted and full of secrets, puzzles, and life that it feels like a character. 🏰 The graphics and sound design are top-tier, creating unparalleled immersion. But the world extends far beyond the castle walls. You can explore a vast surrounding region on a broomstick or magical mount, engage in a robust and fast-paced spell-based combat system, and tackle tons of side quests. It's the ultimate cozy-yet-epic adventure that can easily consume weeks of your time.

🐉 Dragon's Dogma 2: Emergent Fantasy Mayhem

If your favorite part of Horizon was taking down gigantic, spectacular enemies, then Dragon's Dogma 2 is a masterpiece you need to play. This game features some of the most impressive emergent gameplay in any modern action-RPG. 🪓 Scenarios unfold organically and unpredictably as you explore its multi-region world. You'll face a mix of classic mythological bosses (Cyclops, Chimera) and more unique horrors like the Dullahan (Headless) and Sphinx. It's a pure, deep medieval fantasy experience with unique mechanics—like the Pawn system—that make it stand totally apart in the genre. The sense of adventure and scale is unreal.

🪓 Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Norse Epic

For an open-world that can match Horizon's sheer scale and content volume, look no further than Assassin's Creed Valhalla. This is a massive, ambitious game easily offering over 100 hours of Viking-era exploration and conquest. 🛡️ It features a huge multi-region world, deep itemization with countless weapons and armor to upgrade, and all the activities open-world lovers crave. While historically grounded, it dives deep into Norse mythology, giving you epic boss fights against gods and mythical beasts, which really spices up the enemy variety and combat. With all its expansions, this is a complete package that will satisfy that itch for a long, deep journey.

🎎 Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut: Samurai Poetry

Updated for PS5, Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut is still, in my opinion, the pinnacle of the open-world samurai genre. 🍃 Its artistic vision is unmatched—the world is breathtaking, and exploration feels seamless without needing to stare at a mini-map constantly. The real star is the combat: it's spectacular, precise, and lethally satisfying. Like Rise of the Ronin, it's historically realistic, so there are no fantasy creatures. However, Sucker Punch compensates with cinematic, intense one-on-one duels that are some of the most memorable boss fights in gaming. It's a timeless classic.

🦖 Monster Hunter Wilds: The Colossal Successor

Alright, let's talk about the elephant—or should I say, the enormous monster—in the room. Monster Hunter Wilds arrived just a couple of years ago and has been a monumental success. If you love hunting giant machines in Horizon, you'll adore hunting even more gigantic living creatures here. 🏹 This game features a vast, multi-biome open world and a refined combat system with dozens of unique weapon types, building perfectly on the legacy of Monster Hunter: World. Now, being totally honest, at launch it wasn't the most visually stunning PS5 game and had some rough edges. But guess what? By 2026, several major updates have significantly polished the experience. The core loop of preparation, hunting, and crafting is incredibly deep and rewarding. There's simply no reason to wait—this is one of the best co-op/multiplayer open-world experiences you can have right now, and Horizon fans should jump in immediately.

🎯 Final Thoughts & Comparison Table

So, which one should you play? It really depends on what you loved most about Horizon Forbidden West. Here's a quick breakdown:

The PS5 library in 2026 is absolutely stacked with incredible open-world experiences. Each of these games captures a piece of what makes Horizon Forbidden West so special—whether it's the world, the combat, the scale, or the creatures. My personal top picks for the closest overall vibe would be Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora for the world, Monster Hunter Wilds for the epic hunts, and Ghost of Tsushima for that flawless open-world execution. But you really can't go wrong with any of them! Happy gaming, and let me know in the comments which one you're diving into next! ✨