Looking for something to do this weekend? Then check out these open-world games that you can grab at great deals right now
The weekend is here, and with it the question of how to spend your free time in the wind and cold. If you’re still waiting for the answer, we have exactly seven suggestions for you: Our editorial team members have picked out some of their favourite open-worlds, which you can currently pick up for a special price on Steam, GOG and other stores. There’s sure to be something for you!
Table of Contents
Project Zomboid
(Genre: Survival – Release: November 2013 (Early Access) – Price and discount: 11 Euro on Steam (33 percent discount))
I’ll tell you the two big negative points right away, so you won’t be in for any nasty surprises. Project Zomboid has been stuck in Early Access for almost a decade. And if you value up-to-date graphics, then you are definitely in the wrong place. But if you’re still reading, Project Zomboid is a great survival game!
Whether Early Access or not, the title is already great. Maybe that’s even an advantage, because the developers are still constantly releasing updates. The crafting possibilities and the sandbox already offer a lot, so you won’t get bored here so quickly.
Of course, it’s especially fun to survive in co-op, which makes exploring the large open world even more fun. If you’re looking for a game that renders a zombie apocalypse as detailed as possible (graphics excluded).
The Crew
(Genre:Racing game – Release: December 2014 – Price and discount: 7 Euro at Epic Store (75 percent discount))
The Crew is to me what patient people think their Euro Truck Simulator 2 is. I have spent far too many hours on virtual country roads, roaring through canyons and toying with the idea of driving across the United States in the game, taking into account all the traffic lights and traffic signs. It’s such a nice way to switch off!
The Crew is an arcade racer to my taste, even if the driving model only becomes bearable after a few upgrades to my car, which is hyped up like an MMO character. But tackling big races and small challenges along the way in the cockpit perspective still kept me hooked for a surprisingly long time.
Lego City Undercover
(Genre: Action-Adventure – Release: March 2013 – Price and discount: 6 Euro on Humble Store (80 percent discount))
I love Lego games for their creativity, humour and the urge to explore every little nook and cranny in them. Lego City Undercover takes all of these things to such a wonderful extreme that I haven’t had this much fun with the series since Lego Island 2.
The open world of Lego City is not only just right in terms of size. It offers something to explore and puzzle over at every turn without getting boring. The further I progress in the story, the more roles I can take on with my action cop Chase McCain and unlock new paths or solve puzzles. By the way, the icing on the cake is a fantastic split-screen co-op feature!
Goat Simulator 3
(Genre: Action-Adventure – Release:November 2022 – Price and Discount: 22 Euro at Epic Store (25 percent discount))
The best thing about goats is their milk and especially the cheese made from it. Mmmmm… oh, and of course Goat Simulator 3! While the first part was still too fiddly for me, part 3 can finally be operated comparatively reasonably. And thus gives me the opportunity to concentrate fully on the inane humour.
Policemen are licked, people are clothed anew with the T-shirt cannon or giant statues are climbed. My hero goat can drive a car, paraglide or just fall through the area. And there is a lot of territory, because the Open World of Goat Simulator is surprisingly large and varied.
There is a story mode, but the highlight of Goat Simulator 3 are the many secret tasks hidden in the landscape. You only discover most of them when you accidentally complete a part of them. For example, when I drag a passer-by into the cinema by my goat’s tongue (don’t ask me why I tried that) and thus trigger the associated mission (fill the cinema!). Sure, you have to be up for the often pointless humour of Goat Simulator 3. But if you’re up for it, you can have a lot of fun with it!
Dying Light 2: Stay Human
(Genre:Action –Release: February 2022 – Price & Discount:30 Euro on Steam (50 percent discount))
It’s almost been a whole year since Dying Light 2: Stay Human came out. To mark the occasion, a fitting in-game event is currently taking place, while several DLCs and updates have been released in the meantime and developer Techland has only recently presented its content roadmap for 2023
Story, characters and especially the end of the campaign cause a lot of discussion among players, but most agree on the gameplay: Dying Light 2 is all about a pretty fast-paced and spectacular melee and parkour system.
Once you’ve leveled up your protagonist Aiden from a lame slug to a high-performance athlete, you’ll quickly experience an almost unique gameplay experience that many competitors fail at – or haven’t even tried. In addition, Dying Light 2 offers a rather handsome post-apocalypse, which is quite a sight, especially from the highest skyscrapers of the setting Villedor.
In addition, you can even go into battle against the living and undead in co-op for up to four players even with your friends. Admittedly: They don’t have much to offer against a wildly thrashing squad of players. But that doesn’t make the zombie open world any less fun.
Horizon: Zero Dawn
(Genre: Action-Adventure – Release: August 2020 – Price & Discount:16 Euros on Epic Store (67 percent discount))
For weeks I’ve been wanting to go for a nice walk in the woods, but then I feel the icy wind against my nose and I crawl back into the warm flat. Fortunately, I can at least enjoy digital nature in beautiful game worlds. Horizon Zero Dawn is one of my personal highlights in this respect.
The impressive animal and plant world, which differs greatly in the different regions, paired with the fascinating robot dino creatures and the ruins of a lost civilisation make up one of the most impressive game worlds for me, which I always enjoy exploring.
On top of that, there is a fun combat system where I can defeat even the biggest beasts with my bow, spear and gadgets. And the story around the main character Aloy is also excitingly told, even if it’s not the biggest plus point of the game for me.
Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered
(Genre: Action-Adventure – Release: August 2022 – Price & Discount: 40 Euro on Steam (33 percent discount))
If you’re thinking to yourself that you’ve just seen this face after all, then you’ve caught me. You see, I smuggled two recommendations into this article. (Please don’t tell on me!) If forests, meadows and hostile robots don’t appeal to you, you might enjoy exploring one of the world’s most impressive cities from the unique perspective of a certain spider-hero.
In Marvel’s Spider-Man, of course, you swing through a gorgeous and atmosphericNew York as Peter Parker, which can look pretty nice even on older systems. But the big standout feature is the hmovement system, where you climb up buildings, jump off skyscrapers and swing to safety at the last moment using a spider rope.
On top of that, there’s a great story, likeable and believable characters and a complex battle system.
Is there something for you in the special offers, or will you be left empty-handed this time? Is your game library already well stocked and can you name another tip or a great bargain? Feel free to post it in the comments!
