Open-World Games With The Best Mountainous Regions
Open-world games are known for their expansiveness and unique ability to immerse players in a setting. From fantasy epics to sci-fi expeditions, there is something uniquely enticing about a wide, sprawling world that exists just for gamers to explore.
9 Open-World Games With the Best Exploration, Ranked
Exploring an open world in a game is half the fun of this format, and these games did the best job of making that exploration rewarding.
While certainly not always the case, many open-world games feature expansive natural environments between major settlements. They can sometimes even act as the driving force of the story. For those who want to take in stunning views or challenge themselves to a deadly climb, here are some open-world games with stunning mountainous regions.
10
Middle-earth: Shadow Of War
Cirith Ungol Makes For A Deadly And Compelling Experience
Mordor is, as one can imagine, not a very friendly place. Cirith Ungol, one of the first places open to the player in Middle-earth: Shadow of War, tends to be an easier spot to begin making a foothold as a region under Talion’s control. Beyond this, the stark, imposing mountains and deep, winding cave systems are both confronting and enticing for gamers to explore.
The nemesis system, prime for usage in new Monolith titles, gets a good workout here, as captains hidden away deep in caves, alongside other threats, or on perilous mountain edges keep the player on their toes. Narrow roads along the ranges do make for good choke points, however.
9
Far Cry 5
Gamers Can Take In Montana From Up High
Far Cry 5‘s idyllic Montana scenery is bolstered by the wide, majestic mountain ranges that are free to explore. But much like how the deadly cult hides beneath the surface of this verdant region, there are plenty of threats and dangers associated with these rocky foothills. The mountainous regions of Montana can be explored from up high with airborne vehicles or driven right through with a variety of cars and buggies. Getting the right vantage on one of these mountains can trivialize hunting or combat encounters.
Say Hello To The Next 5 Big Open-World RPGs
The first quarter of 2026 is already stacked with promising games to choose from for open-world action-RPG enthusiasts.
Seen as a worthy successor to Far Cry 4, 5‘s emphasis on combat and exploration in a non-linear fashion will see players exploring many high-altitude vistas and winding valleys for gear and mission objectives. Hope County’s mountains are incredibly well-realized and eagerly waiting for exploration on the player’s behalf.
8
Greedfall
Lush And Untamed Mountainous Terrains
Greedfall‘s poignant message regarding imperialism and the atypical fantasy setting made it a positive hit when released a few years ago. De Sardet’s ambitious exploration of the expansive, untamed isle of Teer Fradee offers plenty of opportunities to take in sweeping mountain ranges and search through them, too.
With the second title on the horizon, now is a perfect time for players inclined towards RPG elements in their open-world exploration to give Greedfall a try and be swept away by the mountainous regions on display. There is a very important message woven within the incredibly compelling story of this title, but players are given plenty of opportunities to take things at a slower pace, stop, and enjoy the mountainous majesty of Teer Fradee on display.
7
Horizon Zero Dawn, The Frozen Wilds, & Forbidden West
The Call Of The Mountain(s)
Guerrilla Games loves its mountain ranges, apparently, as the Horizon games are filled with them. The VR spin-off is literally named Call of the Mountain, and it has pretty great climbing controls. The main entries are not quite as mountain-focused, but they both feature these types of regions fairly prominently. In Horizon Zero Dawn, the All-Mother Mountain has lore significance and delivers one of the most striking vistas in the game. “The Frozen Wilds” DLC is primarily set on a mountain, with Aloy’s quest revolving around exploring a peak.
Horizon Forbidden West kept this momentum going, as a portion of the map consists of Sheerside Mountains. They are visually stunning and well worth exploring thoroughly. This series has been consistent in including fantastic mountain regions, and these games do not rank higher solely because these areas can, at times, be a bit frustrating to explore.
6
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild & Tears of the Kingdom
Hyrule is home to some pretty spectacular mountains. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom provide expansive playgrounds that have pretty much everything you could want in a fantasy setting. Both games largely use the same core map, so their mountains are mostly the same, albeit with changes brought on by the passage of time and the growth of civilization.
BOTW is all about the journey, and it allows players to go anywhere they can see, with the challenge (and joy) coming from overcoming nature’s obstacles en route. While they are stunning to behold, areas like Death Mountain tie in directly to BOTW‘s stamina-management and gameplay loop, as you will need to plan well to have any chance of making the trip. This extends to all mountains in these games.
5
Riders Republic
Conquer Open-World Mountains Through Extreme Sports
While most open-world games feature mountains as backdrops or one part of a much wider map, Ubisoft’s Riders Republic revolves almost entirely around these regions. Inspired by nature, the extreme sports game brings together the ultimate playground, letting you hone your skills across a myriad of disciplines. Although not as central as in most other open-world games, Riders Republic still emphasizes exploration through free riding; however, you mostly spend your time completing challenges in sports like biking, skiing, and snowboarding.
10 Best Open-World Games If You Want An Escape From Reality, Ranked
Struggling to deal with the real world? These open-world games have you covered, offering expansive worlds and lengthy play times as a distraction.
At the end of the day, Riders Republic is still relatively niche and requires a general fondness for extreme sports, so we cannot just recommend it to anybody who loves open-world adventures. However, it is arguably the most ambitious game of this type, and the base content was expanded greatly through DLC that introduced new sports.
Skyrim’s Ranges Are Imposing And Breathtaking
From the first furtive steps towards Bleak Falls Barrow to the arduous trek up to the Throat of the World, Skyrim is a land filled with perilous mountain ranges, holding unrivaled beauty within them, but also a good number of bandits, trolls, and bears. One wrong move on one of these high-up mountain peaks is all that players need to fall to their doom, and it’s important to keep in mind — especially during combat — how close players are to a mountain’s edge. Of course, once Unrelenting Force is unlocked, the world of Skyrim provides a great means of clearing enemies from up high. Gamers can even shout Lydia off a mountain (for fun, of course).
It’s hardly a hot take to call Skyrim a successful title, with a phenomenal deal of popularity that Bethesda is still trying to recapture to this day, but the artfully realized land of Skyrim and the terrifying spires fit for players to explore remind everybody what made this game so great to begin with.
3
Red Dead Redemption 2
Mountains Dot The Picturesque Landscape
The record-breaking, paradigm-changing Red Dead Redemption 2 is a game that thrives on natural exploration. Everything from bird watching to hunting to hiking and camping is an available pastime in this monumental title. It is little surprise that in a game as expansive as this that there are a handful of beautiful (though equally dangerous) mountainous regions for players to explore and hunt in.
Free Open-World Games With The Best Exploration
These free open-world games offer vast and beautiful open worlds, great exploration, loads of content; there’s almost no catch.
From the bitterly cold Grizzlies to the iconic Redemption Mountain and the verdant forests around it, RDR2 begs players to saddle their favorite horse and venture out into the perilous lands beyond civilization, where colossal mountain ranges wait for them.
2
Death Stranding & Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
Open-World Games That Deliver Relatively Realistic Mountain Climbing
Death Stranding is cut from the same cloth as Breath of the Wild, in the sense that both games turn their mountain regions into gameplay challenges rather than using them just as ordinary settings. However, Kojima Productions’ titles push this aspect further, where the simple act of moving through the mountains is not only difficult, but also feels widely different than any other region.
Honestly, these areas can be straight-up annoying to traverse initially, as Sam has to battle the harsh terrain and reduced visibility as he tries to find a path through the snowy mountains. Along the way, you should be setting up ziplines to help make any subsequent journeys easier to manage.
1
Ghost of Yotei
The Ultimate Open-World Mountain Game
Ghost of Yotei is arguably the definitive open-world mountain game; I mean, it is named after one. While Ghost of Tsushima lets you explore Mount Jogaku, the sequel is largely set around (and on) Mount Yotei, which is a real place that can be visited today. Although not Japan’s most famous mountain, Yotei still makes for a gorgeous backdrop for Atsu’s revenge story, and you will not just be admiring it from a distance.
Although largely associated with side quests, you are encouraged to climb Mount Yotei, and you can even reach the summit (which unlocks a trophy, naturally). The journey is fittingly challenging and takes quite a while, but making it to the top is one of the game’s highlights that should not be skipped.
Best Open-World Samurai Games
The interest in Samurai media has grown, and there is no other medium better than video games to experience the story of a samurai.