Summary
The settings used for open-world games often vary, since some companies choose to create entirely new environments for their releases, while others draw heavily from real-world places, trying to reproduce those scenarios in a faithful or freer way. This approach gives players immersion that feels closer to reality, with recognizable landscapes, customs, and architectural styles.
Among thebest open-world games set in Japan, the titles that stand out are those able to capture the country’s essence in an engaging way. Whether they use real locations with high fidelity or create fictional regions inspired by Japan, the best games are the ones that give the player a true sense of exploration, letting them discover cultural elements, traditions, and unique visuals that point directly to the Japanese archipelago.
While many games set in Japanchoose intense action or historical conflict,Sengoku Dynastydelivers a more contemplative and calm experience compared with those titles. Located in the Nata Valley during the Sengoku period, the game invites players to build villages, farm the land, and form community bonds amid the chaos of war, following a serene pace focused on survival and progress.
With solo and co-op modes, open-world exploration blends with robust systems for automation, crafting, and dynasty management. Hence, it is among thebest open-world games set in Japanfor presenting a slightly different proposal from what the genre usually offers, providing a more peaceful, immersive option, perfect for anyone seeking a slice of the country’s culture without constant combat.
Set in the 19th century,Rise of the Roninexplores Japanesesettings during the Bakumatsu period, guiding players through one of the nation’s most turbulent historical moments. Besides offering large free-roam areas, the game includes several important cities, such as Kyoto and Yokohama, for players to visit along the journey.
In addition to recreating its maps with careful detail, the game provides an interactive setting where moral decisions shape the course of the story and relationships mold the narrative’s outcome. Combat blends the legacy ofNiohwith new mechanics, and player mobility expands through gliders, horses, and grappling hooks, making it one of the most complete experiences among the best open-world games set in Japan.
While theYakuza/Like a Dragongames take a more eccentric narrative approach, treating serious themes with an irreverent, exaggerated tone,Judgmentprovides a contrasting option for players. This spin-off, though it still contains some of the series’ usual comic moments, aims to create a more sober atmosphere throughout the story, letting players follow the investigations of Yakayuki Yagami.
Because they belong to the same franchise,JudgmentandLike a Dragonshare some similarities, such as the open-world setting inspired by Japan, specifically the district of Kamurocho. Even with these shared elements, each game delivers a different experience, both in the content available to explore in the city and in the way each narrative unfolds, granting distinct perspectives.
Shibuyais one of Japan’s most iconic districts, often used in games for its visual identity, andGhostwire: Tokyoinnovates by turning this vibrant location into a desolate setting ruled by spirits and supernatural phenomena. The city adopts a dark tone, with neon-lit streets reflecting a corrupted reality, creating one of the most distinctive environments among open-worlds set in Japan.
By blending first-person action withpsychological horror and Japanese folklore, the game offers a unique experience. Using spells based on Kuji-kiri and elemental abilities, it presents simple yet immersive combat, where exploration’s verticality lets players discover a modern, mysterious Japan layered with cultural facets less known to Western audiences.
Ubisoft has long been known for taking theAssassin’s Creedfranchise to different historical periodsand portraying each setting with notable accuracy, and the same happened withAssassin’s Creed Shadows. This entry faithfully adapts the series’ open-world concept to wide Japanese landscapes, delivering an immersive atmosphere with several visually impressive scenes across castles, villages, and countryside.
One of the title’s main highlights is its season and weather system, because as players roam the map and venture through those areas, the environment can undergo drastic changes. In addition, the game features several key historical figures from the era, most notably Oda Nobunaga, who spearheaded the initial unification process of the country during turbulent times.
Shenmuewas well ahead of its time at launch, because it already tried to apply open-world concepts that would only become popular years later. Even then, it amazed players by faithfully capturing the suburban lifestyle of 1980s Japan, with bustling streets, small shops, NPC routines, and other interactions that formed one of the era’s most memorable settings.
Although it offers a more contained structure compared with modern open-world games,Shenmuemoves at an immersive, realistic pace. Thus, every aspect of the protagonist’s investigation into his father’s death is shaped by the environment, because NPC routines and even the weather affect the game’s atmosphere, yet those who simply like to explore will still find plenty of content in Yokosuka.
Besides being one of the titles thatbest portray samurai in a historical way,Ghost of Tsushimagoes further, also offering players an excellent open-world experience for those fascinated by Japan. Inspired by the Mongol invasions during the Kamakura era, the game lets players explore many parts of the island where the story unfolds, all in an immersive, well-crafted manner.
Much of that stems from the game’s artistic direction, which recreates Tsushima in a way that offers an engaging open world to explore, filled with stylized yet cinematic views of Feudal Japan, vibrant colors, and dramatic lighting. These factors, aligned with combat that works very well, make theGhost of Tsushimaexperience essential for fans of this historical period of Japan.
A major reference for portraying Japanese culture, theYakuzaseries has already taken players to different areas of Japan, especially Tokyo’s districts, and the experience inYakuza: Like a Dragonranks among the best open-world options that JRPGs provide. Here, players can explore a modern version of Kamurocho, one of the franchise’s most iconic locations for many fans and featured in several games.
Inspired by Kabukichō, Tokyo’s red-light district, this map may not be as expansive as other Japanese open worlds, but it compensates with impressive content density. Between main quests, side quests, battles, and a wide variety of minigames, there is always something to do, and the more compact structure also makes navigation easier, letting players move around the map quickly.
