The Best Open-World Games To Pass The Time On Long Flights

Summary

• Open-world video games are ideal for long flights, providing immersive exploration and activities to keep players engaged.
• Standout games for flight include The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Assassin’s Creed 4, and Cyberpunk 2077.
• Games like Elden Ring, Red Dead Redemption 2, Minecraft, and No Man’s Sky offer diverse open worlds to explore during travel.

While it’s always exhilarating in those first few moments to blast off into the sky after boarding a plane, most people will eventually start scrambling for things to do once the journey begins. This can be particularly important for flights that take several hours or even days, considering the human brain always needs to keep itself active to avoid getting bored or irritable, and what better way to pass the time than to play a long and enjoyable video game?

Open-world games tend to be the best when it comes to killing time, since it’s all so easy to become completely engrossed in exploring and venturing through a brand-new world for hours on end. With a plethora of objectives to complete and NPCs to interact with, it’s certainly not a bad idea to keep one of these games handy when taking off into the sky, but of course, they still need to be high quality and, most importantly, playable on a handheld, as is the case with these excellent titles listed below.

8

The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom

Traverse The Sky Islands While Cruising Through The Clouds

Traveling on a plane allows us to view the world from an entirely different perspective, and the same can be said for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which allows players to navigate the world from up high thanks to the inclusion of the Sky Islands. The truth is, though, this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of how massive the world featured in this game actually is, since there’s also the surface, which is packed full of dangerous enemies and interesting locations, along with the creepy Depths, which also contains its fair share of mysteries.

What ultimately makes Tears of the Kingdom so satisfying to play, and why it’s the perfect game to play for a long flight, is that there’s always something new around every corner. Whether it’s a Bokoblin base full of loot, a tricky challenge shrine, or even just a few rare materials lying around that can be fused with Link’s weapon, there’s always something to get up to when traversing the wonderful land of Hyrule.

7

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag

Get Lost In A World Of Swashbuckling Pirates And Ship Battles

Anyone who is looking for a slow and methodical open-world game where they can take their time exploring definitely ought to give Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag a shot. This game features one of the biggest open worlds in the entire series, being based around the Caribbean islands, where players are free to explore the glistening open seas after they retrieve their own ship. The ship navigation really is the heart and soul of Black Flag’s gameplay, making players feel as if they themselves are truly a pirate on a desperate hunt for some treasure, along with their swashbuckling crewmates.

While there are definitely still some fast-paced action sequences to keep players engaged, such as with the intense ship battles, Black Flag is also ideal for anyone who simply wants to take in the views and explore their surroundings at their own pace. The amount of content packed into the game, paired with the lovable characters and compelling story, all make it one of the best handheld Assassin’s Creed games out there.

Experience The Classic Open-World Adventure All Over Again

There are many open-world games that can end up leaving the player exhausted after they beat them for the first time, but this doesn’t exactly apply to Skyrim. The fifth Elder Scrolls game is easily replayable, since there are so many ways that players can decide to approach their character, thanks to the integration of deep RPG elements and mechanics. This makes it easier to jump into a new save to try and take a completely different route by focusing on new parts of the skill tree and different questlines that become accessible over the course of a playthrough.

However, what also makes Skyrim such a fun game to settle into is how cozy it is. There’s something magical about wandering around the world and admiring all of its beautiful areas and landscapes, and thanks to the game’s dedication to creating an immersive experience, it’s hard to blame anyone for getting fully sucked into the world of Skyrim for several hours after they log in to embark on yet another playthrough.

5

Cyberpunk 2077

Kill Some Time With Johnny While Exploring The Jaw-Dropping Night City

When it was announced that Cyberpunk 2077 would be making its way to the Switch 2, many people were skeptical whether the system could actually run the game in the first place, considering how technically demanding it is. To the surprise of pretty much everyone, though, CD Projekt Red and Nintendo managed to pull it off, as the game provides a smooth and responsive experience that allows players to admire Night City in all of its dystopian glory while on the go.

There’s just so much to do when loading up a new game of Cyberpunk. Whether it’s the gigs that can earn some extra Eddies or the Cyberpsycho missions, which are essentially action-packed all-out brawls, any time players open up the map, they will always have a new activity they can partake in. There’s also a great cast of characters who are all incredibly well-written and a lot of fun to hang out with, especially Johnny, who can help to make a flight feel a little more bearable with his comedic quips and hilarious dad jokes.

4

Elden Ring

Take Down A Few Tough Bosses Until It’s Time To Land

It should be prefaced that, like most Soulslike games, Elden Ring is not for the faint of heart, but anyone who wants to engross themselves in a few chaotic battles along their journey will find a lot to love here. Elder Ring is a game that doesn’t do a lot of hand-holding, so once players are let out into the wild, they will be free to go and explore anything they lay their eyes on, including the plethora of mysterious tombs and castles that can be seen dotted around the world.

Of course, actually reaching these locations is far from easy, considering the map is also packed full of difficult bosses, all of whom come with their own striking designs and deadly fighting styles. It can be easy to lose count of how many hours have passed when trying to take down a boss for the 50th time, but one thing is for sure: nobody will be falling asleep on a flight if they have a giant dragon on their screen that needs to be taken down.

3

No Man’s Sky

Explore A Limitless Universe Full Of Wonder And Intrigue

It’s honestly remarkable just how far No Man’s Sky has come since it first launched back in 2016, as while it may have gotten off to a rough start, after several years of updates, it is now undoubtedly the best space exploration game available. After a fairly brief tutorial, which helps players get up to speed with the general mechanics of the game, players can then do pretty much whatever they want from then on, which can include collecting resources on planets, building a new base, or even interacting with other players on a Space Anomaly.

All of this can be done seamlessly with no loading screens to speak of, and the fact that it all runs so well on the Switch 2 makes it a must-play for anyone who enjoys the idea of exploring space to kill some time. The incredibly addictive gameplay loop ensures that players are hooked into the experience from the moment they boot it up, and considering this is literally the biggest open-world game ever created, it’s fair to say there’s no shortage of areas to explore.

2

Red Dead Redemption 2

Experience Arthur Morgan’s Epic Tale From Up High

There’s a lot to love about Red Dead Redemption 2, but one reason it’s so appealing to such a massive number of people is that it can be played in so many different ways. If someone wants to experience the epic and emotional story of Arthur Morgan, then all they have to do is complete the missions that are set out by the camp members to progress through the story. However, the game never forces players to do this, as they can also spend as much time as they like traversing through the country and helping out a few strangers along the way if they choose to do so.

While it can often be tricky choosing which game is worth picking up for a long flight, Red Dead Redemption 2 is always a reliable pick because it can appeal to pretty much everyone. It doesn’t matter if a person wants to engage in a few gang shootouts, rob a luxurious train, or even just go birdwatching when the sun is in the sky; all of this is fully available for players to enjoy.

1

Minecraft

Get Creative For As Long As You Like

A big reason why Minecraft is among the most popular games ever is because of how accessible it is. Because there’s no overarching story that players need to learn beforehand, it means the moment they set up a new game, they will be dropped in the middle of a vast blocky open world, which can be interacted with in a myriad of different ways. On the one hand, it can be easy to start off by punching some trees to collect some wood, before then building a house and a few resources to start mining.

Other players, however, might choose to focus on surviving by gathering some food and creating a small shelter to stay safe from the skeletons and zombies that roam around in the night. Even if a world goes horribly wrong, it only takes a few seconds to load up a brand new seed to start over from scratch without needing to take on any lengthy tutorial or introduction. Since the game is also actively available on most handheld systems, it’s a great choice for those who are looking for a way to stay occupied while on a journey, not only for adults, but also for kids.