9. Just Cause 2
This game is…big. Like, really big. It’s also not empty, like its predecessor. It accomplishes the difficult task of making a massive world that actually feels like it has a bunch of stuff to do, while also delivering unique and different single-player missions. A significant amount of time can be lost simply designing absurd stunts involving hero Rico Rodriguez’s trademark grappling hook, such as attaching a car to a helicopter, then using said car as a wrecking ball against one of the many evil military bases scattered around the world. The island was also designed with an impressive verticality, dotted with numerous tall mountains from which to parachute, and a plethora of awesome vehicles to race around and wreak havoc with. This was an example of a wholly different and successfully executed open world game.