One of my favorite things to do in a video game is to explore the entire map on foot without any shortcuts such as fast travel. It helps me to get immersed in the world I'm playing in. Bethesda's games such as their Elder Scrolls and Fallout games were pretty much my go to for this. However I've basically explored everything in Bethesda's games so I'm currently on the look out for games with interesting maps to explore. Does anyone have any suggestions?
The Witcher 3's Maps are fucking enormous and a treat to explore especially if you have a great computer.
And although there are fast travel options via signposts, you can still go by foot, horse, or boat from the Nilfgaardian Army camp in southern Velen to Novigrad without a single loading screen. That's if you just go in a straight line too, there's two other major cities in between, and numerous smaller stops. Its two whole map regions conjoined to form a massive area with varied environments and settings and kilometers worth of in-game space.
Then there's Skellige and its numerous islands which is its own kettle of fish and IMO is also beautiful to explore. I loved going on foot through Kaer Trolde, it felt like I was actually in a Viking Fortress-Port town.
Another game that I really enjoyed for its exploration elements and the fact that you cannot fast travel at all is an indie game called Sunless Sea. You're basically a steam-ship captain trying to explore and survive in the Unterzee, an underwater ocean filled with strange locales, hazards, and wonders. It also has amazing art and writing and pretty great music.
Mafia II's map is also pretty good, and is basically open-world if you don't follow the story missions immediately.
The Long Dark has enormous maps that you have to explore in order to try and find places to search for supplies and shelter in order to survive in the Canadian North after a massive electro-magnetic event that left you stranded, and those maps can go into other regions that are also huge maps themselves, and it is impossible to go faster than a foot pace in the game, as there are no working vehicles yet (I kinda doubt there will be, but you never know, it is still in development atm, they may include a snowmobile or something that needs gas to power), and no way to fast travel.
I've also heard that Kona looks pretty nice, for something in a similar vein to The Long Dark, its also in development.
Also, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines has some nice maps in the same vein as Deus Ex in that they're most city-scapes of cities like Santa Monica, Los Angeles, and a few other locations in that area of California.
