I never expected to like 'Ghost of Tsushima.' Now, I love it.

To me, the mark of a beautifully crafted open-world map is when it makes you want to explore even when there's no quest or even a clear reason pushing you in a certain direction. You just want to see what the world looks like "over there." There have been dozens of times I've scaled down cliff faces to investigate deserted beaches below, just'cus. Some of those unheralded corners of the island inspired as much as awe as major points of interest like the Golden Forest, Hidden Springs or Mount Jogaku.