While it's always fun exploring an environment that the protagonist and the surrounding characters are already familiar with, there's something about being dropped in the middle of nowhere that can make a game even more intriguing to jump into and play. Being a fish out of water essentially means waking up in a world with essentially no knowledge of anything that's going on around you, so developers who create an experience that centers around this idea can result in the player feeling a bunch of different emotions throughout their playthrough.
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While it can definitely be a little scary and even intimidating to venture through a world that is completely shrouded in mystery, it can also encourage players to be more adventurous in order to uncover everything they can to piece together the story as they go along. Anyone who enjoys the idea of feeling like they have been pushed out of their comfort zone and into an entirely new world for the very first time definitely ought to give these excellent games below a try.
Outlast
Miles Suddenly Finds Himself In An Eerie Asylum Full Of Brutish Inmates
Outlast
- Released
- November 4, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature // Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, Sexual Content, Nudity, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Red Barrels
- Publisher(s)
- Red Barrels
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 3
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
When protagonist Miles rocks up to the Mount Massive Asylum at the beginning of Outlast, he is led to believe that the enormous building is mostly abandoned, but the truth is, he couldn't have been more wrong. While players are free to explore a few rooms at the beginning of the game, they are then abruptly thrown into a cell with nothing but a camera and a handful of batteries to keep them going. For the majority of Outlast, players will desperately be trying to navigate their way through the asylum while avoiding all the crazed inmates to finally return home, but considering they have no weapons to speak of, getting caught while running around is more or less inevitable.
What amplifies the tension is the fact that the brutish inmates who occupy the building know the asylum like the back of their hands and are able to sprint through all kinds of secret passageways to catch players off guard when they least expect it. Therefore, while surviving against enemies and scavenging as many batteries as possible at the core of the gameplay loop, another major aspect of Outlast is learning the layout of the environment to avoid running into a Game Over screen too often after being caught.
Fallout 3
Once That Vault Door Opens, The World Becomes A Mystery
Fallout 3
- Released
- October 28, 2008
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Vault 101 may seem like a very comfy and cozy area to start off in at the beginning of Fallout 3, but it's not long before players will be forced to flee the safe haven, leading them to the apocalyptic surface. As soon as players open up the Vault Gate, they will find themselves all alone in a world that has been completely decimated by nuclear warfare. This is ultimately what makes exploring in Fallout 3 so exciting, since there's no telling what sort of humans, Ghouls, or monsters will be showing up around each corner, and whether they will be friend or foe.
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Considering the player's character will have grown up in the confines of the Vault, they will also have no knowledge of the culture and traditions that can be uncovered while traveling along the surface. This helps to make the world of Fallout 3 believable and realistic, allowing players to feel truly immersed in the experience by learning how the world operates now that it has been turned into a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
Far Cry 5
Players Find Themselves Traversing Through A Land Ruled By Joseph Seeds' Goons
Far Cry 5
- Released
- March 27, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Genre(s)
- FPS, Open-World
At the beginning of Far Cry 5, the mission is simply to apprehend a dangerous cult member known as Joseph Seed, but to say things ended up going horribly wrong would be an understatement. With most of their allies killed and no way of escaping Hope County, players find themselves surrounded by Joseph Seed and his devoted loyal soldiers, who will be hunting them down every step of the way. Much like previous Far Cry games, Far Cry 5 is all about players acquiring weapons, gadgets, and items throughout their journey to eventually go from the hunted to a hunter, though getting to this point is far from easy.
Hope County, which is the open world that players are free to explore, is separated into three major areas, each controlled by one of Joseph's subordinates. Each environment has a very distinct and unique aesthetic which feeds into the subordinate's personality and backstory, and while these individuals will have full control over their respective territory, it's up to the player to rebel by taking down enemy camps and removing their influence, resulting in a fun and addictive gameplay loop which just never gets old.
Resident Evil 7
Ethan Definitely Didn't Plan To Spend The Night In The Baker's Creepy Mansion
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
- Released
- January 24, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, In-Game Purchases
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror, Psychological Horror, First-Person
While most of the Resident Evil games involve a character entering a mysterious area that is crawling with zombies and B.O.W.s, they will at least have some kind of combat and firearm experience to ensure they don't get eaten alive right away. In the case of Ethan, the main protagonist of Resident Evil 7, he is tasked with rescuing his wife, Mia, from a giant estate owned by the Bakers, a corrupted family who can't be taken down with a few handgun bullets or a shotgun blast.
Since Ethan is designed to be an ordinary civilian who has barely ever used a gun in his life, Resident Evil 7 does a good job of making players feel like they are severely underprepared for the journey ahead of them. It invokes the sense of being somewhere that you really shouldn't be, amplifying the dread and horror in the process. While characters like Leon and Chris may be more than prepared to take down any mutant who gets in their way, the same certainly can't be said for Ethan, who is much more of a fish out of water compared to those two protagonists.
BioShock Infinite
The Awe-Inspiring Columbia Isn't Quite What It Seems On The Surface
BioShock Infinite
- Released
- March 26, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, Mild Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco
- Genre(s)
- Shooter
When Booker DeWitt is introduced to the player in BioShock Infinite, he comes across as a smart-mouthed and cocky mercenary who is probably a little too confident for his own good. His demeanor completely changes, though, once he is randomly shot up into the sky and arrives in the floating city of Columbia. Though it is completely separated from the regular world, Columbia is a place that still has its own traditions, norms, and culture. As is made evident in the first hour of the game, where players stumble their way through a bizarre carnival which eventually gets them into trouble, Columbia is a place where those who are unfamiliar with the rules and laws will immediately be picked out by the population, and will inevitably be seen as an enemy.
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However, Booker doesn't have any time to familiarize himself with the city, as he is instead on a desperate mission to rescue Elizabeth, who has been locked away in a tower for much of her life. It's an absolute blast being able to navigate through Columbia by using the Skyrails to jump between areas, and it's exciting to see the monsters and machines that the residents of Colombia have created to deal with anyone who dares to trespass on their city.
Metro Exodus
The Surface World Has New Masters Now
Metro Exodus
- Released
- February 15, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Genre(s)
- FPS
In most of the Metro games, players will spend the majority of their time traveling through the dark and murky underground, only to pop up on the radiated surface every now and again for supplies. In Metro Exodus, though, the survivors have finally managed to reach the surface without being killed straight away, giving players the freedom to explore iconic locales that have been completely taken over by mutants and beasts. As a result, while there may be a few familiar landmarks to keep an eye out for, players must always remember that this land has long been ruled by the monsters that occupy it, rather than the humans.
While it's important to explore each area as thoroughly as possible to acquire supplies needed for survival, doing so is never easy, considering most enemies will be more than happy to hunt down the player as soon as they lay eyes on them. Because a mutant may be more than familiar with the lay of the land, considering they've been wandering around the surface for so long, players must use their intuition and resources to figure out where to go next without being mauled by a pack of beasts along the way, ensuring the gameplay remains tense and immersive from beginning to end.
No Man's Sky
A Vast Set Of Galaxies That All Contains Unique Planets, Stars, And Creatures
No Man's Sky
- Released
- August 9, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
No Man's Sky is an absolutely massive game, to the point where many claim it to be the biggest open-world game ever made, considering there are essentially an unlimited number of planets that players can visit. When taking all of this into account, it can admittedly be a little easy to feel overwhelmed when starting off the game, but to be honest, that is ultimately what the developers are going for. No Man's Sky is all about uncovering new and unique planets, which are all packed full of their own set of resources, wildlife, and landmarks to discover.
When taking a look at the massive scale of the galaxy map, it really puts into perspective just how minuscule the player is compared to the world around them, making them feel like just one part of a much larger game. This is why it's all so satisfying to venture across a mysterious planet and eventually turn it into a base, as it allows players to feel like they've conquered a brand-new area through their own curiosity, but it goes without saying that one planet is just a fraction of what players can run into along their grand space adventure.
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