Summary
- Open-world games can make players feel fear, vulnerability, and oppression through their open landscapes and enemies.
- Survival instincts are tested in games like DayZ, Pathologic, The Long Dark, offering challenges like zombies and hunger.
- From Software's Elden Ring creates vulnerability through brutal difficulty, challenging players with deadly encounters.
Good games should always aim to evoke a particular feeling in their players, be it fear, wonder, amazement, power, or vulnerability. It all depends on what type of game it is, and the story the developers are conveying. Open-world games have the potential to create any of these feelings, as they can cover a wide range of genres and themes.
The Best Open-World Horror Games
Open-world games are often thought of in terms of RPGs, but these horror games make excellent use of the open-world format.
Even those that don't verge into horror territory can oppress the player with the enemies that roam the world, the landscapes they explore, and the things they must do in order to survive. For those looking for games that will truly make them feel vulnerable, these are the perfect titles.
8 DayZ
DayZ Puts Survival Instincts To The Limit
DayZ
- Released
- December 13, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Bohemia Interactive
- Genre(s)
- Survival
- OpenCritic Rating
- Weak
As with many open world games, the world of DayZ has been plunged into a post-apocalyptic nightmare, where zombies now plague the land, and are ready to tear apart any living being that happens across their path, which will be the unfortunate players who are thrust into the wild and unforgiving land of DayZ.
As if zombies aren't enough alone to make players feel tiny and vulnerable, players can also die to more mundane means, such as exposure to cold, animal attacks, blood loss, starvation, food poisoning...it certainly is not a survival game for the faint of heart, and if players want to feel vulnerable and constantly on step away from death, it might just be the ideal game for them.
7 Pathological
A Deadly Plague Ravages The Town
Pathologic
- Released
- June 9, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
The outbreak of a mysterious yet lethal disease plunges the town into deep despair and fear, as no cures can be found within its walls, leading them to seek outside help. Three arrive, in the form of the Bachelor, the Haruspex, and the Changeling. Each of these characters have their own unique mission to undertake, but there is one shared objective: survive a total of 12 days in this small, sleepy town.
The Hardest Horror Games Ever Made, Ranked
It’s paramount that a horror game is actually scary, but this level of terror is sometimes reflected in the game’s difficulty.
It sounds simple in premise, but Pathologic is one of the most unforgiving games of all time. There is no hand-holding, little to no guidance regarding the next objective. Instead, players need to rely on their own wit. Couple that with the added pressure of surviving the dangerous, plague-infested town and players are sure to feel completely in danger every step of the way, as surviving Pathologic is far easier said than done.
6 The Long Dark
Play As An Ordinary Person Thrust Into a Survival Situation
The Long Dark
- Released
- August 1, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Blood, Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Hinterland Studio
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Nowadays, the cold grip of winter is little more than a nuisance, as people can bundle up warm in their houses with a cup of hot cocoa, not having to worry about exposure, or dangerous animals. Well, The Long Dark makes people realize just how dangerous winter can be without proper shelter or resources, as players are thrust into the frozen wilderness of Canada and expected to survive all the hazards.
Though there is a structured story-mode, the game also features a survival mode in which the player wanders the wide-open map. The weather, thirst, hunger, fatigue, and wild animals are all pressing threats. With so many ways to die, the game can often feel overwhelming and create a true sense of vulnerability, as there are so many ways that the player can perish.
5 S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
The Zone Is A Dangerous Place
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
- Released
- November 20, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco
- Developer(s)
- GSC Game World
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter, Open-World, Post-Apocalyptic, Survival
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Awakening to see his apartment destroyed after returning home from active duty, Yevhen "Skif" Martynenko enters the Zone where he might learn more about the anomaly that caused this, and gain some money for his new home. Armed with a piece of technology called a Scanner, Skif sets out into the world, hoping to find the artifact that was left behind in the aftermath of the anomaly. The world is a dangerous one that should not be explored unprepared.
But not enough doom prep in the world can make players feel they are ready, as the Zone is teeming with hazards, some hostile, and some just human needs such as hunger, thirst and exhaustion. There is a lot to manage, and it can make players feel as though they aren't ready to explore the open world, but they have no other choice. The decrepit state of the world, and long stretches of open and empty road create feelings not only of loneliness, but true vulnerability.
4 Dying Light
The Zombie Pose An Ominous Threat
Dying Light
- Released
- January 27, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Techland
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Survival Horror
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
The fictional city of Harran has fallen to an outbreak of a mysterious virus that has transformed most of the locals into aggressive and dangerous zombie-like creatures. And it is this city playable character Kyle Crane will have to infiltrate in order to retrieve a stolen file containing top-secret information, getting a zombie bite for his trouble.
Now with most zombie games, the creatures slowly shamble towards the players, arms outstretched as they utter long, drawn-out syllables, their rotting bodies barely able to stand upright. But Dying Light decides to do away with this stereotype, making their creatures far more mobile, which makes them all the more ominous, creating a sense of vulnerability in the player, as they know these zombies are going to put up one hell of a fight.
3 The Forest
Hardly Nowhere Feels Safe
The Forest
- Released
- April 30, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
A plane crashes onto a deserted forest island, and survivor Eric wakes up to see his son Timmy missing, and sets out into this dangerous new land to find him. In order to survive the harsh environment, players need to get to work on scavenging supplies in order to build a shelter and make weapons that will be needed, because the island might not have been as deserted as it originally looked.
Best Horror Games Set On An Island
For those looking to feel especially isolated while playing a video game, here are some of the best horror titles that are set on an island.
Cannibals exist on this island, and it looks like they want to make the player character their next meal. They can pop up at some unexpected times, even rather close to their shelter, which can be a spooky surprise for players who thought they were safe just working on their cabin. Although players can arm themselves, the fact that cannibals even exist here in the first place makes it hard for them to ever feel like they're truly safe, even in broad daylight. Nighttime and the dark caves only make players feel like they are in even more immediate danger.
2 Subnautica
The Ocean Is An Intimidating Place
Subnautica
- Released
- January 23, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ for Everyone 10+: Fantasy Violence, Mild Language
- Developer(s)
- Unknown Worlds Entertainment
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
The sea is a terrifying place on Earth, as there is still so much beneath the surface that is unexplored, leaving the possibility of there being millions of other sea creatures that have yet to be documented and identified. But, imagine exploring an ocean on an alien planet, which is bound to hold even more strange sea creatures than here on our planet.
This is the premise of Subnautica, as the player character crash lands in an ocean on an alien planet. With no signs of any real pieces of land visible, the player has little choice but to explore the ocean, a place of wonder, but it's also rather intimidating. There is the pressure of tracking oxygen usage, and the fact that players could happen upon creatures such as the leviathan, which would be one way to make the player feel like they are little more than a tiny piece of plankton.
1 Elden Ring
From Software Games Are Designed To Be Punishing
Elden Ring
- Released
- February 25, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
From Software has made a career for themselves, challenging the players with their brutally difficult games. No other game series has quite captured the feeling of being weak and vulnerable as the Soulsborne games, as failure is all too often an inevitability rather than a possibility, even after upgraded equipment and abilities.
Though skilled and patient players can eventually learn to time their dodges and attacks and learn the patterns of bosses, there is still a great sense of vulnerability when exploring the world of Elden Ring, as the player knows they are venturing out to find more deadly encounters, be it enemies or even just extremely unfair traps. Every step could be just the player nearing their death, but this is all part of the fun and thrill of From Software's games.
Open-World Games with the Most Tense Survival Elements
An open-world game with survival elements can prove to be a truly memorable experience that can leave players on the edge of their seats.