Summary
- Open-world games challenge players with dangerous environments for rewarding exploration.
- Games like Ark, Tribes of Midgard, Valheim, and Subnautica immerse players in survival gameplay.
- Titles like Dying Light 2, No Man's Sky, Don't Starve Together, and Conan Exiles offer unique experiences.
Open-world games are living, breathing, and evolving creations that take meticulous effort to do justice. With the open-world genre slowly becoming the standard in the gaming community, developers continue to push the envelope by making worlds more than just a player's sandbox.
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Games have begun to incorporate real threats and make environments that are challenging to traverse, making exploring feel more like a task than a freedom. Traversing a mysterious new area and learning the secret should be a challenge, offering a fair amount of reward for braving a new location and taking on the enemies that await. Here are some of the best open-world games where exploration is about surviving.
Ark: Survival Evolved
A Harsh Prehistoric Adventure Where One Wrong Move Could Be Fatal
ARK: Survival Evolved
- Released
- August 29, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
Ark: Survival Evolved is a game developed by Studio Wildcard. The game drops players into an enormous open world set in a prehistoric setting, where players are forced into becoming hunter-gatherers to survive. Starting with nothing, players must explore to find resources such as food, water, and materials to build their own shelter.
While these materials are not difficult to find, the risks associated with wandering too far are substantial. In the early beginnings, the world was filled with lethal predators from Raptors to a T Rex or two. Players need to keep their wits about them and make educated decisions before venturing out into the unknown.
Tribes Of Midgard
A Campy But Challenging Race Against The Sun
Tribes Of Midgard
- Released
- July 27, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Violence
- Developer(s)
- Norsfell Games
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Tribes of Midgard was a surprise success, delivering a top-down survival game set in a fantasy world inspired by Norse mythology. Players can take custom characters into a randomly generated open world with multiple biomes and work in teams of up to ten players, depending on the game mode. Players have a home base centered around the Tree of Yggdrasil, which they must protect at all costs.
To fortify this base, players must venture outside their safe and gather essential materials for weapons, armor, and upgrades. However, the world of Tribes of Midgard is filled with multiple types of enemies that won't hesitate to attack. Werewolves, drowned warriors, and even gigantic titans are all threats players must overcome, and even then, they must prepare for the night witch unleashes a different wave of horrors.
Valheim
Try To Survive The Afterlife As A Viking Warrior
Valheim
- Released
- February 2, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- r
- Developer(s)
- Iron Gate AB
- Genre(s)
- Sandbox, Survival
- Platform(s)
- Linux, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Valheim is another fantasy survival game set in a bleak purgatory realm where players must survive the harsh climate, invading enemies, and powerful bosses to reach salvation by earning Odin's favor. Players must build their own bases, weapons, and equipment while scavenging multiple biomes for resources and sustenance.
Valheim offers a co-op experience that allows one to ten players to work together, with a range of difficulties that players must overcome to receive powerful buffs. Valheim's environments are filled with lethal threats from poison leeches, vicious animal life, and hunger and thirst.
Subnautica
An Aquatic Challenge To Explore The Depths Of An Alien Planet
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
Unknown Worlds Entertainment delivers a nail-biting experience with Subnautica, forcing players to survive after crash-landing on a strange and foreign planet made up of mostly water. With no resources or backups, players must dive into the mysterious waves and hope to find the materials needed to survive, while also trying to uncover the mystery of the planet itself.
As players venture leagues under the sea, they will encounter all sorts of sea creatures, some small, while others can be colossal. While being completely out of their element, players will need to make calculated choices and learn when to turn back to safety before it's too late.
Dying Light 2
Use Skill And Cunning To Outrun The Zombie Apocalypse
Dying Light 2 Stay Human
- Released
- February 4, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Techland
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
The Dying Light franchise is an innovative take on the zombie game genre, blending the horror and fear of being chased by the undead with the maneuverability and traversal methods of Mirror's Edge. Dying Light 2 is set more than a decade after the events of the first game and allows players to take on the story as Aiden Caldwell, an immune survivor who becomes trapped in a hellish town on the brink of civil war.
Dying Light 2 expands on the unique brand of zombies in the franchise by having a city infested with speed-running zombies. Players will need to explore every nook and cranny for the game's secrets and try to survive the undead variants that will try to run them down.
No Man's Sky
Take To The Stars And Brave Strange Worlds
No Man's Sky
- Released
- August 9, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Fantasy Violence, Animated Blood
- Developer(s)
- Hello Games
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, Nintendo Switch 2
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
No Man's Sky is a bold risk that has exceeded all expectations, offering a truly massive experience that allows players to become intergalactic adventurers. The game begins after players crash-land on a barren planet, having to explore and scavenge for resources to repair the ship and fix life support systems.
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No Man's Sky combines the best elements of games like Minecraft and Astroneer, meshing them together perfectly. After the brief tutorial, players can explore a near-endless universe filled with varying planets and encounter the bountiful rewards or deadly consequences.
Don't Starve Together
Survive As Long As Possible In This Gothic Horror Setting
Don't Starve Together
- Released
- April 21, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Teen / Fantasy Violence, Crude Humor
- Developer(s)
- Klei Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- Survival, Adventure, Open-World, Crafting, Sandbox
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
Don't Starve Together is an expanded sequel to Don't Starve, adding a number of new mechanics along with dedicated multiplayer. Players are dropped into a gruesomely cruel setting where the goal is simply to survive.
Players must explore and gather essential resources for tools and shelter while avoiding or combating the slew of enemies that populate the game. Don't Starve Together is incredibly unforgiving, making the exploration one of the most grueling but satisfying experiences. Don't Starve Together supports squads of up to six players and stands out from other games in the genre.
Conan Exiles
Struggle To Exist In The Barbaric Lands Of The Conan Universe
Conan Exiles
- Released
- May 8, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, Nudity, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Funcom
- Genre(s)
- Survival, Action-Adventure
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
Conan is a legendary figure in entertainment who has crossed over from movies and into comics and cartoons. The franchise was taken into the world of video games with Conan Exiles by the developers at Funcom, and is an open-world survival game with extremely harsh elements.
As exiles, players are banished individuals stripped of their livelihood who must traverse and conquer the exiled lands. From crafting, building, and PVP, Conan Exiles provides the total package in the survival genre. Conan Exiles matches the mature and violent setting of the franchise, having brutal combat, enslavement, and a visceral world to explore.
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