Summary
- Developers need unique elements in open-world games to keep fans engaged.
- In games like Days Gone & Gothic, fear and tension keep players immersed.
- Games like ARK & Elden Ring feature terrifying enemies to keep players on edge.
Open-world gaming has become so prominent that developers must do something different to stand out. Ubisoft's mistakes have made it abundantly clear that trying to churn out more games with less effort won't entice fans to give such sandboxes a shot anymore.
Best Indie Open-World RPGs, Ranked
Open-world games are often the domain of big-budget studios, but there are some indie gems out there too.
Most developers understand this and make it a point to develop open-world games that boast something new to keep fans engaged. Instilling a sense of tension and unease in players, almost as if they were playing a horror game, keeps players immersed and hooked. These open-world games do just that, working to arouse fear in their players that can even go beyond what pure horror gaming can achieve.
7 Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare
Zombies Will Always Make An Open-World Game Scary
Red Dead Redemption Undead Nightmare Pack
- Released
- July 26, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
Undead Nightmare is an excellent piece of DLC for Red Dead Redemption that forces players to deal with the threat of zombies in the game's open world. Seeing hordes of shambling undead is bound to be unnerving for players who don't like witnessing decomposing corpses moving around.
Players can gun down zombie hordes as long as they're vigilant. However, if they let their guard down, a zombie horde can easily hunt them down and make them panic as they try to flee by any means necessary.
6 Gothic
Every Halfway-Tough Enemies Will Send Chills Down The Player's Spine
Gothic
- Released
- November 23, 2001
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Gothic is one of the best and most challenging video games ever made. The Nameless Hero will be unceremoniously dumped into an elaborate prison, where they're forced to learn how the game works and slowly but surely get stronger.
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They say 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'; however, there's simply no denying that these open-world games have amazing art design.
Even a group of the game's weakest enemies will obliterate careless adventurers, which is why even the sight of a bee or a wolf is enough to send players scampering for their lives. It's not until they invest their experience points that they get stronger, and even then, there are powerful enemies like orcs who can flatten the Nameless Hero with a single hit if players aren't prepared.
5 ARK: Survival Evolved
Seeing A T-Rex Chasing Players Down Is Always Terrifying
ARK: Survival Evolved
- Released
- August 29, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Crude Humor, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Survival
A survival game with dinosaurs that has become a major hit, ARK: Survival Evolved is one of the best multiplayer games for players who want to explore a hostile world with their friends.
This title boasts ravenous dinosaurs that will chase down players if they even catch a whiff of their scent. There's nothing more terrifying than running away from an advancing T-rex, which spells instant doom for players unless a miracle saves them in the nick of time.
4 Batman: Arkham Knight
The Game Is Full Of Unexpected Jumpscares And Unnerving Moments
Batman: Arkham Knight
- Released
- June 23, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action
The atmosphere of the Arkham series is a huge reason why players love Rocksteady's Batman games. Arkham Knight had a bit of a mixed reception to certain aspects of the story and the Batmobile, which is why it took way too long for players to appreciate just how incredible the game's atmosphere is.
Jumpscares are used multiple times but rarely feel cheap, with the side quest featuring the Man-Bat being a glowing example of the same. Even when players are just soaring through Gotham City or experiencing the main story, a scare can always come out of nowhere and bamboozle them.
3 Subnautica
Players With Thalassophobia Will Hate This Game
Subnautica
- Released
- January 23, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
Subnautica is not a game that thalassophobic people should play. The amazing survival gameplay and a vast open world make it a great exploration game, but there are moments when this title will scare the pants off players.
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These excellent open-world management games offer diverse opportunities to explore, build, and create.
Even people who aren't too afraid of the great unknown will get chills down their spine when they venture too far and see a massive underwater behemoth that will cause them to freeze. The last thing they want is to attract the attention of a giant fish that will swallow them in one fell swoop.
2 Elden Ring
Enemies Are Scary, Tough, And Placed Tactically To Ambush Players
Elden Ring
- Released
- February 25, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
FromSoftware games are known for having an immaculate atmosphere, and Elden Ring is no exception. The open world is full of nightmarish monsters that will flatten unprepared players.
That's to say nothing of the bosses, who are so ferocious that players will find their heart beating at the mere prospect of tackling such a foe. Handcrafted dungeons will also surprise players with ambushes that may cause them to panic and die as they fail to anticipate the horrors that this game is willing to throw at them.
1 Outer Wilds: Echoes Of The Eye
The DLC Is So Scary That The Developer Added An Option To Tone Down The Horror
Outer Wilds
- Released
- May 28, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ due to Fantasy Violence, Alcohol Reference
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
Even the base game of Outer Wilds has some scares that will take players by surprise, namely the foggy depths of Dark Bramble. However, nothing comes close to the horrors that await players in Echoes of the Eye.
The first-person viewpoint is used to scare the wits out of players so many times that the developer decided to add an option to reduce the scare factor of this DLC. It's just one of the many reasons why Outer Wilds is such a masterpiece with a downright rabid fanbase that loves watching other players experience this game's magic for the first time.
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Explore Japan like never before with these must-play open-world games, ranging from feudal samurai sagas to supernatural Tokyo streets.