One of the best parts of nature is being able to watch animals in their natural environment. Some developers get so inspired by animals that they make games about them, or put animals into their games and give them distinct behavior patterns. It’s been a long time since the days of hunting deer and other wildlife in The Oregon Trail, as wildlife, in all varieties, can have genuinely interesting AI patterns in modern games.
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For open-world games with action-based gameplay or hunting elements, these are the games that stick out. Some of these examples include monsters and even robots, but altogether, they are examples of rich creatures in these worlds, and console/PC technology can only get better from here.
Monster Hunter Wilds
Kaiju Fight!
Monster Hunter Wilds
- Released
- February 28, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
Monster Hunter Wilds, an action RPG, is one of the finest examples, even though it doesn’t have traditional wildlife. What’s cool about this open-world game is that the giant monsters players can fight will often leave trails of dead, smaller animals in their wake, which can lead players to them.
They can also be shown fighting these smaller animals and disbanding herds, at least in the first desert area, or they can be fighting monsters on their level. Sometimes it’s just fun to watch these kaiju-level titans go to town to see who will win.
Xenoblade Chronicles X
Danger All Around
Xenoblade Chronicles X
- Released
- December 4, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Monolith Soft, Nintendo SPD
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Open-World
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Wii U
Xenoblade Chronicles X, an MMO-style RPG, has a diverse world set on a foreign planet that Earthlings are trying to cultivate as their own. Players can come across small critters and monsters just minding their business in natural areas, or they can see them attacking each other.
Mostly, these monsters will not engage with players unless they have innate combat, and if they are in herds, the herd will often support the targeted monster. Also, the bigger monsters that players cannot hope to kill until much later may attack the party or engage with other monsters for dominance.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus
A Wild Pokemon Appears
Pokemon Legends: Arceus
- Released
- January 28, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Game Freak
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch
The Pokemon games are prime examples, or at least some of the later ones are. Thanks to technology, Game Frank can now program Pokemon to roam around their natural environments, interacting with other Pokemon, eating, and mostly running away when players approach.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus is one specific example wherein players can hunt them for battle, or they can throw Pokeballs to catch them in one fell swoop. Only one monster at a time will typically enter the turn-based battle, but there are times when one will wait in the background to assist its friend next.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Rope ‘Em If You Got ‘Em
Red Dead Redemption 2
- Released
- October 26, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
Red Dead Redemption 2 is a Western simulator wherein one can feel like a real cowboy or gangster right before the turn of the century. Players can tame horses, which is not easy, along with hunting critters around the frontier or, in some cases, forests.
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Smaller prey, such as deer or rabbits, will typically run away if players get too close. Bears and cougars, on the other hand, may engage first, or at least fight back after being shot, and they can often be scarier than human opponents.
Far Cry Primal
A Dangerous Life
Far Cry Primal
- Released
- February 23, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft Montreal
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action
Far Cry Primal is one of the stranger Far Cry games out there, as it takes place within a nomadic tribe during the era of 10,000 B.C. More so than anything else, this is a game about survival through hunting with the tribe.
Animals are more ferocious than any other game out there, and unlike the many weapons in other Far Cry games, players are more limited in how they can engage animals in real-time combat. Bows and spears can be enough to take down saber-toothed tigers or mammoths, but they will certainly fight back and even win within packs.
Horizon Forbidden West
Robots In Disguise
Horizon Forbidden West
- Released
- February 18, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Guerrilla Games
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
Horizon Forbidden West has a similar vibe to Far Cry Primal, as people exist within nomadic tribes in the post-apocalypse. However, instead of organic animals, players can hunt robotic ones: the remnants of the robots that took over Earth eons ago. They cannot be hunted for food, but the parts sold are how players can craft or earn a living.
They can also be hacked to turn them into allies for battle or used as mounts to get around the open world faster. They exist in herds or smaller numbers, and like many open-world games, they will either scatter or engage depending on how players approach.
Ghost Of Yotei
Guiding Friends
Ghost of Yotei
- Released
- October 2, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Sucker Punch
- Genre(s)
- Action, Adventure, Open-World
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5
Ghost of Yotei has animals that players can view in between intense samurai action, but most serve no purpose other than to populate the world. There are three exceptions, and these include birds and foxes. In the world, there are many locations players can visit to upgrade themselves, like hot springs to increase HP.
Golden Birds can lead players to any of these locations, and two other animals are quest-related. Foxes can guide players to shrines in and wolves can lead players to their packs, which have been captured and must be freed.
The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
Cucco Swarm!
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Released
- March 3, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, despite being an action-adventure fantasy, has normal animals to hunt, like birds and deer. They will leave meat behind, which can be used in cooking, and there are more humanoid monsters to fight, too.
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Though these open-world games are good, the lack of traversal options makes them somewhat hard to navigate.
There are also unique chicken-like beings called Cuccos that are peaceful in villages. However, when attacked numerous times, a swarm will appear out of nowhere to attack players. It’s a secret mechanic first discovered in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
To Catch A Chocobo
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
- Released
- February 29, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PC
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is an action RPG that is not teeming with wildlife to look at or hunt beyond the typical monsters that are only there to battle. The exception is the Final Fantasy franchise’s longtime mascots, Chocobos. Each area of the open world has a distinct breed of Chocobo to catch through a series of mini-games involving stealth.
Once captured, Chocobos can be used to explore these areas, and the varieties include ones that can climb surfaces to ones that can run on water and jump straight into geysers for a boost.
Dishonored
Release The Rats
Dishonored
- Released
- October 9, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
Dishonored has one type of animal that will change the smaller open-world hub area: rats. By killing more enemies, it will infect the city, thus bringing in more rats. So, if players kill every opponent they meet instead of knocking them out through stealth, then their city will be overrun by rats.
This will make it harder to get around, and it could even lead to injury. It’s a dynamic way to show that the developers were thinking about realistic ways on how at least one animal could be used as a storytelling device.
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