Summary
- Games with multiple difficulty settings cater to all players, from beginners to challenge seekers, enhancing inclusivity.
- Ghost of Tsushima offers Lethal difficulty for tense sword fights, while Cyberpunk 2077 encourages using varied tactics on harder settings.
- The Witcher 3's creative difficulty modes allow all players to enjoy the game, with higher levels offering more tools and challenges.
The need for games to be as accessible as possible has become more prevalent than ever, and this is especially true in the case of the open-world genre. Given how popular this genre is, it's easy to see why fans would like to get into these titles without having to deal with a difficulty curve that is a bit too overbearing.
Open World Games That Have No Combat
Favor the pacifist routes in your open-world games? There's no other way with these particular titles, as they have no combat mechanics.
As a result, any game with multiple difficulty options should be praised for its inclusivity. Not only does it help people who aren't too keen when it comes to tough gameplay, but players who want to truly challenge themselves can bump the difficulty all the way to the max and see just how far they can push things.
8 Ghost Of Tsushima
Difficulty Levels: Easy, Medium, Hard, Lethal
Ghost of Tsushima
- Released
- July 17, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, Partial Nudity
- Developer(s)
- Sucker Punch
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Ghost of Tsushima is one of the most beautiful action-packed games on the PlayStation that fans can enjoy. Given how Sony has always been at the forefront of making games accessible, it's easy to see why Ghost of Tsushima features a wealth of difficulty options that cater to the masses.
Easy, Medium, and Hard are pretty self-explanatory, but it's Lethal difficulty that pushes things to the very limit. Both Jin and his opponents can be taken out in a flash, making sword fights extremely tense affairs where players can enjoy a magical flow state, only for a single mistake to lead to their death.
7 Cyberpunk 2077
Difficulty Levels: Easy, Normal, Hard, Very Hard
Cyberpunk 2077
- Released
- December 10, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the best RPGs ever made, which took a while to overcome the poor reputation stemming from a horrendous launch. Update 2.0 has also ensured that the gameplay is tighter and more refined than ever.
Initially, players can try Easy or Medium difficulty to get a hang of things. However, as V becomes stronger, most people will be compelled to switch to Hard or Very Hard to feel challenged in combat, which forces them to use every trick in their arsenal instead of relying on the same weapon and tactics over and over again.
6 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Difficulty Levels: Just The Story, Story And Sword!, Blood And Broken Bones, Death March
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Released
- May 19, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
The creative names given to the difficulty levels in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt make it clear that fans can enjoy this epic adventure no matter what their skill level is. Just the Story & Story and Sword! Are great for beginners to get into the title, but players who want to check out all the tools in Geralt's arsenal should try out the higher difficulty levels instead.
8 Best Open-World Games With Third-Person Combat, Ranked
Open-world with great combat is a winning formula for players that are fans of the genre.
Having to use potions, oils, Signs, and complex combat moves to take out strong enemies is a blast and genuinely feels refreshing for players who find themselves unchallenged at lower difficulty levels. It's a huge part of what makes The Witcher 3 so special, given that it easily caters to gamers of all types without freezing them out from experiencing one of the best video game stories of all time.
5 Minecraft
Difficulty Levels: Peaceful, Easy, Normal, Hard
Minecraft
- Released
- November 18, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Mojang
- Genre(s)
- Sandbox, Survival
- Platform(s)
- 3DS, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Wii U, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PS Vita, Xbox One, Xbox 360
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
There's a reason why Minecraft is so popular with gamers of all ages. The regular difficulty levels entail that players engage with the survival and crafting loop as they create houses that the protagonist can stay in to survive the night before eventually moving on to bigger and better things.
However, if the only thing players want to do is mess around with the sandbox and see just how far their creativity can take them, then Peaceful mode is perfect for them. Without the threat of death looming over them, players can push the Minecraft engine to its limits and try to rival the unbelievable creations that some of the game's biggest fans have made.
4 Marvel's Spider-Man 2
Difficulty Levels: Friendly Neighborhood, Friendly, Amazing, Spectacular, Ultimate
Marvel's Spider-Man 2
- Released
- October 20, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Drug Reference, Mild Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Insomniac Games
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action-Adventure, Superhero
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is arguably the best game featuring the web-slinging icon, allowing players to switch between two Spider-Men in engaging missions as they take on bigger and badder threats than ever before. The best part about Marvel Spider-Man 2 is the flexible suite of difficulty options in the game, ranging from Friendly Neighborhood to Ultimate.
This ensures that players don't have to be frustrated by the combat's challenge (or lack thereof) as they try to put an end to Kraven and Venom's threat. These difficulty options are expansive enough to let players enjoy this Spider-Man adventure how they see fit.
3 Fallout 4
Difficulty Levels: Very Easy, Easy, Normal, Hard, Very Hard, Survival
Fallout 4
- Released
- November 10, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M FOR MATURE: BLOOD AND GORE, INTENSE VIOLENCE, STRONG LANGUAGE, USE OF DRUGS
- Developer(s)
- Bethesda
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
One of the main goals of Fallout 4 was to be accessible to all, with Bethesda streamlining some of its RPG elements to make it less complicated. This extends to the difficulty options as well, with Easy or Normal being more than viable for players to get through this title without being overwhelmed.
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Players who have completed The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt can try out these similar games if they want to go through another action-packed experience.
If players feel like combat isn't challenging at all, then they can increase the difficulty to Hard or Very Hard for a greater challenge. However, the most robust difficulty mode is Survival, which adds new mechanics and a greater level of challenge in the game for players who truly want to feel the struggles of surviving in an apocalyptic world.
2 The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
Difficulty Levels: Novice, Apprentice, Adept, Expert, Master, Legendary
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Released
- November 11, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Bethesda Game Studios
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Skyrim's difficulty settings may not be mind-blowing, but many players will still love how easy it is to get into this title. With six different settings, players can tailor this experience however they want.
The game is usually harder at first before the inverted difficulty curve kicks in, and late-game challenges become a breeze. This means that most people would prefer starting on the easier difficulties before cranking it up a notch when their Dragonborn starts becoming too hot to handle for enemies.
1 Valheim
Difficulty Levels: Easy, Hard, Hardcore, Casual, Hammer Mode, Immersive
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 a groundbreaking survival game set in an open world that is going to be a major release when it eventually hits 1.0. Players will love the idea of acquiring resources, crafting useful items, scarfing down on food, and beating bosses to unlock new biomes.
The best part about this game is how varied and inclusive the difficulty settings are. Players can increase the challenge of the game to the point where the threat of permadeath constantly looms over them, or they can enjoy the crafting and building side of things without worrying too much about combat.
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