Summary
Open-world games, with their vast landscapes and free-form exploration, naturally offer a diverse variety of environments. While some open-world games do offer harsh environments, it can often feel more like window dressing.
Some open-world games, however, take place in truly harsh and dangerous environments that pose a genuine threat to the player. With consistent hazards, both environmental and living, these titles evoke a constant sense of danger, allowing them to offer immersive experiences and rewarding - but often punishing - gameplay.
Stalker: Shadow Of Chernobylisa hardcore survival gamethat tasks players with undergoing arduous treks across utterly hostile supernatural environments. Exploring the Zone is a dangerous affair thanks to myriad anomalies, providing unpredictable hazards that force players to keep their eyes peeled.
Furthermore, the world ofStalkeris packed with emerging threats. Not only are aggressive mutated creatures in abundance, but the interplay between the various factions and wandering NPCs can often result in deadly gunfights that are all too easy to get caught in.
7Rain World
An Interconnected World With An Unforgiving Ecosystem
Rain Worldis a hardcore survival platformer with a unique art-style, post-apocalyptic setting, and deeply simulated ecosystem that facilitates unforgiving gameplay. In the game, players must do what they can to survive in a broken-down world, hunted by myriad predators and frequently threatened by deadly rainfall.
While not a completely open world,Rain Worldoffers players an interconnected web of rooms to explore freely. The experience is elevated by fluid, intuitive controls that allow the somber atmosphere and survival gameplay to shine.
The Long Darkis a first-person survival game that tasks players with battling the elements in freezing-cold environments while contending with hungry wolves and roaming bears. The survival mechanics are sturdy, the visuals are stylish, butThe Long Darkshines with its immersive atmosphere.
The harsh exteriors ofThe Long Darkcan be unforgiving, but they facilitate a certain tranquility upon finding shelter. Thanks in large part to immersive sound design,The Long Darkachieves a delicately crafted ambiance that carries the overall experience, heightened by the overwhelmingly harsh and hostile environments waiting outside every door.
InBattle Brothers, players are tasked with running a company of mercenaries in harsh environments, battling bandits, undead, and aggressive goblins for profit. The harsh nature ofBattle Brothers’environments isn’t immediately apparent, but this low-fantasy setting works relentlessly to bring attrition to the player’s doorstep.
The world ofBattle Brothersis populated with wandering brigands and bloodthirsty creatures, ready at all times to ambush unsuspecting players; they make this environment dangerous. However, simply traveling across the land can be a dangerous task thanks to a multitude of terrain types and events. Mountains, for example, can cause temporary injury to the company. Furthermore, terrain can be an important factor in battle, and even detrimental if players don’t position their soldiers properly.
Surviving inKenshican be difficult for a multitude of reasons, be it a general lack of funds and supplies, the frequent hostility of its myriad factions, or the deadliness of the creatures that populate its world. It’s safe to say that much ofKenshi’sworld is out to kill the player, and yet not with intent, but more through a brutal disregard for their safety or even enjoyment of the game itself.
This may sound like an undesirable experience, but for the very same reasons,Kenshican be deeply rewarding. That said,Kenshiisa game that requires patience, and players looking formore immediate funmay be quickly disappointed.
Outer Wildsoffers a tremendously cozy and utterly immersiveadventure across the stars, but its myriad planets - each incredibly unique in their environments - can be harsh and hostile places to explore. While this can lead to death,Outer Wildsharnesses a time loop structure that’s relatively forgiving.
This creates a unique tone to the game, as players can feel the sense of discovery and humility that comes from viewing something larger than life without the overwhelming threat of losing progress; the game will reset regardless, after a set time, so players arefree to explore with little pressure.
Fallout: New Vegasis an open-world RPG that takes place in the harsh environments of a post-apocalyptic Mojave Desert. Whilethe post-apocalyptic environmentsof theFalloutfranchise are typically harsh and hostile,New Vegasis particularly so for its desert surroundings, with plenty of long and dangerous stretches between the more civilized areas.
The wandering mobs and creatures ofNew Vegasare frequently deadly, especially for players low on resources. Even those who remain prepared can find themselves facing attrition on long journeys. However, this keeps travel across the expansive wasteland from becoming monotonous, ensuring players must keep their eyes peeled to remain breathing.
Caves Of Qudplays like a traditional roguelike, but sets itself apart with itsexotic science-fantasyopen-world environments. There are other elements at play that makeCaves Of Qudunique; its granular character creator, for example. But the harsh environments ofQudhelp to bring the experience to life, resulting in a surprisingly immersive experience.
There’s much to be said about the world ofCaves Of Qudand its intricate combination of hand-crafted and procedural content, but the harshness of its wilderness and the hostility of its many creatures, even its plant life, is a particular strength. Because the world ofQudis so dangerous, players must be both resourceful and constantly aware of their surroundings, forcing a focused attention that overcomes the minimalist visuals to immerse players in the unique environments around them.
