Summary
Open-worldgamesallow players to really immerse themselves in the different environments their characters have to deal with during the course of their playthroughs. Such titles typically provide various levels of scale within the playable map that is often chock-full of surprises and dangers to let players get a full sense of how vast the world they are exploring is.
Sonyhas published a number of memorable open-world games, but while getting lost within the nooks and crannies of these games is fun, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t perilous. Here are some of the hardest open-world titles Sony has published.
Insomniac Games’ recentSpider-Mantitles have given players one of the best superhero open world games to date. InMarvel’s Spider-Man 2,players can now explore not just New York City, but also the key boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn. These new areashave their own flavor, which further immerses players as they web-sling and glide their way across the City That Never Sleeps.
While players can choose to have their playthrough be easy or normal, the game becomes unforgiving at higher difficulty settings. Enemies become harder to take down and hit the tandem web-crawlers harder than before. Given thatMarvel’s Spider-Man 2introduces a slew of new enemy types that have different weaknesses and tighter windows of vulnerability, players need to bring their A-game to ensure they consistently nail the right moment to counter and strike down opponents.
For those who want to add more realism to their web-slinging escapades, the game also provides players the option to activate fall damage and turn web swing assist off to make traversal for Peter Parker and Miles Morales even more challenging.
The recentGod of Wartitlesopted for a different direction, gameplay-wise, as the developers chose to go for an over-the-shoulder, action-adventure design that also features tight and punchy combat. As far as exploration goes, players are treated to navigating the Lake of Nine, with Kratos and Atreus using a canoe in the first game, and a sled pulled by wolves in the second game.
While not necessarily completely open-world,God of WarandGod of War: Ragnarökhave map sections that are truly vast and full of treasures and dangerous foes.God of War: Ragnarök, in particular, provides exceptional biomes for players to explore. Each section offers unique traversal challenges: some have twisting paths, while other locations need a keen eye to figure out the path of progression and secret areas.
Difficulty-wise,God of War: Ragnarökups the ante byadding more formidable enemiesto challenge Kratos and Atreus. Players need to be aware of what enemy type they are fighting ,since enemy types have specific weaknesses, and hammering at the attack button with reckless abandon will result in multiple deaths. Later enemy types are no pushovers, either, and require strategy from the players to take them down.
Days Goneis a third-person action-adventure game that was developed by Bend Studio that sees players control Deacon St. John, an outlaw-turned-drifter, who explores a post-apocalyptic version of Oregon that has experienced an epidemic. Most of the humans and woodland animals have succumbed to this epidemic, transforming them into bloodthirsty zombie-like creatures called Freakers.
Deacon can navigate through Oregon’s lush forests, woodlands, deserts, and other natural landscapes either on foot or by off-road motorcycle. Though they have to be cautious, since Freakers are attracted to noise, and they are often found amassing into hordes that number in the hundreds. When Freakers have their sights on Deacon or another human that isn’tinfected, they will run at them relentlessly until they devour their flesh. The sheer numbers of a Freaker horde will overrun Deacon if he is not careful, so he has to verify thathe’s packing enough firepowerto take them on.
Aside from the Freakers, Deacon also has to deal with infected wildlife such as wolves and bears that prowl the wilderness. There are also the various human encampments where the remaining human survivors reside. Such encampments can either be friendly or hostile, such as the Rippers, a gang of dangerous cultists who worship the Freakers.
Guerilla Games’Horizon: Forbidden Westis one of the best-looking open-world games to date. The setting of a post-post-apocalyptic world that has been overrun by all manner of machines while the flora has slowly been reclaiming much of the remnants of modern human civilization is such a wonderful and horrifically beautiful sight to behold and explore.
Traversing locations where eroded or vine-ridden skyscrapers and buildings are aplenty, coupled with the metallic skeletal remains of towering murder-machines, makes for a hauntingly breathtaking environment. But while the scenery can be awe-inspiring, it is also especially hostile and unforgiving.
From Burrowers and Redeye Watchers to Widemaws, Clawstriders, Snapmaws, Ravagers, Stormbirds, Thunderjaws, Tremortusks, and Slaughterspines, all manner of machines litter the various areas and can make quick work of Aloy if she makes the mistake of crossing them unprepared. Adding to that are the various hostile tribesmen that will not hesitate to overwhelm Aloy with their numbers and a mix of primitive and high-tech weaponry.
Players need to have tons of arrows andvarious bows and slingsat the ready if they want to survive the different biomes and hazards the worldHorizon: Forbidden Westhas to offer.
For players who are looking for a more somber open-world,Shadow of the Colossusprovides such an experience. ItsPS2, PS3, and PS4 iterationssee players control Wander, who is tasked with taking down massive colossi that are spread across the vast open map. Wander can make a beeline towards the closest colossus by following the light beams whenever he lifts his sword in the air. Players can reach colossi either by foot or by horseback.
Known as the Forbidden Land, the unpopulated peninsula is littered with ruins, various forests and mountain ranges, and other scenic locations that are devoid of humanity. Each colossus location varies in distance from the Shrine of Worship. As gorgeous as the natural areas are, the colossi that reside within the different locations prove to be dangerous opposition that Wander has to conquer.
Armed with only a sword and his grit, and accompanied by Agro, his horse, Wander needs to track and take down the various colossi and use their power to awaken Princess Mono. This is easier said than done, however, since the colossi tower over Wander, and he has to find their weak spots by scaling their enormous bodies to bring them down.
Ghost of Tsushimaprovides players with thebest samurai video game experience. They control Jin Sakai, a noble samurai who is hellbent on driving away the invading Mongols from conquering the isle of Tsushima. That said, Jin must decide whether to face the Mongols head on and with honor, like a samurai should, or use more subtle yet dishonorable means to eliminate them.
Players will have a blast exploring Tsushima Island; it boasts a wide variety of jaw-dropping landscapes, from windswept grasslands to bamboo forests and snow-covered foothills and mountains. While exploring the different areas, players can discover hidden shrines and hot springs where they can rest up from battles and duels.
Speaking of battles, while Jin Sakai is the titular Ghost of Tsushima, he by no means has superpowers. Players need to be wary when engaging the different enemy types that range from wandering brigands, patrolling Mongol forces, and even small to large encampments filled with enemies. Every encounter can be fatal, since enemies are also skilled with their weapons: players need to rely on their mastery of Jin’s attacks, combos, and parries if they want to survive such skirmishes.
