Summary
- Third-person perspective offers valuable insight into diverse environments and potential dangers.
- Valheim and Dune: Awakening present biomes with treacherous challenges requiring adapting gear and strategy.
- Exploration in survival games like Outward and Soulmask emphasizes visual cues and teamwork for navigation.
The survival genre has long been a favorite among gamers of all kinds, allowing players to transport themselves into brutal worlds and unforgiving landscapes with a single mission to survive as their goal. There are plenty of options regarding the player's perspective, some offering first-person intensity, others a top-down isometric take, and some of the best in the genre opt for a third-person camera.
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Having the view shifted away from the character's eyes makes the games feel much more open and freeing. It lets players truly explore the worlds in all their glory while still being pushed to their limits in worlds that are often more unfair than forgiving.
8 Valheim
Every Biome A New Adventure
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’s exploration is directly tied to the biomes that players can explore, each more treacherous than the last. From tranquil meadows to harsh mountains and poison-filled swamps, each new area introduces new environmental challenges and enemies that require better gear and more preparation to survive.
The game constantly pushes players to keep going, with the third-person perspective giving a lot of valuable insight into the surrounding areas and potential dangers that may be lurking nearby. The lack of direct guidance means exploration is gradual and self-directed, shaped by instincts and the desire to see more of the beautiful Nordic landscapes.
7 Dune: Awakening
Even The Sun Becomes A Threat
Dune: Awakening
- Released
- June 10, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Funcom
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Survival, MMO
- Platform(s)
- PC
Dune: Awakening brings the beautiful yet perilous deserts of Arrakis to the gaming world, where sandstorms, sun exposure, and massive sandworms dominate the landscapes and require careful attention at all times. Resources are rare and often lie deep within hostile territories controlled by rival factions, which makes every decision feel like a bold move that can only end one of two ways.
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The terrain changes over time, reshaping pathways and altering the access to critical sites, transforming the world over time, and adjusting how players approach each day. With nature being the greatest threat to the player's lives, exploring the sands becomes a test of careful observation and attention to every last object that could potentially save lives.
6 DayZ
Zombies Are The Least Of Your Worries
DayZ
- Released
- December 13, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Bohemia Interactive
- Genre(s)
- Survival
- OpenCritic Rating
- Weak
DayZ is the classic zombie survival game that thrusts players into an open landscape with little to no help to guide them. The undead might be an ever-looming presence, but the real challenge comes from the interactions with other players and how decisions are made regarding map movements and traversal across the lands.
A single sound-queue can be all it takes for a keen-eyed player to make their move, so players need to be on high alert at all times and fully make use of the third-person camera to survey the surroundings for any potential points of interest or threats on the horizon.
5 Enshrouded
Secrets And More Hiding Just Behind The Fog
Enshrouded
- Released
- January 24, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Keen Games
- Genre(s)
- Survival, Open-World, Action RPG
- Platform(s)
- PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Enshrouded sets players loose in a fractured world where exploration is shaped by the mysterious “Shroud”, a deadly mist covering large parts of the landscape. To progress, players must craft better gear and push deeper into these zones, where visibility is low, enemies mutate, and the environment becomes increasingly hostile.
The terrain itself is incredibly diverse, offering plenty of opportunities to scale high into the mountains and deep into cave systems in search of loot and treasures hidden away from the surface. The ability to move around in the world is really dependent on the player's ability to read the environment and their willingness to face the threats along the way, despite the chance of failure.
4 Conan Exiles
An Extreme World That Never Eases Up
Conan Exiles
- Released
- May 8, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, Nudity, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Funcom
- Genre(s)
- Survival, Action-Adventure
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
Set in a savage, mythological world, Conan Exiles pushes players to conquer brutal, shifting landscapes filled with environmental extremes and territorial predators. The world itself presents plenty of environmental dangers from scorching deserts to frostbitten peaks, all with their own unique threats and countermeasures that need to be mastered.
The world is vast and non-linear, with essential resources scattered across high-risk zones. And the exploration never feels like an option, but a crucial aspect in how players grow and survive in a world that constantly threatens their existence. The ability to survey large stretches of land from a third-person perspective really feeds into the idea of conquering the world and progressing on all in the name of survival.
3 Outward
Each Expedition Could Be Your Last
Outward
- Released
- March 26, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Violence
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Weak
Outward sets itself apart with methodical, grounded exploration that emphasizes personal navigation over fast travel or handholding. Players must traverse vast, handcrafted regions by using visual landmarks and environmental cues to guide them on their journey, whilst managing the threats of starvation and fatigue.
The third-person perspective is essential here, as it reinforces spatial awareness in a world that offers no GPS or minimap. And, the ability to embark on the adventure with others adds another element of guidance to the experience, where players can spot points of interest or areas of note to investigate as a group to increase their chances of making it through alive.
2 Soulmask
A Tribal Wilderness Just Waiting To Be Discovered
Soulmask
- Released
- May 31, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- CampFire Studio
- Genre(s)
- Survival, Open-World
- Platform(s)
- PC
Soulmask takes players and transports them into a dangerous, jungle-covered landscape full of ancient ruins and aggressive tribes that have nothing but blood on their minds. The world is densely packed and full of resources and threats to discover, requiring a good sense of adventure and a need to survive.
Players are given a lot of control over how they engage with the environment and how they explore it. The ability to use stealth and the third-person perspective adds a different kind of gameplay that is rarely seen in the genre, and opens the door for many additional options to be used both in heavily populated areas and the rest of the world.
1 Palworld
Ride, Fly, And Glide Across The Lands
Palworld
- Released
- January 19, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Violence
- Developer(s)
- Pocket Pair, Inc.
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Shooter, Survival
Palworld is the genre-blending survival game that no one saw coming. Industrial compounds with complex production lines, mountable creatures that can be caught, eaten, and put to work, and an open landscape that can be explored through a variety of methods, all of which are just as enjoyable as the next.
It's a game all about feeding into the player's desire for fun and the will to explore. With every new Pal added to their team, players will be able to go deeper into the dungeons and expand their base in new and exciting ways, providing them with sustainable resources and leaving them to fully experience the delights of the world from high in the clouds and atop a range of lovable creatures each with their own unique personalities and uses.
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