Summary
- Different settings in Open-World games, like robots in Sweden and dinosaurs on an island, offer unique experiences.
- Survival games like Valheim and Subnautica provide intense gameplay in legendary or terrifying settings.
- The diverse environments in games like 7 Days to Die and Last Oasis add complexity and depth to the survival genre.
The core element of every survival game is its setting: In most cases, players face extreme weather conditions, a zombie apocalypse, or a dangerous irradiated wasteland that they need to traverse. But what happens when game developers get creative with their Survival Open-World games? Then, players are up for a treat with some unique world-building that breathes new life into the survival genre.
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In this ranked list, players will find the best Open-World games with unique settings. From a game that mixes killer robots with 80's teenagers fighting for their homeland, to a world where nomads travel across a scorching desert using wind powered walking ships, fighting against primitive savages and other dangerous creatures.
1 Generation Zero
Defend Your Homeland From Murderous Robots
Generation Zero
- Released
- October 18, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter
Imagine being in the kitchen, brewing coffee and cooking some eggs, when suddenly, the neighbour goes out screaming and the next thing, a big murderous robot takes him to the woods, never to be seen again. Parents are nowhere to be seen, and the only allies players have are other neighborhood kids (aka other players), in case they're playing cooperative, that is.
Generation Zero's huge open-world map is an island off the coasts of Sweden, filled with dangerous killing machines, powered by a dangerous AI that seems to have been abducting its residents and eradicating those who resist the rapture. But, players are not going to let the robots take them alive, are they? Using tons of electronic contraptions to distract the bots, fireworks, and all the weapons and ammo they can get their hands on, players need to open up a path through the island, using the many bunkers it has as their bases of operations or building their own on the surface. It is a great Open World Survival game that offers hundreds of hours of fun.
2 ARK: Survival Evolved
A Record-breaking Game With A Unique Setting
ARK: Survival Evolved
- Released
- August 29, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Crude Humor, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Survival
ARK: Survival Evolved puts players on an island with nothing but some rags as clothing and a mysterious device attached to their arms. They will need to learn, build, fight, and tame prehistoric beasts to survive. Creating their bases, mounting mythical creatures, and fighting other players for territory and precious resources is only a facet of this huge open-world game that offers tons of things to do.
Its successor, ARK: Survival Ascended, is also good, but in terms of optimization and overall quality, the first iteration of the game remains at the top of the food chain. ARK is a game where most players enjoy playing alone, but its cooperative elements make it truly enjoyable.
3 The Isle
Have You Ever Dreamed Of Being A Dinosaur?
The Isle
- Developer(s)
- Afterthought LLC
WHERE TO PLAY
- Publisher(s)
- Afterthought LLC
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Survival
Another incredible survival Open-World game, where players can be prehistoric creatures. From Pterosaurs to the mighty T-Rex, from the powerful Triceratops to the true Apex Predator of prehistoric times: The vicious Crocodile. Every day on The Isle might be the player's last, and every action could lead to their demise.
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Even drinking water, whether they're prey or predator, could end poorly: there's always danger lurking in the waters. And if players are playing crocodiles, they should also keep in mind that there's always a bigger croc. So, the game is always full of surprises and tons of funny moments (lots of frustration, too). It is a game that shines the most when played with friends.
4 Valheim
A Game That Transports Players To A Legendary Norse Land
Valheim
- Released
- February 2, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- r
- Genre(s)
- Sandbox, Survival
The Norse Mythology is a fascinating setting to explore, and in Valheim, players are able to participate in the legendary Rites of Proving of the ancient Vikings, a ritual that is said to open the gates to Valhalla for those who are not yet worthy of this eternal place of rest.
From giant trolls to dangerous dragons, in Valheim, players will find tons of enemies to beat as they craft and navigate around procedurally generated islands based on seeds. It is a game that has received praise due to its intense cooperative play, and it offers tons of fun to enjoy alongside friends.
5 Subnautica
Fear The Deep? Good. You Should
Subnautica
- Released
- January 23, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
Even before playing Subnautica, players know that the sea is a dangerous place. The oceans of our world hold many secrets, many of which, perhaps, will never be revealed.
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But this game that transports players to a dangerous submarine world filled with terrifying creatures of immense size, most of which are always lurking in the dark, ready to eat them in one bite, surely is a terrifying and exhilarating experience. Unlike other submarine exploration games, in Subnautica, players will have to explore while both swimming and controlling a submersible vessel, which adds an extra layer of thalassophobia to the mix.
6 7 Days To Die
One Thing Is For Sure: No One Knows What Started The Zombie Apocalypse
7 Days to Die
- Released
- June 28, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
In 7 Days to Die, players are dropped in a random spot of Navezgane, an enormous, fully destructible, and procedurally generated map filled to the brim with dangerous zombies, mutated animals, and annoying rattlesnakes that pop out of nowhere. One of the most peculiar things about the setting of this game, that makes it unlike any other, are its environmental clues that speak about what started the Zombie Apocalypse.
From a bad batch of Shamway (canned Spam) made with 'bat' meat, to a nuclear incident, or a mad geneticist trying to create Super Corn: each sub-region of its map has clues about what could have started the Zombie Apocalypse, though players don't have enough time to investigate in depth, since every 7 days, a Blood Moon rises and every Zombie becomes frenzied and will pinpoint the players wherever they are. Building bases out of scrap, traps out of old car engines, and turrets out of tubes is only the beginning of this madness. Truly a fun game to play, more so if players have a group of friends to enjoy it.
7 Conan Exiles
One Of The Best Open World Survivals, Set In The Hyborian Age
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
- Genre(s)
- Survival, Action-Adventure
Abandoned in a dangerous place, branded with a magic Amulet that binds them and prevents them from escaping, the players assume the role of the Exiles in the world of the mythical Conan, the Barbarian. From deranged cannibals to the mighty Mammoths of the Northern Lands, players will have to fight with tooth and nail to survive in the cursed lands of Conan Exiles.
To add an extra layer of difficulty, players can also engage in colossal PvP battles by invoking the Avatars of their gods while also creating enormous bases defended by slaves, which they need to knock out and subjugate before they obey. It is truly an enormous and complex game that offers tons of fun for those who love survival RPGs.
8 Last Oasis
One Of The Most Unique Survival Games, Though It Has Seen Better Days
- Launch date: May 20, 2020
- Developed by: Donkey Crew
- Available on: Steam
In this Survival Open World Game, players are nomads abandoned by their clan as a rite of passage: they will have to learn how to survive in a land infested with Rupu, vicious tribes of savages (Planet of The Apes style) that will attack them on sight. Water is the most precious resource in a desert-like world, scorched by a never-ending sun, and players will have to keep a steady supply of it by cooking the meat of cactus, aloe leaves, and squashing certain fruits in the many Oases they will find as they journey to escape the burning sun.
The setting of the game tells a tale of a broken moon (that players can see shattered in the skies) as a natural disaster that has led to the world ceasing to rotate, which makes escaping from the sun nearly impossible. But the world has changed, the plants have mutated, and one part of the world freezes while the other one thaws, so players need to build enormous contraptions called Walkers (basically walking boats) to navigate the sands and find the next oasis before it burns. And as they do, they will probably meet tons of other players trying to do the same, and this is the essence of the PvP in the game: everyone can steal from anyone.
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