Summary
- Open-world games like Pathologic 2 and Kenshi offer harrowing experiences without hand-holding.
- Player deaths in these games lead to permanent debuffs, pushing them to learn and adapt quickly.
- Survive hostile environments in games like Sons of the Forest and Subnautica with challenging gameplay.
Open-world games are usually easy to get into for most fans, especially since the vast majority of titles in this genre make it a point to be as welcoming as possible. However, this isn't a sentiment shared by every other game in the genre.
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These open-world games refuse to guide you, as getting lost is the point. From STALKER to Morrowind, they reward the bold and punish the careless.
Some developers want to scare and challenge their players, leading to the development of genuinely harrowing open-world games that can be a nightmare to get into. Once players get a hang of things, they will find these games to be slightly less daunting to get into, although the tense feeling players have will take a while to fade away.
Pathologic 2
Death Can Arrive At A Moment's Notice And Lead To Permanent Debuffs
Pathologic 2
- Released
- May 23, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood, Language, Partial Nudity, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Ice-Pick Lodge
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
Pathologic 2 is one of the most fascinating open-world games players can get their hands on, with the unique setting of this title seeing players trying to figure out a way to combat the plague that's decimating a small town. However, this game, with its survival elements and tough combat, can be very harrowing to get through for players.
It's easy for players to die, but they'd want to avoid this by any means necessary since it leads to permanent debuffs that will hamper a player's run considerably. With enough deaths, players will be bogged down by so many penalties that they wouldn't mind missing out on an ending just to get rid of these negative effects.
Kenshi
A Savage World Where Players Are Unceremoniously Dropped Into With No Guidance
Kenshi
- Released
- December 6, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- nr
- Developer(s)
- Lo-Fi Games
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Open-World, Survival
- Platform(s)
- PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Unlike most other open-world games players can get their hands on, Kenshi doesn't give players any objectives to follow or quests to complete. Players create a character, choose a background, and start their adventure in a random corner of the map based on their choice.
The unforgiving world of Kenshi will make it clear that grinding out combat stats and exploring the world with companions is a must if players don't want to suffer a humiliating death over and over again. Even after getting a grasp of the basics, Kenshi can be a nightmare to get through as players try not to become a product for slavers or monster food.
The Matchless Kungfu
The Open-World Sandbox Is Harrowing And Ruthless For Newcomers
The Matchless Kungfu
- Released
- November 6, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
Just like Kenshi, The Matchless Kungfu is another game where players carve out a story of their own instead of following a predetermined path. The world also expands in a unique way, with players being able to place blocks on the map to expand the world in their image as they make progress.
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Not all open-world games provide easy beginnings. Here are some of the best examples that feature incredibly hard openings.
The complex turn-based combat and the weird rebirth system can take a while for players to wrap their heads around. Once they do, making progress in this wuxia-inspired open-world game is a blast, even if the difficulty doesn't let up.
Caves Of Qud
Players Will Die Over And Over Again Before They Finally Get A Hang Of Things
Caves Of Qud
- Released
- July 15, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
Fans of classic ASCII roguelikes like NetHack will love what Caves of Qud brings to the table. Early on, it doesn't matter if players take on the role of a True Kin or a Mutant, since they're bound to die when they have no idea how this game works.
Each death serves as a learning experience before players can get over the initial difficulty curve. Once this is done, players can have a blast with Caves of Qud, although the difficulty remains consistent and reaches a fever pitch near the endgame when players have to deal with enemies that can potentially one-shot them if their build isn't good enough.
STALKER: Clear Sky
The Hardest Game In This Infamously Challenging Survival Horror Series
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky
- Released
- September 15, 2008
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood, Drug Reference, Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- GSC Game World
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
In a series infamous for boasting some of the hardest open-world survival horror games players can get their hands on, Clear Sky is considered by many to be the most harrowing one of the lot. Most of this stems from a ridiculously hard early game where most players will drop the game before the world even opens up.
Once they deal with this early hurdle, the game becomes a classic STALKER experience with tense firefights and unique anomalies to discover. The game's difficulty adds to the sense of tension in this game as players strive to take as little damage as possible in combat encounters.
Sons Of The Forest
The Cannibals In This Game Are A Nightmare To Deal With
Sons of the Forest
- Released
- February 22, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Endnight Games
- Genre(s)
- Survival, Open-World, Survival Horror
- Platform(s)
- PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Sons of the Forest is an excellent sequel that improves upon almost everything from its predecessor. Trying to survive in a forest full of bloodthirsty cannibals makes for a harrowing experience, especially if players tackle this challenge alone.
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These open-world titles feature environments with the very definition of creepiness.
A single mistake can lead to overeager players being mobbed by cannibals in no time. The sense of dread in this title, as players try not to mess things up, makes Sons of the Forest one of the most harrowing open-world games ever made.
Elden Ring
The Enemies In This Game Are Relentless And Punish The Smallest Mistakes
Elden Ring
- Released
- February 25, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Many FromSoftware veterans look at Elden Ring as what might be the easiest game made by this developer. However, new players unfamiliar with the company's patented gameplay loop will still find this open-world action RPG to be a pain to get into.
The Tarnished must explore the world and get stronger before dealing with the difficult hurdles standing in their way. The epic boss encounters of this game push players to the very limits, with players finding it hard to go somewhere else to gain more levels when they were so close to beating a particularly harrowing boss in yet another failed attempt.
Subnautica
The Thalassophobia Is Enough To Make Things Ultra-Harrowing For Players
Subnautica
- Released
- January 23, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ for Everyone 10+: Fantasy Violence, Mild Language
- Developer(s)
- Unknown Worlds Entertainment
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Subnautica is one of the best open-world survival games that players can get their hands on, but they shouldn't expect to have an easy time. Sure, the game is relaxing in its own way, but exploring an unknown ocean and dealing with the many underwater horrors that stand in their way is easier said than done.
Thalassophobic players have given this game a wide berth for the longest time, while players who didn't realize they feared the vast unknowns of the ocean will sing a different tune when they get ambushed by massive monstrosities over and over again.
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For players who like to decipher a story themselves, these open-world games keep their narratives ambiguous, offering only cryptic clues as a guide.