Summary
- Elden Ring's complex boss battles physically exhaust players, making combat tiring and rewarding.
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance requires patience and skill in melee combat, leaving players mentally fatigued.
- Monster Hunter Wilds drains players with intense combat and stamina mechanics, adding layers of exhaustion.
Open-world games tend to prioritize the exploration of the open worlds they have created, leaving mechanics such as combat on the back burner. While some open-world games do a great job of creating enticing combat, there are moments in these titles where the combat can become quite exhausting for players who might feel like they need a break after a couple of battles.
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The exhaustion of combat in open-world games hits at various levels, with some games having incredible combat but still being exhausting due to the stress it causes players, while other open-world games can be deemed as having exhausting combat due to it doing nothing new or different for the title. Therefore, these are a few open-world titles where combat is exhausting, ranked by how tired the combat leaves players, be it from being repetitive or physically taxing.
8 Elden Ring
Boss Battles Have Players Physically Exhausted
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
Elden Ring may come as a surprise to be seen as a game with exhausting combat, but this doesn't have to be a bad thing. Elden Ring expanded upon the souls-like genre by allowing players to explore a diverse and interesting map while also facing off against various challenging bosses that each have their own unique sequence of attacks that the player would need to learn if they hope to defeat them.
With so many bosses available to be beaten, learning the move sets of each one and getting skilled enough to easily defeat them takes a lot of time and effort, which can make the combat of Elden Ring quite exhausting. Those who have played Elden Ring are likely familiar with dying to certain foes countless times and being forced to start combat with them again and again in the hopes of eventually defeating them, which can become a tiring process. However, once the foe is down, the adrenaline of victory pushes players onto the next foe.
7 Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Swordplay That Tires The Mind
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
- Released
- February 13, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
Kingdom Come: Deliverance is another open-world title that surprisingly has fascinating combat, but that doesn't mean that it isn't exhausting. With a heavy focus on melee weaponry, players aren't just swinging around a sword like they would in RPGs such as Skyrim. In these epic medieval duels, it's important for the player to practice patience when taking on a foe.
Like many aspects of Kingdom Come: Deliverance, combat is quite a challenge as players parry, block, and jab their way to success. There is hardly a chance of spamming attacks over and over in the hopes of winning, making players look for alternative ways to deal with problems so they aren't stuck dueling for their lives, which may leave them feeling exhausted in their adventures.
6 Monster Hunter Wilds
Stock Up On Rations Or Else
Monster Hunter Wilds
- Released
- February 28, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Violence, Blood, Crude Humor
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
Exhaustion doesn't just come from the type of combat players face in open-world games, but also due to the stamina mechanics available in those games. Monster Hunter Wilds is one of these titles that puts players beyond their limits with intense combat against various epic monsters on multiple open-world maps for the player to explore.
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The longer the player is out on an expedition, the more likely they are to permanently lose their stamina. Those who haven't cooked up any fresh meat or brought rations with them will likely find themselves getting exhausted no matter what monster they face, as they will have no way to increase their stamina bar back to the max. Other than this, certain foes can be quite frustrating for players, tiring them out with their aggressive attacks as they leap across the forests and plains they fight within.
5 Ghost of Tsushima
Starts Out Exhausting But Gets Better
Ghost of Tsushima
- Released
- July 17, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, Partial Nudity
- Developer(s)
- Sucker Punch
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
When first starting Ghost of Tsushima, players may likely feel that the combat isn't for them, especially as certain foes may take a lot longer to defeat, which can tire some players out from wanting to take part in the phenomenal combat of this even greater open-world title.
As the player progresses throughout the story and adventure in Ghost of Tsushima, they will begin to unlock various ghost weapons and unique stances that turn the combat of Ghost of Tsushima into something interesting that many players can enjoy. Similarly to Kingdom Come: Deliverance, players cannot just smash buttons as certain stances and attacks work better on certain enemies. Doing this will only exhaust players.
4 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Not The Most Engaging Part Of The Game
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Released
- May 19, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
Players may be surprised to see a game that focuses on a monster hunter would have such simplistic combat. While the combat in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt may not be as exhausting as some titles. There is still a certain amount of simplicity to it that causes many players to prefer to play the game on an easier difficulty, so that these battles against both monsters and humans go a lot quicker, so the player can jump right back into the incredible stories of this RPG title.
One of the biggest critiques of The Witcher 3's combat is how clunky it feels. In its attempt to make every battle feel somewhat cinematic, players struggle to fight off these foes, leaving many players to feel tired once the enemy is down.
3 The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
Combat Has Never Been So Basic
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
- Released
- October 28, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
Although Skyrim is by far one of the greatest open-world RPGs to ever be created, that doesn't mean that it is a completely perfect game. The majority of the love for Skyrim comes from its huge world to explore and astounding side quests that players have gotten lost in for countless hours.
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Even with all this in mind, the combat is one of its weakest elements, with many players finding it to be quite simplistic and therefore unengaging. Certain types of fighting in Skyrim can be exhausting, with enemies at harder difficulties taking too many hits to kill, with some players finding the magic in Skyrim to be a step down from Oblivion. Overall, many players take on the role of stealth archer to get through combat quicker.
2 Grand Theft Auto 5
Bullet Sponges Make For Poor Targets
Grand Theft Auto 5
- Released
- September 17, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar North
- Platform(s)
- Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action
In Grand Theft Auto 5, one of the most exhausting things about this open world is its combat. While racing cars and the story of Grand Theft Auto 5 may have hooked players, the gunplay left many – especially those who enjoyed Grand Theft Auto 4 – looking for something more.
The only thing that still brought a thrill to the combat of Grand Theft Auto 5 was the assortment of weaponry the player could purchase, though certain guns would always be favored over others. Other than this, as seen in Skyrim, enemies don't become difficult through tactics but instead take more hits to kill and therefore become quite boring as bullet sponges that waste the player's ammo.
1 Sea Of Thieves
Chase Down Other Players For Hours
Sea of Thieves
- Released
- March 20, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Crude Humor, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Rare
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
By far, the most exhausting combat in an open-world title can be found within Sea of Thieves. In a game about pirate adventures, players will fight off fellow pirate players and the undead ships that sail across the seas. However, when taking on other crews, this can be quite a lengthy process, especially when battling at sea.
Before players can even start firing the canons, they must first catch up with their target ship. This could mean sailing in a single direction for a while in the hopes of catching up. Then begins the battle of who can sink the other ship quicker. Between patching up the ship and firing the canons, both crews are likely to become stressed and exhausted as resources begin to run low. If one ship never truly sinks and both must escape, doing this again in Sea of Thieves too soon could be the end.
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