Most Creative Weapon Systems in Open-World Games

Conflict is the heart of any story, and video games allow their players to combat this conflict through a variety of means. Some titles may allow for gamers to talk their way out of a combat situation, but the vast majority of games will prompt the player to go for the weapons-drawn route.

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From varied medieval weaponry to technological marvels spouting hot lead from multiple angles, video games allow for drastically differentiating ways to destroy one's foes, and for those looking for an open-world title with a creative weapon system, there are plenty of great options available.

10 Immortals Fenyx Rising

A Fluid Combat System With Weaponry From The Gods

Spawning from Ubisoft Quebec's work on Assasin's Creed Odyssey, Immortals Fenyx Rising blends the mythology of Ancient Greece with the open world of titles like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

However, unlike Assassin's Creed, in Immortals Fenyx Rising, players can wield titan-sized hammers, bows to juggle enemies, and engage with hack-and-slash combat with trusty blades. Beyond this, players also have access to wings, which allow for aerial combat, and god-themed abilities, which empower the use of moves such as uppercuts accented with hundreds of piercing arrows.

9 Hogwarts Legacy

An Expansive Spellcasting System Through One Wand

Hogwarts Legacy had mighty shoes to fill as an original story set well before the tale featured in the original Harry Potter series. However, at their disposal, developer Avalanche Software had access to arguably the most versatile fantasy weapon of all - a magical wand.

Allowing nearly limitless approaches to combat, Hogwarts Legacy players can grab, stun, freeze, and control the minds of their enemies. A vast array of unique spells are available for the protagonist to make use of, and coming up with good magic combos will open up an entirely new world in terms of combat.

8 Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning

Offers A Creative Spin On The Fantasy RPG Weapon System

Creating a unique fantasy title is no easy task. However, in 2012, Big Huge created an ambitious weapon system for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, complementing its RPG influences.

Players are provided with a varied selection of weapon options - from greatswords to faeblades, with alternating damage stats -, yet this title sets itself apart with how the weapon systems connect. Players can enjoy slicing an enemy with a dozen dagger slices and then proceed to juggle them in the air with a flurry of arrows to the stomach.

7 Fallout 4

Players Can Use Junk To Creatively Customize Their Loadout

In every post-apocalyptic wasteland, there will no doubt be an outright excess of scrap and junk. In incorporating the scavenging playstyle most gamers adopt in the post-apocalypse genre, Bethesda was able to craft a weapon system that bolstered the already creative destructive abilities of the player.

Using specific materials in Fallout 4, players can craft sights, magazines, and all manner of attachments to their weaponry. Beyond this, these modifications can also be reused on similar weapon types, allowing for the recycling of older modifications.

6 Dead Rising 4

An Open-World Title That Features Explosively Extravagant Zombie-Killing

Frank West has been haphazardly wielding crafted and found weapons for nearly two decades now. However, in Dead Rising 4, West's creative combat arguably reaches its absurdist peak.

In this Christmas-themed zombie-killing caper, players can - through discovering blueprints and individual weapons - destroy hordes of the undead in truly fantastical style. While a shotgun may do the trick, players can also turn zombies into piles of cardboard presents with a magical wand, drive a catapult, and don a costume of Street Fighter's Blanka to electrocute zombies.

5 Saints Row 4

An Asinine Arsenal With A Powered-Up Play Style

Saints Row is a series renowned for its gargantuan selection of obnoxiously wacky weaponry. However, in Saints Row 4, players can wield those nearing NSFW killing methods while bundling them with the game's advanced movement and combat abilities.

While the series started as a response to Grand Theft Auto, its absurd tone has quickly differentiated it from its competitors. As such, gamers can rarely find another title offering the option to bundle a Dubstep Gun and a pseudo-lightsaber while also allowing for superhero-esque jumps and punches.

4 Cyberpunk 2077

A Gritty-Future Focus On Creative Killing

CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 is a title that gamers have many varied views on. However, one area in which most gamers agree is that this science fiction RPG features an excellent weapon system.

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The cyberpunk aesthetic allows for advanced weapon systems alongside the cybernetic enhancements of the player. Players can use their minds to hack cybernetic implants and destroy AI drones. However, they can also bolster their firepower by wielding weaponry like snipers that can shoot around corners and SMGs with ricocheting bullets. ​​​​​​​

3 Metro Exodus

A Modular Masterstroke Of Customizable Weaponry

Metro Exodus is a post-apocalyptic title where what little the player has access to can go a long way. A pistol may initially seem like nothing more than a starting firearm that will soon be ditched for a higher caliber weapon. However, in Metro, weapons can be outfitted with a selection of modifications to adapt them to almost any style of firepower one requires.

As such, players can pull a scope and a stock from their backpack to turn a pistol into a sniper rifle, or they can even attach a larger magazine to create a rapid-fire SMG.​​​​​​​ This gives Metro Exodus players a great deal of freedom when it comes to how they approach combat.

2 The Pokemon Series

An Elaborate And Cutesy Take On Army-Building

With a nearly 30-year legacy, more than 1,000 individual pocket monsters, and nine generations of titles, Pokemon is a franchise like no other. Including instances of regional and Gigantamax forms, alongside Mega Evolutions, the number of Pokemon throughout the video games balloons.

As such, in gamers' near-constant battling with these catchable monsters, their party of six often takes on the role of sentient weaponry rather than companions. However, many players often treat their Pokemon like pets or friends - luckily navigating around such Team Rocket-like modes of thinking. Though these creatures can be incredibly cute, it's hard to ignore how valuable they can be as weapons, especially since so much can be done to enhance them.

1 The Legends Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom

A Once-In-A-Generation Creative Design Shift

Tears of the Kingdom is not only a competent sequel to one of the most revered video games of all time, but it's also a title with such creative prowess that the industry was in awe upon its release. Through Link's 'Fuze' ability, players can take multiple objects and combine them, and there's a lot more to this feature than one would initially think.

Conventional weaponry can be Fuzed with monster parts and Zonaite contraptions in the overworld. A Keese's eyeball can turn arrows into homing devices, and fire emitters can turn a shield into a fire-hazard/defensive option. There are countless ways for players to get creative with combat in Tears of the Kingdom.

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