In most open-world game scenarios, players are citizens. They may come from different nations or towns as they explore, but that is the general setup. Other open-world games feature foreigners as a type of invader for various reasons, with some motivations being more obvious than others. NPCs or enemies may treat them with hostility during gameplay or at least in cutscenes.
10 Open-World Games Where The Best Content Is Easy To Miss
Don’t get lost and miss killer content. The vast settings of these open-world games hide many hidden treasures, but they're easy to overlook.
Then there are open-world games with literal invasion mechanics , such as Elden Ring or Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, wherein players can enter the worlds of other players and cause chaos. Those examples are perhaps too on the nose, but the following open-world games also cast players as the invader. In these cases, they are a violent newcomer in an unfamiliar land, and their goals are anything but benevolent.
Destroy All Humans!
Take Me To Your Leader
Destroy All Humans!
- Released
- July 28, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Black Forest Games, Pandemic Studios
Destroy All Humans! Is the ultimate answer for this list, as it is literally a game about aliens invading Earth. Players control Crypto, and on each mission, they can freely zap humans with various extraterrestrial weapons, use telepathic powers, and even fly a UFO.
One of the most fun powers to use involves extracting the brains from humans, which is more cartoony than it is a graphic fatality like in Mortal Kombat. It’s a whimsical game that doesn’t take itself seriously, and the remaster from 2020 does a lot to improve the gameplay loop, along with the story, to make players feel like they are in complete control of their alien invasion.
Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag
A Pirate’s Life
Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag
- Released
- October 29, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft Montreal
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Open-World
Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag is the first game in the series to center on the life of a pirate via its protagonist, Edward Kenway. His pirate antics are more for show in the story, as he’s not a cutthroat, but with that said, armies do fear him and his pirate brethren for being unruly.
Players can engage in gigantic ship battles against armies or fellow pirates, exchanging cannon fire before swashbuckling on deck. It’s the perfect game for anyone who wants to live out their days in the Caribbean during the height of pirate culture, where they took what they wanted and didn’t care about the consequences of any man-made law.
Xenoblade Chronicles X
Not Your Planet
Xenoblade Chronicles X
- Released
- December 4, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Animated Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Monolith Soft, Nintendo SPD
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Open-World
Xenoblade Chronicles X features a colony from Earth, New L.A., settling down on a new planet that seems great, save for all the giant monsters roaming around. As players progress through the MMO-like combat and world, they will find natives who are not too thrilled with the presence of humans on their planet.
While most of the human colony wants to be peaceful about negotiations, the natives are a bit more hostile, leading to some heavy conflicts. While players aren’t destroying land in the name of the United States or anything, to the natives, they may as well be evil invaders who are trying to colonize their home world and kick them out.
Middle-Earth: Shadow Of Mordor
Giving Orcs A Purpose
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
- Released
- September 30, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is a prequel set before the events of The Lord of the Rings and starring a Ranger named Talion. After dying on a routine mission to hunt orcs, the ghost of Celebrimbor, one of the high elves responsible for creating the Rings of Power, revives Talion, and the two combine their powers.
10 Open-World Games With AI Wildlife That Reacts In Unbelievably Smart Ways
They may look cute, but these wildlife creatures can be dangerous (and dangerously smart), too.
Players will then invade Mordor by methodically taking out bases and orc captains, and if they fail, their enemies will remember. They might be scarred by sword slashes or burns and then rise through the orc ranks, seeking revenge on Talion for his aggression. This Nemesis System is what most players remember from Shadow of Mordor, making Talion enemy number one in the lands of Mordor.
Prototype
Man Eat Man
Prototype
- Released
- June 9, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- Radical Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- Action, Open-World
Prototype is not about a foreign invader, but an invader from within. Alex Mercer is the protagonist, and he was experimented on with a deadly virus, which allows him to transform his body into various forms. Fed up with his military pursuers, Alex seeks vengeance on all who want to take him back to the labs for further testing.
Players can choose to release the virus around New York City to grow more powerful by eating, or more like absorbing, humans and mutants into their body, which will naturally freak out most everyday New Yorkers. From the ability to run up buildings and then leap off them to growing blade arms, Prototype is a power trip for anyone who wants to feel like an evil superhero.
Just Cause 2
Viva La Revolution
Just Cause 2
- Released
- March 23, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood, Drug Reference, Language, Sexual Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Avalanche Studios
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Third-Person Shooter, Action
Just Cause 2 is set on a fictional island nation called Panay, which has just experienced an insurrection, so the CIA sends in Rico Rodriguez to reform the island. Players can do this by blowing stuff up, which may sound counterintuitive, but it’s a lot of fun.
Rico has access to an assortment of guns and vehicles, but there’s only one tool that matters: the grappling hook. Players can tether any two objects together, including tethering humans to a jet as it passes by. It’s chaotic fun, and players can take solace in knowing that they’re only blowing up bad guys, and it's all in the name of freedom and democracy.
Mercenaries: Playground Of Destruction
For The Love Of Money
Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction
- Released
- January 11, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- Pandemic Studios
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action
Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction is similar to Just Cause 2, but it has bragging rights to say it came out first. Set in North Korea, rival factions are trying to take control during the current power struggle, from Russia to South Korea. As a mercenary, players have no loyalty, but if they work with one faction, they can gain their trust and access to more opportunities or weapons. A bad relationship, in turn, will treat players as hostile.
10 Games That Feel Like Open-World RPGs Without Actually Being RPGs
There's something about these open-world games that tricks you into feeling like you're playing a full-blown RPG.
Mercenary relationships aside, Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction is another game about creating chaos at every turn. For a 2005 PS2 and Xbox game, the destructibility in the game's environments is impressive, as is the chaos that can be caused by a well-placed explosive.
Far Cry 2
Mosquito Kill
Far Cry 2
- Released
- October 21, 2008
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft Montreal
- Genre(s)
- FPS, Open-World
Far Cry 2 is also about a mercenary going into a foreign country, specifically Africa, to take down a weapons dealer. Players can choose one of several mercenaries to play as, but it doesn’t really matter who they pick, unlike games with more influential class systems. Either way, the goal is for players to take down as many enemy strongholds as possible, and the local inhabitants, primarily the militia, do not take kindly to the hostile takeover.
The more money players get, the cooler guns they can buy to take down more militarized bases. It’s chaotic fun, except for the malaria, which is unavoidable and does need to be treated. It’s a unique gameplay feature that sets Far Cry 2 apart from other Far Cry entries, even if it was a bit polarizing at launch.
Subnautica
Explore At Your Own Risk
Subnautica
- Released
- January 23, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ for Everyone 10+: Fantasy Violence, Mild Language
- Developer(s)
- Unknown Worlds Entertainment
Subnautica starts with players crashing their large spaceship into the ocean of a foreign planet. From there, it’s all about progressing and surviving until the proper repairs can be made. The entire game takes place underwater, where players can gather materials, build bases, and then craft within those bases so they can survive longer while exploring deeper depths.
There’s not much in terms of combat, and the few weapons players will get access to are only useful against smaller enemies. It’s not a power fantasy-type of invasion game, but the natives are none too pleased about players treating the sea like their own private resource center.
8 Non-Open-World Games That Still Give You Total Freedom
These non-open-world games offer incredible freedom and variety in their gameplay, from character customization to exploration and beyond.