The Saddest Open-World Games, Ranked

Many open-world games focus on gameplay loops such as combat, exploration, and questing. But not all open-world games put the focus on these activities fully. In some open-world games, these mechanics are used as part of an overall storytelling experience, and not all stories are fun, or have a happy ending.

There are some sandbox-style open-world games that manage to move the player along a traumatic, desperate, and often sad storyline, resulting in an ending to the game that is equally tragic. Themes such as loss, regret, and loneliness become the backdrop of the main plot, leading to a gaming experience that, whilst fun and entertaining, also leaves the player with food for thought.

6 Ghost of Tsushima

That Poor Horse

Set in feudal Japan, Ghost of Tsushima is an action-adventure game that sets the player in the shoes of the samurai warrior Jin Sakai. The game is noteworthy for its incredibly detailed and visually stunning open-world, and the fluid combat system. Players set out on a quest to free their homeland, and this journey is driven by the great narrative of the storyline.

There are some truly sad moments in Ghost of Tsushima, most notably the death of the players' horse in the last part of the game. Several NPCs that the player interacts with closely die in the game as well. The only reason why Ghost of Tsushima takes the bottom place on this list is that the actual setting of the game is not as dark and foreboding as some of the others mentioned here.

5 The Long Dark

Lonely And Dismal

As survival games go, few have managed to capture the emotional essence of having to survive, alone, in a hard and unforgiving environment as The Long Dark. Unlike many survival games, The Long Dark doesn’t wrap survival game mechanics into a larger scenario, such as fighting zombies. All the player has to do in The Long Dark is survive.

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By  Gerardo Molina

However, this is a game that makes survival hard, as the environment is just so hazardous. Dangers range from freezing to death to being eaten by wild animals. The game world is desolate and foreboding, and the players are always aware that they are completely alone. Survival is about a lonely, despairing battle against everyday life.

4 Death Stranding

Rebuilding Society In A Desolate World

Taking on the role of Sam Porter, the player takes on the task of delivering packages across the United States following a catastrophic event resulting in monsters destroying much of the earth. This action game manages to demonstrate how important human connections would be in a real post-apocalyptic world.

Although Death Stranding is a fun game to play, it does have some melancholy undertones. The landscape is destroyed, and there is a constant threat of death. And as Sam Porter, the player is carrying the responsibility for humanity’s survival, by trying to forge bonds between segmented groups and factions of survivors.

3 Shadow Of The Colossus

An Increasing Sense Of Dread

• Platforms: PlayStation 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3
• Released: October 18, 2005
• Developer: Team Ico, Sony Interactive Entertainment
• Genre: Action-adventure game, Platform game, Puzzle Video Game, Fighting game, Shooter Video Game

Shadow of the Colossus is an action-adventure game set in a strangely silent world. Playing the part of Wander, a young man on a quest to save a girl named Mono, the player must kill sixteen colossi. The huge open-world map is often eerie, as the play hunts down each target.

The sadness in Shadow of the Colossus comes from the morally challenging choices the player must make. On the one hand, Wander is on a dangerous, heroic quest to rescue his love. On the other hand, to do so, they must destroy ancient creatures. As the game progresses, it becomes clear that the player's actions may well exact a great cost.

2 NieR: Automata

Androids Fight Aliens

The game is set in a post-apocalyptic world, that has seen alien machines invade Earth. In NieR: Automata, the heroes defending Earth are androids. Renowned for its fast-paced gameplay, the game has surprisingly deep and disturbing subtexts. The androids question their own identity, and also the often futile way that war has raged.

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Many of the characters in the game struggle with fundamental questions about their own existence, and the main storyline is sprinkled with heart-wrenching moments. All of the multiple endings result in the player coming to realize that no matter what they do, the result will be some level of tragedy.

1 Red Dead Redemption 2

Almost Like Losing A Family

Red Dead Redemption 2 is set in a fictional period in time when the Wild West was slowly giving way to a more civilized form of government and administration. This is quite sad in its own right, as the days of the cowboys are numbered. However, it is Arthur Morgan’s troubles that are the most emotional in this game.

Arthur’s personal journey in the game is traumatic at times, as he has to face betrayal and loss, although there is redemption in the end. Arthur declines slowly throughout the game, becoming ever more desperate. There is also sadness in the way his gang, which is his surrogate family, slowly falls apart. The bittersweet ending is often lauded as one of the saddest endings to a game ever.

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