War is a very common setting for many games, including open-world titles, as the idea it represents easily sets up background tension for the game’s world setting without going into too much detail. Two opposing powers going toe-to-toe in a large-scale battle is a scary proposition, and it only gets scarier if the player is in the thick of it.
Rarely, however, do open-world games use wars as the central focus for storytelling, as the sheer scale of the conflict is hard to fathom, and it is harder to do justice to in a video game. Still, the gaming landscape is vast, and there is something for everyone, and this is no exception.
5Foxhole
A Cog In The War Machine
Foxholeis asandbox MMOwhere players take on the role of active servicemen in a gigantic open-world warzone. For players who fantasize about being a part of the war as just another cog in the war machine,Foxholeis the best option currently on the market. A key aspect of the game that allows it to remain so popular with an active player base is its player-dependent approach to gameplay.
There are no NPCs in the entire open world ofFoxhole; every moving unit is a real player controlling their character in real time. This makes getting even a single kill in a huge skirmish feel incredible, to say nothing of how satisfying it can be to take out an entire squad with a well-placed grenade or rocket launcher. In combat, players can be any type of soldier they can think of. A regular infantry with a basic gun, a medic, a navy seal, a cannon operator, and everything in between. Experienced players can even take on the role of commanders and direct other players in battle.
Another core aspect ofFoxholeis that every piece of equipment in the game—from the smallest pistols to the largest tanks—is player-made. This means that, like a real war, the conflict inFoxholeis upheld by itsplayer-driven economy and logistics, real players mining for resources, refining them, crafting them into usable items, and finally delivering them to the frontlines. There are two distinct groups of players in this game: the ones that work exclusively on the logistics side of things and the ones on the frontlines.
4Sands of Salzaar
Conquer The Desert
Sands of Salzaaris ahigh-fantasy action role-playing gamewhere players assume the role of a commander in charge of an army. The class system inSands of Salzaaris very important to pay attention to, as the class that is picked here has a huge bearing on how the rest of the game plays out, something that’s rare to see in games like these.
Sands of Salzaaris a game that’s meant to be replayed, a factor that’s tied into the main story of the game, the various unlocks that only become available after the game is beaten, and the legacy shop where players can buy traits for their main character which can then be used to start a new game.
The overarching goal of this game is to take over the entire map by defeating, recruiting, or ousting all other factions that call the desert home. Players can either join a faction and take it to the top or create their own faction and go from there. In combat, players control the main character and direct heroes and troops to battle. As time progresses and the player recruits more units for their team, the battles go from small skirmishes to all-out battles where it becomes impossible to keep up with all the action going on the screen. The troops that can be recruited are incredibly varied, ranging from run-of-the-mill soldiers with swords and shields to fantastical creatures like dragons, wyverns, and phoenixes.
On harder difficulties, if a squad’s health goes down to zero, the entire group disbands and disappears, effectively robbing the player of a significant investment as punishment for mismanaging their soldiers.
Battle Brothersis a turn-based open-world RPG where players assume the role of the commander of a newly formed mercenary company in alow-fantasy medieval setting. The map is randomly generated at the start of each campaign with a whole host of castles, keeps, villages, bandits, and other enemies spread out across the map. It’s easy to get turned off byBattle Brothers’incredibly simplistic graphics and seeming low-budget nature when, in fact, it is one of the absolute best games in its genre, critically acclaimed by basically everyone, and most importantly, a blast to play.
As the company’s commander, the player’s job is not just directing their troops in combat but figuring out how to equip the soldiers with armor and weapons, where to get food, how much money to spend, negotiating with contractors looking to hire the company, and a lot more. Still, theturn-based combat is the bread and butterofBattle Brothers, and it’s where most of the focus lies. Anything a character has equipped, like their armor and weapon, will be displayed on their sprite in-game during combat. This makes identifying which soldiers do what very easy. While this might not seem very important, it’s a key feature of the game because as the mercenary company grows, the number of soldiers under the player’s command balloons to staggering levels, and it becomes very hard to keep track of everyone in a hectic battle, especially when the enemies are just as numerous.
Wartalesis atop-down open-world RPGthat puts players in control of a relatively small group of wandering soldiers roaming the countryside in a medieval setting. In the open world, players can direct the warband to move to different areas of the map, looking for battles, resources, or secrets. When a battle is initiated, the game creates an instance with a gridless turn-based top-down combat system, which shares some similarities withXCOM. The game is brutal, with the death of the party’s members a regular occurrence rather than something unexpected. Injuries are very common and, if left untreated, can turn into something worse and even fatal.
Wartalesis an incredible game for players looking for something akin to guerrilla warfare or roleplaying as a close-knit band of brothers who can be bandits, lost farmers, or even deserters from an army. The game lets players define the backstory of their ragtag group and even gives bonuses depending on which origin story they choose.
There can be no mention of an open-world war game without paying homage toMount & Blade 2: Bannerlord, the most critically acclaimed title in this category.Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlordis an open-world strategy action RPG where players assume the role of an army commander whose responsibility is to build an army from scratch, equip the soldiers, decide on formations, and ride to battle alongside his troops on the ground.
The visceral feeling of being a part of a group of medieval soldiers charging at another army about to clash is a hard one to nail down, butBannerlordknocks it out of the park. And since all soldiers in the player’s group would’ve been equipped, customized, and ordered before the battle started, there is a sense of being the sole person responsible for how the battle pans out. Wins feel rewarding, and defeats are crushing because it’s all on the player to make sure the battle goes their way. For those looking for awar game with hyper-realistic combat, there is nothing better than theMount & Bladefranchise, andBannerlordis the most polished experience out of all of them.
