Summary
Manyopen-world gamesrely on exploration and questing to deliver the main gameplay experience. And whilst this is usually something fun, it does mean that, sometimes, open-world games are less of a challenge than they could be, being more of a kind of interactive entertainment than a tough-to-beat video game.
But there are somesandbox-style open-world gamesthat manage to provide both entertainment and a tough challenge. Many of these use additional difficulty settings that simply make the entire game harder. And some haveendgame content that hits a player like a brick wall, making everything up until that point seem easy.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildstarts off asquite a relaxing game, and this continues until almost the endgame. Exploration of the amazing open-world map makes up much of the gameplay, as does solving the many puzzles the game includes.
However, once the player hits the endgame inThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the situation changes. Some ofthe latter bosses are extremely toughand require the player to have full mastery of the combat mechanics. And then there is the whole Trial of the Sword challenge, which sees Link stripped of all of his equipment, leaving players to face the game with nothing more than their skill to help them.
Set inAncient Greece, and dripping with mythology,Assassin’s Creed Odysseyhas one of the most attractive open-world game maps ever made. The player must navigate a complex political situation as they explore the world, battling mythical creatures.
Some of the creatures the player has to tackle, such as Cyclops and Medusa, can tough to deal with, due to the mystical powers they wield, and gamers need to master the combat system to take on the hardest of them. TheFate of AtlantisDLC adds even tougher enemies to an already difficult game, at least in the endgame.
Elden Ringis widely considered to be one of thehardest open-world games around. The entire game provides a significant challenge, even for the most hardcore gamers. The combat system requires players to master the art of dodging, timing attacks, and healing at the appropriate times.
Many of the boss fights inElden Ringare extremely challenging, with the optional endgame bosses being some of the hardest of all. Mastery of the combat system and a capable build are must-haves for this endgame content. Without this, the game can become an exercise in frustration, as it is entirely unforgiving.
Ghost of Tsushimamanages to balance action and combat with exploration of the exquisitely crafted open-world game map. In this title, the player is tasked with hunting various Mongol warlords, and this is quite a challenge in its own right.
However, by the endgame, the player is going to be tackling increasingly difficult opponents. Taking on a master swordsman inGhost of Tsushimameans mastering the subtleties of the excellent combat system. High-level mythic quests can also be very difficult in this game.
Avid fans ofFallout 4often cite it as being the best of all theopen-world game maps that Bethesda has crafted. In normal mode, the game can be quite tough, especially for players new to the game who have not worked out how to put together an effective build yet.
However, in survival mode, the difficulty ramps up to be a significant challenge that can feel almost impossible at times. Enemies that were previously not particularly tough to overcome, even in groups, suddenly become a deadly threat, as the difficulty of the game ramps up over time. DLCs such asNuka-WorldandFar Harboronly add to the difficulty.
No Man’s Skyis a well-respected space exploration game. With a universe populated with over a trillion star systems, there is a lot to explore in this title. Both space combat and ground combat are quite basic at times, but it isn’t the combat that makes this game hard in the endgame.
The real challenge in the endgame isgameplay loops such as timed expeditions, managing a large fleet of capital ships, and having to take on increasingly dangerous waves of sentinels. Players who want an even tougher challenge, can play in survival mode, which features permadeath and much more demanding survival mechanics.
When playing on lower difficulty settings,The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimisn’t a particularly taxing game in many ways. Combat can be pretty easy, and there are so many online resources covering quest completion, builds, and equipment, that the process of completing the game is pretty straightforward.
In legendary mode, however, the game becomes more difficult, but it’s not impossible. TheDragonbornDLC also adds some new challenges. But the real challenge inSkyrimcomes from installing one of the many mods that make the game more difficult. For example. The UltimateSkyrimmod completely revamps almost all of the mechanics of the game, ramping up the difficulty to ridiculous levels.
