Open-World Games Where You Aren’t Overpowered

Summary

• Play as a regular soldier in Foxhole, where every death spawns a new soldier.
• In Project Zomboid, characters are vulnerable to harsh post-apocalyptic realities.
• Arma 3 challenges players to be smart and vigilant as regular soldiers in combat.

Often in open-world games, players take on the role of some god-like character with overpowered abilities, the world’s strongest plot armor, and the power to heal themselves to full health after a few seconds out of combat.

While most of these games are of course fun, it can also be a nice change to play an open-world game where the main character isn’t overpowered. With them instead being a normal mortal, players will often find that their decisions matter more, and moments of victory achieved with good planning and skill feel even sweeter.

5 Foxhole

Fight As An Ordinary Soldier, Get Killed By Artillery & Spawn As A New Soldier

Foxhole is an MMO based on World War 2 and sees persistent wars fought between two sides in conflicts that can last well over a month. Unlike other MMOs, where players level up a character, unlocking new powers and better stats, no character is special in Foxhole and after each death, players will spawn as a new ordinary soldier.

It is incredibly easy to die in Foxhole, especially on the frontlines where an unlucky artillery shell can strike from afar. This is part of the realism and fun, and thankfully, it doesn’t take too long to spawn. With death always so close, players quickly learn to duck behind trenches, run from tanks, and be wary of anything slowing them such as mud. Players don’t have to fight as they could instead play as a medic, drive supplies to the front or produce equipment in the backline. Whatever they do, they are one normal soldier or worker, contributing to a wider war effort.

4 Project Zomboid

A Game That Asks Players How Will They Die?

Project Zomboid can certainly be considered a game where characters are overpowered or special, as it asks players the question of how they will die. The only thing separating the player’s character from the hordes of zombies is that they aren’t currently dead. In this top-down open-world game, players must use every tool at their disposal to survive for as long as possible.

Zombies will see or hear the player, and form large hordes to hunt them down. As a regular human with no special abilities, players must also battle against the harsh realities of living in a post-apocalyptic world, some of which sound rather mundane, but are actually super fun to interact with. For example, these truly human characters must fight against boredom, thirst, and even depression. While they will never become overpowered, characters can level up and acquire new perks, but this is entirely realistic as doing things typically makes you better at that skill.

3 Arma 3

A Realistic Modern Military Game Where You Play As Regular Soldiers

Arma 3 is a modern military sandbox game, where players take on the roles of everyday soldiers, tank crews, and drone operators. As one of the most realistic war games, no player is invincible or special. As a sandbox game, players can do almost anything they like, including both online and singleplayer modes.

There are also player-made scenarios and game modes, and at no point will players feel overpowered. Even inside the best vehicles, there are always specific threats to be aware of. Players must be smart and on their toes to stay alive.

2 Death Stranding

Save The World As A Courier, Not A Fighter

Death Stranding is a unique open-world game with an atypical hero who isn’t much use in a fight, but a great porter. In the eerie post-apocalyptic world, Sam Bridges must reconnect distant cities to the Chiral Network in order to get America back on its feet.

To do so he must traverse treacherous terrain and battle against the elements to make deliveries. Many aspects of the logistics must be considered as Sam does not have any superpowers. Players will also engage in building mechanics, and there is combat in the game, although they will find themselves quickly overwhelmed. Death Stranding is also known for being one of the most atmospheric open-world games.

1 Kingdom Come: Deliverance

Henry Starts Out As A Blacksmith’s Son & Can Never Fight Large Groups Of Enemies

Kingdom Come: Deliverance is widely regarded as one of the best medieval games of all time and is known for its strict adherence to realism. At the start of the game, the main character, Henry, is no more than a blacksmith’s son, barely capable of wielding a wooden training sword. As the story progresses, his prowess improves tremendously, but as armor actually works in this game and cannot be sliced through like in other depictions of the era, no fight will ever be easy.

At most, Henry can take on around 3 enemies at once in the end game, provided that he has full-plate armor and a top-tier weapon, but this is still a push. While this realism may not be for everyone, each fight feels incredibly satisfying, and so do other aspects of the game. For example, at the start, Henry cannot read, and the way in which he learns is surprisingly fun. Even though his status does rise throughout the story, Henry remains humble and is ultimately a pawn in the larger game between nobles.