Summary
- Open-world games range in difficulty, with some emphasizing intense combat mechanics while others prioritize exploration and narrative.
- Horizon Forbidden West and Ghost of Tsushima feature intricate combat systems, offering a true challenge on higher difficulty settings.
- Titles like STALKER 2, Monster Hunter World, and Elden Ring test players’ skills with relentless enemies and unforgiving worlds.
Open-world games appeal to a wide range of players by emphasizing different aspects of the experience, such as story, puzzles, quests, exploration, unique settings, or engaging combat mechanics. Many of these games take a “quantity over quality” approach, offering massive worlds with accessible combat and repetitive activities. This formula often caters to players who enjoy spending weeks or even months clearing maps filled with objectives. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with this style, some gamers crave a more intense challenge – something only a few titles truly deliver.
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Although most open-world games allow players to increase difficulty settings, this alone often falls short of providing a genuine challenge. In many cases, higher difficulty levels simply inflate enemy stats, like damage or health, resulting in longer battles rather than truly demanding encounters. For those seeking open-world games with combat systems that require mastery and a deep understanding of the game’s mechanics, the following titles are sure to deliver rewarding and challenging playtime.
7
Rise Of The Ronin
Merging Soulslike Elements With Traditional Open-World Action Games
Rise of the Ronin may not offer the most captivating exploration or the most memorable story in its genre. The narrative and world design can feel underwhelming and somewhat dated, especially compared to more recent titles. However, the game truly shines in its combat – a strength that’s no surprise given Team Ninja’s remarkable track record. Drawing inspiration from the studio’s previous hits, like Nioh, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, and Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, Rise of the Ronin delivers a deep and adaptable combat system. Players can experiment with various weapons and playstyles, all while facing consistently challenging encounters from start to finish.
Enemies in Rise of the Ronin often require careful observation to uncover their weaknesses, whether they’re elite foes or imposing bosses. The game strikes a compelling balance between soulslike mechanics and traditional action, creating tense, unforgiving combat. Success hinges on precise timing, parries, deflections, and understanding the strengths of each weapon type. Battles against multiple opponents demand full focus and commitment – just a few missed parries can quickly result in defeat if players let their guard down.
6
Horizon Forbidden West
Fast-Paced And Dynamic Combat That Shines On Higher Difficulties
- Released
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February 18, 2022
Like its predecessor, Horizon Zero Dawn, Horizon Forbidden West offers highly customizable combat options, allowing players to tailor the experience to their preferences. Whether players are newcomers looking for a relaxed introduction or seasoned action veterans craving nail-biting, unforgiving battles, the game has everyone covered. With its diverse roster of unique machine enemies, each behaving differently, the combat is designed to stay fast-paced and extremely dynamic at all times. Players must adapt quickly, switching between weapons mid-fight and preparing strategically by studying enemy weaknesses and targeting specific spots with the right tools for maximum effect.
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On higher difficulty levels, Horizon Forbidden West delivers combat that is both visually spectacular and intensely challenging to execute as planned. To overcome the toughest encounters with the most formidable machines, players need to stay on the move, make full use of their skills and tools, and seize opportunities to turn enemy weapons against them. Additionally, players can harness the power of hacking to create chaos, turning machines against each other and crafting clever strategies that make every encounter feel fresh and rewarding.
5
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
A Grounded And Realistic Take On Medieval Combat
- Released
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February 13, 2018
- Developer(s)
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Warhorse Studios
Kingdom Come: Deliverance is a natural choice for players seeking a challenging open-world experience, thanks to its grounded and highly realistic approach – especially in its combat system. Unlike Skyrim or most other medieval open-world games, Kingdom Come: Deliverance stands apart with its unforgiving, authentic warfare mechanics, where taking on more than one opponent at a time often spells disaster.
Managing stamina, understanding the movements of each weapon, and mastering the timing for blocks and perfect blocks are just as crucial in Kingdom Come: Deliverance as positioning, maintaining balance, and knowing when and where to strike. Many enemies wear full metal armor, making it impossible to deal damage by simply hacking away – players must target their vulnerabilities with precision. While combat encounters are less frequent compared to other open-world games, each one feels equally perilous and exhausting, constantly reminding players that their character’s life is on the line.
4
Ghost Of Tsushima
Perfectly Captures The Deadly Precision Of Wielding A Katana
Ghost of Tsushima masterfully captures the essence of Feudal Japan, introducing innovative mechanics for seamless exploration that eliminate the need for a traditional map. Sucker Punch’s dedication to the game’s combat system is just as remarkable, offering mechanics that are easy to pick up but rich in depth, flexibility, and visual appeal. At its core, the game’s action blends various sword stances, attacks, adrenaline-fueled skills, blocks, parries, and an arsenal of deadly tools like kunai. The result is exhilarating fights that can still punish careless players, even on lower difficulty settings. Despite relying on a single melee weapon – the katana – the combat remains fresh and engaging over dozens of hours, consistently introducing new techniques and strategies to tackle even the toughest enemies.
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While fights against ordinary foes are thrilling in their own right, it’s the boss encounters that push players to their limits. These cinematic, honorable one-on-one duels demand mastery of perfect dodges, parries, and every trick in the player’s arsenal. On higher difficulty levels, each boss battle becomes a true test of skill, requiring players to carefully study attack patterns and develop precise counterstrategies, often after multiple hard-fought attempts.
3
STALKER 2: Heart Of Chornobyl
An Open-World FPS That Isn’t Afraid To Test Its Players
- Released
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November 20, 2024
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a rare open-world first-person shooter that presents a formidable challenge, especially for newcomers to the Zone. The game’s dynamic NPC systems ensure players are never safe when exploring or looting, as they can be ambushed by bandits on every occasion. Enemies are not only lethal – capable of killing players with just a few well-placed shots – but also unnervingly accurate, excelling at pinpoint shooting and precise grenade throws. However, human enemies are just one of the many threats stalkers must contend with. The Zone itself is an unrelenting adversary. Beyond the living threats, the world’s environment is equally hostile, with treacherous weather, vicious anomalies, and deadly emissions always keeping players on edge.
Dangerous wildlife can swarm and overwhelm players, while brutal mutants often employ cunning tactics, including invisibility or devastating telekinesis attacks. But even the dark, claustrophobic underground labs, packed with lurking mutants, pale in comparison to the game’s intense boss battles. The challenge escalates dramatically during the endgame section, especially after reaching Pripyat. The final sections of STALKER 2 are grueling, often bordering on unfair, ensuring even the most battle-hardened veterans will have their skills thoroughly tested. For those craving intense and punishing firefights, this game delivers in spades.
2
Monster Hunter World
Strategically Deep Combat That Can Be Overwhelming For Newcomers
- Released
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January 26, 2018
Challenging combat lies at the core of every Monster Hunter game, and Monster Hunter World, along with its expansive Iceborne add-on, delivers enough thrills, depth, and variety to captivate even seasoned veterans of the franchise. The combat in Monster Hunter World is among the most distinctive in the open-world genre, with each weapon feeling as unique to wield as the monsters are to fight. Success requires players to invest time into mastering the intricacies of both their chosen weapon and the unpredictable behaviors of the beasts they hunt.
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Timing is everything in battle. To land successful hits, players must wait patiently for the right openings, as attacks cannot be canceled mid-swing. This mechanic demands a deep understanding of each monster’s movements and the environment, encouraging strategic play and the use of traps to weaken or immobilize targets before striking. The game’s toughest monsters rival the most grueling bosses in the soulslike genre, pushing players to their limits and rewarding those who show persistence and skill with hard-fought victories.
1
Elden Ring
No Mercy For Tarnished In Every Corner Of The Lands Between
- Released
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February 25, 2022
Elden Ring is a breakthrough title, both for the soulslike genre, introducing new heights and possibilities for exploration and combat, and for FromSoftware, drawing millions of newcomers to its games, many of whom are now eager for more. Unlike most open-world games, Elden Ring features no difficulty settings – everyone faces the same conditions. Additionally, the game cannot be paused, amplifying its already challenging nature. While players have access to tools like NPC summons or co-op assistance to mitigate the toughest encounters, the vast array of fearsome enemies and bosses ensures that every build and strategy will be put to the test.
The world of Elden Ring is packed with hidden secrets, entire sprawling areas, and unexpected and unforgettable boss fights. Iconic encounters, like Malenia and Radahn, demand hours of practice to master their complex attack patterns. The game also offers unparalleled flexibility in character builds and itemization, allowing players to tailor their experience to their preferred playstyle. As a pinnacle of open-world design, Elden Ring isn’t afraid to test its fans in every conceivable way. Its focus on challenging combat is a cornerstone of its identity, and that’s precisely why it’s so beloved by its community.
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