The Best Open-World Games With No Cities

While cities are a fantastic part of many open-world games, sometimes players just want to get away from the urban environment and out into nature. Luckily, there are huge open worlds that allow players to navigate the wilderness and traverse all manner of environmental conditions.

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Many of these games are survival games that pit players against inhospitable environments that operate outside the comforts of human society. Some have small barely surviving human settlements, and others have the ruins of human civilization strewn about the vast landscape.

5

Far Cry New Dawn

Small Settlements And A Lot Of Angry Wildlife

Hope County, Montana was only slightly more populated before the nuclear strike in Far Cry 5. But 17 years later there are even fewer signs of civilization. The small towns are basically abandoned and, save the Highwayman outposts, Eden’s Gate, and the survivor compound, there are no concentrated settlements.

Far Cry New Dawn is not the most popular of the series’ spin-offs. The villains, the Twins, were not very well received and the game was criticized by some for being glorified DLC, but it still has a lot to recommend it. The weapon building is fantastic, and the saw launcher is an amazing starting weapon. The post-apocalyptic punk aesthetic of the Highwaymen is fantastic and there are some great companions among the survivors that are actually helpful (and adorable).

4

Days Gone

Stay Moving, Stay Mobile

Deacon is a former biker searching for his wife in post-apocalyptic Oregon. He is essentially a mutant hunter for hire who makes his way around the giant open world map on his beloved motorbike. It is set in a rural location, and the natural beauty of Oregon defines the landscape. There are small settlements and the visible ruins of civilization, but no cities. There are some amazing environmental details to take in, and the map is quite diverse.

A pandemic has caused humans to become zombies, like mutants called “Freakers” that move around and attack in massive hoards. Deacon needs to bait them into specific concentrated areas or set fire to their nest during the day. Taking out Freakers without being mauled is often an exercise in stealthy exploring to determine the best approach.

3

Sons Of The Forest

Open-World Sci-Fi Horror

Like its predecessor, The Forest, Sons of the Forest is a first-person survival game in which an aircraft accident leaves the player stranded on a strange island. This time, instead of looking for their missing son, they are looking for a missing millionaire. Unlike the protagonist of the previous game, the player character is well-equipped for survival and has a companion, Kelvin, who seems to have sustained a serious brain injury in the crash.

The open world of the island is inhabited by hostile creatures, including a group of monstrous cannibals that have multiple varieties that spawn as the days progress. The map is dotted with caves and bunkers of varying degrees of danger. Players can piece together the bizarre sci-fi story of the island by systematically unlocking new areas through item discovery and crafting.

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2

The Long Dark

Survival At All Costs

The Long Dark is a first-person wilderness survival game that has story, survival, and challenge modes that drop the player in the frozen Canadian wilderness. The premise is that the main characters’ plane has crashed in a geomagnetic storm and must survive with nothing but a backpack of basic equipment and things they can find in the environment. It is also a mystery game that rewards cautious exploration. Not only is the player character looking for their missing wife in story mode, but the history of Great Bear Island has mysteries all its own.

There is an abundance of detail and data about the weather conditions and the welfare of the player character. Environmental challenges are a key element of The Long Dark. If the player doesn’t die of cold, there is a wolf waiting around the corner to finish the job. Unique regions have different dangers and managing character needs is a matter of localized knowledge and practice.

1

Green Hell

Complex Ecologies And Brutal Combat

Green Hell is an intense first-person survival game that takes place in an uncharted area of the Amazon rainforest. It is more realistic in its survival mechanics than the other entries in this list and can consequently be far more difficult. There are so many ways to die, including illness, infection, unexpected attacks, and dehydration. Even the story mode chucks players in at the deep end with barely any instructions to guide them. There is also a permadeath mode for experienced players who are gluttons for punishment.

The open world of Green Hell is a large, lush rainforest environment with complex flora and fauna that can be resources for the player. Despite the harsh realism of some of the gameplay, other parts are strangely absurdist and silly, especially when players get to the stage where they are doing advanced construction and farming. Players can focus on overcoming the brutal challenges of the open world… or they can make a capybara petting zoo and name their capybara.

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Green Hell: Best Food, Ranked

Those looking to improve their chances of survival in Green Hell will appreciate what these great food options have to offer.