Open-World Games That Let You Challenge Gods

Video games are the perfect gateway to living all the fantasies anyone could ever want, whether it’s ruling entire kingdoms, becoming a Jedi warrior, or shooting down hordes of aliens. But of all the enemies players may face, there is no greater feeling than taking down a literal God.

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There are plenty of games and experiences that offer the opportunity to battle mighty foes and gear up to take down intergalactic threats, but when things get Godlike, that’s when the real fun and challenge begins. These open-world games offer just that, as players have to use everything at their disposal to take down mighty deities and planet-sized entities.

8

Flintlock: The Siege Of Dawn

Gods Meet Gunpowder

Released

July 18, 2024

ESRB

Mature 17+ // Blood, Violence

The Gods have returned and it’s up to Nor Vanek to take back the world from the dead and banish the deities back to the Great Below. Described as a “Souls-lite” experience, it certainly rings true. Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn’s combat introduces more rhythm, as players switch between magic, melee, and gunfire to take down the vengeful Gods and their minions.

Movement and traversal feel crisp and rewarding, acting as a navigation tool but also a method of dispatching foes with style. And thankfully, players do not have to face the Gods alone; their trusted companion Enki, a sentient fox filled with knowledge and power provides Nor with the perfect partner for banishing the mighty foes that await.

7

Shadow Of The Colossus

A Tale Of Vengeance And Love

Systems

Released

February 6, 2018

ESRB

T For Teen due to Blood, Violence

Ahead of its time and straight into the hall of fame, Team Ico delivers one of the most memorable and unique gaming experiences that anyone can ever play in Shadow of the Colossus. It’s haunting, it’s beautiful, and each encounter gives the feeling of felling a titanic God with precision and strategy.

It replaces quick combat with puzzle-like encounters, with each battle feeling distinct and providing a new challenge for even seasoned gamers. The storytelling is also second to none, being fairly minimal and yet deeply touching as players wrestle with the consequences of their actions, all in the pursuit of answers and resolution.

6

Horizon Forbidden West

Robot Dinos And Artificial Deities

Systems

Released

February 18, 2022

ESRB

T for Teen: Blood, Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence

Not all Gods are spiritual. Some are created or born out of technology, morphing into artificial intelligence capable of wiping out entire civilizations with their influence. Hephaestus acts as this threat in Horizon Forbidden West, an AI gone rogue that adapts and creates near-endless threats and is almost God-like in its power.

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Taking the term “deus ex machina” in its most literal sense, these artificial enemies provide a unique spin on what it means to take down a God, with Aloy defeating an interconnected network rather than a single individual. And with the looming threat of Nemesis on the horizon, the next installment in the series will surely up the ante in terms of God-like evil and destruction.

5

Final Fantasy 15

Take Back The Throne

Released

November 9, 2016

ESRB

T for Teen: Language, Mild Blood, Partial Nudity, Violence

Final Fantasy has always pushed limits with its spectacles and battles and Final Fantasy 15 is no different. The fights are personal and pair an emotional and gripping story with epic encounters that keep on giving in terms of difficulty and power.

Players traverse across Eos, taking down fearsome foes and building up to the ultimate fights that transcend the definitions of a battle into cinematic masterpieces that are worthy of the big screens. Noctis and his crew take on everything from lowly foot soldiers to massive Astral Gods, which can then be summoned into battle once they’re defeated.

4

Hollow Knight

The Gold Standard For Exploration

Released

February 24, 2017

ESRB

E10+ for Everyone 10+: Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood

Widely praised as the greatest Metroidvania ever created, Hollow Knight has players dive into the deep depths of Hallownest, taking on powerful bug-like warriors and God-like beings like The Radiance.

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Fights are about personal stamina, requiring precision and patience to take enemies down, with each divine entity offering a distinct battle that must be learned in order to master. With such a rich and intriguing world, players can search for hours and get lost in the caverns, exploring crystalline mineshafts and pulsating forests in search of answers and to quell the infection.

3

Praey For The Gods

Ride The Beasts

Action-Adventure

Survival

Released

December 14, 2021

ESRB

Teen // Violence

Praey for the Gods is very clearly inspired by Shadow of the Colossus, where players enter a haunting frozen wasteland filled with giant, towering Gods that appear from the icy mists and must be conquered with careful mechanics and climbs that can only be described as mountainous.

It’s an eerie and elusive world that rewards careful exploration, and the cinematic nature of each fight is perfectly outlined by the surreal landscapes and atmosphere that oozes from the screen with every passing moment.

2

World Of Warcraft

Defy The Old Gods

Systems

Released

November 23, 2004

ESRB

T for Teen: Blood and Gore, Crude Humor, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence (online interactions not rated)

Azeroth is filled to the brim with God-like enemies ranging from gigantic eldritch horrors to angered kings of old, each of which bring entire parties together in the pursuit of victory. There is a vast list of nightmares and battles to conquer in World of Warcraft and, due to the game’s variety of classes and items, players can tackle each one with different characters for some added satisfaction.

What sets it apart is the immersion and experience. Entire areas are transformed into cinematic encounters, and each God acts not as a standalone fight but as an overarching lore component that affects the world in strange and mysterious ways.

1

Elden Ring

FromSoftware At Their Finest

Released

February 25, 2022

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence

After a decade and a half of crafting and perfecting the Soulslike genre, Elden Ring serves as the magnum opus of FromSoftware’s work, taking all their previous triumphs and combining them into a title of excellence and utterly flawless gameplay. Moving to a true open world allows even more lore and, of course, a long list of original deity-level enemies waiting to be conquered.

The Lands Between are littered with demi-gods and god-like bosses that put up more than just a fight, requiring dodging precision and pinpoint healing management to take down. By the end of a single playthrough, the player goes from a lowly maidenless knight to a God-killing unstoppable force that takes their rightful place on the Elden Throne and defies the Gods themselves.

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Games That Let You Play As A God

These games give players the feeling of godhood as they either allow gamers to play as a god or carry out god-like tasks.