Summary
Open-world games are tailored to appeal to the masses, boasting systems and gameplay that are meant to be easy for most players to get into. However, without a distinctive edge, games will fail to capture mainstream interest, especially given how populated this genre already is.
Some ofthe best open-world gamesknow how to surprise fans with intermittent moments of horror, such as when they must take on a scary enemy that sends shivers down their spine. These monsters are horrifying to look at and make it harder for players to focus when they’re busy getting scared by these nightmarish foes.
The Bloody Baron questline is one of the most compelling storytelling momentsinThe Witcher 3. It details the struggles of a popular figure who seems like a drunk wife-beater, only for the story to be more nuanced than players would assume. It turns out that this narrative involves a dead child whose spirit is still lingering around the Bloody Baron.
Witnessing this botchling in the flesh is an unnerving moment that hammers in the dark fantasy roots ofThe Witcher 3. While players can follow a ritual to let this spirit move on in peace, an aggressive Geralt can choose to take on this foe in a harrowing fight where players will be bombarded with wraiths.
Minecraftis one of the most popular open-world indie games of all time, with its procedural generation ensuring that players will have a unique experience with different seeds every single time. The game has its fair share of hostile enemies, but none of them are as terrifying as the Creeper.
This deceptively quiet foe sneaks up on players when they least expect it and explodes, causing a ton of damage. Even after players becomeMinecraftvets, a Creeper will never lose the ability to surprise players by appearing out of thin air.
Volatiles are some of the scariest zombies in video gaming history. WhileDying Lightis relatively manageable as long as players don’t let themselves be overwhelmed by waves of zombies, the script is completely flipped at night.
Players must make their way to a safe house at night without being swarmed by Volatiles. These super-powered zombies are no joke, running at a frenetic pace and tearing Kyle Crane to shreds if he even looks at them wrong.
Days Goneis one of the most popular open-world zombie games, which slowly became popular after critics tore into it at launch. Despite some facets of its uninspired gameplay,Days Goneshows its strengths with Freaker Hordesthat patrol the world and can be a downright nightmare to deal with.
Early on in the game, players are underpowered and don’t have many ways of defending themselves against these overwhelming groups of swarmers. Things get even worse if a screamer spots the player, alerting the entire horde and dooming them unless they can escape this relentless wave of zombies.
The shift to an open-world environment was handled masterfullybyMetro Exodus, combining this approach with a few linear levels that fans loved. This meant that the tense, high-difficulty gameplay could still scare the wits out of players, especially if they ran into the mutated monsters in this world.
The Blind Ones are some of the scariest enemies players can take on, especially since these enemies can brutalize players with a few hits in no time. If players don’t want to be pummeled to death by these mutated gorillas, they should either sneak around these foes or come equipped with powerful weapons and enough ammunition to survive this harrowing encounter.
The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is full to the brim with many dreaded mutants that are present in almosteverySTALKERgame.Heart of Chornobylis no exception here, with players dreading any encounter against the ridiculously powerful pseudogiant.
As the name suggests, these mutated monsters are massive and can crush enemies in no time. Staying out of their reach and using powerful weapons to pick them apart from a distance is imperative for players to survive these encounters.
The sight of a deathclaw in theFalloutuniverse will make players' blood run cold every time. These mutated monsters are no joke and will tear the player to shreds if they’re at a low level and aren’t equipped with the proper armor.
Even withFallout 4cheapening the player’s first encounter against this imposing foe, taking on a deathclaw is anything but a straightforward experience. Watching these beasts lunge at players with their massive claws is horrifying every time.
Tears of the Kingdomis a natural step forward for the formula introduced inBreath of the Wild, introducing many unique powers that players will love to control. Along with this, some classic enemies from theZeldaseries appear in this open-world title, including the fearsome Gleeoks.
Watching these three-headed dragons flying in the distance is a terrifying sight that will force players to make a wide berth and avoid triggering this enemy’s ire. Even if players muster the courage to take on this challenging foe, they may find themselves out of their depth as the Gleeok depletes their hearts in record time with a suite of powerful elemental attacks.
