Summary
- Breath of the Wild empowers players by offering tools that bend physics, making Link a force of nature.
- Palworld allows players to dominate nature using Pals for various tasks beyond just battle.
- Avowed gives players the role of The Envoy, tapping into nature’s forces while communicating with an evil entity.
Open-world games can be freeing, but they can also be restraining. Some of the best ones can make players feel like they are beyond a character, like they are a force of nature and not just an avatar. They become something that should be feared, as if a name on the wind could spell doom for anyone who speaks it.
It’s a weird description and a very specific type of open-world game, and there aren’t many that can make players feel like this godly force. Do these games offer something beyond the tried-and-true open-world experience? Let’s dive in and rank them based on how powerful and tapped into nature players can truly feel.
The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
Link Plays With Physics
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was a complete redo, mechanically, of the games that came before it. The open-world setting was bigger than it had ever been before, plus Link had access to a lot of initial tools that bent to the game’s physics. Players could freeze enemies, set grass on fire, and even use wind from these flaming fields to get an updraft and glide away. Link was stronger and more in tune with the elements than ever before, sort of like Hyrule’s one last hope at revival through a mystical force disguising itself as a young warrior.
Palworld
No Pals Are Safe
Palworld is like Pokemon if Game Freak gave players 110% more creativity and flexibility with the mechanics. Catching monsters, or Pals, is still a core gameplay feature, but these creatures can be used in more ways than just battle. They can act as mounts or even build houses. With the help of Pals, players can conquer this massive map as if they are dominating nature itself by harnessing every element from wind to fire.
Avowed
One With Mushrooms
In Avowed, players will assume the role of The Envoy, who has come to a new land that is being overgrown by an evil entity. Said entity can be communicated with on an astral level, and players will have to learn when they should listen to their allies and this otherworldly force.
It’s a clever way to give players a voice for nature in the story while also granting them a lot of cool powers to keep combat engaging. The magic system is intuitive among Avowed’s many wands, books, and skill trees.
Ghost Of Tsushima
The Batman Of Feudal Japan
Ghost of Tsushima is set on the isle of Tsushima during one of the darkest eras of Japan’s history: the Mongolian invasion. Jin is a samurai who is cast into hiding after losing to the Mongols. To win back the island, Jin will have to adapt the ways of the ninja to get an edge on his enemies.
Jin has no magical powers to harness nature, but he can use nature in other ways, like hiding in grass or diving on enemies from trees. The more players progress, the more fearsome Jin will become, a voice on the wind that spells doom, like some otherworldly ghost avenging the downtrodden.
Just Cause 2
Making Good Use Of Gadgets
Just Cause 2 leveled up this franchise and established the hero, Rico, as an explosive force of the oppressed without a doubt. He’s sent to a new area where he has to take down a dictatorship with extreme prejudice. Players have an incredible variety of weapons, from machine guns to rocket launchers. However, the star of the show is the grappling hook, which players can use offensively and defensively. Between blowing up bases and rescuing civilians, Rico is as close to a superhero as the Just Cause series has.
Diablo 4
Beyond Good And Evil
What’s great about the Diablo series is that humans are in a neutral zone between Heaven and Hell’s ongoing war. Neither side is fully good or evil, as players get manipulated by both in the series, including the latest entry, Diablo 4.
This doesn’t matter though, because players are strong enough to take down hundreds of demons on their own, be it with magic or a few celestial punches like some one-man army. Players are like the champions of Earth and humanity, rising to counter Heaven and Hell.
Forspoken
The Ultimate Elemental Mage
Forspoken is an Isekai setup wherein a New York woman, Frey, is whisked into a world of magic. She can start to use it with the help of a magical gauntlet. Powers will start small, but with each major boss that they defeat, players will unlock new skill trees and magic tiers like fire magic. There has never been a more impressive magic system than this, as every spell from a fireball to a water whip can make players feel immensely powerful. Frey is also quick on her feet, which will make exploring this open-world game a breeze.
Okami
The Sun Brings New Life
Okami is still fantastic to experience on the PS2, as it is on every system it was ported to after its initial release. It’s also the best example of becoming a force of nature, even though the open environments aren’t as big as some more modern games.
The hook will put players in the role of a wolf named Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun. As players vanquish demons from ancient Japan, they will restore nature to its former glory, often accompanied by beautiful cutscenes wherein flowers, grass, and trees bloom. If ever there was a poster game for Earth Day, Okami would be it.
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