Best Open-World Games For Feeling Like An Animal, Ranked

Summary

Open-world games offer exploration and freedom, allowing players to tackle main plots at their leisure.
Various open-world game genres cater to different preferences, from silly goat antics to emotionally gripping narratives.
Immersive experiences in open-world games enhance player involvement, allowing them to unleash their inner animal through gameplay.

In abundance are open-world video games within the gaming industry. Over and over again, these types of games capture the interest of gamers due to the flexibility they offer in exploring the world and progressing through the main storyline at their convenience. These games span a vast array of genres and topics, enabling players to assume virtually any role.

Whether you’re a fan of magical role-playing games or someone looking to survive in challenging scenarios, there’s something for every type here. For individuals seeking to connect with their wilder selves, open-world games are an ideal choice. These top-tier games cater perfectly to those yearning to tap into their untamed spirit, be it symbolically or literally.

8. Goat Simulator

Hilarious Shenanigans As a Goat

It’s not necessary that every open-world game should revolve around serious or mature subjects; there can be games like Goat Simulator, which are light-hearted and intended for fun and amusement, where the player controls a goat causing all kinds of mischief.

They can certainly cause quite a ruckus, roaming through the city streets in search of new people to bother, buildings to damage, and objectives to complete. It almost seems plausible that such chaos could ensue if a goat were let loose in a city, although the game adds some amusing embellishments that make it an enjoyable experience.

7. Little Kitty, Big City

Learn to be a Cat

A house cat, a sleek black feline, unintentionally finds itself outside after a nap on a risky window sill. Now in the bustling city, it’s separated from its home and needs help getting back. The game’s challenge is to assist this cat in navigating through urban life, learning street-wise skills under the guidance of other animals along the way.

The trip back home in this game leads players throughout the city, allowing them to engage in various feline antics like leaping, scaling buildings, pouncing on birds, and snatching food items such as slices of bread and entire fish. There’s no other game that quite encapsulates the sensation of being a cat as effectively as Little Kitty, Urban Explorer.

6. Tchia

Assume the Form of Animals to Track Down Tchia’s Father

The vibrant game titled Tchia stands out among open-world games due to its distinctive nature. It centers around a young girl named Tchia and her father, Joxu, who reside on a lush tropical archipelago. However, their tranquil existence is shattered by the appearance of Pwi Dua, who abducts Joxu. It’s then that Tchia discovers she can transfer her spirit, enabling her to inhabit both inanimate objects and living beings.

Players will employ these presents to guide Tchia through the islands, with the aim of locating and rescuing her father. The unique skill of soul-jumping into various creatures will offer players an animalistic experience, empowering them with special powers and skills essential for their mission. It’s likely that players will spend a considerable amount of time inhabiting animals instead of being human, as it’s incredibly enjoyable to do so.

5. The Long Dark

Survival Mode Makes Players Feel Like One With The Wilderness

The Long Dark tells the stories of two individuals stranded in the harsh Canadian wilderness after their plane was hit by a geomagnetic storm. Now marooned in the icy tundra, players take on the challenge of survival, alternating between characters to observe their distinct hardships. This mode presents a more leisurely experience as there’s no risk of permanent character death.

In survival mode, the challenges intensify significantly, testing players’ resilience. The level of difficulty varies, making survival more or less arduous. A higher difficulty level pushes players to their limits. To overcome the harsh conditions such as cold, hunger, thirst, sleep deprivation, and encounters with wildlife, players must rely on their innate survival skills, summoning their inner instincts in a desperate bid to survive until tomorrow.

4. The Forest

Learn to Survive and Thrive in the Wilderness

Father and son, named Eric and Timmy, are on a plane that unfortunately crashes onto what seems like an uninhabited forest island. Eric manages to regain some consciousness only to see his son being taken away before he faints again. Upon awakening, he realizes it wasn’t a nightmare, but reality – he is indeed here and needs to find Timmy. With no other options available, Eric decides to explore the area in hopes of locating his son.

In this new world, the player is set free without guidance, forcing him to acquire essential survival skills – skills he’s likely never needed before. He must learn how to collect resources, locate clean water sources, and construct shelters for himself. However, his education doesn’t end there; he also needs to master more primal practices like hunting for food and defending against the menacing cannibals on the island. In extreme circumstances, players may even find themselves consuming the cannibals they encounter, pushing them to confront the darker, survival-driven aspects of their characters.

3. Maneater

Become an Apex Predator

In many typical games featuring sharks, players take on the role of a human, often the unfortunate victim of this formidable sea predator, and strive to evade getting swallowed by its sharp teeth. However, in the game Maneater, the perspective is flipped. Here, players assume the role of sharks who are out hunting for their prey – a man named Scaly Pete, the one responsible for the death of their family.

As a player immersed in this thrilling game, I can’t help but exclaim: Never has revenge tasted so satisfying! The sensation of gliding through the water as a formidable shark is simply exhilarating. I savour each moment, devouring smaller fish with relish and giving a warning snap to any human daring to venture too close to my domain. This gameplay transforms me from an ordinary player into a powerful force of nature, unstoppable and untamed.

2. Far Cry Primal

Primal in Name and Nature

In a different twist from the usual series, “Primal” is set in prehistoric eras, leaving behind the contemporary settings the franchise is renowned for. This shift takes players back to fundamental survival, as they wield primitive weapons like spears, clubs, bows, and slings. These tools become essential for hunting dangerous wildlife and safeguarding their tribe, which encounters threats not only from rival tribes but also from the wild animals that inhabit the vast landscapes.

In a game, it’s quite natural to develop a sense of kinship with the animals you encounter, as you hunt, gather resources, and occasionally train them. Compared to hostile human characters, these creatures are often more approachable, making the experience feel more harmonious for the players.

1. The Isle

Survive the Unrelenting Island

As a dinosaur enthusiast, I can’t help but notice that the genre of dinosaur games remains largely unexplored compared to others. There aren’t nearly as many options out there, especially those that allow you to embody these magnificent creatures. However, one gem that truly stands out is “The Isle,” a game released in early access back in 2015. In this captivating game, I find myself transformed into one of these ancient beasts, roaming an island teeming with other prehistoric animals. The danger and excitement are palpable, making each gameplay session feel like a thrilling journey back in time.

On the Isle, nothing is spared, for at its core, dinosaurs are wild creatures with all their inherent instincts. Should anything appear weaker or smaller than them, they will pursue it as prey. Consequently, a player faces an equal likelihood of becoming prey as they do a predator. To endure and prosper on this island, one must accept the reality of being an animalistic being oneself, constantly vying for food, dominance, and territory.

2025-08-12 07:36