Best Open-World Games Featuring Demons

Highlights

Experience demonic terror in open-world games like Diablo 4 and Elder Scrolls 4 with dark settings and intense demon-slaying action.
Play as heroes in games like Darksiders 2 to battle hordes of demons as an arbiter in apocalyptic confrontations.
Survive the horror in Kholat as players uncover the mystery of missing students amidst Russian mountains haunted by evil demons.

As a seasoned gamer with over two decades under my belt, I must say that these games truly take me back to my roots of slaying demons and exploring eerie landscapes. Let’s dive into some of these gems!

In open-world games, players can immerse themselves in expansive gameplay spanning hundreds of hours, including numerous side missions. However, when supernatural elements like demons are introduced, the gaming environment transforms into a chilling dark fantasy or terror setting. This transformation often includes sudden scares, a foreboding and somber atmosphere, gory visuals, and, as you might expect, opportunities to vanquish these malevolent creatures.

These games center around demons causing mischief in the human realm, and you, the player, are the one with the courage (or perhaps foolishness) to put a stop to it. Regardless of whether you’re an accidental hero or a foretold savior, these games will push your demon-slaying abilities to their limits. Arm yourself with a sword, or for added protection, take a shotgun.

1 Darksiders 2

Cut Through Hordes Of Demons With The Power Of Death

In the world of Darksiders, you’re not just any soldier, but rather a powerful entity chosen from among the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Your mission is to wage war against legions of demons and angels during the great battle known as the End War, which is essentially Earth’s version of the Apocalypse. Instead of embodying a heavily armed space marine, you are here to serve as impartial judges in this final showdown between Heaven and Hell.

In the game Darksiders 2, players assume the role of Death, the oldest and strongest of the Four Horsemen. Sent by The Charred Council, their mission is to uncover the reality behind Death’s brother War’s supposed transgression against the balance. The Council has given Death the responsibility to investigate War’s past actions within the series, aiming to discover the truth before War faces execution. Along the journey, players will encounter and defeat countless demons who seek to hinder them, as well as several powerful Arch Demons.

2 The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion

Stop A Demonic Invasion Of The Realm

In the world of The Elder Scrolls series, none of the games delve as deeply into Daedric (or demonic) lore as Oblivion does. The central plot revolves around an invasion from the realm of Oblivion, where countless Daedra are wreaking havoc across Tamriel. As a player, you take on the role of the prophesied hero, tasked with discovering the true savior who can save the land from this destruction.

If not diverted by numerous side missions or the expansive game world, players will be tasked with locating the successor of Uriel Septim VII and rekindling the Dragonfires established by Akatosh, the Deity of Dragons, to safeguard Tamriel from these infernal invaders.

3 Diablo 4

Stop The Mother Of All Demons Once And For All

In the latest edition of the Diablo series, players will be plunged into the unforgiving landscape of Sanctuary as never before experienced. Known as Diablo 4, this installment offers an expansive open-world setting while retaining the iconic hack’n’slash mechanics that have been a staple in previous titles. Notably, it also features intense battles against hordes of demons, particularly during Hell Tide events.

Many gamers feel that Diablo 4 strays significantly from its classic design, introducing contemporary features and an entirely revamped Paragon System. Nevertheless, at its core, it still revolves around what it always has: vanquishing demons with brute force and sorcery.

4 Ghostwire: Tokyo

Hunt Yokai With Onmyōji-like Powers

In the game Ghostwire Tokyo, you step into the role of young Akito, who was on the brink of being transported to another world during a car accident, but instead found himself inhabited by a spirit and mysteriously stranded in an eerie, supernatural replica of Tokyo. In this expansive open-world adventure, you’ll rely on your spiritual powers, acting as both an occultist and exorcist, to combat the malevolent entities terrorizing the city. Simultaneously, you’ll delve into the enigma surrounding the vanishing of all other human inhabitants.

As a fervent admirer, let me express that this captivating game is teeming with adversaries inspired by Yokai, entities akin to Japanese spirits or monsters. Yet, the protagonist’s supernatural prowess matches these formidable foes, enhancing their chances of survival amidst the relentless onslaught. But, fellow enthusiasts, beware, for this game is not for the faint-hearted; it offers a rigorous challenge that must be conquered to claim victory.

5 The Evil Within 2

Enter A Warped Mind Reality, Plagued By Demons

In The Evil Within 2, the story unfolds three years after the traumatic events of the initial game, with Sebastian Castellanos as the central character. He’s left physically and mentally scarred from those incidents, grappling with his severe alcoholism. At a low point in his life, his former colleague Lily Kidman, who now works for Mobius, presents him an opportunity for redemption. This opportunity comes as Sebastian searches for answers about the Beacon Mental Hospital incident.

In a frantic search to locate his presumed deceased (now vanished) daughter Lily, Sebastian is escorted to encounter the Administrator. The Administrator discloses that Lily is being employed as the foundation for a groundbreaking STEM simulation. Sebastian finds himself thrust into a nightmarish mental landscape of an idyllic American city named Union, where he battles horrifying creatures in his pursuit of the origin of the simulation’s decay, all while grappling with a secretive photographer determined to eliminate all Mobius agents.

6 Kholat

Survive, If You Can

Kholat is a survival horror game set in the treacherous Kholat mountains of Russia. In this open-world environment, players take on the role of an investigator seeking to uncover the fate of a group of missing students. As they venture deeper into the dangerous terrain, they’ll encounter significant locations and landmarks scattered throughout the expansive valley, all while trying to solve the enigma surrounding the incident.

In the heart of breathtaking Russian landscapes, I find myself engrossed in a chilling tale that takes an eerie turn when mysterious hints from a fellow researcher, Vasilij from the Russian Research Unit for Natural Phenomena, surface. He cautions about the ominous darkness lurking nearby. The game is unquestionably terrifying and packed with unexpected jumpscares, where the suspenseful atmosphere looms large, and of course, it’s swarming with sinister demons made of shadows that relentlessly chase me throughout the story. My goal is clear: evade them at all costs and reach as far from their grasp as I can.

2024-08-07 10:36