The Most Unusual Open-World Games

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The Most Unusual Open-World Games

Key Takeaways

  • Outer Wilds features a unique open world with a fully functioning gravity system, making it one of the best games of the past decade.
  • Death Stranding offers a touching yet unusual open-world experience with hanging goo ghosts, old-making rain, and dancing puppets.
  • Maneater lets players play a ravenous shark, providing a wild and fun experience in an open world with robust RPG mechanics.

As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of gaming experience under my belt, I’ve seen it all – from the most mundane to the downright bizarre. However, nothing quite compares to the unique open-world games that have graced our screens in recent years. These games are not just different; they’re a breath of fresh air in a genre that often feels stale.

In the 2010s, as open-world games became increasingly popular, it’s not unexpected that this subgenre has blossomed into various niches within gaming. However, there is a select group of open-world games that have made an effort to be genuinely unusual in order to distinguish themselves from others.

As a game enthusiast, I’m always on the hunt for something unique when it comes to open-world adventures. Whether it’s their innovative game mechanics that set them apart or their offbeat content that makes them stand out, there’s no shortage of intriguing open-world games waiting to be discovered by those daring enough to venture off the beaten path.

5 Outer Wilds

Toybox Universe

One fantastic reason that makes Outer Wilds one of the outstanding games from the past decade is its exceptionally unique open world. Instead of relying on pre-programmed responses, the game’s solar system is simulated in their entirety and follows a realistic gravitational system. This means the planets orbit naturally within the game, not based on set patterns, providing a steep learning curve for newcomers as they adapt to the intricacies of the game once they dive in.

As a gamer, I must confess that despite the intricate scientific details behind Outer Wilds, upon closer inspection, it feels surprisingly compact. It’s almost as if I’m playing with a miniature solar system instead of a vast, cosmic expanse. The planets are mere stone’s throws away from each other, not millions of miles apart like in reality. The game is filled with oddities waiting to be discovered, making it one of the most peculiar open-world games I’ve ever played.

4 Death Stranding

Classic Kojima Kookiness

Placing Kojima’s newest creation on this list would be hard to avoid. In Death Stranding, players step into the shoes of Sam Bridges, a delivery man who traverses a desolate post-apocalyptic landscape to deliver packages to people living in isolated bunkers, represented by acting and gaming luminaries. Despite sounding mundane, it’s genuinely one of the most heartwarming open-world games ever produced, even more so after COVID-19.

In this surreal gaming experience I’ve found myself in, let me tell you, it doesn’t take a genius to notice how off-the-wall the world is. From gooey specters dangling in peculiar spots, to rain that ages characters on the spot, and puppets boogying down without warning – it’s all here! Even my dreams turned out to be set in the trenches of World War 1. It’s as eccentric as I’ve come to expect from Kojima, yet it manages to be an extraordinary game.

3 Maneater

Eat Up The Competition

In Maneater, instead of assuming the role of a human character like in many open-world games, you get to embody a fierce and formidable shark, preying on other sea creatures and growing in power. It’s an unusual yet thrilling concept that’s packed with exciting discoveries.

The expansive map in this game encompasses everything from murky swamps and underground sewers to the bustling bay of a real urban city, where the notorious shark creates sheer chaos. It also boasts some impressive role-playing game mechanics, making it an excellent pick for gamers seeking an unconventional open-world title with a solid dose of gameplay depth.

2 Pathologic 2

Pathological Strangeness

Few game series carry the intense notoriety that Pathologic does, making it challenging to accurately describe its essence. In essence, you often find yourself managing a character in an attempt to save a town from a devastating plague. However, this summary barely scratches the surface of what these games truly entail.

“Pathologic 2” is the eagerly anticipated follow-up to its predecessor, maintaining the challenging gameplay, peculiar narrative, ominous ambiance, and continuous surreal elements spread across a genuinely lengthy storyline. Navigating the unusual open world of “Pathologic 2” may lead you down a path of confusion, but the experience is still enjoyable and immersive in its bizarre atmosphere.

1 Goat Simulator 3

All-Out Insanity

Instead of merely being peculiar, Goat Simulator 3 appears to focus on amplifying anything bizarre or unconventional to the extreme. The end product is an incredibly absurd game brimming with jokes and slapstick humor that seeps out of every pixel, offering players numerous objectives and opportunities for chaos and destruction.

In the zany universe of Goat Simulator 3, you’ll find a chaotic landscape filled with eccentric characters and visual jokes popping up in every direction. As the star goat, your mission is to maneuver through this world using the side-splitting ragdoll physics, all while completing a series of preposterous objectives. When it comes to eliciting laughter from an unusual open world, Goat Simulator 3 truly sets the bar high.

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2024-10-17 05:33