Summary
Open-world gamesare hugely fun, and they are only becoming much more popular today. The style has taken over many popular genres, with different franchises likeLegend of ZeldaandPokemonfinding ways to take on open-world aspects, and other types of games, like survival and even horror titles, sometimes seek to give players a more freeing and less singularly focused experience.
However, due to manyopen-world gamesoffering players ways to progress quickly outside of the main quests and campaigns, it is quite possible in some games for players tobecome incredibly overpowereddue to their side adventures. In certain games, players can even start out more powerful than they should, making the game a lot easier than one would initially expect.
Bethesda is a beloved game company that has created multiple huge franchises with a lot of longevity. However, they also give players a lot of options in their RPGs, with there being a massive amount of content in games likeFallout 4. In this title, players take on the role of a survivor who awakens in a fallout shelter hundreds of years after a nuclear apocalyptic event.
However, between power armor and skills, players quickly level well enough to take on anything out in the wasteland. Super mutant armies even begin struggling to kill if players level up a little more, and using VATS and making sure to focus upgrades on the types of damage players use most will make it very hard for players to ever die, especially if they havethe right weapons in hand.
TheBatman Arkhamgames all put players in the amazing position of getting to be Batman. ButArkham Originswent overboard in the number of upgrades it allows players to make use of in their fights as the Caped Crusader, some of which werelifted directly from the comics. This is especially evident with the shock gloves.
After Batman gets these gauntlets, players will suddenly find that all combat presents no challenge, as the shock gloves allow all defensive stances and options enemies can present to be immediately bypassed. While other gadgets make Batman overpowered in this game, the general level of strength provided throughout theArkhamseries has always been high.
One of the strangest games ever released, featuring one of the mostbizarre pieces of DLCever,Saints Row 4was a rare game that was much more interested in having fun than creating a great story or providing challenging gameplay. After aliens attack Earth, the player character, as President of the United States, must defeat them by escaping the simulation of Steelport City using hacked superpowers.
The wildness of this game’s nature makes it truly hilarious to play, exploring Steelport shows off so much hilarity, and the superpowers gained by the player help render the difficulty of the game pretty low. Players won’t have a hard time becoming incredibly overpowered, but since that’s sort of the point, none of the game’s enjoyment is lost by becoming so OP.
The world of theLord of the Ringsfranchise is filled with tragic characters and brutal combat. The open-world take in this game,Shadow of Mordor, allows for a very fun experience that tells the story of Talion, a Gondorian Ranger who bonds with the wraith of the Elven Celebrimbor. The pair sets out on a journey together to take vengeance on Sauron for their lost families.
Shadow of Mordordoes a great job of setting up an open-world game in Middle-earth, but the wraith abilities that Talion has due to his partner make a lot of the combat easier than many players would have expected it to be. The abilities continue to increase throughout the game, making for some incredibly enjoyable combat sequences. They result in the player becoming ridiculously overpowered,particularly with the right build.
One of the most infamous games of all time,Borderlandshas achieved enough fame to get a major big-screen adaption. Known as a “role-playing shooter,” which allows each of up to four players to take on the role of a different vault hunter, sharing some traits but having different skills and specialties.
The world ofBorderlandsis one of the most fun in gaming, and as vault hunters search for clues and fight enemies across this open world, they will quickly become overpowered. With so many pieces of gear and different amazing weapons to find, hunters can gallivant about the world of Pandora to their heart’s content with little chance of death, a trend that hascontinued in the sequels.
Prototypeis a fascinating series that never got the sort of traction it deserved. This game is one of a number that has been brave enough to try its hand at an open-world setting based on a real city, withPrototypetaking place in a realistic version of New York that players can explore at their will. However,Prototypedoesn’t deal with normal enemies like other real-world-setting games such asGrand Theft Auto.
Instead,Prototypeplayers take on thenaturally powerful roleof a shape-shifting amnesiac who attempts to rediscover his identity while stopping the outbreak of a plague in New York. The nature of the protagonist allows players to deal with many threats in a much easier fashion than they would typically expect in a title like this. The overpowered nature of the character makes a lot of sense but can make much of the game a little too easy. Nevertheless, this version of New York makes for a very interesting open-world to explore, even if it’s a little lacking in terms of difficulty.
Much like theFalloutseries, Bethesda usually gives players ways in theElder Scrollsfranchise to become overpowered if they so wish.Skyrimis a game that comes with a lot of options, from different races and weapons to complete shifts in stat focus. However, unlike other games, the end of most paths inSkyrimwill usuallylead players to become overpoweredin some shape or form.
Whether players choose to focus on magical talents, bows, or melee weapons, there is almost no direction they can turn that doesn’t leave them overpowered eventually. Such options have led players to venture across the extremely beloved open-world ofSkyrimattempting different challenges, such as only using a child’s wooden sword in combat or not relying on weapons at all. These extreme sorts of challenges become more possible due toSkyrimallowing players to become incredibly powerful, and it’s exactly this sort of freedom that helps games such as these become as fun and open-ended as they tend to be.
