Open world games have always been about exploration and appreciating everything that the world itself has to offer. However, the world itself could take a page from the horror genre, prioritising an atmosphere that will constantly have you looking over your shoulder.
In the end, this atmosphere only adds to the experience rather than take anything away from it.
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In these games, you don’t have to explore the open world in order to get the full experience. In fact, it’s probably better if you don’t.
Make no mistake: these aren’t exclusively open world horror games; these are open world games that also happen to have really good horror elements to them, and the main element that’s worthy of praise in this case is the ambience. The game simply would not be the same if it had a lighter atmosphere.
So if you’re wanting to dive into a world that’s as moody as it is rich, there are plenty of options to choose from.
10
Elden Ring + Nightreign
Open World Bloodborne When?
The world of Elden Ring is a mesmerising one, one that’s reminiscent of old, dark fantasy movies, and its DLC, Elden Ring Nightreign, only adds to the massive world and its grimdark aesthetic. Not to mention, it’s completely jam-packed with lore, waiting for you to uncover with every moment of exploration.
This game is dark, filled with death and decay at the hands of the Scarlet Rot, and as you wander around (either by yourself or with a friend), you’re going to see the impact of this plague on the land itself. Yet, it makes the light that you do find in the world all the brighter, and the beauty that you do manage to find is breathtaking.
Elden Ring follows the very motif of: you can’t appreciate the sun without a little rain, demonstrating how you can’t appreciate the good without being hit with the bad. And let me tell you, this game will hit as hard as it can, and you’re going to eat up every single second of it, and then ask for more.
If anything, this is making me want a remake/remaster of Bloodborne even more.
9
Dying Light
Zombies, Zombies Everywhere
If you’re the kind of player that wants a more traditional horror atmosphere in your open world game, look no further than Dying Light and all its various DLCs. Dying Light is your typical zombie survival horror game, where you have to scavenge the world abandoned by the apocalypse for anything that will help you stay alive.
And considering how the zombies get far more active and hostile when the sun goes down, you will come to dread nighttime — that is, unless you’re feeling mighty prepared for the horde. Yes, hordes. This game throws hordes of zombies at you rather than a simple few stragglers, so you have to be as prepared as you can be.
That doesn’t mean you’re completely scot-free during the day, either. You’re still going to run into trouble, and considering how you’re actively scavenging at this time, you won’t always be as prepared as you can hope. Sometimes, the best thing you can do to stay alive is to run as far away as fast as you can.
This is a game that you have to constantly keep your head on a swivel to prevent any surprise attacks, but eventually, it’s going to happen anyway. The sooner you accept that, the less terrified you’ll be when it inevitably happens.
8
Subnautica
Hope You Like the Ocean
Subnautica isn’t a horror game, nor is it even listed as such, but if you’re someone who struggles with thalassophobia (the fear of the deep ocean), it is going to be one of the most terrifying games you’ve ever played.
In this game, you’ve crash-landed on an alien ocean planet, and it’s up to you to discover the secrets of this planet and find your way back home. However, these secrets just so happen to be hundreds of meters deep underwater, and there will actually be wildlife that doesn’t want you swimming around their turf.
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The atmosphere in this game takes on whole new emotions depending on if you love or hate the water; if you happen to love it, this is going to be one of the prettiest games you’ll ever see, but if you happen to hate it, you’re going to be afraid to even dip your toes in. And while you’re swimming through the world and all that it has to offer, just keep an eye out for Leviathans.
And if you’re curious about what happens to your character after you’re done with the game, don’t worry, Subnautica 2 reveals exactly that.
7
Pathologic 2
The Whole Town is Just Creepy
When you walk into some worlds, you’ll be hit with the immediate feeling of not being welcome there, unwanted and most definitely not trusted by anyone in sight. That’s exactly the case you find yourself in Pathologic 2, where you’re a doctor trying to cure a town of a plague before everything and everyone (including you) dies from it.
You start the game off as a complete nobody in town, and everyone is skeptical of you at best. Yet, as you progress and slowly gain everyone’s trust, you’ll be able to actively help out — but that may take a few playthroughs before you actually figure out how to do that. The game will not hold your hand throughout this process at all.
On the bright side, it creates an atmosphere unlike anything else, where you feel the suffocating oppression of being isolated and shunned, forcing you to literally claw your way to the other side. But when you do manage to figure things out on your own, it’s so much more rewarding than if you looked things up.
And as you discover secrets that only add to this world and the atmosphere, things get so much more interesting.
6
Rain World
You’re Small, Terrified, and Alone
You remember how it feels to be scared as a child — the dawning realization that there’s nothing that you can do even if you wanted. And while you don’t play as a child in Rain World, you play as a small slugcat that is just as helpless as any kid would be in the hostile indifference of Mother Nature.
As a result, the atmosphere is a gloomy, grounded reality, as if the rain itself will never stop falling. Everything is designed to make you feel small and helpless, and after a while, you won’t be able to feel anything else.
The rich ecosystem only adds to this world and its atmosphere; for a world that wants you dead (and devoured) at any cost, it’s absolutely booming with life. It’s a push-and-pull dynamic that we only ever see in nature itself, and so the fact that it was so authentically replicated for players to feel for themselves is honestly mind-blowing.
And as you encounter all the other creatures in this game (hostile or not), it only makes this world all the richer.
5
The Forest
All Killer, No Filler
At some point in our lives, we’ve all been asked and wondered how we would plan to survive on a deserted island, and if you played The Forest, you’d already have a few ideas (hopefully without the cannibalism). Thankfully, this particular island that you and your son crash-land on has a rich forest for you to explore and pull supplies from, serving as perfect practice.
And this forest just so happens to be as tranquil and stunning as real forests typically are. You’ll find yourself in awe of the light filtering through the leaves of the trees, the natural soundscapes, and the strange peace that you can feel in complete isolation.
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However, as you run into a group of actual cannibals, you learn that this island is anything but serene. On the bright side, you can turn the tables and become cannibal king yourself, turning the isolation into a descent into madness, and it’s surprisingly some of the most fun you could have while committing cannibalism.
The game’s sequel, Sons of the Forest, is just as fun and atmospheric as the first, but it’s a much better time to enjoy with a friend rather than playing solo. Either way, you’re in for a killer time (pun intended).
4
Darkwood
Literal Nightmare Scenarios
Darkwood is a much smaller open world game, focusing more on the traditional horror aspect of things while giving you complete free rein, and it ends up being suffocating and horrifying. The atmosphere and the sound design are simply unreal, and you’re going to be genuinely terrified with every single step forward.
As you explore every nook and cranny, you’re going to encounter some of the oddest and most grotesque imagery you could imagine, and it only gets more twisted as you go on. The plot and the NPCs you can talk to only add to this downright creepy ambience, and it’s a creepiness that will never let up.
And as far as how it is as a horror game, it’s truly unlike anything else; goosebumps and constantly checking over your shoulder are going to be the least of your worries. Everything else you discover and learn about the world will only make your skin crawl.
If you’re looking for an open world game with a traditional horror atmosphere, especially one that preys on psychological horrors, you can’t get any better than Darkwood.
3
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2
Unbelievably Hostile
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is technically a survival horror game, but it has a heavy emphasis on survival; the horror aspects are more in the atmosphere while you’re trying to stay alive. The ambience becomes something that’s just outright chilling more than scary, but it’s quickly exacerbated to outright scary as you explore the world.
It’s an incredibly hostile world, one full of all kinds of enemies and environmental hazards that will wipe you out before you have a second to register what’s happening. You’re going to be completely fascinated with everything around you and captivated into continuing exploration, but then you’ll hear some voices nearby, and you’ll stop dead in your tracks as your blood runs cold.
It’s a genuine improvement from the first game in all forms when it comes to the world and its atmosphere, and the incredibly enemy AI only adds to this. You’ll be able to actually feel all the wrath behind the hostility, and it leads to some incredibly anxiety-inducing situations when you’re just trying to get out.
Simply put, this is a world that hates you, and you love it for it.
2
The Long Dark
Lingering Isolation in Deserted Cold
Despite how completely dark, desolate, and frigid the world of The Long Dark is, you can’t help but feel a sense of comfort while you’re playing it anyway. It’s a cozy game, all things considered, and despite how the odds are constantly stacked against you, you can’t help but feel warmth despite the ice and snow.
The objective of the game is simple: stay alive. And yet, you’ll be surprised at how much harder that actually is in the Canadian wilderness, especially when temperatures keep dropping, and your fire is dwindling.
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While you’re out in the world, you can’t help but feel utterly alone, but it’s a loneliness that smooths itself over in order to keep yourself afloat. You don’t have the luxury of feeling lonely in The Long Dark, you have the luxury of eating and sleeping.
Despite it all, it’s going to be one of the most peaceful open world experiences you’ll ever have. Even when it’s not peaceful, it’s peaceful, and that only makes sense if you’ve played it.
1
Death Stranding
Please Just Let Me Deliver This Mail
Of all the different atmospheres an open world game can present, Death Stranding is definitely the moodiest of the bunch. It’s not completely outright dark and angsty, but it’s instead just somber and melancholy. There’s a hopelessness lingering in the air, and you’ll immediately see why with how the world is after the titular Death Stranding event.
The Death Stranding involved the worlds between the living and dead breaking apart, leaking into each other and having catastrophic consequences as a result. You can’t even die in peace anymore without endangering everyone within a 50-mile radius, and the natural events of the world aren’t typical weather patterns anymore.
Of course, things are going to be bleak because of this, and you’re going to feel this bleakness everywhere. It’s a mood that other post-apocalyptic games don’t capture, creating an experience that’s as unique as it is mind-bending. Not to mention, it’s just beautiful to look at.
So if you’re in the mood for an open world game that just oozes atmosphere from every corner of the map, no matter how saddening it can be, you’re going to absolutely love Death Stranding.
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