Many video games play on the fantasy of a hero, a savior, someone who brings balance to the world and beats up baddies. However, there are also a growing number of games that offer you the possibility to experience the complete opposite ending, sometimes to a surprising degree. There's a reason why so many people struggle to complete Baldur's Gate 3 Complete Rogue Run, because the developers are starting to add some pretty dark options to the games.
The 10 best open-world games, ranked, with a focus on player ethics and results
Many games force players to make tough decisions, but these open-world games are full of harsh moral choices and dire consequences.
Still, one has to respect games that offer this kind of freedom to choose, especially when those bad paths are well developed, with real consequences and as much depth as the good paths. If you're not afraid to unleash the worst version of yourself, try these open-world games with plenty of room for bad deeds.
See Dogs 2
Hero or psychopath, you choose
While See Dogs 2 Complete with non-lethal combat all the way, there's a whole world out there for those who like to stray from the hero's path and watch Marcus turn into a murderous hobo out in the open, no matter how non-authentic it may seem.
As a hacker, there are some pretty fun things you can do in the game: hack into people's accounts and steal their money, taze or fatally shoot random civilians, initiate encounters, remotely blow up things like water pipes, and so on. And don't worry, if you get caught, you can hack into the emergency call that the NPC makes to interrupt them.
Kingdom Come: Redemption 2
Let Henry's reputation fall
Somewhat similar to the systems seen in infamous, Fallout: New Vegasand Red Dead Redemption 2Henry's actions and behavior are directly linked to his reputation Kingdom Come: Redemption 2. The more you commit crimes, kill innocents, and choose negative dialogue options, the lower your reputation will be. And the best part is, these aren't just NPC-specific: people will talk about Henry's behavior, and word of his selfishness will spread.
The best ways to become an absolute threat in the game are usually to act selfishly, either by extorting NPCs for some extra pay for a job or by breaking the law. The latter has some cool, different methods, with assassination and stealth as basic chaotic options. That said, you can also run around with your horse to piss off nearby people or attack animals belonging to NPCs. There's some nice depth, ripe for evil medieval knight roleplaying.
An assassin, cannibal, and nazim's worst nightmare
However Skyrim While portraying players as heroic dragonborns, there are plenty of opportunities to be just the opposite. You can join the Dark Brotherhood and complete contracts, which sometimes lead to you killing innocent people who just become the rage of another NPC. You can also join Namira's cult in one of the Daedric quests, feasting on the bodies of the dead as cannibals.
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There are plenty of other heinous options in the various quests, and then there's also the freedom to wreak havoc at will by killing anyone who gets in your way. Tired of nazim blowing your mouth? An arrow in his knee is the solution, though be prepared to run away from the guards or pay the reward if you're not the police station where you commit your crime.
rimworld
There is no need to be a benevolent God
RimWorld Players have a lot of freedom in how they want to proceed. The colony can be a peaceful, happy place that just protects itself, or you can opt for something completely sinister and brutal. Just like in The Sims, you can watch your colonists slowly spiral into a mental break by neglecting their needs and their moods.
It gets worse: maybe you resort to cannibalism or mutilation through kidnapping, just to selfishly keep the best alive? Or maybe it's time to make some extra money and sell some people into slavery. Against brutal raids, players need to be brutal and creative at times.
Badnaam 1 and 2
Accumulate evil deeds
Both Infamy 1 and Infamy 2 There are some concrete options for releasing your worst self, and the karmic system shows that. The more horrible deeds you do in the game, the more bad karma you accumulate, which directly affects Cole's behavior, but also his lightning color. NPCs will also react to Cole's presence; The more negative karma you have, so if the idea of citizens pelting you with stones and hating you sounds appealing, be sure to act selfishly.
The number one way is to forget about minimizing civilian casualties while using your powers, stealing blast shards, and making sure all enemies are actually killed instead of disabling them. There are also some specific moments in the games where Cole can be truly heinous, such as interrupting innocent street performers trying to do their job.
Grand Theft Auto 5
Los Santos is your oyster for horrors
GTA 5 It's an open-world game that's like a sandbox, and it comes with all the bells and whistles you'd expect from a game like this. Besides all the scary things you can do in missions and the main story (like straight-up torture and betraying your allies), you can crash vehicles, from planes to cars, to your heart's content while killing a few civilians in the process.
There's also robbery to do, stealing cars in the middle of traffic, messing with the police when they catch you, and deciding to shoot or punch someone you don't like. Bonus points for sheer brutality if the NPCs end up homeless.
Saint Row 2
The scarier you are, the better
Unlike other games on this list, Saint Row 2 Built specifically around how scary a player can be. That's the whole goal of the game: cause as much mayhem and destruction as possible to give your gang respect. You can go full killing hobo against everyone in this game, and that includes innocent bystanders, who you can use as literal human shields during your scheming, not just rivals and the police.
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If killing hobo is too straightforward for you, don't worry, because there are other fun gang activities you can take part in, like robbing businesses or spectating. The best part is that the world will react to whatever you choose to do, whether it's crashing into civilians on the sidewalk or opening fire in broad daylight.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Be a selfish coyote
Red Dead Redemption 2 Using an honor system, the player's actions are weighted, which greatly affects the game, including vendor values from the body and how much loot can be extracted until the end of the game. It's a really deep system where you shape what kind of man Arthur becomes, and ultimately what happens to the gang.
If you're really trying to be a selfish person, make sure you don't help some of the most important characters in the game, like Sadie Adler or Lenny, during the hell of Leviticus Cornwall? search Usually killing people, stealing, being random or hostile towards your own gang members, and even mutilating corpses are great ways to ensure that Arthur turns into the most brutal version of himself.
the rust
Everything goes in the name of existence
As a multiplayer game, the rust It is the perfect fertile ground for becoming the worst possible version of yourself. Social games always have an extra layer of villainy because real players and their real progress are being destroyed or affected by your actions. There are some really nasty things you can get up to in this survival game, from harassing and trapping new players on the server and preventing them from progressing to attacking peaceful players just for fun.
You can set people back a lot by camping someone or blowing their bases to the ground when they're not around. There is also the long con strategy of allying yourself with someone, only to turn on them later. Note that none of this behavior is condoned by GameRant, and may get you banned or banned depending on what type of server you're on.
Fallout: New Vegas
You are the terror of the Mojave Wasteland
Another great RPG with a lot of freedom to do whatever you want with your karma system, Fallout: New Vegas A classic open world experience where the sky is the limit. One of the least things you can do is side with Caesar's army and support slavery to the extent that you can sell it to your friends. It gets even worse if you initially treat the people of Goodsprings well, for example, and then choose to cheat them for profit and watch them burn at the hands of the invaders.
That too is only the tip of the iceberg. If you seek ultimate power over the entire Mojave Wasteland, you can side with Yes Man and get your own army made up of Securitrons. The sheer chaos and brutality available in the game is truly amazing, and without parallel, and that's without the option of outright shooting, stealing from others, or cannibalizing anyone who gets in your way.
The 8 best open-world games if you want to unleash chaos, ranked
If you're looking for a game that lets you wreak havoc and wreak havoc, these open-world titles are perfect choices.
