Open-world RPGs that force you to be better

“Get good,” the iconic phrase that was born among the most diehard gaming warfighters and the darkest depths of their lair: the Dark Souls community. Since then, it has been thrown around as a meme and phrase in other games, from competitive PVP titles to other, single-player experiences, to convey the idea that the game isn't too hard; It is the player who is not good enough.

There are certainly games that implement this idea by providing unexpectedly difficult experiences. You either learn, adapt, and eventually overcome the obstacles they present, or you uninstall the game and head out to play something at your own pace. For gamers who aren't afraid to be challenged and pushed to the limit, here are open-world RPGs that force you to become a tougher and better player instead of having babies.

Project Zomboid

The game ends as quickly as you are sloppy

Project Zomboids The RPG features are probably the lightest you'll see on this list, but given the skill progression system and the special profession you can choose at the start, I'd argue it still fits. As the last survivor in Knox Country, a vast open-world environment full of zombies, your job is to survive as long as possible, securing yourself a base, food, water, fuel and medicine. Playing on Apocalypse difficulty is considered the default experience Project ZomboidAnd that means resources are usually very scarce, and you have to fight your way through the hordes of crafty zombies that abound in the world.

Every decision you make must be carefully calculated, and without an escape plan, you can easily overrun or jump. If you get bitten, it's basically game over, and you'll be sent to the death screen after the virus works its way through your system. It's a game where you'll probably fail time and time again, even after playing it for a while, because there's so much to consider and you're never completely relaxed. However, as your character learns survival skills, you as a player will learn how the post-apocalyptic world works.

Pathologic 2

Use Cortisol Spikes

What's the most stressful feature you can think of in a game? I know an easy one: deadlines. No one likes deadlines, and Pathologic 2 You use it to its maximum potential to survive a raging plague in a matter of twelve in-game days. With each day, time goes away. Your decisions directly affect the people of the world: who lives and who doesn't.

But you also need to survive, and you may need to hurt or betray those around you to guarantee that. The game hammers this one truth into your head: there are no good options, there is no hope. It's a desperate race against time with brooding environments and nail-biting survival elements that force you to adapt and overcome or fail.

Gothic 1 and 2

There is no chill in this fantasy world

Another game that doesn't scale to player level Gothic 2and its predecessor, Gothic. Not only is combat an ordeal, as you start playing as someone complete with awesome equipment and damage, but it's also complicated by the game's age. Some enemies have the ability to kill you in the blink of an eye if you are not prepared.

It will be interesting to see how much this changes Gothic remake Set to come out soon. Towards action, the Gothic The games also subscribe to old-school game design ideas where there are no quest markers, and you're trusted to figure things out from the get-go and backtrack from memory. All in all, it's a stressful experience that you're just going to have to get used to, but worth it if you're an RPG fanatic.

Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen

Come back when you are strong

Dragon's Dogma 2 On the other hand, the first game offered a bit of a learning curve. The world throws a few curveballs your way in the form of enemies of a certain difficulty, and it's not hard for newcomers to explore the game's open-world environment and run into areas they're completely unprepared for. But even outside of late-game areas, some of the earlier encounters are notoriously tough (ahem, those pesky bandits), and you'll have to manage your stamina carefully when facing off against larger monsters.

It's a deep game, so there will be times when you just have to admit you need more training and come back later. There is no forcing your way. Beyond mastering combat and using your pawns to their highest potential, crafting and upgrading your weapons is a knowledge-based learning curve, though it still ranks second in difficulty to most Souls games — if that's any consolation!

Kingdom Come: Redemption 1 and 2

Realistic combat is intimidating to many

If you are not actively playing Kingdom Come: Redemption games, then one thing you probably know about them is that combat is a steep learning curve. While both games have a tutorial sequence that introduces you to some key moves like perfect blocks, feints, dodging, and more, it's all about getting used to the very detailed sword fighting system.

This takes time, and is something that will be stressful for some players who may be more used to a simpler system. There are no cheat codes for mastering combat as Henry, although leveling up your skills and gear will make things a little easier. If you're after a challenge and love a real sense of progress, these games will provide exactly that and more for you while testing your patience.

external

Fail to plan your adventure, or survive

with External 2 On the horizon, it's a good time to highlight the uniquely challenging gameplay external is This is a great example of an RPG that doesn't let you walk into things without consequence. What sets it apart from some of the other games here is that it includes gameplay elements like managing your thirst and fatigue. There's also no fast travel in the game, so most of your time will be spent on foot, which is already dangerous.

Enemies external are punishing, and you should always prepare well for your trip before setting out. Dying in the game is also very interesting, as it doesn't just make you reload from a save. Instead, you may be placed in a completely different area or even end up having your belongings left behind or taken. It's a great concept because it lets you role play in your death scenarios as well, but it's also more of a challenge as you try to get to your backpack after being dropped off at a new location.

Alden Ring

Like Souls in an open-world format

However Alden Ring While it has earned the reputation of being the easiest Soulslike to date for being an open-world game, it's still in many ways a daunting experience for veterans of the genre or those who aren't particularly experienced players. The world is vast, and you can always go somewhere to level up your character slowly but surely. However, many small bosses and “insignificant” enemies still boast abilities that feel completely unfair. From situational effects that can catch you off-guard to combos that will stun your character if you're not careful, danger is always lurking around the next corner as you go to explore the middle ground.

And it's not just enemies, but various environmental hazards as well, such as giant balls rolling down stairs, vast seas of pure scarlet rot, and more. The source of my personal anxiety? Those cursed basilisks that spray death at you. Finally, you have all the big bosses of the game, the cinematics. Alden Ring Welcomes you to its first major dungeon with Margit, who has never played Soulslike before because of her moves and speed. Later, Malenia gave the players such a hard time that she reached meme status on social media. So needless to say, of Alden Ring The world doesn't give you an inch, but forces you to toughen up and bounce back when you're ready for a real challenge.

Kenshi

Great freedom, through great pain

Among the kings of punishing games that demand you suck it up and “get good,” we have it. Kenshi. If you jump into this unique open-world RPG with no prior knowledge of what to expect, you'll be met with a splash of cold water in your face, especially if you're used to big triple-A titles. The Witcher 3 or Skyrim which welcomes you as some sort of legendary hero or chosen one. Kenshi You're treated like a small piece of trash in its world, and if you want to be anything more than that, you'd better get your skills up and trained fast.

The game doesn't exactly send you help or guide you with it. It's through trial and error, repeatedly thrashing through its deserts, bleeding dry, that you'll eventually learn and understand what you need to do to stand out on top in its hostile world. If you spawn with anything, it's very likely that you'll be captured for slavery within the first thirty minutes and spend your time as a prisoner. It's certainly a far cry from the hero's journey seen in Bethesda RPGs, but you could argue that the payoff is huge once you get the hang of the game's systems and manage to break free from your chains.