An open world game where you don't matter

Games are the perfect way to bring power fantasy directly into our hands. Become a great witcher with special powers and a powerful sword. Become the last Dragonborn destined to save both Skyrim and Tamriel, or become a Doom Guy attacking hordes of demons. Video games can help you realize your dream of becoming a famous hero, but there are also games that take a different approach. There are games where you start off as a complete ruthless person and have to prove yourself through trial and error, or there are games where it never becomes a big deal and you just survive.

The appeal of such games is the satisfaction of proving the game's expectations wrong. Many gamers love a good challenge and having the odds stacked against us. Consider some of the most iconic and epic stories, such as: lord of the ringsYou see this parable of a humble person rising to become more. It's clear that it works, even if not everyone likes it in the game. If you too want to experience the hero's journey from nothing to something, this game is for you.

stalker game

Another stalker in the area

harsh world stalker The game is not an epic about glory and heroism. It's a story about survival in a world shattered after a nuclear meltdown. The result is a hostile region traversed by the Stalker and dominated by mutants, anomalies, and warring factions. The premise of each game is always pretty much the same. You're just another person trying to get by and learn how not to get immediately fried by a bigger fish.

Sure, you become a little stronger and more prepared as you learn how the world works, how to traverse the wilderness, and what to look for while managing your limited inventory and scarce resources, but you'll always be just a stalker. No one fears or respects you outside the gate, and the ending of each game is bleak to say the least.

Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord

Start from nothing and rise as a conqueror

while stalker's The world tries to imprint you with hopelessness and hopelessness by making you into nothing. bannerlordIt feels like a blank slate full of potential. Whether you play this game in sandbox mode or campaign mode, you start with virtually nothing. You have no land to your name, no political power to speak of, and only a few people to fight on your side, let alone the resources.

Both the story and the sandbox have you working hard toward something meaningful, but in the sandbox you get to define what that means. You can conquer entire continents and unite them under one rule, or you can be perfectly content living the life of a nomadic warrior, providing aid to those in need. Either way, in this medieval simulation, all heroes, big and small, start out the same.

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There is no one in the harsh fantasy world

If it's the same game Skyrim and The Witcher 3 Made you feel too important and powerful too quickly. Do you have any game suggestions for me? external It's the perfect counterweight because it spits you out to the world and rubs in your face how ordinary you are. Survival mechanisms are one of the main ways it keeps you humble. You have to take care of yourself like a normal everyday Joe-Schmoe: drink, eat, sleep, manage your backpack, and fight off illness or infection if you get sick or injured.

If you want to be good at anything, if you want to dream of fighting the monsters that tread the wilderness, you need to get a trainer. This isn't a game about beating your enemies until you get better, after all. Since fast travel isn't possible, you'll need to think carefully about where you go next, what route you'll take, and whether you're ready for such a big journey. The Last Dragonborn will never be like that!

The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind

Nerevarine? you? nonsense!

If you're familiar with Bethesda RPGs, you're well aware that newer games tend to portray you as a sort of chosen hero from the get-go, someone who's instantly respected and coveted. oblivion The Emperor came to trust you, a simple prisoner, with an important mission, and before you know it, you helped seal the Gates of Oblivion and you became the hero of Kvatch. one side, SkyrimYou have become the last Dragonborn, the continent's only hope against the dragon menace.

Morrowind I don't give you that luxury. From the beginning, you are treated not necessarily as someone important, but as a pawn, a tool for something important in local politics. Few people believe that you can truly be the chosen one. From here begins an unforgettable story where you must prove to everyone that you actually matter, despite being an outsider. Aside from the main quest, factions are more difficult to enter and progress through as they require you to build them up. Nothing is handed to you and for a Bethesda RPG it's almost a novelty.

gothic games

You are useless until you prove otherwise

that Gothic Games are notorious for making players feel small from the start. You are nothing more than an insignificant speck to begin with, and the world likes to remind you of that. One of the ways to do this is through factions and how they treat you. No one is rushing to recruit or find you, but rather you are asked to work hard and earn the trust and respect of the faction through quests to prove that you are actually useful.

Until you do that, you will literally be ignored by many NPCs. Some will be downright mean to you. Plus how difficult the battle is in the beginning and you are far from truly appreciating yourself. A simple wolf can bring death to you so quickly that you begin to question your sanity. It's a truly humbling experience, but rising from the ashes is even more satisfying.

Kensi

It doesn't matter if you live or die

What you need to understand about Kensi's The world is almost like a simulation. This is what sets it apart from many of the other games here. Because the world operates in such a dynamic and independent way that it considers you irrelevant. Multiple factions will fight against each other while you die in the desert. There are no grand quests or plots to move you forward. You were put into this world and you can do whatever you want.

Well, there is a caveat. You are truly pathetic from the beginning. You are effectively the underdog, and if the wrong people catch you, they will cut you down faster than you can think of getting away. It's highly unlikely that you'll be held as a slave or spend time bleeding out in the wilderness while a second character rushes to your rescue. Even if you have a walled base late in the game, you still run the risk of encountering threats that can undo your progress if you're not careful and strategic.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

After the first game you are still nothing

Without spoiling too much of the details of the first and second games, while Henry is technically an important character, the reset that occurs between the two games is nicely done. The first game shows Henry growing from a simple farmer to a war hero. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2He returned to the life of a simple blacksmith.

This very much reflects the political hierarchy of both games, set in the Middle Ages where your blood determines your position more than your actions. In addition to this system sticking in your head fairly quickly, it's a reminder that the game's realistic combat is only as valuable as your skill with a blade. You will have to learn about it and be patient. Otherwise, you will perish.

Elden Ring

A person who has been tarnished has a long way to go.

Elden Ring is one of my favorite games for creating non-heroic stories. Story-wise, you enter The Lands Between at a time when all hell has already broken loose and the consequences of the Elden Ring being shattered are visible everywhere. Who is the only one who can bring hope back? It's definitely not Tarnished without virgins. Well, at least Melina gets to be our “virgin.” But as Tarnished and the protagonist of FromSoftware, you're quick to let it be known that the world thinks of you as nothing more than a speck of dust that needs to be wiped away.

One of the first examples is our fight with the corrupt Margit the Fell Omen, who calls us “dirty and tarnished,” foolish and naive for being emboldened by the flames of ambition. As we fought him and entered his second phase, he relented. “Well, you have passing skills.” This doubt persists throughout the game, with oppressive enemies often stronger and larger than us, letting us know that we are alone against an army of abominations.