Open world games that get you treated like villains

open world games It is one of the best places to experience the battle between good and evil. Instead of being presented with a single point of view, players can go on adventures and learn about the backstories, opinions, and motivations of every character in the universe. Sometimes games attempt to portray players as heroic forces on a noble quest to save the world, while others are given the opportunity to chart their own path, for good or evil. However, in some cases the player actually treated like a villain To exist in the world from the beginning or after making certain decisions that change how others perceive you.

In many cases, this is achieved by creating ambiguous characters with gray morals. Because they often need to inflict some harm to get to the good at the end of the tunnel. Alternatively, players can fully lean into the evil side of things and take on the role of villain assigned to them, continuing to wreak havoc and inflict as much damage as possible. Whatever the reason and origins, it's a very interesting dynamic to be painted in such a negative light. This is especially true if the player is trying to be a positive force in the world rather than a purely evil force.

prototype

Strictly speaking, not a superhero

• Civilians and soldiers react to Alex Mercer with fear.

• Progress is linked to destruction.

prototype It's probably the best example of how to create a protagonist who can't get any further away from being a hero. Alex Mercer is not misunderstood or morally gray. He is an unstoppable bioweapon that tears Manhattan apart from the moment his powers emerge. Civilians flee on sight, the military makes Mercer their top target, and the city itself becomes increasingly hostile as players continue to wreak endless havoc.

The world itself played directly into this idea, allowing players to scale skyscrapers and jump from above to destroy just about anything that got in their way, creating widespread awareness of the villain among the rest of the city. Even the story leans heavily towards the character's evil side, never truly redeeming the player's actions and maintaining an awareness of evil from beginning to end. Mercer was even cast as a villain. Prototype 2.

dying light 2

Fear is greater than trust

• You are openly distrusted by most of the characters.

• Your choices will cause outrage across the entire realm.

while dying light 2 Aiden is evaluated as a potential hero, but the world rarely treats him as such. His supernatural abilities, violent tendencies, and immunity to infection unsettle almost everyone he meets, and NPCs often react with fear or outright hostility.

As choices pile up, entire districts can turn against the player depending on who benefits from their actions, creating a unique dynamic where even allies can still seem suspicious. Because many characters prioritize survival, it is much easier to treat players as potential enemies than to risk dying, which leads to many situations where they become more trusted enemies than the monsters themselves.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Outlaws in a Lawful World

• Arthur is labeled as a bad guy by many people.

• Laws are constantly in conflict.

Red Dead Redemption 2 It tells the story of Arthur Morgan, mainly about his existence in a world that passes him by. No matter how honorably players act, society increasingly treats them as dangerous relics destined to fail. The sheriff hunts him mercilessly and the town becomes more and more hostile, making it feel like the whole world is slowly closing in on you from the moment you set foot.

What's great is that the game never allows the player to forget their criminal identity. Kindness feels fleeting, often overshadowed by harsher realities, and no matter how much good the player tries to offer, there are still feelings of hatred that, like Arthur's own fate, cannot escape.

watchdog

Running from start to finish

• The media portrays Aiden as a domestic terrorist.

• The fear of civilians during the action magnifies the problem.

Aiden Inn watchdog It's the modern day equivalent of a villain on the run, because no matter how far away the game player is, they will always be viewed in a very negative light. The city is filled with people who are constantly uneasy and fearful, mainly due to the media portraying Aiden as a true terrorist who should be avoided. No matter how many good deeds you try, there is no way to completely remove the vicious label attached to your head.

From a gameplay perspective, these fears actually make a lot of sense. Because it's virtually impossible to complete a mission or move around the world without harming defenseless civilians. Hacking the world may be the only way forward, but the price it takes on innocent people on the margins turns its nobility into fear, with no way to undo what has already been done.

infamous

A slow descent into corruption

• A moral system linked to public perception.

• Even good paths come with backlash.

infamous It's one of the few open world games that explicitly tracks how much of a villain the player becomes. Cole MacGrath's powers terrify the public, and public perception changes dramatically based on the player's choices, whether he takes the good path or is seen as a villain.

Even if it is a heroic path, the fear does not go away. Civilians still cower and soldiers still shoot on sight, so no matter how good they are, the player still remains an enemy. It becomes less about their intentions and more about how their powers are perceived as potential weapons for evil, even if they are never used as such.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Treated as a monster rather than a savior

• Blame an NPC's insults right in Geralt's face.

• The quest is defined by moral ambiguity.

in The Witcher 3Geralt constantly saves lives, but the world rarely thanks him or changes its perspective. Witchers are feared, insulted and distrusted from all sides, and the characters of the world are not afraid to reveal their views, constantly scolding and clearly demonstrating their opinion that, despite their use, hunters are no better than the monsters they hunt.

This concept remains constant throughout the game. Even when Geralt does the right thing, the results are often grim and far from a vision of true heroism. He may not be a traditional anti-hero, but the world certainly seems to think of Geralt as much more of a problem and a scourge than a savior trying to rid the world of evil.

cyberpunk 2077

Cause trouble for everyone in Night City

• V is nothing more than an expendable muscle for Fixers.

• Enterprises treat V as a major threat.

cyberpunk 2077 It's already a game full of highly questionable morals, and the player's place in the world is just as gray as everyone else's. No matter where their allegiance lies, V will always be seen as the bad guy in some way, whether it's the real problem for the Corporation or an expendable item for the Fixers.

Quests also reinforce more ambiguous moral choices, and don't lead to a single good outcome without some costs along the way. V is by no means the noble hero of the story. Rather, they are just another person trying to make a name for themselves without any regard for those who may have trouble standing in their way.

Fallout: New Vegas

The most dangerous element in the wasteland

• Reputation is linked to perception.

• Neutrality can be more problematic than loyalty

Fallout: New Vegas It's one of the best examples of how NPC perceptions can change drastically over the course of a single campaign. With so many conflicting factions, one group may see the player as a valuable asset, while another group may see them as pure evil in the flesh.

More interestingly, if players choose a more neutral path, their lack of loyalty is likely to actually be seen as a greater threat than if they sided with the enemy. Because of how fragile the world and the relationships within it are, it is safer to assume that people are always trying to cause trouble rather than blindly trusting something and later getting backstabbed, leading to a widespread perception of hatred towards people outside of a particular ideological camp.