Best Open World Games Set In Abandoned Cities
There are many open-world games available for players that are set entirely in the vast open wilderness, with no NPCs around for miles. There are also plenty set in bustling cities or worlds where characters can hardly move without being offered a quest. However, a select few decide to combine these two, dropping you in abandoned cities that were once defined by life, laughter, and humanity.
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The concept is great and should be explored more. After all, plenty of linear games will take players through run-down cities and towns without much fanfare. It can be hard to get this right in an open-world game, though. So, what are the best games to be set, at least in part, in abandoned cities?
10
Ghostwire: Tokyo
A Beautiful Shrine To Tokyo
Ghostwire: Tokyo might not be synonymous with the open-world genre, but it arguably features one of the most impressive abandoned cities in history. Now, “abandoned” might not be the right word to describe the game’s setting, as Tokyo has only recently been robbed of its mortal inhabitants.
Consequently, the city is still very recognizable and brimming with life, despite being utterly void of any. Impressively reimagined and incredibly detailed, Tokyo looks fantastic and is a joy to explore, even if it does kind of feel like a museum since you cannot enter buildings.
9
Dying Light 2
Parkour Your Way Through Villedor
Dying Light 2 is set 22 years after the original game and features a new protagonist for players to get used to. Taking place entirely in the fictional and abandoned city of Villedor, players need to craft and scavenge while they are exploring and parkouring through the gigantic open-world on offer here.
The zombies are terrifying, especially at night when they become more hostile, so surviving can be a challenge. Dying Light 2 is a continuation of the much-loved original game, albeit with a heavier focus on action over horror. Still, the sequel offers an even bigger world and an even more run-down city for players to explore.
8
The Evil Within 2
An Abandoned Simulated City
The Evil Within 2 is only a semi-open world, but it is a game that uses these sections a lot better than some other fully open-world games. The setting here is a dream-world city called Union, and players control a detective who is searching for his daughter. In the open sections, there are multiple routes to go down in the nightmarish city, making it a suspense-filled experience. Pair this horror with limited resources, and that is precisely what makes The Evil Within 2 a brilliant experience.
The open world here is not as expansive as in other games, but the city players traverse is truly abandoned. There is nothing around except for monsters that are actively trying to kill the player and won’t stop until they do.
7
The Sinking City
A Haunting City That Is Slowly Being Consumed
The Sinking City is a game inspired by the horror works of H.P. Lovecraft, and it is a chilling experience. The setting is the fictional and flooding city of Oakmont, Massachusetts, and players control private investigator Charles W. Reed. The goal is to find out why the city is rapidly sinking.
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The open world has seven districts to explore, all flooded to varying degrees, and players must be observant to succeed in their quests. Even the water is infected and can ruin Charles’ health and sanity if a boat isn’t used. The Sinking City is a great and darkly quirky detective game for players to try out.
6
7 Days To Die
A Vast Zombie Hellscape
7 Days to Die is a game in which players must survive for as long as possible. The open world encompasses an entirely fictional country in Arizona named Navezgane, but several cities populate the map and are ripe with supplies for players to loot. The only downside of the cities is the hundreds of zombies that roam the streets.
7 Days to Die is a wide-open world where players must make hard choices to survive for another day. Going to the cities is vital for survival, but can also often be the cause of death for inadequately prepared survivors.
5
Nier: Automata
Explore An Earth That Has Long Left Humanity Behind
Although not as vast and visually impressive as some other abandoned locations, Nier: Automata‘s hub is situated near a city that has nearly been consumed by nature. While set on Earth, the area is difficult to connect to any real-life locations; instead, the ruins serve as an echo of humanity as a whole. Despite all the frantic action and splashes of absurdity, Nier: Automata radiates an air of sadness throughout its entire campaign, and that goes beyond just 2B and 9S’s story.
In many ways, the city ruins reflect the story’s hook and twist. Like the androids are a shadow of humanity’s technological triumphs, the decaying building and ghostly streets act as a reminder of what came before and what the main characters are, seemingly, striving to protect.
4
Fallout 4
Humanity’s Remnants Building Life On Society’s Corpse
The Fallout series is well-known for producing brilliant RPGs with enough Bethesda weirdness to keep players hooked. Set in the greater Boston area, Fallout 4 is massive and impressive. Although filled with pockets of life, the area surrounding the city, and the city itself, are destroyed. The area is almost unrecognizable, bar a few landmarks.
The main city is situated within a baseball stadium, and the residents don’t even have an understanding of what baseball is. Fallout 4 is a great open-world RPG with a lot to explore and companions to meet along the way in this deserted metropolitan area.
3
Tom Clancy’s The Division
New York Has Never Looked So Unsettling
Tom Clancy‘s The Division is set in New York City after a viral pandemic has destroyed the city. Players must investigate the cause of the crisis and can carry a limited array of weapons to help on their quest as they travel through the city. The world feels real due to the day/night cycle, which changes the behavior of some of the enemies and the sheer vastness on display.
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There are weather features that actually impact the gameplay, as storms can hinder a player’s vision and aiming ability. Tom Clancy’s The Division is an excellent game that makes good use of the open world it is set in and offers a lot of realism for players who are seeking something slightly less horror-focused.
2
Metro Exodus
A True Post-Apocalyptic Climate
Metro Exodus takes place in a couple of different locations over the course of a year in-game. However, the most important locations are the cities players travel to. The game starts in Moscow in the dead of nuclear winter, and players will explore much of the Russian wasteland where the story is set. The biggest city is Novosibirsk, a large and heavily irradiated city that is nearly entirely uninhabited. The atmosphere is perfect, and that is what makes it the best open-world game set in abandoned cities.
Metro Exodus is not as traditionally open as some other games, but the way it uses the open sections of the game is truly brilliant. Players will feel immersed in the world from the get-go and will love this epic adventure across a continent.
1
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
A Huge Zone Peppered With Abandoned Cities And Towns
Set in a post-nuclear meltdown, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is one of the most eerie universes in gaming. All titles feature abandoned cities and hubs to an extent, but S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is by far the biggest entry in the franchise, and it has the most traditional open-world structure. While set in the Zone, the campaign takes you to multiple territories, including abandoned cities like Pripyat and Rostok that are vast, atmospheric, and densely populated with content.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 shines bright when it lets players simply soak in the frozen-in-time nature of its world, as you wander around desolate streets filled with crumbling buildings that once must have been filled with life. This setting radiates an air of tragedy more than nearly any other open-world game, and you can get lost in it.
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