Best open world games with a focus on wars

War is a very common setting for many games, including open-world titles, as the idea it represents easily creates background tension for the game’s world setting without going into too much detail. The clash between two opposing forces in a large-scale battle is a frightening affair, and it only gets scarier when the player is in the middle of the action.

However, wars in open-world games are rarely the focus of the narrative, as the scale of the conflict is difficult to grasp and harder to do justice to in a video game. Still, the gaming landscape is vast and there is something for everyone, and this is no exception.

5 foxhole

A cog in the war machine

• Release date: August 4, 2016
• Developer: Siege camp
• Platform: PC

foxhole is a sandbox MMO in which players take on the role of active soldiers in a gigantic open-world warzone. For players who dream of being part of the war and being just another cog in the war machine: foxhole is currently the best option on the market. A key aspect of the game that continues to make it so popular with an active player base is its player-dependent gameplay approach.

There are no NPCs in the entire open world of foxhole; Each moving unit is a real player controlling his character in real time. This makes it feel incredible to get even a single kill in a large battle, not to mention how satisfying it can be to take out an entire squad with a well-placed grenade or rocket launcher. In combat, players can be any type of soldier they can imagine. A standard infantry with a basic weapon, a medic, a naval seal, a gunner and everything in between. Experienced players can even take on the role of a commander and lead other players in battle.

Another key aspect of foxhole is that every piece of equipment in the game – from the smallest pistol to the largest tank – is crafted by players. This means that, as in a real war, the conflict in foxhole is sustained by its player-driven economy and logistics, where real players mine for resources, refine them, craft them into usable items, and ultimately deliver them to the front lines. In this game, there are two distinct groups of players: those who work exclusively on the logistical side and those who are on the front lines.

4 Sand from Salzaar

Conquer the desert

• Release date: January 3, 2020
• Developer: Han Squirrel Studio
• Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Android, Microsoft Windows

Sand from Salzaar is a high fantasy action role-playing game in which players take on the role of a commander in charge of an army. The class system in Sand from Salzaar It’s very important to pay attention to this because the class you choose here will have a big impact on how the rest of the game turns out, which rarely happens in games like this.

Sand from Salzaar is a game intended to be replayed, a factor tied to the game’s main story, the various unlocks that only become available after beating the game, and the legacy shop where player properties for their main character, which they can then purchase and use to start a new game.

The overall goal of this game is to take over the entire map by defeating, recruiting, or displacing all other factions native to the desert. Players can either join a faction and take them to the top, or create their own faction and go from there. In battle, players control the main character and send heroes and troops into battle. As time progresses and the player recruits more units to their team, battles evolve from small skirmishes into all-out engagements where it becomes impossible to keep up with all the action on screen. The troops that can be recruited are incredibly diverse, ranging from ordinary soldiers with swords and shields to fantastical creatures such as dragons, wyverns and phoenixes.

On harder difficulties, when a squad’s health drops to zero, the entire party disbands and disappears, effectively depriving the player of a significant investment as punishment for poor management of their soldiers.

3 Battle Brothers

Turn-based mercenary warfare

Battle Brothers is a turn-based open-world role-playing game in which players take on the role of the commander of a newly formed mercenary company in a medieval low-fantasy setting. The map is randomly generated at the start of each campaign and features a whole host of castles, fortresses, villages, bandits and other enemies scattered across the map. It’s easy to be put off by this Battle Brothers Incredibly simple graphics and seemingly low-budget nature, when in reality it’s one of the absolute best games in its genre, receiving as much critical acclaim as it gets and, most importantly, being a blast to play.

As the company commander, the player’s task is not only to lead his troops in battle, but also to figure out how to equip the soldiers with armor and weapons, where to get food, how much money to spend, and to negotiate with contractors who would like to hire the company, etc. Still, turn-based combat is the be-all and end-all of Battle Brothersand this is where the biggest focus lies. Everything a character has equipped, such as their armor and weapon, will be displayed on their sprite in the game during combat. This makes it very easy to see which soldiers are doing what. While this may not seem very important, it is a key feature of the game, as the larger the mercenary company becomes, the more the number of soldiers under the player’s command increases to staggering heights, and it becomes very difficult in a hectic battle to keep track of everyone. especially when the enemies are just as numerous.

2 Wartales

Brutal guerrilla warfare tactics

Wartales is a top-down, open-world role-playing game in which players take control of a relatively small group of wandering soldiers roaming the countryside in a medieval setting. In the open world, players can direct the warband to move to different areas of the map and search for battles, resources or secrets. When a battle begins, the game creates an instance with a gridless, top-down, turn-based combat system that shares some similarities with XCOM. The game is brutal, with party member deaths occurring more regularly than anything unexpected. Injuries are very common and, if left untreated, can lead to more serious consequences and even death.

Wartales is an incredible game for players looking for something resembling guerrilla warfare or an RPG in the role of a close-knit band of brothers who can be bandits, lost pawns or even deserters from an army. The game allows players to define the backstory of their ragtag group and even gives bonuses depending on which origin story they choose.

1 Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord

Medieval war realism at its finest

You can’t talk about an open-world war game without paying homage to it Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlordthe most critically acclaimed title in this category. Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord is an open-world strategy action role-playing game in which players take on the role of an army commander whose responsibility is to build an army from the ground up, equip the soldiers, decide on formations and work alongside his troops on the ground to take the battle.

The instinctive feeling of being part of a group of medieval soldiers charging at another army about to clash is elusive, but Bannerlord knocks it out of the park. And since all of the soldiers in the player’s party have been equipped, customized and commanded before the battle begins, it feels like you are the sole person responsible for the outcome of the battle. Victories feel rewarding and defeats are devastating because it’s entirely up to the player to ensure the battle goes their way. For those looking for a war game with hyper-realistic combat, there’s nothing better than this Holder and blade Franchise and Bannerlord is the most sophisticated experience of all.