Open-world titles are some of the greatest for players who are looking for a game that allows themto freely explore. Many of these games tend to be RPGs or survival titles that encourage players to craft various gear and weaponry to use against the foes they face. Some of these titles even take it a step further through mechanics such as gear deterioration.
Over time, through battle or simply exploring, the weapons, armor, or even food that the player has obtained will gradually deplete until they need to be repaired — or replaced entirely. While some players find gear deterioration to be an incredibly stressful or annoyingmechanic, some players may still be interested in discovering games that use it to great effect. These are some of the open-world titles that allow the player’s gear to deteriorate.
WhileFar Cryas a franchisehas moved on from deteriorating gear over time,Far Cry 2is still a classic open-world first-person shooter title that encourages players to look after their weaponry. There is nothing like being in an intense battle inFar Cry 2when the gun in the player’s hands simply explodes from the gun deteriorating too much.
Besides exploding, guns will also jam the closer they get to breaking — or due to the quality of the weapon in general. Besides weaponry, players may even consider their own character as having durability due to the character alsosuffering from Malaria, which the player will need to keep on top of with medication if they wish to see their health remain high.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyatmakes gear deteriorate over time, something that is far more interesting that some other deterioration systems due to how a player’s gun will start to jam at times when being used due to how many times the player has shot it.
There is also a sense of realism about how some gear deteriorates, as being shot by certain weaponry will have a harsher effect on the durability of it. While the player is unable to repair their gear for themselves inCall of Pripyat,they are able to visit technicians from the various factions and pay them to fix their equipment. This helps tie into the gameplay loop of needing to visit these factions, adding a sense of immersion with the deterioration mechanic.
WhileFallout 4removed gear deterioration, previous titles such asFallout 3andFallout: New Vegasrequire players to be incredibly careful with their weapons and armor due to the threat of their health depleting and then becoming broken.
As the percentage of the gear depletes, the effectiveness of the weapon or armor in question becomes weaker. Thankfully, players don’t need to pay a vendor to fix their gear, as players are able to upgrade their repair skill to the point where they can deal with any broken weapons for themselves.
Some players may be surprised to seeMinecraftmentioned, though thisgreat sandbox survival titlealso has an incredible randomly generated open world for players to explore. Like any intense survival game,Minecrafthas various tools made of different materials that will deplete over time with use.
Players who make wooden tools and weaponry will likely see this equipment break far more quickly than the more valuable materials such as diamonds. There are ways to reduce the chance of weaponry and tools breakingthrough enchantments, such as Unbreaking, though even these tools will eventually need to be replaced.
S.T.A.L.K.E.Risn’t the only open-world title that requires the player to look after their guns carefully or has them becoming less effective over time.Red Dead Redemption 2requires the player to purchase gun oil and take regular breaks to clean their guns of all the rust and muck if they hope to see them shoot at max damage once more.
The player’s guns will not only deplete through constant use from getting into showdowns in the middle of the street, but also from the elements of theRed Dead Redemption 2map. Swimming through lakes, traversing the snow, or finding themselves stuck in a sandstorm will also see the player’s gun begin to rust and scratch until they do little to no damage.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildmay not be the firstLegend of Zeldagame to implement weapon degradation into its action-adventure gameplay, but it’s certainly one of the best to do it. In this open world of Hyrule, being encouraged toexperiment with different weaponryis one of the many joys ofBreath of the Wild, as players explore the world around them and make it their own.
From picking up random sticks to kill foes with, to even using the skeleton arm of a recently defeated enemy, there is an assortment of interesting weapons for players to experiment with. While all weapons will break after a certain amount of use, this, thankfully, doesn’t carry over to the Master Sword, which merely loses energy on each hit before needing time to recharge.
As seen, survival titles are some of the most common to have gear deteriorate over time.Don’t Starve Togetherbrought it to new levels as the player’s gear doesn’t only break from hitting a spider too many times, or blocking one too many attacks, but also through continuous use in the environment. One great example is the Ice Cube, a giant block of ice that the player straps to their head with a rope.
This is incredibly useful during the summer inDon’t Starve Together. However, like actual ice, the ice cube will begin to melt the more the player uses it until it no longer exists. There is plenty of other gear like this in Don’t Starve, such as umbrellas to block the rain, as well as the usual deterioration from using various equipment.
While many players may find gear deterioration quite an irritating mechanic,Death Strandingis one of few titles in which gear durability and deterioration contributes to deeper immersion. The players' main goal inDeath Strandingis to deliver cargo between various locations across the uniquely post-apocalyptic world. Some vehicles are available, with more unlocked throughout the entirety of the game, but quite a bit of this travel will be done on foot.
While other open world titles focus on tools and weaponry depleting, players will want to always make sure tocarry an extra pair of bootswith them inDeath Stranding, as all the walking will see the bottoms of Sam Porter Bridges Boots wear away until he no longer has anything on his feet. Timefall is another hindrance, as the rain itself causes everything to age rapidly; this causes not only the player’s cargo to be damaged but also any other equipment they have too.
