Open-world games are among the most popular genres in the video game industry today, with AAA and indie developers alike producing anumber of high-quality titles. The main pulls of open-world titles will, of course, vary from game to game, but the catharsis of engaging in epic, wide-scale battles is a hard call to ignore.
The blend of open-world games with either visceral combat or slower-paced andmore intricate strategic warfaremakes for some fantastic mechanical dynamics, and while it isn’t the most prevalent combination of genres, there are a few games that fuse open-world design with siege warfare to great effect.
As one of the most popular quest-heavy MMO’s to date,ESOhas garnered incredible reception overits ten-year lifetime. Its position in the MMO sphere allows it to seamlessly incorporate wide-scale siege battles through its dungeons and trials, a feature that is only possible to complete when allying with other players.
Tamriel has slowly unfolded over the last decade, providing players with a host of not just side content to complete, but a myriad of regions to explore from across the homelands of all the major races, alongside afew lands from other dimensions entirely.
5Wartales
High Intensity Siege Warfare In A Detailed World
A vibrant, three-dimensional world hostsWartales’saga of quests for riches and glory. A masterwork of procedural storytelling that uses a static map to hide incredible levels of detail in its construction.
Managing mercenaries requires careful planning with some of the bestin-depth, strategic warfareto date, which can spell the doom of players' parties very quickly. Sieging ancient tombs and enemy encampments requires cunning and strategy, asWartalesdoes not reward those who simply throw bodies at fortresses.
Kenshi’s surreal, post-apocalyptic atmosphere, with its rust-colored bogs and alien landscapes, drives players to the brink with its difficulty and intensity. The sprawling world hosts many threats but alongside them, opportunities for settlement and growth.
This growth, however, comes with risks. When a settlement is attacked by foes, or when players need to strike against others, the game goes from third-person to top-down RTS, and while the combat isdifficult for beginners, it is also an incredibly rewarding example of sieges in a post-apocalyptic setting.
With an innovative enemy system that othertitles continually seek to emulate,Shadow of Warmade an undeniably lasting impression on the industry, even if the patented Nemesis system is… well, patented, and only with great difficulty can other titles feature it.
If players are looking for a game that has them fight directly alongside their soldiers and lay siege to colossal fortresses,Shadow of Waroffers both, alongside an incredibly compelling army-building mechanic.
Perhaps the quintessential fusion of open world exploration and siege warfare,Bannerlordsees players rise from the lowly ranks of a peasant to almost anything they want to be. Royalty and glory are all within reach, but siege warfare and commanding armies are an integral part of gaining them.
The world can be viewed in a strategic, RTS-style map, or from a close 3rd person view for players to fully immerse themselves in. This is an exemplar of siege combat and open world exploration, with a sandbox setting that can take players anywhere.
Players will be hard-pressed to find a title as satisfying or as addictive asBattle Brothersand its novel take on setting a band of mercenaries against the world. Laying siege to bandit strongholds or colossal bastions is all on the table - so long as the pay is right.
Battle Brothers' open-ended, procedurally generated world doesn’t force players in any direction or set them on any path besides earning enough pay and glory to be better equipped when one of several end-game crises begin.Battle Brothershas a focused design but sprawling, open-ended implementation of that design, perfect for fans of siege gameplay and combat.
