Summary
Open-world games are incredibly popular because, at their most fundamental level, they sell the greatest fantasy of going out into the world with total freedom and doing whatever players want. How can that feeling of freedom be enhanced? Well, supernatural abilities are a great place to start!
Whether it’s a massive gacha icon with a diverse and considered magic system or a superhero fantasy that blends the magic and superpowers, there are loads of games out there that cater to the open-world supernatural superpowered fantasy.
Genshin Impactis intimidating to outsiders, and for good reason. The massive game that is still receiving regular updates is, in a general sense, one of the biggest games ever made with reams of content that could fill up a gamer’s appetite for hundreds (if not thousands) of hours.
One major reason is the game’s fundamental element system. Themany different charactersthat players can use to equip their team have supernatural abilities to evoke specific elements that interact with other elements, as well as a range of effects on enemy strengths and weaknesses. It delivers dynamic RPG rock-paper-scissors rendered into one of the biggest RPG adventures ever made.
Of the many fantasies thatThe Elder Scrollsgames offer, the mage has always been there from the very beginning. Who doesn’t want to wander around a fantasy world, slinging fireballs at any nasty creature unfortunate enough to cross the player’s path?
InSkyrim,the vast number of supernatural spellsare split into the franchise’s distinct schools, meaning players can tailor their specific brand of magic to whatever playstyle suits them best — destruction for the fireballs, conjurations for powerful summons, and illusion for the sneaky mage looking to try out some invisibility.
Expectations were understandably low forMiddle-Earth: Shadow of Mordorwhen it was first announced, as there hadn’t been a goodLord of the Ringsgame for some time. However, Monolith’s breach into Middle-earth is now regarded as one of the most creative open-world games of all time, partially due to its trademark Nemesis system.
The game begins with the player character fusing with Celebrimbor, a ghost, and by gaining his supernatural ghost abilities, the player is able to possess enemy orcs and dash around the scarred world of Mordor with terrifying speed. It’s an incredible experience that still holds up today.
Before the MCU really blew up during the 2010s, the idea of an open-world superhero game wasn’t unheard of (Spider-Man 2is a great example), but it didn’t quite have the mainstream appeal yet.Infamous 2, the sequel to the brilliant original, crafted an entire original superhero universe and its accompanying power fantasy.
Though protagonist Cole’s powers start with electricity, in theFestival of BloodDLC, Cole gets his hands on some vampiric abilities, bolstering his toolset with supernatural carnage for good measure.Infamous 2is an excellent hybrid between sci-fi and the supernatural that always puts the player’s power fantasy above all other considerations.
Ever since the Harry Potter books became big, gamers knew that the potential for an open-world game set in Hogwarts was begging to be explored, and though it took decades to arrive,Hogwarts Legacyfinally delivered on that fantasy and let players roam the hallowed halls of the wizarding school and interact withits many magical beasts.
As a student at the titular school, the player naturally gains access to a wide menagerie of supernatural spells in a surprisingly compelling combat system that requires quick-thinking through parries and dodges. A lot of attention is paid to the practicality of a world that is dominated by supernatural spell-slinging, making it catnip to Harry Potter fans.
The iconic dark fantasy game,The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt,has a somewhat tempestuous relationship with the supernatural and magic. After all, it is Geralt’s job to hunt down supernatural monsters so that the world of humankind can flourish, and magic is constantly depicted as being dangerous and worth fearing.
Yet, Geralt himself uses Signs, simple magical incantations, for his own ends, and for a game that is mired in dark fantasy tropes, there are little pockets of delightful and optimistic supernatural creatures among the horrifying monsters. All it takes is for the player to find them.
The Legend of Zeldahas survived to the modern day because of its willingness to experiment with its core mechanics with each new entry. WhileBreath of the Wildpioneered the open-world format in theZeldaseries,Tears of the Kingdomdecided to do something no-one expected: try to reinvent the dynamic building mechanics of the much-malignedBanjo & Kazooie 3.
However, when Link first gets his cursed arm that grants himvarious supernatural abilities, Nintendo’s mastery becomes self-evident. In particular, his new Zonai abilities allow the player to construct almost anything out of constituent parts. With this ability in hand, creativity becomes the only limiting factor in creating truly madcap designs in the best version of Hyrule yet put to pixels.
FromSoftware games, particularly the Soulslike games, are dominated by the supernatural, be they spirits, monsters, gods, or demons. More than any other game in this list, the supernatural world suffuses every part ofElden Ring, from top to bottom.
That, of course, means wielding a massive variety oflegendary sorceries and incantations, but the game’s bosses are also frequently wielding their own powerful magics, delivering ferocious challenges whether they be monsters, fellow Tarnished, or demigods. The supernatural infects everything in The Lands Between, and it’s one of the few games that actually makes the player consider the cost of the supernatural powers they gain throughout.
