In most of them open world game scenarios, players are citizens. They may come from different nations or cities as they explore, but that's the general setting. Other open world games have aliens as a type of intruder for various reasons, with some motives more obvious than others. NPCs or enemies may treat them with hostility during gameplay or at least in cutscenes.
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Then there are open world games with literal invasion mechanicssuch as Fire Ring or Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Painwhere players can enter other players' worlds and cause mayhem. Those examples are perhaps too on the nose, but The following open world games also cast players as invaders. In these cases, they are a violent newcomer in an unfamiliar land, and their goals are anything but benevolent.
Destroy all humans!
Make me your leader
Destroy all humans! is the ultimate answer for this list, as it is literally a game about aliens invading Earth. Players control Crypto, and on each mission they can freely zap people with various alien weapons, use telepathic powers, and even fly a UFO.
One of the funniest powers to use is extracting the brains from people, which is more cartoonish than it is a graphic death like in Mortal Kombat. It's a whimsical game that doesn't take itself too seriously, and the 2020 remaster does a lot to improve the gameplay, along with the story, to make players feel like they're in complete control of their alien invasion.
Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag
A pirate's life
Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag
- Released
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October 29, 2013
Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag is the first game in the series to focus on the life of a pirate through its protagonist Edward Kenway. His pirate antics are more for show in the story, as he's not a killer, but that said, armies fear him and his pirate brethren for being unruly.
Players can engage in giant ship battles against armies or other pirates, exchanging cannon fire before swinging the deck. It's the perfect game for anyone who wants to live out their days in the Caribbean during the height of pirate culture, where they took what they wanted and didn't care about the consequences of any artificial law.
Xenoblade Chronicles X
Not your planet
Xenoblade Chronicles X features a colony from Earth, New LA, settling on a new planet that seems fantastic, except for all the giant monsters roaming around. As players progress through the MMO-like combat and world, they'll encounter natives who aren't too thrilled about the presence of humans on their planet.
While most of the human colony wants to be peaceful when it comes to negotiations, the natives are a bit more hostile, leading to some heavy conflicts. Even if players aren't destroying land in the name of the US or anything, to the natives, they might as well be evil invaders trying to colonize their home world and kick them out.
Middle-Earth: Shadow Of Mordor
Give orcs a purpose
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is a prequel that precedes the events of The Lord of the Rings and with a Ranger named Talion. After dying on a routine mission to hunt down orcs, the ghost of Celebrimbor, one of the high elves responsible for creating the rings of power, revives Talion and the two combine their powers.
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Players will then invade Mordor by methodically taking out bases and orc captains, and if they fail, their enemies will remember. They may be scarred by sword cuts or burns and then rise through the ranks of the orcs and seek revenge on Talion for his aggression. This Nemesis System is what most players remember from Shadow of Mordormaking Talion enemy number one in the lands of Mordor.
Prototype
Man Eat Man
Prototype is not about a foreign invader, but an invader from within. Alex Mercer is the main character, and he was experimented with a deadly virus, which allows him to transform his body into different forms. Fed up with his military pursuers, Alex seeks revenge on anyone who wants to take him back to the lab for further testing.
Players can choose to release the virus around New York City to become more powerful by eating, or more like absorbing, humans and mutants into their bodies, which will naturally terrify most everyday New Yorkers. From the ability to run up buildings and then jump off them to growing blade arms, Prototype is a power trip for anyone who wants to feel like an evil superhero.
Just Cause 2
Viva La Revolution
Just Cause 2 takes place on a fictional island nation called Panay, which has just experienced a rebellion, so the CIA sends in Rico Rodriguez to reform the island. Players can do this by blowing things up, which may sound counterintuitive, but it's a lot of fun.
Rico has access to an assortment of weapons and vehicles, but there is only one tool that matters: the grappling hook. Players can tether two objects together, including tethering people to a jet as it passes. It's chaotic fun, and players can take comfort in knowing that they're just blowing up bad guys, and it's all in the name of freedom and democracy.
Mercenaries: Playground Of Destruction
For the love of money
Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction resembles Just Cause 2but it has bragging rights to say it came out first. Set in North Korea, rival factions seek control during the current power struggle, from Russia to South Korea. As a mercenary, players have no loyalty, but if they work with a faction, they can gain their trust and access to more opportunities or weapons. A bad relationship will in turn treat players as hostile.
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mercenary relations aside, Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction is another game about creating chaos at every turn. For a PS2 and Xbox game from 2005, the destructibility of the game's environments is impressive, as is the havoc that can be caused by a well-placed explosive.
Far cry 2
Mosquito kill
Far cry 2 is also about a mercenary who goes to a foreign country, specifically Africa, to take down an arms dealer. Players can choose one of several mercenaries to play as, but it doesn't matter who they choose, unlike games with more influential class systems. Regardless, the goal is for the players to take down as many enemy strongholds as possible, and the local population, primarily the militia, does not take kindly to the enemy takeover.
The more money players get, the cooler weapons they can buy to take down more militarized bases. It's chaotic fun, except for malaria, which is unavoidable and needs to be treated. It is a unique game feature that sets Far cry 2 apart from others Far Cry contribution, even if it was a bit polarizing at launch.
Subnautica
Explore at your own risk
Subnautica begins with players crashing their large spaceship into the ocean of an alien planet. From there it's a matter of moving forward and surviving until proper repairs can be made. The entire game takes place underwater, where players can gather materials, build bases, and then craft within those bases so they can survive longer while exploring deeper depths.
There isn't much in the way of combat, and the few weapons players will have access to are only useful against smaller enemies. It's not a power fantasy invasion game, but the natives aren't too happy with players treating the ocean as their own private resource center.
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