Summary
Mostopen-world games have a styleand stick with it, like an increasingly challenging action-RPG or a survival sim growing in complexity. But some titles break out of this, flipping the script midway through and either becoming something else entirely, or adding a whole new genre into the mix. These genre-shifting open-world games pivot and pull players into unexpected turns.
These are some of the best open-world games that change genres throughout the game, either by unexpected mechanics or storytelling formats that feel like an entirely new game inside the original.
WhileTears of the Kingdomis traditionally an open-world RPG with combat and puzzle elements, it introduced a new mechanic that makes this game stand out from the rest of the series. Leaning into crafting and programming mechanics, players can ignore the story if they wish and spend hours building machines like inBesiege.
A new form of gameplay arises when, in between fights or exploration, Link utilizes hisZonai Arm abilitiesUltrahand, Fuse, and Autobuild in order to save materials and blueprints, and construct contraptions. These moments end up being player-made puzzles completely different from the usual dungeon-diving adventures, like figuring out how to successfully create a machine that can fly or piloting a tank with lasers.
Black Skylandsis a great example of a game changing genres gradually throughout. The game presents an open world with a top-down view, and begins first as an action-adventure shooter following Eva as she defends the land of Aspya from a band of raiders and The Swarm.
As the game continues on from exploration and combat,Black Skylandsgives players the ability to customize their airship, build bases, and expand their territory — turning into a mix betweenHotline MiamiandStardew Valley. On top of the action and adventure, this game houses a ton of crafting options and base-building strategies that unfold over a long period of time.
Deadly Premonitionis one of those cult classics renowned for its absurdity. It begins as a detective adventure where players drive, walk, and interact with NPCs to collect evidence. Most of the game revolves around a sim-like structure where the world runs on a routine, and there are mini-games like darts and fishing to pass time.
Then, borrowing from games likeResident EvilandSilent Hill, the game takes a hard mechanical and tonal shift into survival horror territory. Midway through the game, the player will start to enter Other World scenarios, where they will have to collect evidence while surviving terrifying supernatural enemies.
Brutal Legendplays mostly as an open-world action-adventure game, with spellcasting coming in the form ofGuitar Hero-esquemini-games. The game features a large open-world where the player controls Eddie Riggs, a roadie who finds himself in a heavy metal-themed fantasy world.
As the story progresses, the game introduces real-time strategy scenarios in semi-open world stages. There are also side missions that take the player through several other game genres, like hot-rod races against demons or participating in battles through a variety of mechanics.
This classic gameSporefrom 2008doesn’t necessarily start off in an open-world format, but passes through a number of mechanical phases that become an open-world real-time strategy game.Sporeallows players to control the development of different fantastical species from their beginnings as microscopic organisms to intelligent creatures capable of interstellar travel. This game constantly evolves in mechanics as much as theSporespecies do.
The Cell Stage involves a gathering game from a top-down view; then, the Creature Stage opens up to an open-world where the grown creature interacts with the world to form allies and encounter threats. The Tribal Stage becomes a real-time strategy game where the species develops musical instruments and weapons, and the following Stages increase the scale of the real-time strategy playing field.
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Painopens up as an action-adventure stealth game similar to its predecessors, set nine years after the events ofGround Zeroes. As players continue past the intro and explore the open world, they will find resources to transport back to headquarters, which allow them to expand and develop better technologies.
Similar toMetal Gear Solid: Peace Walker,The Phantom Painfeatures a more robust version of base-building, allowing Snake to view and build everything on foot in real time. Because of how open-world and non-linear the game is, this game’s genre shifts seamlessly depending on one’s playstyle.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaiicomes from a long series of spinoffs and remakes of theYakuzaseries, featuring an open-world where the players control an antagonist-turned-protagonist who awakes on an island with missing memories and now leads his own pirate crew on adventures. This game features a casual action-adventure experience in Hawaii complete with beat-em-up combat.
But like most otherYakuzagames, this game shifts hard on genres through several returning minigames, like Karaoke, Dragon Kart, and Crazy Delivery. And on top of the usual gameplay, players can assemble apirate crew and upgrade their shipto explore the open sea in ship combat.
Nier: Automatais a surprising game that is impossible to take at face value. It features an open-world where players assume the role of 2B and engage in real-time hack-and-slash combat with bullet hell elements, complete with unique intricacies like counterattacks and the assistance of a flying robot that launches ranged attacks.
This game not only bends genres through subtle changes like hacking sequences when playing as 9S, or switching to a side-scrolling platformer. The game also breaks the fourth wall in a way, and surprises players with twists in both mechanics and narrative.Nier: Automatauses these genre shiftsas a storytelling tool on top of creating mechanical complexity to create an emotionally impactful game that is also very fun to play.
