Whether it’s through their writing and storytelling, through overbearing atmosphere, through grueling difficulty, through unforgiving systems and mechanics, or a combination of some or all, games can make players feel entirely helpless in more than a few ways. Here, that’s exactly what we’re going to talk about, as we shine a spotlight on fifteen games that are great at making players feel totally and utterly powerless.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: HEART OF CHORNOBYL
Here’s a recent and obvious one to kick things off. Every step of the way, it feels like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is trying to kill you. The game takes a lot of pride in how brutally demanding it is, to the point where it can feel actively hostile to the player. Terrifying mutant monstrosities, a constant dearth of weapons and ammo, radiation and extreme weather, or the plain and simple fact that you’re incredibly easy to kill- plenty of factors come together to ensure that you never feel at ease in the Exclusion Zone.
