More often than not, an open-world game has a vast map for you to explore. Typically, you’d either walk/run, hop on a mount, or just opt to fast-travel to reach your location. No matter what you choose, you aren’t physically doing the travel. What if you had to though?
Here, we are going to look at some open-world maps, based on how exhausting it would be to actually walk around. These maps may be huge enough to cause some serious exhaustion, but we’ve also included maps that are jam-packed with stuff like enemies or difficult terrain, which also causes exhaustion.
First up, we have Breath of the Wild. This game is huge, but thankfully, it’s rather beautiful. If you don’t have a horse nearby, you’ll have to make do with walking or climbing; don’t even bother trying this in the rain though. Overall, if you aren’t in peak physical condition, exploring Hyrule on foot proves to be difficult.
We’ll also include Tears of the Kingdom here. Not only will you explore the surface of Hyrule, but you’ll also need to trek through the Depths layer and the sky islands. The Depths are just as expansive as the surface, but honestly, they are dark and scary.
Minecraft is a unique addition to our list; there isn’t a set map for everyone, as the game is procedurally generated. Still, it’s a giant open world thatexpands pretty much endlessly in every direction. Although Minecraft has seen its fair share of updates, there is no denying that sometimes, world exploration is boring.
You may get unlucky and spawn in a vast desert, which means you’ll be walking in a barren area for a while. If night falls and there is no light source, then you’ll also be in for a slew of monster attacks. Don’t forget the random caverns that may open up to the surface; if you don’t watch your step, you could fall to your demise.
Next up, we have Black Desert Online. The map in this game is absolutely massive, and if you’ve played for any amount of time, you know how time-consuming traveling can be. While fast-travel is technically possible, you’ll spend a lot of time auto-running around (both on foot and by horse).
If you were to journey around the Black Desert Online world, you’d be met with lengthy hikes, steep terrain, and many nights camping beneath the stars. Thankfully, the BDO world can be quite beautiful, so it won’t be too bad.
Skyrim is a true classic that never seems to lose relevance.We all know the map, but what would it be like to actually walk around? Firstly, it would probably be freezing. Not all regions in Skyrim are snowy, but most have a frosty feel. On top of that, the world is filled with dangers.
Imagine this; you’re a few hours into your trek and you are very cold. All of a sudden, you hear an enemy shout and immediately start attacking you. Unfortunately, they are in a position that you can’t easily reach, so you continue to get hurt while trying to awkwardly scale a slightly steep rock face.
We can’t talk about walking around in video games without mentioning this iconic walking simulator. Death Stranding is set in America, though it’s not quite a 1:1 scale. The landscape is a bit alien, and this makes for an exhaustive trek.
Not only is there a lot of walking involved, but the Death Stranding map is full of dangers that will most likely become tiring to deal with. Imagine walking a few hundred miles; now, imagine doing the same thing while carrying a baby.
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Fallout 4 doesn’t have the biggest map in the Fallout franchise, but it definitely has the most packed into it. This can make walking around interesting, but if you know anything about Fallout, then you know that this isn’t just a pleasant stroll.
The exhaustion from this map comes from a combination of the dangers, as well as the sheer amount of stuff to do. Sure, it can be fun to explore and run around, but be prepared to fight for your life at times.
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Elden Ring is a hard game; death waits around every corner. If you manage to survive a tough encounter, you may only get a few minutes before more danger comes your way. In all honesty, you would probably die pretty quickly if you were to actually walk around the map.
The surface map of the base game (this does not include Shadow of the Erdtree) also happens to be bigger than that of both Skyrim and Grand Theft Auto 5. Even the thought of walking across The Lands Between is making us exhausted.
Finally, we have Dune: Awakening. If you are familiar with any Dune media, you know that much of it takes place on a dry and sandy planet called Arrakis. Dune: Awakening takes place here; you’ll need to survive the harsh climate, desert, and lack of water, all while avoiding sandworms.
We can’t imagine sprinting across a barren desert and then quenching our thirst by drinking recycled water made out of sweat and pee. Travel in Dune: Awakening is meant to be exhausting though;that’s what makes the game a bit more challenging, especially when you are trying to relocate your base.
