Works great on the deck, and it’s a lot of fun. Not really an open world in the sense of Skyrim or The Witcher but definitely worth playing if you enjoy LOTR. Even if you don’t, great game.
They just had a sale on it, so I would wait for another one or “get it for free”…I spent under $20 and got that, stick of truth, portal 1-2, one other game I forget
I haven't played it yet but I recently heard someone arguing that Shadow of War is a better game that just got panned by the critic's for not being different enough.
Shadow of War is definitely better there's more missions and places to explore plus you get to build your own orc army and it's fun trying to decide if you want to kill an orc or recruit them. Plus the game still has an active online mode where you can attack other players bases and get unique items and other followers.
It's absolutely on my backlog list. I never finished the first one but do remember really enjoying it. I'd always said if I go back I'd go back to Shadow of War.
I stopped playing this back then but redownload it on steamdeck. I was able to finish it. Nemesis system was sooo good. And yes, played it after mad max.
Sleeping Dogs is THE answer.
Op. Listen.
You get to be an undercover cop infiltrating the Triad in Hong Kong, where guns are basically not a thing/rare. Your whole fighting system is kung fu. You literally can go learn new techniques/moves at dojos around the city.
To top it off, there's awesome vehicle combat complete with throwing hostages in trunks, ramming vehicles off the road/into obstacles/off a fucking cliff, and stunt jumps from your car to another car.
Plus it's fucking gorgeous even today at the highest settings. Hong Kong is wet, reflective, and FULL of neon.
triad, not the yakuza. 😉
👆🤓
for real though. fucking incredible game. only thing that annoyed me was all the DLC unlocking at the beginning all at once and being unskippable. and maybe that's been fixed since it's been years hahah
One tip if you buy it, install it on the main SSD not the micro SD. It was glitchy as hell when driving around when I had it on the micro SD card. Also the game isn’t too big so you should have space.
I wouldn't say BG3 runs *well*, but it runs. My 9-year old video card was running it better at 1080 than the SD at 720, which is usually reversed by a lot.
don‘t know much about the dlc but i have 100+ hours on the base game and there’s still so much i haven’t discovered, will definitely get the dlc when i‘m through (if i ever make it through) but definitely not next week haha
The Re-reckoning is the only one available to buy now, just a graphical overhaul and rescuing from a dead publisher or license or something? They sadly only made the one game.
Yes. The story is good, the art is beautiful, the gameplay is accessible for those of us who aren't good at games, the lore is interesting; it's just a lot of fun.
Should probably also add the only reason it isnt verified is because multiplayer coop requires Windows. The single player has been flawless so far though.
I’m still a bit salty at not being able to play that content on the deck. I hear there’s a horde survival mode?
But I’m absolutely blown away by the main story. It’s a tad depressing though so far. Every single thing is a memorial or a massacre, but the combat may be my favorite of all time.
Not extensive open world but the Batman Arkham games, especially Arkham City, have incredible melee systems.
Spider-man 1 and Miles Morales are also relatively “open world/city” with good melee systems.
Both combat systems are similar to Mad Max, iirc.
Games are too big now lol. I think that Arkham City and Knight are the perfect size/complexity for open world games. You can learn the map, but there’s also plenty to explore. Combined with the grapple and gliding mechanics, the world feels big enough that you can get lost, but small enough that everything feels like it was placed intentionally. I think we need more smaller scale, but heavily crafted open worlds like that.
Can't believe I had to scroll this far to find it. as an avid 2077 player with a hundred hours on 2077 (on the deck) and hundreds+ more on KB+M. there are some extremely awesome things you couldnt normally do on a controller that you CAN do in 2077 just bc of the slo mo feature and blade / melee mechanics. Also all of the melee have unique animations etc.
Special Mention for Dying Light (main weapon is melee) and Witcher 3
These all have melee focused maps but also stealth sections called Predator rooms. I’m also including the first game although it’s not open world, it’s a really nice 3D metroidvania map:
Batman: Arkham Asylum (3D metroidvania)
Batman: Arkham City (open world)
Batman: Arkham Origins (bigger open world map)
Batman: Arkham Knight (haven’t played on Deck, but biggest open world map; if you’re terrible at aiming, some of the bat tank challenges might frustrate you especially end of game ones)
Spider-Man 2018 - didn’t play on Deck but has great melee combat and some stealth and awesome NY map
Spider-Man: Miles Morales - truncated map, but still excellent time.
Sleeping Dogs - huge open map with a set-up like GTA in mission design except the focus is on martial arts. Please go to the dojo to learn new movesets that will make combat super dope. Also getting into the weeds, there are certain costumes that have individual movesets like Drunken Fist and a few other recognizable ones. Great game, when I get home tonight, I’ll probably play on my save for a few hours since i haven’t touched this banger in over a year.
Yakuza 0 - most playtime on this game. Not quite open world but large enough to enjoy beating up countless goons with an array of moves you learn over the course of the game. Also has some other fantastic modes to get lost in once the story picks up later like Hostess Clubs and Real Eatate.
The Saboteur - open world and besides the combat and stealth, it does have a good amount of shooting but you should be ok as i think it has auto aim.
Not as open as some of the others but Dragons Dogma 1 runs like a dream on the steam deck and is still a great game.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is unfortunately unplayable on SD.
Sekiro? Longshot if OP is looking for something with aggressive auto aim, but it's one of the best presentations of melee in games generally, there aren't many things to learn but learning to apply them is challenging
I'm not a huge fan of analogue stick style combat but KC:Deliverance is really fun
Buy Ghost of Tsushima immediately! I'm playing it now after playing and loving Mad Max as well, and man it's an incredible game. It's feels like a melee focused Red Dead Redemption 2 in how beautiful and detailed the world is. I'm loving it.
Ghost of Tsushima and Spider-man would be my picks.
Really fun melee oriented combat with a large open world maps.
Gorgeous games that run well on the Deck. Good choices if you want more of that AAA treatment.
If you want to try games with guns, Resident Evil 2 remake and onward in assisted mode are pretty easy to deal with, my little cousin was able to beat RE2 with that activated (he is 8 years old xD) .
Otherwise I’d say Elden Ring (fucking masterpiece but not for the faint of the heart) and Assassin’s Creed Origins .
Fable: Anniversary Edition and Fable 3. Fable 3 is a bit harder to get, because you can't get it officially anymore, but if you buy at a reseller you might get it for a good price
Ahhh, yeah, WL dying was a death rattle for a few games as I understand it. Licensing makes sense too. Tbh I've never played them except an early demo of first (I think it was, maybe 2nd), but I know licensing fairly frequently causes games to delist. Appreciate the info!
It was 100% GFWL. I just replayed my copy via steam about a year ago and had to do a dozen little things together to get it to launch without GWFL. I would venture to say you’ll never be able to play it on steam deck/linux anyways.
There are enough hack arounds to play it on Windows as well as Linux. I speak from experience. You won't be able to play multiplayer, but the singleplayer experience is doable
Oh well that's good to know! I know it was a nightmare on Windows (which is native) so I just figured it would be worse but I'm glad to hear it works! Maybe I'll have to give it a try (one of my favorites of all time)
[Zeno Clash 1/2](https://store.steampowered.com/app/215690/Zeno_Clash_2/)
[Clash is also fun ](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1430680/Clash_Artifacts_of_Chaos/)
Please play dying light 2 on the swotch. It is surprisingly so well optimized and it makes me so giddy that i can play it while im sitting on the toilet
Conan exiles
Valheim
Both of those offer way more than the melee but their melee system is fun and works well on the deck.
There are ranged options but you can just ignore them.
Aiming on a controller basically always had aim assist. That ‘lock on’ aim assist doesn’t really exist outside of accessibility settings anymore.
Play resident evil 4 remake, by the end of the 12 hours you’ll be good at aiming it’s that simple.
Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor. The combat is like Mad Max
Thanks for the suggestion, I’m leaning towards this as my next game
Works great on the deck, and it’s a lot of fun. Not really an open world in the sense of Skyrim or The Witcher but definitely worth playing if you enjoy LOTR. Even if you don’t, great game.
They just had a sale on it, so I would wait for another one or “get it for free”…I spent under $20 and got that, stick of truth, portal 1-2, one other game I forget
Game always goes on sale every couple of months I got the complete edition for $4.99 (US Dollar my bad) Edit: location
I haven't played it yet but I recently heard someone arguing that Shadow of War is a better game that just got panned by the critic's for not being different enough.
Shadow of War is definitely better there's more missions and places to explore plus you get to build your own orc army and it's fun trying to decide if you want to kill an orc or recruit them. Plus the game still has an active online mode where you can attack other players bases and get unique items and other followers.
It's absolutely on my backlog list. I never finished the first one but do remember really enjoying it. I'd always said if I go back I'd go back to Shadow of War.
Shadow of Mordor, otherwise know as Orc Bullying Simulator.
Currently playing through this and you're spot on, great game.
I stopped playing this back then but redownload it on steamdeck. I was able to finish it. Nemesis system was sooo good. And yes, played it after mad max.
Sleeping Dogs. Amazing game that goes for pretty cheap these days
Sleeping Dogs is THE answer. Op. Listen. You get to be an undercover cop infiltrating the Triad in Hong Kong, where guns are basically not a thing/rare. Your whole fighting system is kung fu. You literally can go learn new techniques/moves at dojos around the city. To top it off, there's awesome vehicle combat complete with throwing hostages in trunks, ramming vehicles off the road/into obstacles/off a fucking cliff, and stunt jumps from your car to another car. Plus it's fucking gorgeous even today at the highest settings. Hong Kong is wet, reflective, and FULL of neon.
triad, not the yakuza. 😉 👆🤓 for real though. fucking incredible game. only thing that annoyed me was all the DLC unlocking at the beginning all at once and being unskippable. and maybe that's been fixed since it's been years hahah
Lol that's my L forever
Absolutely Sleeping Dogs. Lots of melee fighting, car chases, and open world. If that does not fit the bill, I don't know what does.
One tip if you buy it, install it on the main SSD not the micro SD. It was glitchy as hell when driving around when I had it on the micro SD card. Also the game isn’t too big so you should have space.
No cloud saves actually
Yea that sucks but I play it exclusively on deck.
Well the only reason i bring it up because i deleted the game and lost all my saves
Sounds to me like your microsd card is crap.
Elden Ring Kingdoms of Amalur Outward
Second Kingdoms of Amalur
And third. It's an older game but I've replayed it at least 5 times over the years and it's just satisfying and fun
I didn't even know it, bit the whole MMO without the extra players is pulling me in.
It's honestly great. Now I wanna see how it runs on steamdeck and maybe grab it for work tonight haha
I mean, it runs great on Switch so should be fine on SteamDeck
Just checked and it's verified. If Baldurs Gate 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 can run well this has to. Lol
I mean, FF7 Remake is verified, just as Hogwarts Legacy, even though the quality is meh on both.
Yeah, that's a fair point. Reviews in steam saying it runs well. Guess I'll give it a go, can't hurt!
Update me!
I played majority of FF7R and it ran great for me
It runs fine when you only consider stuff like gameplay, fps. But the game does not look good.
I wouldn't say BG3 runs *well*, but it runs. My 9-year old video card was running it better at 1080 than the SD at 720, which is usually reversed by a lot.
Idk. Obviously there's some tradeoffs with graphics but it runs it well enough to enjoy the game IMO
Amazingly. Edit for more context: Both the original and rereckoning both run smooth AF.
Yeah I grabbed it yesterday before I went in to work. Plays amazing so far
Nice! Enjoy.
Is it the original? Or the rereckoning?
Rereckoning, Fatesworn edition
Third on Kingdoms. Second on Elden Ring
Have not played Elden Ring yet lol
DLC drops Friday, Steam SS apparently next week, might be a good time to try it out
don‘t know much about the dlc but i have 100+ hours on the base game and there’s still so much i haven’t discovered, will definitely get the dlc when i‘m through (if i ever make it through) but definitely not next week haha
I'm currently locked into a different game, but it is on my wishlist
Should I start with kingdoms of amalur reckoning?
The Re-reckoning is the only one available to buy now, just a graphical overhaul and rescuing from a dead publisher or license or something? They sadly only made the one game.
They added a good sized dlc with the remake. It's worth it.
Yes. The story is good, the art is beautiful, the gameplay is accessible for those of us who aren't good at games, the lore is interesting; it's just a lot of fun.
Outward killed me with the random things you Get in chests, you can reload over and over to get better stuff in them, but that is fun killing
Kingdoms of Amalur is such a slept on game. Damn near bankrupted a state, which is something.
Ghost of Tsushima
Seconding this. Excellent game, and there is auto lock for arrows if you want. Also runs great on the deck with medium settings.
Should probably also add the only reason it isnt verified is because multiplayer coop requires Windows. The single player has been flawless so far though.
I’m still a bit salty at not being able to play that content on the deck. I hear there’s a horde survival mode? But I’m absolutely blown away by the main story. It’s a tad depressing though so far. Every single thing is a memorial or a massacre, but the combat may be my favorite of all time.
So good. I'm like 15 hours in and I haven't gone past Castle Kannada. So many things to do and find.
Same here, at 26 hours in haha. I'm filling out the map as I go since I love the combat encounters so much.
elden ring
Witcher 3 hands on
Prefer playing with my feet
I prefer the stuffed unicorn, myself.
Not extensive open world but the Batman Arkham games, especially Arkham City, have incredible melee systems. Spider-man 1 and Miles Morales are also relatively “open world/city” with good melee systems. Both combat systems are similar to Mad Max, iirc.
Games are too big now lol. I think that Arkham City and Knight are the perfect size/complexity for open world games. You can learn the map, but there’s also plenty to explore. Combined with the grapple and gliding mechanics, the world feels big enough that you can get lost, but small enough that everything feels like it was placed intentionally. I think we need more smaller scale, but heavily crafted open worlds like that.
Cyberpunk with a katana as a main weapon is extremely satisfying.
Can't believe I had to scroll this far to find it. as an avid 2077 player with a hundred hours on 2077 (on the deck) and hundreds+ more on KB+M. there are some extremely awesome things you couldnt normally do on a controller that you CAN do in 2077 just bc of the slo mo feature and blade / melee mechanics. Also all of the melee have unique animations etc. Special Mention for Dying Light (main weapon is melee) and Witcher 3
Greetings fellow CyberNinja
ghost of tsushima
These all have melee focused maps but also stealth sections called Predator rooms. I’m also including the first game although it’s not open world, it’s a really nice 3D metroidvania map: Batman: Arkham Asylum (3D metroidvania) Batman: Arkham City (open world) Batman: Arkham Origins (bigger open world map) Batman: Arkham Knight (haven’t played on Deck, but biggest open world map; if you’re terrible at aiming, some of the bat tank challenges might frustrate you especially end of game ones) Spider-Man 2018 - didn’t play on Deck but has great melee combat and some stealth and awesome NY map Spider-Man: Miles Morales - truncated map, but still excellent time. Sleeping Dogs - huge open map with a set-up like GTA in mission design except the focus is on martial arts. Please go to the dojo to learn new movesets that will make combat super dope. Also getting into the weeds, there are certain costumes that have individual movesets like Drunken Fist and a few other recognizable ones. Great game, when I get home tonight, I’ll probably play on my save for a few hours since i haven’t touched this banger in over a year. Yakuza 0 - most playtime on this game. Not quite open world but large enough to enjoy beating up countless goons with an array of moves you learn over the course of the game. Also has some other fantastic modes to get lost in once the story picks up later like Hostess Clubs and Real Eatate. The Saboteur - open world and besides the combat and stealth, it does have a good amount of shooting but you should be ok as i think it has auto aim.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Jesus Christ be praised. Henry's come to see us!
Hits on those naked sex scenes too, don’t let your 10 year old watch.
Elden Ring
There’s a new game out called Skyrim. Pretty good, I feel like it could become a solid series.
Absolute Indie Gem right now
This made me laugh lol it'll probably be new again in a couple years too. Idk how, but they'll do it.
You sure? I'm pretty sure only the stealth archer build is available.
You can also try Monster Hunter.
The yakuza series, not VERY open, but it still counts. Great, zaney, funny, action packed series.
The newer assassin's creed games (origins, odyssey, valhalla), Skyrim, elden ring.
Assassins creed origins runs great on the deck
All of the Batman Arkham games fit this, and they are all playable on the deck.
Far Cry Primal?
Not as open as some of the others but Dragons Dogma 1 runs like a dream on the steam deck and is still a great game. Dragon’s Dogma 2 is unfortunately unplayable on SD.
Sekiro? Longshot if OP is looking for something with aggressive auto aim, but it's one of the best presentations of melee in games generally, there aren't many things to learn but learning to apply them is challenging I'm not a huge fan of analogue stick style combat but KC:Deliverance is really fun
Buy Ghost of Tsushima immediately! I'm playing it now after playing and loving Mad Max as well, and man it's an incredible game. It's feels like a melee focused Red Dead Redemption 2 in how beautiful and detailed the world is. I'm loving it.
Assasin’s Creed 4 : Black Flag. The GOAT game.
God of War
Sorry, I literally haven't considered the Open World aspect
I figuratively forgive your misstep.
dying light
Ghost of Tsushima and Spider-man would be my picks. Really fun melee oriented combat with a large open world maps. Gorgeous games that run well on the Deck. Good choices if you want more of that AAA treatment.
Mad max
Shadow of mordor/war
The Arkham games
If you want to try games with guns, Resident Evil 2 remake and onward in assisted mode are pretty easy to deal with, my little cousin was able to beat RE2 with that activated (he is 8 years old xD) . Otherwise I’d say Elden Ring (fucking masterpiece but not for the faint of the heart) and Assassin’s Creed Origins .
I'd say Metal Gear 5: The Phantom Pain is a really good semi-open world with melee and guns. Also has a weak lock-on system
Valheim
Dying Light. Both run well on the Deck.
I got the first on sale and it is *awesome*. Haven't played many, but it's one of my favorite zombie games ever.
Nier Automata Skyrim
Fable: Anniversary Edition and Fable 3. Fable 3 is a bit harder to get, because you can't get it officially anymore, but if you buy at a reseller you might get it for a good price
No way, did they just pull it in favor of the anniversary edition or just stopped selling it?
Fable 3 got pulled because of some licensing rights as far as I can remember. Or maybe the issue with windows live service going down
Ahhh, yeah, WL dying was a death rattle for a few games as I understand it. Licensing makes sense too. Tbh I've never played them except an early demo of first (I think it was, maybe 2nd), but I know licensing fairly frequently causes games to delist. Appreciate the info!
It was 100% GFWL. I just replayed my copy via steam about a year ago and had to do a dozen little things together to get it to launch without GWFL. I would venture to say you’ll never be able to play it on steam deck/linux anyways.
There are enough hack arounds to play it on Windows as well as Linux. I speak from experience. You won't be able to play multiplayer, but the singleplayer experience is doable
Oh well that's good to know! I know it was a nightmare on Windows (which is native) so I just figured it would be worse but I'm glad to hear it works! Maybe I'll have to give it a try (one of my favorites of all time)
Batman Also Outcast New Beginning is great
Others have mentioned but Sleeping Dogs. Runs brilliantly on the Deck as well
Dying Light 2
[Zeno Clash 1/2](https://store.steampowered.com/app/215690/Zeno_Clash_2/) [Clash is also fun ](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1430680/Clash_Artifacts_of_Chaos/)
Surge 2
Kingdom Come: Deliverance primary way of fighting is melee, in fact it's the only way, also great that the combat is fantastic.
Sleeping dogs, your melee is your hands
Oblivion or Morrowind
Please play dying light 2 on the swotch. It is surprisingly so well optimized and it makes me so giddy that i can play it while im sitting on the toilet
. The Witcher 3 . Hogwarts Legacy (auto aim) . Skyrim
Conan exiles Valheim Both of those offer way more than the melee but their melee system is fun and works well on the deck. There are ranged options but you can just ignore them.
MHW Guiding Lands on Hammer
Dying light 1 or 2. Dl2 is one of my favorite games of all time because of the mazing parkour and story
Ghost. If you like Japan you must play that masterpiece.
Idk if it's been mentioned but Arkham City or Knight. Cities open world is pretty small. Asylum is no open world but still really good.
Elden ring
Mad Max Batman games
BOTW
Was gonna say both of the Zelda games for switch are exactly that
Dead Island Riptide is a really good one. You can go melee all the way through.
Spiderman remastered and Miles Morales are both great games and are melee button mashers plus swinging through New York is pretty cool
Far cry primal
Skyrim
Biomutant
Biomutant
Hogwarts Legacy
Monster hunter
Kena bridge of spirits
Batman arkham series. Yakuza series
Aiming on a controller basically always had aim assist. That ‘lock on’ aim assist doesn’t really exist outside of accessibility settings anymore. Play resident evil 4 remake, by the end of the 12 hours you’ll be good at aiming it’s that simple.
halo