For the most part, playing a game - typically an RPG or action-driven title - as a warrior makes for some phenomenal combat experiences. However, there’s a clear distinction between simply selecting the warrior category on a character customization screen and actually living and breathing the role. There are some games out there that personify what it is to be a warrior, and they’re all equal parts incredible and iconic.
7 The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
Skyrim was released way back in 2011, but it still holds a legendary status as one of the best open-world RPGs today. It’s timeless, near-endless, and thanks to a vibrant modding community, there’s no limit to what a player can do with the base game. In Skyrim, players can assume the role of several warrior-type characters, fighting across the lands of Skyrim with valiant might.
There’s no specific role to select as a warrior in Skyrim, but players can simply become one through their style of play. For instance, by selecting a Nord or an Orc character, and equipping them with dense armor and powerful weapons, the player can easily fulfill the concept of the ultimate warrior in one of the greatest RPGs of all time.
6 God Of War: Ragnarok
God of War: Ragnarok is an award-winning follow-up to 2018’s God of War, and it takes everything its predecessor did and improves upon it. That includes the combat, which is powerful, epic, and intensely memorable. In God of War: Ragnarok, there’s no doubt that the player is able to fulfill their dream of becoming an unstoppable warrior.
There are few characters in the history of gaming that boast the sheer awe-inspiring that Kratos - God of War’s legendary protagonist - does. He’s a man-mountain, capable of immeasurable feats of strength, and he’s one of the most talented and tenacious fighters in the business. If anyone wanted to take on the role of the warrior, they’d do well playing God of War.
5 Spartan: Total Warrior
Spartan: Total Warrior was released in 2005 on the PlayStation 2, GameCube, and original Xbox platforms, and it was a smash hit. In Spartan, players assumed the role of - that’s right, a Spartan - gallivanting across a series of environments while doing battle against what was sometimes hundreds of enemies at once.
In Spartan, players are offered the Power of the Gods, made deployable through a series of devastating weapons. With the press of a button, players can slice through dozens of enemy fighters, turn them to stone, or dominate them with shocks of lightning. There are few games that offer up battles at the scale that Spartan did, and it’s easily one of the best representations of what it means to be a warrior.
4 Ryse: Son Of Rome
Ryse: Son of Rome was a launch title for the Xbox One platform in 2013, and even by today, it remains one of the most impressive titles the world has ever seen. From cutting-edge visuals to gory, visceral combat, Ryse truly is a warrior experience like no other.
When it was released, Ryse boasted one of the most innovative combat systems around, putting players in the control of Marius Titus, a dramatically skilled swordsman and unwavering close-combat expert. From fighting face-to-face with barbarians to surviving in the iconic Colosseum, Ryse offers up countless opportunities to be a true warrior.
3 Elden Ring
In Elden Ring, which won countless Game of the Year awards in 2022, players can quite literally be a warrior. There’s a class dedicated to the role, and it offers up the potential to become an agile, aggressive combatant. However, while most warriors rely on strength and power, the warrior class in Elden Ring is a more dexterous, fast-paced role.
It’s a popular enough path in Elden Ring, which has proven itself to be one of the toughest games ever developed. From fighting immense, god-like creatures to potentially dying following a single hit from the most random enemies, it really is a warrior-like experience that’s reserved for the hardiest of players.
2 Horizon: Forbidden West
Horizon: Forbidden West expands on the story of Aloy, which was first explored in Zero Dawn, released in 2017. In the Horizon series, Aloy is a machine hunter - a warrior infused with the ability to utilize both nature and the world around her, and massively advanced technology.
In Horizon, players are tasked with taking down some fairly terrifying robotic creatures that are built to model ‘old world’ lifeforms, such as dinosaurs, alligators, and coyotes. As a true warrior, Aloy defeats these threats primarily by using a spear, slingshot, or bow and arrow. There are few characters that embody the warrior spirit quite like Aloy.
1 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
In The Witcher 3, players take on the role of a Witcher - arguably one of the most impressive kinds of warriors to ever exist. In this universe, a Witcher is a monster hunter for hire, happily doing battle with some of the most threatening and grotesque creatures that the world has ever seen.
When the player adventures through The Witcher 3, hot on the heels of the Wild Hunt, they’ll make use of a whole host of warrior-like tactics. From hand-to-hand and sword-based combat to mystical spells - or ‘signs’ - that can set an enemy ablaze, a player can dominate a fight in no time at all. There are few characters in gaming more worthy of the title of ‘ultimate warrior’ than Geralt of Rivia, that’s for sure.
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