How Once Human Compares to Other Open-World Shooters Like The Division (2024)

Table of Contents

Highlights Once Human's Place Among Other Open-World Shooters How Once Human Compares to The Division How Once Human Compares to Fallout 76

Highlights

Once Human is a unique blend of genres and influences, creating a one-of-a-kind experience in the gaming world.
The game draws inspiration from titles like The Division and Fallout 76, incorporating similar mechanics and gameplay elements.
While Once Human shares similarities with other open-world shooters, its evolving narrative and unique enemy types set it apart.

There is almost nothing like Once Human, largely because it is not like any one thing. Instead, Once Human tries its best to be a little bit of everything thrown into one big pot, as it technically falls under multiple genres and borrows many of the elements that make those genres unique. As a free-to-play, multiplayer, open-world, third-person shooter, post-apocalyptic survival horror game, Once Human has clearly been inspired by plenty of other titles, with games like Tom Clancy's The Division and Fallout 76 being some of the most obvious influences.

Once Human may be a melting pot of influences, but it still holds its own as a one-of-a-kind experience that is almost impossible to find anywhere else. Frankly, it could be argued that Once Human derives its uniqueness from having a vast library of inspirations to draw from, as it is very difficult to compare it to a single game. Even so, it's worth looking at how Once Human compares to other games like The Division and Fallout 76 which share its most prominent features.

Once Human: Server Wipe, Explained

Once Human follows seasonal mechanics, and this guide explains everything you need to know about the Seasonal Server Wipe.

Once Human's Place Among Other Open-World Shooters

How Once Human Compares to The Division

Even within the first hour of Once Human, it's easy to spot its Tom Clancy's The Division influences. While The Division isn't a survival game like Once Human, the two games have very similar character animations, gunplay, and loot mechanics. There is a natural emphasis on using cover during combat in Once Human and The Division, although The Division may encourage players to use cover more often. The loot mechanics in both games are also nearly identical, apart from Once Human's emphasis on survival lootables over gear alone.

How Once Human Compares to Fallout 76

Once Human may look and feel more like The Division at times, but it also shares some similarities with Bethesda's action RPG Fallout 76. Once Human is a lot like Fallout 76 in a multitude of ways, from its base building and crafting to its farming and looting. At the same time, while the two games offer much of the same from a gameplay standpoint, each one outdoes the other on certain fronts.

For example, Once Human's story evolves and progresses with each season through its Seasonal Scenarios, whereas Fallout 76's seasons only add minor side stories to the overarching narrative. This ultimately puts Once Human at a longevity advantage, as it is more likely to sustain a consistent player count than Fallout 76 thanks to its evolving narrative model. As far as open worlds go, however, Fallout 76 has much more variety in its world than Once Human, which is ironic considering Fallout 76 takes place in the series' iconic Wasteland. Most of the assets in Once Human are, unfortunately, constantly reused throughout its world, allowing monotony to set in fairly quickly as players explore.

There are certainly other third-person shooters and survival games that Once Human compares to, but the two open-world shooters it is most like are undoubtedly Tom Clancy's The Division and Fallout 76. Those inspirations haven't failed Once Human either, as they have made it the solid experience that it is and one of the more successful indie titles currently on the market.

Once Human

Starry Studio's Once Human is a survival game that focuses on multiplayer. Set in a post-apocalyptic open-world, the shooter features co-op, PvE, base building, and customizable weapons.