Summary
Open-world games are a blast to play through, even if the genre has become overpopulated. Every AAA developer who wants to rake in the big bucks has tried their hand at developing an open-world title with varying results.
As a result, it can be easy to downplay certain open-world games before they even release. This just adds to the element of surprise when these titles eventually release and wow players with their quality.
Games will be ranked based on how surprising their quality was compared to what fans expected before release.
Mad Maxis a game that everyone wrote off before it even launched. Fans didn’t have a lot of expectations for what they perceived as a low-effort cash-in, only forMad Maxto blow everyone’s minds when it launched.
The sheer amount of love put into this title was clear for everyone to see, and fans couldn’t believe just how much fun both on-foot andvehicular combatwas. The exploration and the quirks of the wasteland further enhanced this title’s enjoyment, allowing players to ignore a weak story that is probably the only weakness of this title.
TheTrue Crimeseries had been labeled as a cheapGTAknock-off, and it didn’t help that the many entries in this title failed to get over these comparisons. As a result, fans didn’t have high expectations fromSleeping Dogs, which had arisen from the ashes of aTrue Crimegameset in Hong Kong.
So, fans couldn’t help but be pleasantly surprised whenSleeping Dogswowed players with its amazing aesthetics, incredible combat, and meaningful homages to Hong Kong action flicks. It helped that the story was more riveting than it had any right to be, with The Wedding serving as one of the greatest missions in video game history.
Given how tiresome theAssassin’s Creedformula had become, fans didn’t have high expectations forShadow of Mordor. The idea of playing aLord of the Ringsgame was the only reason why fans even bothered to give this title a shot.
Thankfully, the crunchy combat and the allure of the Nemesis system ensured that fans would have a great time withShadow of Mordor, regardless of whether they liked theLotRfranchise or not. Players could experiment with a wealth of powers and enjoy a fresh take on theArkhamcombat system, where Talion’s moves were incredibly brutal and a ton of fun to execute.
It’s surprising that fans didn’t have high expectations from Insomniac’sSpider-Mangame, but this can be explained by the track record of the webcrawler’s previous adventures. Aside fromSpider-Man 2on the PS2, none of the games starring everyone’s favorite neighborhood superhero wowed the masses.
Fans came in with tempered expectations forMarvel’s Spider-Manand were pleasantly surprised by the amazing production values of the title. Swinging around in New York City made for an amazing traversal system, with the combat taking some pages fromBatman: Arkhamwhile doing just enough to stand out from its inspiration.
The idea of Nintendo developing a bad first-party game is downright unthinkable, but most fans forget the tepid reception toBreath of the Wild’s previews. Roasting mushrooms and exploring a barren open world didn’t sit right with fans who were used to the games in this genre overwhelming players with content.
Thankfully, all of these complaints were laid to rest with the launch ofBreath of the Wild, establishing it asone of the greatest open-world gamesin no time. Fans were left amazed by its innovative design that prioritized player agency over everything else, making for a unique open-world title that was unlike anything else this genre had to offer.
The idea ofexploring a small yet lively galaxy inOuter Wildswas interesting, but fans didn’t expect a lot from this title. They assumed it would just be another quirky game, only for the organic mystery of this title to keep fans on the edge of their seats as they uncovered valuable information and figured out how to make progress.
This helpedOuter Wildsstand out as one of the greatest indie open-world games ever made. The slow yet meaningful progression of this title enraptured fans as they strove to break the time loop that caused the galaxy to end after twenty-two minutes.
Kingdom Come: Deliveranceshould’ve been dead in the water from the moment it launched, given the sheer ambition of this project by a new studio. While it had its fair share of bugs and recycled animations,Kingdom Come: Deliverancewowed fans with its focus on realismcoupled with tough combat and a well-told story.
Players loved how rewarding it felt to transform from a hapless son of a blacksmith into a warrior who could best the most powerful knights around in battle. It’s easy to see why fans were hyped forKingdom Come: Deliverance 2, given how the first game shattered all expectations and established itself as one of the greatest open-world games ever made.
While fans had faith in FromSoftware’s skills, they couldn’t help but worry aboutElden Ring’s shift to an open world. A huge reason why the originalDark Soulsand subsequent Soulsbornetitles were great to play stemmed from their brilliant, layered world design, which could’ve possibly been lost in a sandbox.
Elden Ring’s launch silenced all these worries and turned it into FromSoftware’s most successful game by a country mile. The open world felt organic and didn’t hold a player’s hand throughout an incredible adventure full of numerous highlights.
