Summary
- Fans underestimate open-world games before release, leading to pleasant surprises upon launch.
- Quality of open-world games often surpasses initial expectations, offering captivating gameplay experiences.
- Titles like Mad Max and Kingdom Come: Deliverance shattered low expectations to become beloved open-world classics.
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.
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Instead of fighting, many open-world games offer striking visuals and evocative sounds that can put players at ease and settle them into an ambiance.
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.
8 Mad Max
A Post-Apocalyptic Open-World Game That Had No Business Being So Captivating
Mad Max
- Released
- September 1, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Open-World
Mad Max is 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 for Mad Max to 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 and vehicular combat was. 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.
7 Sleeping Dogs
Fans Didn't Expect Much From A True Crime Rebrand, Only For The Game To Pleasantly Surprise Them
Sleeping Dogs
- Released
- August 14, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action
The True Crime series had been labeled as a cheap GTA knock-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 from Sleeping Dogs, which had arisen from the ashes of a True Crime game set in Hong Kong.
So, fans couldn't help but be pleasantly surprised when Sleeping Dogs wowed 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.
6 Middle-earth: Shadow Of Mordor
The Similarities To Assassin's Creed Didn't Stop Shadow Of Mordor From Being Incredible To Play
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
- Released
- September 30, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
Given how tiresome the Assassin's Creed formula had become, fans didn't have high expectations for Shadow of Mordor. The idea of playing a Lord of the Rings game 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 with Shadow of Mordor, regardless of whether they liked the LotR franchise or not. Players could experiment with a wealth of powers and enjoy a fresh take on the Arkham combat system, where Talion's moves were incredibly brutal and a ton of fun to execute.
5 Marvel's Spider-Man
Finally, Fans Were Treated To A Good Open-World Spider-Man Game After A Lengthy Wait
Marvel's Spider-Man
- Released
- September 7, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Drug Reference, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action, Adventure, Open-World
It's surprising that fans didn't have high expectations from Insomniac's Spider-Man game, but this can be explained by the track record of the webcrawler's previous adventures. Aside from Spider-Man 2 on the PS2, none of the games starring everyone's favorite neighborhood superhero wowed the masses.
Fans came in with tempered expectations for Marvel's Spider-Man and 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 from Batman: Arkham while doing just enough to stand out from its inspiration.
4 The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
The Previews Didn't Do Justice To This Game's Groundbreaking Nature
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Released
- March 3, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
The idea of Nintendo developing a bad first-party game is downright unthinkable, but most fans forget the tepid reception to Breath 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 of Breath of the Wild, establishing it as one of the greatest open-world games in 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.
3 Outer Wilds
An Open-World Mystery Game That Had No Business Being So Captivating
Outer Wilds
- Released
- May 28, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ due to Fantasy Violence, Alcohol Reference
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
The idea of exploring a small yet lively galaxy in Outer Wilds was 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.
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This helped Outer Wilds stand 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.
2 Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Warhorse Studios Blew Everyone Away With This Title's Immersion And Storytelling
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
- Released
- February 13, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Alcohol
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Kingdom Come: Deliverance should'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: Deliverance wowed fans with its focus on realism coupled 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 for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, given how the first game shattered all expectations and established itself as one of the greatest open-world games ever made.
1 Elden Ring
Fans Worried About The Game's Open-World Approach Could Rest Easy After The Game's Release
Elden Ring
- Released
- February 25, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
While fans had faith in FromSoftware's skills, they couldn't help but worry about Elden Ring's shift to an open world. A huge reason why the original Dark Souls and subsequent Soulsborne titles 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.
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