Summary
- Ubisoft faces heavy criticism for its overhyped and downgraded titles, but some games like Valhalla offer hidden gems.
- Ghost Recon Breakpoint undergoes a redemption arc, improving drastically post-launch to become a top-notch tactical shooter.
- While Far Cry 6 lacks innovation and faces disappointment, it still offers a beautiful setting, unique guns, and unexpected twists.
It's nothing new that Ubisoft has been facing one of its most challenging periods, with constant negativity surrounding almost everything it has touched in recent years. While some criticism is surely justified, emerging from Ubisoft's tendency to overhype and downgrade their titles, as well as producing many similar open-world games that borrow from one another, players have become especially critical of elements that often go unnoticed in other companies' games. In some cases, this results in a somewhat overblown perception, with Ubisoft's recent titles drawing controversy even before launch.
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As a result, Ubisoft has seemingly become public enemy number one for gamers as of late, and it's hard to find discussions of its games that don't revolve around their negatives rather than their positives. It's worth remembering that there are always both, so there's still fun to be found in such titles. With that in mind, let's take a look at some Ubisoft games that may not entirely deserve all the hate they get.
The Ubisoft games listed below aren't masterpieces by any means, often being divisive among fans for more than one reason, yet they still have plenty of positives that often go unappreciated.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
An Example Of A Good Game Being Just Too Big
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
- Released
- November 10, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
Like any big and evolving franchise, Assassin's Creed often ends up in the crossfire between new and old fans. The series' heavy lean into the open-world RPG formula since Origins has both its fans and skeptics, yet Valhalla ended up as probably the most divisive entry in the franchise in a long time, despite being one of its most successful.
While Ubisoft generally nailed the Viking vibe and aesthetics in Valhalla, many argue that the game simply doesn't feel like Assassin's Creed anymore, with overly basic stealth, a focus on open combat, and an outsized role for the mythological component. Adding fuel to the fire was the game's never-ending length, with too many territories to conquer, leading to player burnout by the end, even though Ubisoft had promised it wouldn't be as big as Odyssey.
Amid all that dissatisfaction, it was easy to overlook the game's numerous strengths: gorgeous and varied worlds, an excellent gear system, rich build variety for Eivor, visceral combat, intricate lore (although aimed at long-term fans and spread too thinly), and plenty of diverse side activities to try.
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Interestingly, Valhalla isn't the only recent game in the series overly criticized by players. Both Assassin's Creed Shadows and Assassin's Creed Mirage fall into that camp, though for different reasons. Shadows suffered controversy before launch, prompting many players not to even try the game due to the negativity surrounding it, despite its gorgeous visuals and much-improved stealth compared to previous entries. As for Mirage, which aimed to return the series to its roots with a notably less ambitious scope and a focus on stealth and thievery, not every fan appreciated its weak combat and the lack of side content.
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint
A Redemption Arc Almost Comparable To Cyberpunk 2077
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint
- Released
- October 4, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence, Mild Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- Shooter
Despite Ghost Recon Breakpoint essentially being the prime example of a gaming redemption arc, with Ubisoft doing their best to improve the game after a disastrous launch and addressing nearly all fan feedback, for many players who haven't touched the game since its early days, the bitter taste remained. It's hard to deny that Breakpoint stands among the worst launches in Ubisoft's history, plagued with technical issues and questionable gameplay mechanics. Yet, to the studio's credit, it's now a vastly improved game — and arguably one of the best in its niche available today.
Players who try the game now will discover a beautiful and flexible tactical shooter, combining a vast open world, a deeply customizable approach to gear and combat, an abundance of enemy camps to clear in different ways, exciting endgame content, and robust co-op features. In a way, Breakpoint stands as the closest alternative for modern players craving a long-awaited Splinter Cell return.
Of course, the game still isn't perfect, with a somewhat homogenous world, a weak story, and a lack of gameplay variety, but if any major criticism was relevant for Ghost Recon Breakpoint five years ago, today it's little more than a fading memory.
Far Cry 6
Could Surely Use More Innovation, Yet Still Decent
Far Cry 6
- Released
- October 6, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
Far Cry 6 wasn't as hated as some other games on this list, yet, coming after the brilliant Far Cry 5 with too few changes, the game was bound to disappoint many. The lack of innovation made it clear that the classic formula was already showing its age, and setting and characters alone weren't enough to carry the experience for those who had played every other Far Cry game before it. Another unpopular decision among fans was Ubisoft's removal of Arcade Mode — a feature that allowed players to create custom maps, scenes, and fun challenges in Far Cry 4 and Far Cry 5.
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Nevertheless, there just aren't many games quite like Far Cry on the market, making it hard to fully dismiss Far Cry 6, especially after all the patches and updates that tightened the overall experience. The Caribbean-inspired setting of the tropical Yara island is beautiful and vivid, the array of guns is as vast and unique as ever, featuring custom and exotic variants for players to hunt for, and the story packs some unexpected twists and memorable characters, especially later on. The post-launch villain DLC was also a pleasant addition for fans of the franchise. With how often Far Cry 6 goes on sale these days, there's a decent chance that any FPS player might be surprised by just how fun this game can be.
Watch Dogs: Legion
Deserved Better For Its Willingness To Experiment Alone
Watch Dogs Legion
- Released
- October 29, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
The entire Watch Dogs series represents an original IP trying to find its appeal and remain open to experimentation, with each new game in the open-world hacking franchise changing drastically rather than offering more of the same. Watch Dogs: Legion aimed for an ambitious goal, and while the game delivered on the concept of “play as anyone,” the idea of not having a fixed protagonist in a narratively driven open-world experience didn't quite resonate with many players, eventually leading to the entire series being put on ice due to limited popularity.
In truth, Watch Dogs: Legion is full of great ideas that don't merge too well in practice. Additionally, despite having one of the most stunning and unusual open worlds in Ubisoft's lineup, the gameplay mechanics ended up being held back by an environment unable to properly react to everything the game entrusts to the player. While Watch Dogs: Legion could have been much bolder in its mission design or side activities to better utilize its standout central concept, even beyond that, there's just no other open-world game quite like it, and it doesn't deserve to fade into obscurity.
Star Wars Outlaws
A Lesson In How Important The First Impression Is
Star Wars Outlaws
- Released
- August 30, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Violence, Simulated Gambling, Mild Language
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action-Adventure
Star Wars Outlaws' announcement was met with great excitement, so it's hard to pinpoint exactly what went wrong, aside from it being released in a pretty rough technical state. While the entire Star Wars brand has seen better days following its acquisition by Disney, the promise of the first true Star Wars open-world game initially hooked many fans. However, even if Star Wars Outlaws delivered on its promise in terms of scope, vastness, and the detail poured into the game's numerous planets, it faced severe backlash and became one of the most overhated Ubisoft titles in recent memory.
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It certainly has its issues, such as lacking depth in the combat, stealth, and reputation systems, all of which could have been much more impactful. True to form, Ubisoft didn't abandon the title, quickly addressing many of the players' concerns by reworking stealth and improving other core pillars. But it was seemingly too little, too late to save its reputation after a rushed launch. Star Wars Outlaws remains an ambitious yet flawed chapter for the beloved franchise, with not enough players willing to give it a second chance after the dust has settled.
Prince Of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
A Late Attempt To Please Both Camps
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
- Released
- May 18, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
One of the older Ubisoft games that remains somewhat underappreciated even today is Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands. After the company tried something new with Prince of Persia (2008), which proved unsuccessful, Ubisoft pivoted back to the classic PoP trilogy with The Forgotten Sands, aiming to please both veterans of the series and new players. The results weren't as strong as the Sands of Time trilogy, but they weren't as bad as many players believe.
By almost every metric, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands wasn't inferior to previous games, featuring strong visuals, robust combat, and exciting traversal mechanics. Some negativity may stem from the fact that certain fans expected a more action-heavy title akin to Warrior Within or The Two Thrones, while this game prioritizes puzzles and adventure instead. Not to mention, its connection to the beloved trilogy was rather vague and questionable. Despite that, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands is a decent chapter in the series, delivering all the essentials fans may come to expect.
Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora
Missing A Perfect Launch Window Can Make All The Difference
Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora
- Released
- December 7, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Language, Mild Blood, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora missed its perfect launch window, delayed by an entire year after Avatar: The Way of Water — a setback that most likely severely hampered the hype around the game. Nevertheless, the allure of visiting Pandora in all its intricate detail is simply unmatched, extending beyond just fans of James Cameron's films, even if some simplistic gameplay systems, mediocre writing, and a predictable plot hold the game back.
Once stepping onto Pandora's surface, players will discover an open-world environment like no other, intriguing and rewarding to explore, with its own set of rules to learn and master. From robust combat to unique traversal systems, including the ability to ride one's own flying Ikran, Frontiers of Pandora is an audiovisual feast, ranking among the most visually impressive titles of this generation so far. Fortunately, the game may still have a chance at resurgence following the release of Avatar: Fire and Ash later this year. Not to mention the upcoming massive content update, which will introduce a full-fledged third-person perspective — one of the most requested features by the community so far.
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