Summary
Open-world games have become the most mainstream form of gaming, withnumerous AAA gamestrying to establish themselves as dominant players in this genre. The sheer amount of effort that goes into designing these sandboxes is immense, with the marketing of these games trying its hardest to bring more eyes toward these titles.
However, there are times when open-world games invest an inordinate amount of funds in marketing, to the point where players expect something extraordinary from these titles. This can make for a disappointing experience when these games fail to impress the masses.
Star Wars Outlawsisa game that many fans were excited for, given the prominence of the IP. Ubisoft had a gold mine on its hands, but certain elements of this game prevented it from reaching the heights it deserved.
The gameplay reveal of this title was far from impressive, turning off many fans who were weighing their options when it came to this title. Despite bringing some interesting ideas to the table,Star Wars Outlawsfailed to amass impressive sales, leading to Ubisoft facing a financial crisis not long after.
TheMafiagames had their fair share of fans who loved the authentic setting and engaging stories of these titles. Fans expected more of the same fromMafia 3, which delivered an engaging story but rubbed fans the wrong way with other additions to the gameplay and open-world structure.
The game tried to incorporate stealth mechanics that felt pretty barebones, and it didn’t help that players had to engage with a ton of open-world busywork to make progress in the story. Previous games in the series had been criticized for a lack of interesting side content, butMafia 3floundered in its attempts to make up for these issues.
Bethesda Studios is one of the most popular video game developers, and the idea of playing a brand-new IP set in space enticed many fans. Players were hotly anticipating the release ofStarfield, only forits dated video game designto alienate many fans.
People didn’t appreciate the lack of innovations and the unskippable cutscenes that prevented space travel from feeling seamless. All of this led to a title where players had to ignore some puzzling video game elements to enjoy this title.
Hello Games and Sean Murray wasted no time in marketingNo Man’s Skyas a genre-defining title that let players explore a massive universe that was ridiculously expansive. Players were promised the moon, only to check out a launch product that was lacking numerous promised features.
The backlash againstNo Man’s Skywas massive, so it was amazing to see Hello Games weather the criticism and put their heads down, making sure to integrate every missing feature into the game with future updates while adding new gameplay elements too. As things stand,No Man’s Skyis one of the most content-rich survival games players can check out to enjoy a zen time.
Just likeNo Man’s Sky,Cyberpunk 2077was another title that failed to deliver on its many promises. Numerous critical features were missing at launch and it didn’t help that the game was loaded with bugs and glitches that highlighted its unfinished state.
As a result, the game sparked a controversy that took a long while to die down. With numerous updates and a DLC that lets players enjoy CD Projekt Red’s work at its very best, it’s easy to see whyCyberpunk 2077deserves the praise it earned as one of the most improved open-world games that immerse players in the rich setting of Night City.
Dragon’s Dogmaslowly gained steam as one of the most action-packed RPGs players could get their hands on.Each class felt unique and amazing to control, making it easy to see why fans wanted to see more of what this gameplay loop could offer with the sequel.
Unfortunately,Dragon’s Dogma 2failed to capture the magic of its predecessor for numerous reasons. A broken PC release, predatory microtransactions, and a failure to build up on the promising gameplay of the first title led toDragon’s Dogma 2disappointing many fans, serving as a permanent blemish on an otherwise stellar track record for Capcom in recent times.
There’s no denying thatHorizon Forbidden Westis one of the most beautiful PS5 games fans can get their hands on. It helps that the action-packed combat ensures that players will love tackling the numerous robotic creatures and dinosaurs in this game, both old and new.
However, two areas where the game suffers are the lack of memorable characters andan open world that can overwhelm playersfrom the get-go. The first game naturally increased the scope of the series as the narrative progressed, and the fact that this design is missing in the sequel hurtsForbidden Westmore than people could’ve imagined.
The pre-release hype surroundingWatch Dogsis something that fans still remember to this day. Coming around the dawn of the next generation of video gaming, the amazing visuals and fun hacking gameplay led to fans anticipating a title that could show what consoles like the PS4 and Xbox One could achieve.
Unfortunately, the post-launch response toWatch Dogsbecame an infamous milestone in video game history. The game reduced its graphical quality for consoles and featured a poorly executed storythat was way too serious, leading to fans finding the gameplay ofWatch Dogsto be nowhere near as revolutionary as the marketing made it out to be.
