Over the last decade, open-world games have become so ubiquitous that they almost seem passé, and new releases need to push themselves further than ever before to leave their mark. Otherwise, in 2035, they might find themselves featured in retrospective discussions about fantastic games forgotten by time and players. Let’s take a look at a few open-world titles that suffered that fate, out of no fault of their own.
Naturally, most releases cannot possibly remain relevant indefinitely, especially if they don’t form part of a franchise that churns out sequels eternally or reach a level of acclaim that cements their place in gaming lore. Like in most industries or walks of life, you need to be incredibly special to become a footnote in history, let alone a major player. These open-world games are brilliant and deserve to be talked about more.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
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Driver: San Francisco
One Of The Most Ridiculous But Brilliant Mechanics In The Open-World Genre
Remember the days when triple-A open-world games would swing for the fences with really absurd mechanics? I miss those days.
Driver: San Francisco lets you, basically, possess any driver. Set in the present-ish day, this open-world driving game throws in a supernatural twist and casts players as essentially a living ghost with the telepathic ability to jump from body to body. Everything builds upon this idea, with players being encouraged to use this mechanic creatively to complete missions or races. Ubisoft kind of revived this concept for Watch Dogs: Legion, but San Francisco‘s version provides a much more fun gameplay loop by focusing on vehicles rather than people. Just an all-around silly game that works shockingly well.
As will become a trend in this article, Driver: San Francisco cannot be purchased from digital storefronts due to licensing issues, meaning you need to track a physical copy to play this one. If you happen to come across the PS3 or Xbox 360 version, I really recommend picking it up. The game is backwards compatible with the Xbox One and Series X/S, too.
5 Epic Open-World Games That Let You Rage Against The Machine
As Facebook makes headlines for censorship, these open-world games set in corporate hell seem a bit more real. Well, let’s tear them down.
The Getaway
The Most Real Open-World Game Of The Early 2000s
The Getaway
- Released
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December 11, 2002
- ESRB
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M For Mature 17+ // Blood, Drug Reference, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Violence
Admittedly, this one is personal and fueled by my memories of playing The Getaway with my dad back in the early 2000s. That said, to say this pick is solely driven by nostalgia would be a disservice to Team Soho’s underrated PS2 masterpiece, which was the most immersive open-world game of its generation.
While GTA drops you in a sandbox and lets you go wild, The Getaway casts you in a crime drama and tells you to play the part properly. You drive carefully through a faithful recreation of London, keeping an eye on your turn signals and blinkers to make sure you stay within the confines of the law. With no HUD to undercut the realism, The Getaway sticks to its vision from beginning to end, and it succeeds at nearly everything.
The sequel, Black Monday, is overhated, but it really doesn’t come close to capturing the magic of the original. Still, if you really love The Getaway, don’t skip the sequel. You should just ignore Gangs of London, though.
The Godfather
2006 Was Oddly An Awesome Year For Movie Tie-In Crime Games
The Godfather: The Game
- Released
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March 21, 2006
- ESRB
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M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
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EA Redwood Shores, Headgate Studios, Page 44 Studios
Yeah, I’m in the mood to talk about old-school open-world crime games that are hard-as-heck to find and play nowadays. In 2006, we bizarrely got video game adaptations of The Godfather and Scarface, both of which went down the open-world route. Even stranger, they are both pretty darn great, as long as you go in with realistic expectations. Scarface: The World Is Yours lets you indulge in your most violent impulses, and it’s absolutely worth playing if you want to release some steam and go wild. However, The Godfather is overall superior, along with just being one of the best crime games of all time, even rivaling Mafia.
Although not bringing too much new to the table, The Godfather delivers a polished and addictive romp that tells a great rags-to-riches narrative that rethreads the original film’s plot from the perspective of a new character. Despite taking its story very seriously, the game largely lets players do what they want in the world, and they can exert their power by indulging in a bit of murder and extortion. Even the combat system was quite fresh for the era, as players needed to manually direct their attacks.
Naturally, The Godfather is delisted now, but you can probably find a copy of the PS3 or Xbox 360 version in the wild.
Gun
Before Red Dead Redemption, There Was Gun
Gun
- Released
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November 8, 2005
- ESRB
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M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol
The discussion on open-world Westerns tends to start and end with Red Dead Redemption, but Rockstar wasn’t even the first developer to go down this route. Neversoft beat them to the punch by about 5 years, releasing Gun to a largely positive reception. Telling a classic revenge story, this forgotten gem translates the charm of spaghetti westerns into video game form. At the time, open-world games were almost entirely set in modern urban environments, and Gun‘s arrival and success showed that the genre could and should experiment with more unique environments. Neversoft took a big gamble that paid off, at least in terms of producing a quality game.
For its era, Gun‘s map was fairly impressive, as it features two hubs that were very different from each other. The side content was also pretty good, including stuff like bounty hunting and poker. Mechanically, Neversoft’s efforts cannot be faulted either, as the decent shooting was elevated by a quickdraw system and vicious melee combat.
Honestly, if you are looking for something to play after the first Red Dead Redemption, Gun might actually be a better alternative option than RDR2 due to its arcadey gameplay.
7 Underappreciated Open-World Games That Are Better Than You Remember
Not every open-world game can be The Witcher 3, but these critical flops are far better than their reputations and your memories.
Naruto: The Broken Bond
That Time Ubisoft Created Two Naruto Games
I don’t think I would say this for any other IP, but I wish Ubisoft had held on to the Naruto license for a few more years. Rise of a Ninja and The Broken Bond have aged better than nearly every other anime-licensed game from the 2000s, and they feel like genuine triple-A projects rather than budget releases banking on the franchise’s universal appeal. Rise of a Ninja also doesn’t get the love it deserves, but The Broken Bond improves upon its predecessor in nearly every way, including its incredible recreation of the Hidden Leaf Village.
Unlike most anime games that incorporate a hub world and call it a day, The Broken Bond frames its mechanics around traversing within its setting, requiring players to utilize the characters’ skills to reach specific places or to solve puzzles. Basically, the world isn’t just set dressing but a proper, fully developed part of the experience. The combat might not have the depth of some other releases, but it is well above average as well.
Best Open‑World Games for Casual Players, Ranked
Not every open-world game has to be intense and complex. These titles are perfect for casual players who just want to relax.