Open-World Games That Were Victims Of Their Own Hype

Key Takeaways

• Open-world games often fall short of player expectations due to excessive marketing hype and lackluster gameplay.
• Star Wars Outlaws and Dragon’s Dogma 2 underperformed due to failing to innovate and deliver promised features.
• Cyberpunk 2077 and Horizon Forbidden West improved post-launch, overcoming initial disappointment from players.

Open-world games have become the most mainstream form of gaming, with numerous AAA games trying 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.

8 Star Wars Outlaws

A Reliance On Dated Gameplay Mechanics Prevented This Game From Reaching Greater Heights

Star Wars Outlaws is a 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 Outlaws failed to amass impressive sales, leading to Ubisoft facing a financial crisis not long after.

7 Mafia 3

Included Too Much Filler Compared To The First Two Games

The Mafia games had their fair share of fans who loved the authentic setting and engaging stories of these titles. Fans expected more of the same from Mafia 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, but Mafia 3 floundered in its attempts to make up for these issues.

6 Starfield

Failed To Evolve The Bethesda Open-World Formula

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 of Starfield, only for its dated video game design to 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.

5 No Man’s Sky

Hyped Itself To The Moon And Back With False Promises

Hello Games and Sean Murray wasted no time in marketing No Man’s Sky as 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 against No Man’s Sky was 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 Sky is one of the most content-rich survival games players can check out to enjoy a zen time.

4 Cyberpunk 2077

A Broken Launch Turned This Game Into A AAA Punching Bag For The Longest Time

Just like No Man’s Sky, Cyberpunk 2077 was 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 why Cyberpunk 2077 deserves the praise it earned as one of the most improved open-world games that immerse players in the rich setting of Night City.

3 Dragon’s Dogma 2

Poor Industry Practices And Subpar Technical Performance Held This Game Back At Launch

Dragon’s Dogma slowly 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 2 failed 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 to Dragon’s Dogma 2 disappointing many fans, serving as a permanent blemish on an otherwise stellar track record for Capcom in recent times.

2 Horizon Forbidden West

Doesn’t Feel Like A Massive Step Forward For The Series

There’s no denying that Horizon Forbidden West is 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 and an open world that can overwhelm players from 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 hurts Forbidden West more than people could’ve imagined.

1 Watch Dogs

The Marketing Inflated The Graphics And Gameplay Of This Title

The pre-release hype surrounding Watch Dogs is 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 to Watch Dogs became an infamous milestone in video game history. The game reduced its graphical quality for consoles and featured a poorly executed story that was way too serious, leading to fans finding the gameplay of Watch Dogs to be nowhere near as revolutionary as the marketing made it out to be.