7 Open-World Games That Took Big Risks That Paid Off

Summary

• Assassin’s Creed Origins broke away from its franchise’s tradition, becoming a successful RPG.
• Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor took a huge risk releasing during the Lord of the Rings games’ lull.
• Cyberpunk 2077’s shift from medieval to futuristic paid off, establishing it as a genre favorite.

Open-world games are famous for offering players a lot of versatility in terms of the choices they can make, the weapons and armor they can use, and the NPCs that they can encounter for various side quests along the way. While some titles can feel overwhelming, others let players take it easy and enjoy the ride.

Unlike other genres, open-world games offer unique gameplay that, in many cases, players of all ages can enjoy. That said, even with so many options available to both players and developers, sometimes risks have to be taken to deliver an unforgettable experience. Here are some of the best open-world games that took big risks and they paid off.

7 Assassin’s Creed Origins

The First Assassin’s Creed Game To Go Full RPG

• Deviation from the tried and tested concept of the franchise
• The risk of going full RPG paid off massively

When Assassin’s Creed Origins was released, Ubisoft took a massive risk as it decided to stray from the classical formula it had been following since the franchise started and move towards more RPG-oriented gameplay.

On paper, this was always a great idea. However, fans of the franchise were already used to a certain concept that had been present for more than five games, so changing things up so drastically could or could have paid off. Luckily, this decision turned out to be beneficial for the company and the Assassin’s Creed franchise.

6 Middle-earth: Shadow Of Mordor

The Game Was Released After The Lord Of The Rings Games’ Golden Era

• The combat mechanics are amazing
• Releasing this game in the mid-2010s was risky

Any player who’s in their late 20s or early 30s likely remembers how big the Lord of the Rings games were between the years 2000 and 2006. Since the movies had just come out during that period, everyone was talking about them and the games were selling almost as well as the films.

While Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor doesn’t feature multiple playable characters, Talion is more than enough to give players full control of this orc-slaying experience that delivers outstanding combat mechanics that require fast reflexes and strategic planning.

However, even with that being the case, both Monolith Productions and Warner Bros took a huge risk by investing so much time and money in a Lord of the Rings game during a time when the franchise’s video game universe wasn’t at its strongest.

5 Cyberpunk 2077

A Strong Shift Away From The Witcher’s Medieval Theme

• When Cyberpunk 2077 was released, CD Projekt RED was already famous for The Witcher series
• The concept of a dystopian futuristic society has nothing to do with The Witcher‘s medieval setting

By the time Cyberpunk 2077 was released, CD Projekt RED was already known as the critically acclaimed developer behind The Witcher series, which focuses on medieval settings, magical powers, and all sorts of ancient lore. The success of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a testament to how many players loved this concept, so CD Projekt RED could have stuck to it to infinity.

And while there’s another Witcher game in the works, the developer took a break from monsters, spellbooks, and fantasy worlds to deliver Cyberpunk 2077, which has nothing to do with the former elements. Going from a medieval setting to a futuristic dystopic society was a very risky move, and while the game had a rough start to its life, it’s now one of the best in its genre. Cyberpunk 2077 is graphically demanding, so it isn’t a game that players with low-end PCs can enjoy to the fullest extent. But even when configured to the lowest possible settings, the experience is still incredible.

4 The Witcher 3

A Game That Had More Than Three Times The Development Budget Of Its Predecessor

• The Witcher 3 had more than three times the development budget of The Witcher 2
• The Witcher 3 positioned CD Projekt RED as one of the most critically acclaimed studios of the 2010s

Continuing with incredible games released by CD Projekt Red, there’s The Witcher 3. This title not only helped the studio become one of the most famous of the last 10 years, but also presented players with the epic conclusion to Geralt’s journey. It’s estimated that the development budget for The Witcher 2 was around $10.5 million and that this was more than tripled for The Witcher 3.

While many players would argue that this was not a risk as the franchise was already successful, it’s important to remember that before The Witcher 3 came out, the franchise wasn’t nearly as popular, so things could have gone south very quickly. Luckily, the third installment of the franchise was a success thanks to its amazing narrative, likable characters, possible evil routes to take, and the variety of monsters on The Continent.

3 Elden Ring

FromSoftware’s First Open-World Title

• The Dark Souls games have always been linear
• Elden Ring turned out to be one of the biggest games of the 2020s

By the time Elden Ring came out, the Dark Souls franchise was already very popular among players and had turned FromSoftware into a critically acclaimed developer. However, as most players know, the Dark Souls games are linear and require players to defeat certain bosses and progress through certain areas to move forward.

Elden Ring, on the other hand, opened up The Lands Between to players, so that they could explore them freely with very few limitations. On paper, it wasn’t clear whether a Soulslike game with an open-world concept like this would work, which is why it’s safe to say that FromSoftware took a massive risk. Luckily, everything turned out great, and Elden Ring is one of the most popular games today.

2 The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

This Title Opened New Horizons For The Franchise

• The game retains critical components of the franchise and implements its own
• An extremely fun title with lots to discover

While there’s combat in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, it’s safe to say that it doesn’t focus on violence as much as other titles on this list. Instead, it presents players with a friendlier environment that has that classic great Nintendo feeling to it.

Although this title isn’t the first open-world Zelda game, it took a few risks in terms of how the world works, how players can explore the land, and how the game operates in general. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild kept the elements that make its franchise great and incorporated others that were a bit risky, but ultimately paid off.

1 Red Dead Redemption 2

Rockstar’s Ultimate Western Story

• Arthur Morgan’s story captivated players immediately
• The game’s budget was reportedly higher than those in some blockbuster films

Rockstar Games is mainly known for the Grand Theft Auto and the Red Dead Redemption franchises, even though the studio has also been responsible for titles like Manhunt, Bully, Max Payne 3 and others. Some players would argue that making Red Dead Redemption 2 was not a risky move, as there was already evidence of Red Dead Redemption being successful.

However, it’s hard to say that the first installment’s success justified a +$500M budget for the second game, which is what’s estimated that Rockstar spent on both development and marketing. This would put Red Dead Redemption 2’s budget over those of blockbuster movies like Avengers: Endgame, which definitely represents a massive risk. Luckily, it paid off massively, and Rockstar’s latest Western story is among the most popular games of the last 10 years. Red Dead Redemption 2 is, arguably, one of the most detailed games to date and has an epic ending that will have most players in tears.