7 Open-World Video Game Sequels That Went In A Completely Different Direction

Open-world games usually follow a template and tend to play it safe to attract as much mainstream interest as possible. This leads to situations where players get bored of the same gameplay loop, with the setting doing little to change their minds about the grating nature of the monotony they’re experiencing.

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These open-world games are not only incredibly long but also feature immersive mechanics to keep players engaged in their virtual worlds for hours.

The best open-world gaming franchises know how to change things up from time to time to keep their audience engaged. Thesen open-world sequels usually change the franchise story’s tone, the gameplay loop, or anything else that needs to be switched up to keep fans interested in what they have to offer.

7

Watch Dogs 2

Aimed For A Lighthearted Tone That Fans Appreciated

Watch Dogs was a game hyped to the moon and back, so fans were disappointed to see that Aiden Pierce was a boring main character and the story was a bit too dark for their liking. Watch Dogs 2 aimed to change this perception and let players enjoy the game they wanted all along.

The dark and brooding vibes of the first game were replaced with a relatively lighthearted tale about DedSec agents, in particular Marcus Holloway, causing anarchy and rebelling against the system. It helped that the hacking options were improved to give players more options in combat, stealth, and traversal.

6

Grand Theft Auto 3

Revolutionized The Genre That Turned GTA And Rockstar Into Household Names

While the first two GTA games are fun titles in their own right, they pale in comparison to the broadened scope and cultural impact of the third game. Grand Theft Auto 3 was a huge step forward for open-world gaming, establishing a sandbox formula that many titles continue to be inspired by to this day.

The impact this title had can’t be overstated, with the sheer suite of improvements and changes propelling Rockstar to the very top of the video game industry. It also attracted its fair share of controversy, as one would expect from a mature open-world title that gamifies criminal activities.

5

Saints Row: The Third

Leaned Heavily On Comedic Tone And Over-The-Top Gameplay

Many gamers consider Saints Row 2 to be a great series entry and a personal favorite for some. People felt like this title struck a deft balance between serious and comedic elements. However, the shift of tone in Saints Row: The Third was unprecedented and moved the franchise in a new direction.

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This game turned the Saints Row franchise into one of the goofiest and most engaging open-world series around by leaning heavily towards the goofy side of things, forsaking realism to let players enjoy some over-the-top action. It attracted a ton of fans and led to the sequel, Saint’s Row 4, being even more bombastic, which felt right at home for fans who enjoyed what Saints Row: The Third brings to the table.

4

Yakuza: Like A Dragon

The Shift To Turn-Based Combat Was Surprising, But The Game Did A Good Job Of Justifying It

Systems

Released

November 10, 2020

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is one of the greatest open-world JRPGs players can get their hands on. The best part about this game is how it took a massive risk and removed the tried-and-tested real-time combat of the Yakuza series, and replaced it with a turn-based system instead.

This was an excellent choice, with Like a Dragon quickly becoming one of the most popular and beloved entries in the series. This gameplay shift was justified in the title, as it was Ichiban’s obsession with Dragon Quest that led to him viewing every battle like a JRPG fight.

3

Assassin’s Creed Origins

Attempted To Revive The Series By Rebranding It As An Open-World RPG

After the poor sales of Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, Ubisoft realized that they needed to do something drastic to reinvigorate fan interest in their flagship series. This was achieved with a one-year hiatus where the developer decided to try making an open-world Assassin’s Creed RPG that was inspired by The Witcher 3.

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Assassin’s Creed Origins was a breath of fresh air when it launched, with fans enjoying the story of how the Assassin Order came into being. However, with Odyssey and Valhalla feeling like copy-paste games once again, fans implored Ubisoft to bring the series back to its roots, which the developer addressed with the release of Assassin’s Creed Mirage.

2

Sunless Skies

The Setting Shifted To The Skies In A Huge Tonal Shift Paid Off

Systems

Released

January 31, 2019

Developer(s)

Failbetter Games

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

The Fallen London universe is interesting and lets players enjoy a world where London has receded to the underground where horrors run amok. No one expected the sequel to move to the skies instead, but that’s precisely what Failbetter Games aimed for with Sunless Skies.

The sheer number of improvements made to Sunless Skies‘ UI and combat, coupled with a refreshing setting change, makes it one of the best open-world indie games that players can get their hands on. The captain can uncover a new story at every dock as they slowly make progress and eventually become competent enough to tackle the various horrors of the skies spread across the game’s four open-world hubs.

1

Fallout 4

Marketed Itself To Casual Players With Toned-Down RPG Elements

Systems

Released

November 10, 2015

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

Fallout 4 is one of the most divisive entries in the series. Fans seeking a deep role-playing experience were left disappointed with the sheer bredth of changes implemented here, sacrificing the in-depth role-playing of this series for a perk system that simplified things considerably.

This, coupled with the improved gameplay, did make Fallout 4 more engaging for new players who were introduced to the Fallout series in its fourth entry. However, other aspects of this game made it unappealing for a lot of people, such as some poor writing and mishandling of the series’ lore, which didn’t sit right with many long-time fans.

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