Summary
- The Saboteur: Color changes signify liberation from Axis powers in Paris.
- Mafia 3: Story is worth enduring open-world busywork.
- Mad Max: Engaging hand-to-hand and vehicular combat in wastelands.
Given how open-world games have become so prevalent in the gaming industry, it’s easy to see why some games in this genre don’t end up getting the recognition they deserve. These titles may be unfairly reviewed at the time or just released at a point where they’re overshadowed by other high-quality releases.
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Players who love sandbox games with engaging gameplay mechanics should make it a point to check out these titles and understand why they’ve developed a cult classic status. Amazing art styles, fun action, and memorable stories are just a few of the many hooks that will compel players to give these titles a second chance.
8
The Saboteur
Color Is Used To Show Liberated And Controlled Areas
Action-Adventure
Open-World
- Released
-
December 8, 2009
- ESRB
-
m
- Developer(s)
-
Pandemic Studios
- Publisher(s)
-
Electronic Arts
The Saboteur takes place in Nazi-occupied Paris, where the Axis Powers have sucked out all the color from the world. This can make for a drab setting, which is why players are encouraged to clear Nazi bases and add fuel to the revolution.
Watching the color seep back into the world makes for a great time as players slowly get into the simple yet compelling open-world structure of The Saboteur. It may not be the most groundbreaking sandbox game around, but the unique setting and striking art style are compelling enough to be worth players’ time.
7
Mafia 3
The Open-World Busywork Is Worth Enduring For The Amazing Story
After the first two Mafia games carved a soft spot in the hearts of fans with their no-nonsense stories that were paced brilliantly, Mafia 3 felt like a step back because of the open-world busywork it forced onto players. Players had to complete a lot of open-world fluff to unlock main mission chapters, which was frustrating for obvious reasons.
However, players willing to deal with these slow moments are treated to an incredible story that’s structured like a documentary. Lincoln Clay is a great protagonist that players will love to control — no matter how brain-dead some of the shootouts and stealth segments can become.
6
Mad Max
Both Hand-To-Hand And Vehicular Combat Are Thrilling
Action-Adventure
Open-World
- Released
-
September 1, 2015
Mad Max is one of the most overlooked open-world games around, with its take on both hand-to-hand and vehicular combat being an absolute joy to experience. The fun players can have as they roam around the wasteland in the Magnum Opus and take out the many raiders standing in their way is really unlike any other game in the genre.
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The narrative may not be anything special, but fans won’t mind as long as they get to whack heads and blow stuff up. The cathartic action coupled with its beloved setting ensures that players love what Mad Max brings to the table.
5
Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora
The Western Frontier Of Pandora Is Jaw-Droppingly Beautiful
- Released
-
December 7, 2023
Ubisoft is at a pretty low point right now, with the mediocre reception to games like Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and Star Wars Outlaws putting their future in doubt. It’s a shame, since players who got over the Far Cry reskin complaints would love how beautiful the game is.
The Western Frontier is full of beautiful visuals that can be emphasized if players make it a point to stifle the human presence as much as possible. Despite its issues, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is a great title for fans of James Cameron’s franchise who want to play an active role in restoring Pandora’s lush wildlife.
4
Far Cry 6
Players Who Manage To Ignore The Copy-Paste Gameplay Will Have A Great Time With This Game
- Released
-
October 6, 2021
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Strong
Far Cry 6 is a video game that was dragged through the mud for lacking any major improvements compared to its predecessor. This is a valid complaint, but players who don’t play AAA open-world games all that often will find a lot to like about this title.
Giancarlo Esposito’s villainous appearances are brief yet tantalizing as players take out his cronies and liberate regions, as one would expect from a Far Cry game. The action gameplay is as satisfying as ever as players either shoot down their foes or operate in the shadows to silently liberate enemy outposts.
3
Days Gone
Turned Its Reputation Around And Became A Great Zombie Open-World Game
Open-World
Action
Adventure
There’s no denying that Days Gone suffered from its fair share of bugs and presentation issues at launch, but a lot of this has been patched out. This leaves players with a great video game that starts slow before slowly introducing players to its many layered systems.
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Players will either love or hate the often rude and sometimes unhinged characterization of Deacon St. John, the game’s protagonist, but the core gameplay loop of taking out Freakers and aiding factions is compelling regardless. Once players are introduced to the Horde mechanic, the game truly opens up as the story wraps its claws around players.
2
Spider-Man: Web Of Shadows
One Of The Better Spider-Man Games That Fans Will Love
Action-Adventure
Beat ‘Em Up
- Released
-
October 21, 2008
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows is one of the most underrated video games featuring the lovable Web-Head. As long as players get accustomed to a battle system that relies heavily on Web Strikes, controlling Peter in both his regular garb and the legendary Black Suit is a blast.
Players form allies as the city of New York is slowly overrun by Venom and the Symbiotes. As the plot grows more complex, players will enjoy some of the best and most ingenious boss fights in a superhero game as they master Spidey’s moveset and smash foes in style.
1
Sleeping Dogs
Embodies The Spirit Of Classic Hong Kong Action Flicks
- Released
-
August 14, 2012
- Developer(s)
-
United Front Games
Sleeping Dogs is an incredible open-world game that deserves way more love. It spawned from the ashes of the True Crime franchise, letting players explore the beautiful city of Hong Kong as undercover cop Wei Shen.
The best part of Sleeping Dogs is undoubtedly its brawling melee combat, which lets players enjoy some cathartic battles where Wei grabs enemies and smashes them to a pulp using a variety of environmental attacks. The entire title aims to elicit the vibes of classic Hong Kong action films, and it succeeds resoundingly, with players loving how cool it feels to perform an action hijack and commandeer vehicles in style.
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