When it comes to open-world games, it can be a double-edged sword. Sure, on paper, having a vast, open sandbox to have your character play around in and have grand adventures in sounds like a fantastic idea, but as you know, its execution can make or break a game faster than a middling story or clunky gameplay.
Still, there is something for everyone out there, and not everyone agrees on what makes a gamegood, not even critic scores. So yes, even games that are universally panned by sites and critics alike can still cultivate a long-lasting fanbase. The games below have survived middling, or worse, game reviews and have become beloved by tens of fans. Maybe you’ll find a new favorite among the mud yourself.
10Risen 3: Titan Lords
Available on: PC, PS3, XBOX360, PS4 (Enhanced Edition)
Depending on which system you get forthis pirate fantasy adventure, your Risen 3 experience will vary wildly, and yet still somehow, at least if the professional review were to be believed, somehow still middling somewhere mediocre. The main complaint? The game didn’t stand out enough from its predecessor, Risen 2: Dark Waters.
Still, through the rough edges, fans enjoyed the worldbuilding and the exploration of the various islands while finding various secrets, and the narrative surrounding the battle for the soul of the Nameless Hero. Sure, you may press Gun to win more than your fair share of battles, but there’s still fun here.
9The Technomancer
Available On: PS4, Xbox One, PC
If you’re the type of RPG player who prefers to skip all the dialogue and just wants to tinker with the mechanics and numbers. This game might be for you. Sure, this game was universally panned for its less-than-stellar story, bland graphics, and lack of overall polish to the narrative.
Despite all that, there are elements of the game that were still deeply enjoyable, such as the crafting system, which directly tied into the character customization and build loadout. It’s a shame that it got buried under low reviews and poor performance;however, for the sci-fi lovers out there, there’s a diamond in the rough here still.
8Deadly Premonition
Available On: PC, XBOX360, PS3, Nintendo Switch
A murder mystery you must solve in a mysterious small town that may or may not be tied to a deadly, supernatural cult? Sign us up!Deadly Premonitionis alove letter to quirky mysteries such as Twin Peaks and Fargobut with the painstaking mechanics of keeping yourself clean-shaven and fed while investigating strange murders in Greenvale.
The story was interesting and had its twists and turns. What drew the ire of both critics and fans was the controls, both in combat and the driving, which you have to worry about the mechanics of there as well. There’s just an abundance of clunk that overshadows an interesting story that fans power through. It’s since become a cult classic over the years.
7Palworld
Available On: Steam, Xbox Series X, Xbox One
As soon as it dropped,Palworldwas immediately divisive. Critics deemed the game as derivative and an almost carbon copy of every survival game and Pokemon. If you were to quickly glance at the game without glancing at it, sure, you could say that. There are creature-catching and survival mechanics, but that feels like doing a disservice by writing it off on that alone.
Just look at how it exploded when it was released in early access! The number of players peaked at 7 million on Xbox alone! Though the game wasn’t without its controversy, it’s still chugging along with free updates and an upcoming dating sim (somehow?) because it brings something fresh that the Pokemon games just aren’t bringing, defying that notion, to begin with.
6Biomutant
Available On: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch
Biomutantseemed like it was full of potential before its release. A beautiful, post-apocalyptic world in which you play a mutated creature that can adapt its DNA at will to your play style and the environment. The world is suffering from the stagnation of war between tribes and the threat of being eaten by Worldeaters, all while you’re at the center.
The premise alone sounds promising, but it wasn’t enough to win critics over. Both the combat elements and the quest structure felt repetitive, with the tribe quests being especially egregious in this regard. Still, fans found the world rich in worldbuilding and worth exploring, despite the setbacks. Sometimes, lore is just worth exploring, you know?
Available On: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Listen, if you were going into a Mad Max game expecting a bustling open-world game filled to the brim with civilization and people, well then, that’s kind of on you, isn’t it? The movies, even the prequels, have made it clear that these desert wastelands are damn near barren if not for the cutthroat tribes fighting to death over fuel and water.
For what it’s worth, both critics and fans eventually came around from their initial lukewarm reception of Mad Max and its barren world and repetitive mission nature. Instead, fans embraced the adventure for what it was: a highly adept car battle simulator.
4Days Gone
Available On: PC, PS4, PS5
What makes a game good? Does the weight of a good game rely more on a deep, impactful narrative, or can engaging gameplay be enough to carry what some have called a tepid story? It depends on who you ask. Those who played the originalDays Gonepraised the gameplay and the sheer number of zombies that would stampede toward you, creating truly terrifying scenarios.
However, when it came to the story, it was a ‘your mileage may vary’ scenario. Some players found the journey poignant, watching a man on a journey of grief, while others, and critics, found the story one-note and a little bland. Days Gone did have enough of a following to garner a remaster, so there’s that, but the future for the series is still up in the air for now.
3Tchia
Critically speaking,Tchiais a case of so close yet so far. There are so many wonderful ideas and mechanics jam-packed into this game: Tchia can shape-shift into not only animals, but objects as well, climb almost any surface you see, or even just relax and play your ukulele if you want.
Even with all that, though, the world still felt empty, with everything spread entirely too far out. Couple that with the bugs at launch, and Tchia had a lot of fighting against them. However, there’s still heart to be found deep within the game, and fans who stuck around through all the patches and hotfixes know and understand this and have come to love this game dearly.
2Sail Forth
Available On: PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
While this game wasn’t originally open world when it was released in 2022, it received a huge update in 2024, opening up its borders and fixing the largest issue that both fans and critics agreed was holding the game back: loading screens breaking the immersion. Sure, there were other issues, but nothing stopped players from having a good time.
This one issue madeSail Forthgarner a lot of unnecessary negative reviews, despite having a lot of other things going for it, such as ship battles, procedurally generated worlds with lots to discover, and overall just great vibes. This is a game that’s still a good cozy buy to pick up and enjoy today.
1No Man’s Sky
Available On: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S Nintendo Switch, VR, PC
Easily the most infamously panned and redemptive game on the list,No Man’s Skywent through the wringer when it was released. It came with a lot of promises that, at the time, it didn’t deliver on; simple things like playing together with a friend or even creature variety between planets.
Looking at it now, you wouldn’t even think it’s the same game. Everything about it has been expanded on or completely overhauled, and every promise that was discussed during its initial development cycle has been delivered and more. A true open-universe underdog victory.
