In this life, there’s limited time to enjoy the countless video games that interest us, which is why I believe it’s vital to develop the ability to discern which ones to play and which ones to skip.
Hours are finite, and it’s wise to accept that we can’t play absolutely everything, so each game started should be preceded by a conscious decision-making process that prioritizes enjoyment above all else.
Is this a utilitarian way of viewing the art of video games? Probably, but for those of us who reach a certain age and have a certain number of responsibilities, it’s an unavoidable practice in order not to completely lose our taste for this interactive medium.
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For cozy game enthusiasts with open-world ambitions.
So, whether you’re in a situation similar to this humble writer’s or you simply want to read an article about adventures that are best left alone, I invite you to discover these ten open-world games you should definitely avoid.
10 Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Respect the Correct Order
Before you jump down my throat, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is an exceptional game you absolutely must play, but it will only be truly enjoyed under the right conditions.
These requirements primarily involve playing the first Death Stranding, which immediately precedes it, and without which the sequel’s events, messages, and even mechanics lose much of their value.
Death Stranding 2‘s inclusion in this article, therefore, has nothing to do with its quality, which is undeniable, but rather with urging you not to be swayed by reviews and jump straight to the one with the best ratings, as that would be a colossal mistake.
Until you’ve experienced Sam Porter Bridges’ first adventure, it’s strongly discouraged to play the second, both because the original is a revolutionary work of art and because the sequel is much more enjoyable within the context of its predecessor.
9 Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
It Got Out of Hand
I don’t want to be the one to judge those who enjoyed Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, though, having heard it even from those who dedicated hundreds of hours of their lives to it, some ships are better left to sail.
As with Death Stranding 2, its inclusion isn’t because it’s a bad game, but rather because it’s a worn-out and inauthentic version of the franchise’s formula, which has simply run its course.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows partially changes things, and therefore, I think it’s a much more relevant alternative if you want a modern experience of the IP, while Valhalla remains a void you can dedicate 200 hours to and, with the passage of time, not remember even a quarter of it.
As with many Ubisoft works, it’s a situation where its strengths seem disconnected from each other, as if it were a solid title insofar as it meets production standards but lacks soul, so there are games both in the franchise and in others more worthwhile for that same time commitment.
8 Far Cry 6
Iteration Upon Iteration Upon…
If I could repeat exactly what I said about Assassin’s Creed Valhalla regarding Far Cry 6, I honestly would, because it perpetuates the problematic complacency with which the French developer has become accustomed to creating its latest sequels.
In case you have already played Far Cry 5 or Far Cry New Dawn, or even Far Cry 4, believe me, there’s nothing this game can offer you that’s truly different, because it repeats step by step what the instruction manual for creating an open world by Ubisoft dictates.
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And it’s unfortunate, because both the story and the setting offer a lot of potential, though Far Cry 6 fails to exploit the particularities of its context, instead merely sticking to the safety of what the market has already shown it wants.
You won’t have a bad time with it, but those are hours better spent playing any of the previous entries, especially since they feel less worn and retain vestiges of an identity that has gradually faded away.
7 Gotham Knights
Boredom in a Dead City
The idea that there are video games people didn’t ask for doesn’t usually appeal to me because, in a way, developers constantly create games the public doesn’t even have the tools to imagine, though Gotham Knights is an exception.
I completely understand how the idea might sound appealing, but the execution is so devoid of memorability that it’s difficult to recommend a game from which you’ll practically be unable to retain any memory, good or bad.
The city, combat, activities, art design, villains… Nothing connects with the player, and the only way to even consider buying it is by having a friend to play through it completely.
However, and I say this from firsthand experience, even that isn’t enough to make Gotham Knights anything more than what it is: a colossal disappointment for anyone who, like me, was drawn in by the hype of its concept, as that’s the only redeeming quality it has.
6 Crackdown 3
A Bad Time Machine
Speaking of ideas that failed spectacularly to live up to their creators’ promises, Crackdown 3 is among the prime examples of Xbox’s decline as a first-party video game publisher.
After so many delays, what could have been a groundbreaking title became a throwback to the past of video games, as it ended up being released in an era when practically everything the game offered had already been left behind.
Watching everything around you get destroyed is fun, yes, but you can’t build an entire game solely around the notion of seeing walls crumble, and this is sadly what Crackdown 3 relies on, without any creativity to complement the core gameplay.
Monotony quickly sets in, and getting bored so fast in an open world is something you can’t recover from, especially since you’ll spend dozens of hours afterward wishing you’d never started it.
5 Raven’s Cry
Not Even Functional
We’ve complained a lot about Skull and Bones, and rightly so, but its disaster had an unexpected side effect: making us forget how disastrous Raven’s Cry is.
I’m not putting it first on the list simply because I don’t think anyone has any expectations for this game, but it’s worth remembering how undesirable it is to play it, so you don’t have the same bitter experience I did, being guilty of putting too much faith in poorly rated games.
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In this case, every single criticism is more accurate than usual, since it has absolutely no redeeming qualities. Neither the combat, exploration, graphics, atmosphere, technical aspects, nor anything else warrants a good word.
It is, by a landslide, the worst adventure on the list, though it’s hard to expect anything different from a creation that has never received a single positive review. However, if you haven’t heard of it until now, believe me when I say your life is better off if you decide not to investigate it.
4 Dynasty Warriors 9
An Inappropriate Change of Formula
Those of us who are fans of the musou genre are conformists who know what to expect with each new installment, and perhaps it’s because of this mindset that Dynasty Warriors 9‘s open-world premise was never well-received.
Nevertheless, the fundamental reason for the disaffection with the change in formula stems from the fact that it’s terribly implemented, mainly because the genre’s philosophy clashes entirely with the characteristics of musou products.
The combat’s adrenaline is diluted, the missions’ repetitiveness becomes readily apparent, and the lack of substantial exploration becomes logical, and all of this happens because open-world mechanics and musou structures simply don’t mix.
I understand fans of this type of game are very passionate, but coming from someone who’s been playing them for 20 years, trust me when I implore you not to play Dynasty Warriors 9 so you don’t ruin your impression of the series.
3 Homefront: The Revolution
Bland Rebellions
Coming from someone who fiercely defends the first game in the franchise, which wasn’t well-received at all, I have to admit the existence of Homefront: The Revolution pains me deeply.
I thought that, with more experience and the foundation of the first Homefront, the developers could have crafted a more refined title in terms of gameplay, and that they would have made even better use of the idea of staging a revolution in an open world, but nothing could be further from the truth.
The best way I can think of to describe it is as a Far Cry without Ubisoft’s budget or platform, which are precisely the only elements that have prevented the latest installments of the French IP from being complete failures, and which Homefront: The Revolution lacks.
Even if I disregard that it’s technically a mess, it’s the kind of title that offers so little that each new hour becomes a struggle to find reasons to keep playing, which is tolerable for a linear experience but definitely not for an open-world game.
An Evident Antiquity
The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall is a landmark we should value as a fundamental part of video game history and the genre, but its age is painfully obvious.
If you followed in my footsteps and played Morrowind, Oblivion, or Skyrim first, going back and trying to enjoy those 161,000 square kilometers of terrain will, believe me, be such a demanding experience that it will be difficult to finish each session without a headache.
The value is undeniable, as the title abounds in incredible and groundbreaking ideas that still work despite the passage of decades, but the difference compared to more modern The Elder Scrolls entries is so significant that very few will be able to tolerate it.
I would love to be among those who made the journey back in time and were able to enjoy Daggerfall so long after its release, though the odds suggest it’s a type of experience very foreign to modern gaming, unless you use the community modifications that make it more accessible.
In said case, go ahead, but for those who only want to play the authors’ original visions, The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall is a Mount Everest tricky to climb with today’s tools.
An Unparalleled Mockery
Taking home an award as one of the greatest embarrassments a historical franchise has ever produced, Metal Gear Survive is a war crime that’s rarely discussed despite its insulting nature.
After the series’ fifth numbered installment, I can see how the premise of this multiplayer title might be intriguing to explore, but its execution is so vile that it feels like a bad joke designed to annoy Metal Gear Solid fans.
The survival mechanics are incredibly aggravating, the gameplay loop is anything but satisfying, the constant online requirement diminishes its long-term value, the microtransactions are infuriating, the grinding is intolerable… It’s everything wrong with video games at its worst.
Thus, Metal Gear Survive is both a bad entry in the series and a poor survival game, making it impossible for me to recommend it either way. I can’t imagine what kind of player could enjoy this mess, unless they’re a content creator who makes a living by posting videos of themselves suffering through subpar video games.
The only good thing about Metal Gear Survive being so little talked about is that it doesn’t really tarnish the name of the magnificent IP it’s based on, so let’s try to use this piece only as a reminder that it’s better if we don’t talk about it at all.
10 Action Games You Should Definitely Avoid
Sometimes it’s better to listen to advice than to experience things on your own.
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Author: 360 Technology Group
