As nice as it would be, not every game can get a 10/10 score, and in the open-world space, if your project isn’t a masterpiece, then good luck escaping a mixed reception. There are many great games out there that have been shunned and review-bombed for various reasons, some related to performance, others to gameplay, but when you actually peer past the critical curtain, the experience that exists is way, way better.
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It is nice to only focus on the best and brightest that a genre has to offer, yet taking a step back and enjoying something a little less praised can actually lead you to find some pretty cool games that would otherwise have gone completely unnoticed. At the end of the day, these games show that reviews only tell half the story, and that maybe, a 6/10 can actually feel more like an 8.
“Misunderstood” mainly just refers to their relatively underwhelming review scores; these games are better than a 6 or a light 7.
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Pick two spots to swap before locking in your final ranking.
1
Days Gone
Time Cures All
Details:
- Improved by fixes over time
- Some of the most impressive zombie hordes out there
- Open-Critic: 72
Days Gone received a mixed critical reception at launch, largely due to technical issues and a slow opening act. That initial blow tainted the game’s reputation forever, but after years of updates and even a remake, that lukewarm beginning now feels like a distant memory.
What initially seemed like another open-world zombie game gradually revealed itself to be a surprisingly ambitious survival adventure, with Days Gone‘s standout feature being its massive hordes. These moments transform encounters into frantic battles where only the quickest thinkers can make it out alive. Combined with an emotional story that ties it all together, I would argue that the game is both one of the best games of its era and in the entire open-world genre.
2
State Of Decay 2
A Survival Sandbox Unlike Any Other
Details:
- Unique stories in every playthrough
- Years of post-launch content
- Open-Critic: 69
Critics often viewed State of Decay 2 as a repetitive sequel that struggled to break into new ground, yet when looking at the product that exists today, it couldn’t be further from the truth. Rather than focusing on a scripted narrative, it creates emergent stories through its community management systems, meaning that every survivor, base, and resource decision contributes to a constantly evolving survival experience.
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The game has also benefited from years of substantial updates that introduced new mechanics and quality-of-life improvements that make it feel like a whole new game from the one at release. I went back after playing it many years ago and was amazed by how well it captures the feeling of leading an entire community through an apocalypse, and I, for one, am more than excited for the sequel to drop.
3
Mad Max
Wasteland Carnage At Its Best
Details:
- Exceptional vehicular combat
- Perfectly captures the essence of the universe
- Open-Critic: 69
Mad Max launched in the shadow of several larger releases and, more importantly, received respectable but unspectacular review scores. Consequently, it was largely sidelined over the coming months. The lack of attention aside, many other players and I have come to appreciate just how well Avalanche Studios translated the franchise into an open-world game, from the design of the wasteland to the car combat that infuses every moment with action.
Building and upgrading your vehicle creates a compelling progression loop that keeps exploration rewarding throughout the adventure and also fits the theme of the world without making things too arcadey. If it were released today, I genuinely think it would top the charts and see much higher scores, bringing a level of intensity to the genre that has otherwise been mostly absent in the past decade.
4
Dragon’s Dogma
Way Ahead Of The Curve
Details:
- Incredible combat, engaging even today
- Exploration encouraged organically
- Metacritic: 75 (Base version)
Before open-world RPGs fully embraced player freedom, Dragon’s Dogma was already experimenting with systems that would later become genre staples. Its combat remains exceptional thanks to large-scale monster battles that allow you to climb and attack enemies in creative ways, something that fully encapsulates the feeling of being a fearsome fantasy adventurer.
The world itself also contributes to that sensation, rewarding your curiosity with genuine discoveries rather than outlining basic checklists. When talking about the best RPGs out there, names like The Witcher 3 will always be brought up, but I think that Dragon’s Dogma deserves just as much respect, or at least a lot more love than it previously had.
Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen garnered considerably better reviews, but it tends to still be considered a step below the absolute best open-world RPGs of its era.
5
Mafia 3
Revenge Served Cold
Details:
- A strong narrative grounded with characters
- Compelling protagonist with believable motivations
- Open-Critic: 66
Mafia 3’s review scores were dragged down by repetitive mission structures, and I agree that it was one of the weaker parts of the game, but many people often overlook the quality of the game’s storytelling. Lincoln Clay’s quest for revenge delivers a darker and more emotionally driven narrative than many other games in the industry, and it does so on a larger scale that still maintains a grounded approach throughout.
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I would also say that the setting does a lot of heavy lifting, being a perfect recreation of the 60s, with the soundtrack and atmosphere adding so much to an already immersive experience. Like any game, there are some flaws, but they are more than outweighed by the narrative writing and the dedication to authenticity that is infused into every scene.
6
Far Cry Primal
Experiments Sometimes Pay Off
Details:
- Firearms replaced with tribal warfare
- Immersive prehistoric world
- Open-Critic: 77
Far Cry Primal was initially dismissed by some players as a reskinned version of Far Cry 4, not having a huge amount of content or fresh ideas to really make it feel like a finished product. I, on the other hand, believe it to be one of the better games in the franchise, as by abandoning modern weapons and setting the game in the Stone Age, Ubisoft fundamentally altered the core gameplay in place of something far more interesting.
You spend most of your time hunting and taming beasts, whilst surviving against hostile tribes, but the lack of modernity creates a completely different pace from other entries in the series. Additionally, the prehistoric setting remains one of the most unique environments Ubisoft has ever created, setting it apart from the competition and proving that experiments can actually pay off with the right amount of creativity.
7
Biomutant
Flawed Yet Still Creative
Details:
- Huge character flexibility
- Vibrant world unlike any other
- Open-Critic: 67
I bought Biomutant at launch and experienced many of the same woes that the reviews at the time focused on. There were technical shortcomings and inconsistent storytelling, but once the performance issues were ironed out, you were actually able to experience the game’s greatest strength: the gameplay.
Blending martial arts, mutations, gadgets, and customizable weaponry into a single combat loop, you have a lot of control over how engagements play out, regardless of how many enemies there are or how big the opponents may be. The world also feels very distinctive, sending you to a colorful post-apocalyptic world that is both bizarre and beautiful at the same time, so if you are looking for a unique kind of open-world game that still competes with the top dogs, then I would highly recommend moving past the middling scores and giving Biomutant a try.
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