10 Open World Games That Feel Lifeless

by

To be honest, I’ve poured countless hours into open-world video games, making them my go-to choice. Lately though, I find myself feeling a bit weary exploring these vast landscapes. It seems like everyone is jumping on the bandwagon, and it’s becoming more of a grind than an adventure.

It doesn’t mean that every open-world game is poorly made; some excel in terms of visuals and offer impressive world-building, such as Cyberpunk 2077 and Red Dead Redemption 2. These games are truly outstanding examples of the genre.

Indeed, some open-world games with expansive maps can still appear devoid of life. That’s why I’ve compiled a list of open-world games featuring vast territories that unfortunately failed to evoke a sense of liveliness.

10.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Post-Apocalyptic Hyrule Ain’t It

Although both this game and its sequel offered unique opportunities for creative expression within the open-world genre, I must disappointingly point out that the open world in Zelda: Breath of the Wild seemed devoid of life, despite possibly being designed to feel that way.

Let me clarify, I’m not here to tarnish the game’s reputation. On the contrary, I had a wonderful time during the early stages of playing, experiencing the thrill of taking off with the glider and exploring various NPC settlements, towns, and villages along the way.

In Breath of the Wild (BOTW), a significant portion of its gameplay centers around Shrines, but eventually, they can feel repetitive despite their unique puzzle designs. Additionally, there isn’t a lot of engaging content scattered throughout the open world to keep players captivated.

To be honest, I lean more towards the classic Zelda games because they follow a linear progression. Not only that, but they offered numerous dungeons with challenging boss battles and intriguing puzzles, although some of those dungeons, like the one in Ocarina of Time (Water Temple), used to drive me up the wall.

9.
Biomutant

It Could’ve Been Special.

Biomutant showcased immense promise from the get-go, but the overall response to the game after release was varied among early players like myself. Despite briefly observing its development process, I found the feedback on the game to be quite diverse.

Despite boasting impressive features like diverse factions/tribes, a karma system, and weapon crafting, the game disappointingly lacks excitement due to its expansive yet monotonous open-world setting. It seems to be filled with vast empty spaces or areas devoid of treasures to find or battles to engage in.

Occasionally, the entire scene is stunning with its dense yet decaying forest backdrop, and you’ll enjoy a great deal of initial entertainment for several hours until you inevitably encounter the issue that many similar open-world games often suffer from – an excessive level of monotonous repetition.

8.
Starfield

25 Years Down the Drain

Before the excitement for GTA VI took over the gaming industry, there was a lot of eagerness surrounding Starfield because it was a game from Bethesda that had been in development for 25 years. Given such a long development period, one might expect the game to be exceptional, but did it live up to expectations?

I’m grateful I didn’t succumb to the fear of missing out on this game at launch, as it lacks a compelling open world despite its other attractive aspects. The multitude of procedurally generated planets? They are primarily expanses of monotonous terrain, often featuring the same loop of resource locations or enemy outposts.

In a simpler and more conversational style: Starfield’s storyline and mission structure are quite engaging, but unfortunately, the game world feels dull and repetitive. Even though it boasts some good writing, after approximately 20 hours of play, everything begins to blend together due to repeated building designs and lackluster environment design.

7.
Just Cause 4

Less Imagination For Mayhem

As a gamer during my teenage years, I couldn’t resist indulging myself in the thrilling Just Cause series. I’d momentarily escape reality, unleash chaos in the most outrageous fashion, sink my teeth into the endless side quests, and take my time unwinding with the engaging storylines, particularly in the third game where Medici became my limitless sandbox.

Despite our high expectations for Just Cause 4, unfortunately, it seemed to undermine the elements that had made the series renowned. It diminished aspects such as the destructive physics and striking visuals, opting instead for a grittier atmosphere within its expansive open-world environment.

In Just Cause 4, the game environment seemed devoid of life with a predominantly dull and desaturated color scheme. Although features like the intense weather systems and varied sub-regions were added, they fell flat because the essence of the game itself appeared to be diluted or missing.

6.
Test Drive Unlimited 2

Go Lifeless in Hawaii

During my childhood on the PS2, Test Drive Unlimited seemed like a long-forgotten treasure; fast forward to my teenage years on the Xbox 360, and there it was – the sequel! With nostalgic, over-zealous anticipation, I thought this new game would be even more grandiose than its predecessor.

Warning: I was disappointed right from the start. The Grand Theft Auto-like TDU 2 boasted a vast open world, merging the Hawaiian island of Oahu from the first game with an original interpretation of the Balearic island of Ibiza. However, what stood out most was how dull and uninspired the game felt as a follow-up, visually as well.

I get that the initial installment wasn’t revolutionary, but for a follow-up, it would have been great if the world felt more lively during races. The game only seemed briefly alive in multiplayer mode, which didn’t significantly enhance its overall impression of being just another dull experience.

5.
Hogwarts Legacy

An Uninspired Wizardry Tale

As a fan, I found myself grappling with a conundrum reminiscent of Biomutant – an engaging introduction but gradually becoming tiresome to navigate. Despite the Hogwarts Legacy game boasting a captivating open-world teeming with puzzles and hidden treasures beyond the castle walls, it didn’t quite manage to alleviate my feelings that the world itself was somewhat underwhelming.

One issue I’ve noticed is the limited enemy variety within the game. It got quite repetitive after encountering the 50th troll variant, and even the spider enemies that seem to be repeated endlessly in dungeons or isolated parts of the map felt like they were recycled versions of the same foes.

Instead of finding excitement in events such as the Broom Trials, Dark Arts Battle Arena, and Enemy Outposts, which may provide a temporary adrenaline rush, these activities can quickly become monotonous due to their repetitive mini-puzzles. Despite the allure of cozy villages and towns that appear inviting, Hogwarts Legacy still risks being categorized as a generic and uninspired open-world game.

4.
Horizon Forbidden West

A Visual Marvel With Nothing Behind It

Apologies to fellow fans, but I must say, Horizon Forbidden West is bittersweet for me. Despite its stunningly realistic graphics and a world filled with robotic creatures at every level, it’s hard not to notice that its open-world feels rather bland in comparison to other modern games.

Certainly, the initial game was designed to convey a sense of solitude and desolation through its depiction of a post-dystopian world that has passed. However, I must admit that I had hoped for more interactive experiences and encounters beyond just tribes clashing or machines in the Forbidden Lands, or merely new types of machines hidden in the nooks and crannies, when considering the sequel.

In certain instances during the game, the world can take your breath away, appearing as if it’s the most stunning spectacle imaginable thanks to its intricate dynamic foliage and geometry. However, while I’m impressed by the Decima Engine’s capabilities, what I truly hope for in the third installment is an atmosphere that feels dangerous and immersive to navigate.

3.
Final Fantasy 15

Cross-Country ChocoBros Trip

It may seem blasphemous, but Final Fantasy 15 was my first foray into the series. This sparked my interest to explore the earlier games, from VI to my personal favorites, FFX. Despite my deep affection for FF15, it’s undeniable that the game faced a difficult reception and one of the most troubled development phases.

As a devoted fan, I found myself deeply immersed in the latest installment of Final Fantasy, marveling at the breathtaking visuals provided by the Luminous engine. The narrative and characters were captivating, yet something held it back from reaching its full potential – the lackluster world design of Eos. It felt underdeveloped and uninspiring compared to the rich worlds we’ve come to expect from this series.

Experiencing journeys alongside Noctis and his band of pals on Chocobos or the Regalia can be soothing, but the map seems rather sparse beyond the typical dungeon entrances, boss battles, and Bounty Hunt locations. The world feels less interactive, making it one of the least engaging open worlds to traverse in a Final Fantasy game.

2.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

A Snoozefest Viking’s Tale

As a dedicated fan captivated by Norse mythology and the Viking era, I eagerly anticipated the creative vision that Ubisoft would unveil in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, given my deep-rooted fascination and affection for these intriguing figures of history.

In a somewhat predictable turn, given their less-than-stellar reputation at that point, they devised what might be called their most swollen and unremarkable open-world games to date. Notably, the open world of historical Europe during the Viking age, as depicted in AC Valhalla, was the least captivating map the series had seen up until then.

Apart from the fact that the game’s storyline intentionally extends playtime beyond 100 hours to fully explore everything, the beauty of the landscapes encountered during your journey as Eivor, together with the numerous puzzles and historical details to uncover and engage with, serve as the sole sources of comfort in this world.

Another way of putting it might be: Besides the aspect of constructing and governing your own settlement, or the quick surge of happiness triggered by raiding castles and fortresses with your Viking companions, there’s not much else that stands out. Unfortunately, considering how uninteresting everything else feels, particularly my dislike for its awkward combat mechanics and underdeveloped skill system, it was undeniably the most dull open-world game produced by Ubisoft.

1.
Forspoken

With My Freaking Mind!

Initially, it was quite challenging to approach the topic of the backlash this game faced when it first came out, both in the industry and among audiences. I had hoped it could turn out to be fantastic based on my initial demo playthrough, but unfortunately, it fell far short of my expectations.

In simpler terms, the open world in Forspoken feels incredibly devoid of life. Despite being modeled after popular Isekai anime, it fails to capture even a fraction of the captivating essence these series are known for. The landscape is vast yet empty, with numerous expanses of nothingness, and the side activities quickly become monotonous.

Beyond finding pleasure in the battles and Frey’s enchanting parkour maneuvers, these elements lose their appeal if the world fails to offer any substantial depth. After all, most of it appears to be a repetitive cycle where you gather uninteresting trinkets, open chests, or delve into caves or towers across the immense land of Athia, rather than offering a rich and varied experience.

It was disappointing for us, being fans of both fantasy and realism, that the initial unveiling of the game as Project Athia sparked great curiosity among my friends and me. Unfortunately, what followed was a shallow disappointment and critical failure, causing more damage than help to the open-world genre.

Read More

2025-05-19 18:40