10 Open-World Games You Shouldn’t Play

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.

We all have limited time, and it’s okay to admit we can’t play every game out there. Before starting a new game, it’s best to really think about whether you’ll enjoy it – that should be the most important factor.

Perhaps it’s practical to think about video games this way. But as we get older and have more commitments, it’s a way to still enjoy them without feeling overwhelmed or losing interest.

If you’re curious about games to steer clear of, or if you’re interested in hearing about some gaming mishaps, I’d like to share ten open-world games you should probably skip.

10. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Respect the Correct Order

Let me be clear: Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is a fantastic game, but you’ll get the most out of it if you go in with the right expectations and mindset.

To truly appreciate this game, you really need to have played Death Stranding first. The sequel builds directly on the original, and a lot of the story, themes, and gameplay won’t make sense without that foundation.

Death Stranding 2‘sinclusion 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’m not going to criticize people who liked Assassin’s Creed Valhalla – I know some really invested a lot of time in it. But sometimes, it’s best to just move on.

Similar to Death Stranding 2, the issue isn’t that it’s a poorly made game, but that it feels stale and doesn’t capture what made the original series so special. It’s as if the core ideas have been exhausted.

While Assassin’s Creed Shadows offers a refreshing change, it feels like a better choice for a modern Assassin’s Creed experience. Valhalla, on the other hand, is a massive game you can easily spend 200 hours on, but you’ll likely forget most of it over time.

Like many Ubisoft games, this title feels technically sound but emotionally flat. Its good qualities don’t quite come together, and ultimately, there are other games – both within this series and beyond – that are a better use of your time.

8. Far Cry 6

Iteration Upon Iteration Upon…

I’d say the same thing about Far Cry 6 as I did about Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: it shows a worrying trend of the developer becoming too comfortable with simply releasing sequels without much innovation.

If you’ve played games like Far Cry 5, Far Cry New Dawn, or even Far Cry 4, you likely won’t find anything new here. This game closely follows the standard Ubisoft formula for open-world games, offering little that feels truly different.

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.

While the concept is interesting, the game itself isn’t very memorable. It’s hard to recommend something you’ll likely forget, both the good parts and the 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.

Having played it myself, I can say that even a strong concept isn’t enough to save Gotham Knights. It’s ultimately a huge letdown, especially for those of us who were excited by what it promised.

6. Crackdown 3

A Bad Time Machine

When it comes to games that didn’t live up to expectations, Crackdown 3 is a major example of why Xbox has struggled to consistently deliver strong first-party games.

Despite a long development, the game felt outdated upon release. It launched at a time when its features and style were already considered old-fashioned, and had been surpassed by newer titles.

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.

It doesn’t take long before the game feels repetitive, and once you get bored in an open world, it’s hard to get back into it. You might even find yourself regretting starting the game after investing many hours.

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.

Okay, so this game isn’t at the top of my list, mostly because I don’t think anyone’s expecting much from it. But honestly, I want to warn people – it’s really not fun to play. I learned the hard way that sometimes those low ratings are there for a reason, and I don’t want anyone else to waste their time like I did!

Okay, I’ll be honest, everything people are saying negatively about this? It’s all true, and probably even understated. There’s just… nothing good about it. Seriously, I’ve been looking for something to like – the fighting, the world, how it looks, the feeling it gives you, even just how well it works – and there’s just nothing that stands out. It’s just… not good.

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‘sopen-world premise was never well-received.

However, the main reason people dislike the new formula is simply that it’s poorly executed. This is largely because the core ideas of this genre don’t fit well with the way ‘musou’ games are typically made.

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

As a big fan of the original Homefront, even though it wasn’t popular, it really bothers me that Homefront: The Revolution exists.

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 game feels a lot like a Far Cry title, but made with a much smaller budget and on a less powerful platform. Those things are really the only reasons the recent Far Cry games haven’t been total misses, and Homefront: The Revolution just doesn’t have them.

Honestly, even if I ignored all the technical issues, this game is just…empty. It doesn’t give you much to do, and after a while, every hour feels like a chore just to find something to keep me playing. That might be okay for a game that’s straightforward, but in an open-world game where you’re supposed to have freedom, it’s a real problem.

2. The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall

An Evident Antiquity

The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall is a hugely important game in video game history and helped shape the role-playing genre, but it definitely shows its age.

If you’re used to playing newer Elder Scrolls games like Morrowind, Oblivion, or Skyrim, going back to the older titles will likely be a really tough adjustment. Honestly, you might even get a headache trying to play for long periods.

There’s no question this game is valuable – it’s full of amazing and innovative ideas that still hold up today. However, it feels so different from newer The Elder Scrolls games that many players might find it hard to get into.

I wish I could have played Daggerfall when it first came out and experienced it as players did back then. However, it’s likely quite different from most modern games unless you use fan-made improvements to help it run better.

If you’re up for the challenge, feel free to try, but for players who want a pure experience of the original game, The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall is very difficult to get working with modern computers.

1. Metal Gear Survive

An Unparalleled Mockery

Often considered one of the worst spin-offs ever made by a major game series, Metal Gear Survive is a deeply disappointing game that many players try to forget.

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.

This game suffers from frustrating survival elements, a repetitive and unrewarding gameplay cycle, and is unnecessarily always online. It’s also packed with annoying microtransactions and excessive grinding – truly, it embodies everything that’s frustrating about modern gaming.

Metal Gear Survive isn’t good – it’s a weak entry in the Metal Gear series and a disappointing survival game. I can’t recommend it to anyone, honestly. The only people who might get something out of it are probably those who make videos playing bad games for a living.

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.

2026-05-22 15:49