“Mostly Positive” Open-World Games On Steam That Are Much Better

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For a long time, Steam has been the go-to platform for PC gaming. Many players primarily buy games on Steam, even if they’re available on other stores like Uplay or the Epic Games Store. Because of this strong loyalty, Steam user reviews have become a key factor in many gamers’ purchasing decisions. While these scores aren’t always perfect – review bombing and unreliable reviews can skew the results – they still offer a quick way to understand what other players think, including what’s good, what’s bad, and any technical problems a game might have.

It’s important to remember that average game scores don’t always tell the whole story. What one person dislikes, another might love, and everyone has different tastes. Plus, games often improve after a shaky start, meaning some fantastic titles can be overlooked and have lower ratings than they deserve. We’re taking a look at some excellent open-world games on Steam that might surprise you – they could be a perfect fit even if their overall rating is just “Mostly Positive.”

As of February 2026, Steam user reviews for these games are available in English only. A “Mostly Positive” rating means that between 70% and 79% of users have left positive reviews.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint

Steam Rating: 72% Positive

Ghost Recon Breakpoint often gets criticized, and it didn’t quite live up to the success of its predecessor, Wildlands. However, Breakpoint still offers an incredibly expansive and flexible open world. If you enjoy realistic, tactical shooting and a huge playground to explore, it’s a great choice for open-world enthusiasts.

Ghost Recon Breakpoint has improved significantly, responding to what players wanted. It now features two different ways to play: a classic looter-shooter experience and a more traditional Ghost Recon style. This makes it a very adaptable game where you can customize everything from how guns handle to the difficulty and survival aspects. The game’s huge map provides over a hundred hours of content, letting you play at your own pace, either alone, with AI teammates, or in squads of up to four players. However, don’t expect a compelling story.

STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl

Steam Rating: 77% Positive

The rating for STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is likely to improve as updates address issues from its initial, rocky launch. Many negative reviews focused on technical problems and frustrating enemy respawns, which didn’t live up to the expectations set by the original games’ innovative A-Life system. After several significant patches, STALKER 2 is now much more enjoyable. Importantly, the game offers a unique open-world shooting experience with captivating gameplay and a fantastic atmosphere that truly captures the spirit of the classic STALKER series.

Exploring and surviving in the Zone is genuinely exciting when things go well, offering constant challenges, surprising finds, interesting missions, and realistic characters. Powered by Unreal Engine 5, STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is visually incredible – one of the most beautiful open-world games available today – and perfectly captures the Zone’s unique, gritty, post-apocalyptic atmosphere. It’s a world players will likely get lost in for hours, constantly searching for valuable artifacts and the best equipment hidden throughout abandoned locations.

Outward Definitive Edition

Steam Rating: 73% Positive

Despite being a truly unique open-world game, Outward hasn’t received overwhelming praise on Steam. It’s more than just another RPG; it’s a deeply immersive survival experience where every game feels different. With unpredictable challenges and the possibility of real defeat, Outward’s world of Aurai is fascinating to explore due to its own set of rules. Everything feels dangerous – not just monsters, but also harsh environments, illness, and even basic survival needs. The game’s constant auto-saving means you can’t undo mistakes, forcing you to accept the consequences of every choice you make.

Outward is a tough game that takes time to learn, demanding many hours of play in difficult environments to master its systems. This complexity might be why it has a mixed rating – some players may find it too different from typical open-world games and give up quickly. However, if you’re looking for something unique, Outward could be perfect for you. It’s very adaptable, letting you play alone or team up with friends, even locally on a split screen.

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Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Steam Rating: 78% Positive

Despite launching during a challenging period for Ubisoft, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a surprisingly strong game. While not flawless – and what Assassin’s Creed game has been perfect in the last ten years? – it truly shines. The game is visually stunning, offering a next-generation experience with its detailed and lively recreation of Japan, and it runs smoothly. The dual-protagonist system, featuring the shinobi Naoe and samurai Yasuke, works exceptionally well, providing engaging combat and stealth gameplay across a large and varied map.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows improves on previous games by giving players a lot of freedom in how they approach missions and explore the world. You can generally go anywhere and eliminate targets however you choose, which feels liberating. However, this open-ended approach does come at the cost of a weaker central story compared to other Assassin’s Creed games. Despite this, it’s a fun game, and you shouldn’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Mass Effect: Andromeda

Steam Rating: 73% Positive

Mass Effect: Andromeda faced high expectations following the critically acclaimed original trilogy. While it didn’t reach the same narrative or emotional peaks, and launched with some issues, the game offers a compelling open-world experience with a fresh cast of characters. Over time, many players have revisited Andromeda and recognize it as a worthwhile adventure that deserves a second look, and its reputation is improving.

Players will discover a vast new galaxy filled with interesting planets to explore, along with likable characters and thrilling combat – a definite highlight of the Mass Effect series. Mass Effect: Andromeda successfully blends the familiar elements fans love, like driving a rover, with its own unique style. The game’s biggest weakness is that many of its side quests aren’t particularly engaging, often feeling like simple tasks between the more important story missions.

Tom Clancy’s The Division 2

Steam Rating: 79% Positive

When it comes to open-world games with overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam, The Division 2 consistently ranks among the best, and it’s proving that again now. Even after several years, it remains a top-tier open-world looter-shooter, offering a compelling story mode that’s great for solo players (though the endgame is quite difficult), plus a diverse selection of cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes. With so much to do, new players can easily spend hundreds of hours enjoying The Division 2.

The core gameplay of The Division 2, including its combat and gear system, is excellent. What really stands out, though, is how well the game builds its world. Every location—buildings, rooms, labs—feels like it has its own story to tell. The game features a detailed world with various factions and expeditions to different parts of a post-pandemic America, extending beyond Washington DC. These creative missions and scenarios elevate The Division 2 beyond a typical open-world game with repetitive tasks.

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2026-02-24 08:35