The Most Disappointing Open-World Games Of All Time, Ranked

Everyone who plays games eventually realizes that not every promising title will be amazing. It’s satisfying when a game does turn out to be great, especially when it confirms your initial hopes, but it’s even more rewarding when a game exceeds expectations and surprises you.

Okay, so there are always those games that just don’t live up to the hype, and I’ve noticed it happens a lot with open-world titles. It’s not that these games are terrible, but they definitely disappointed a lot of us. I’m going to rank them based on how bad they were and how much the hype train derailed.

We’re leaving out games that improved significantly after their initial release, such as Cyberpunk 2077 and No Man’s Sky.

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10. Starfield

Not Quite The Next Skyrim

Starfield worked well as a single-player video game. It was a good open-world RPG with satisfying shooting, extensive space exploration, and plenty of ways to customize your experience.

The main issue with Starfield was the high expectations set by Bethesda. They presented it as a revolutionary open-world game, aiming to exceed their popular Fallout and The Elder Scrolls titles. However, Starfield wasn’t necessarily bad; it just felt a little uninspired and didn’t take enough risks, resulting in a somewhat safe and overly serious experience.

9. Pokemon Scarlet & Violet

Gotta Wait ‘Em All

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet marked the beginning of a new generation of Pokémon games, but they had a difficult start. Many players experienced blurry graphics and a slow frame rate, making the launch unusually problematic for the series.

The new games weren’t revolutionary, as the developers didn’t stray far from the established formula and even removed some features from Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Fortunately, a better version is now available on the Switch 2, improving how both games look and perform.

8. Forspoken

Cool Magic, Empty World

Forspoken initially looked promising as a brand new game from Square Enix. It was an ‘isekai’ story – a genre where someone is transported to another world – following Frey, a young woman from New York who finds herself in a fantasy realm with magical abilities. Unfortunately, the game suffered from a weak story and unlikable main character. The open world, while large, felt empty and lacked engaging activities.

Okay, so the magic system in Forspoken is seriously awesome – honestly some of the best I’ve seen in an action RPG lately. It’s a real shame the open world itself just…didn’t quite deliver on what I was hoping for. I’d still say it’s worth checking out if you’re curious, but be warned, it doesn’t quite live up to the hype.

7. Anthem

Fly High

There was a lot of anticipation for Anthem, as it was BioWare’s next major release following the disappointing reception of Mass Effect: Andromeda. Unfortunately, Anthem was even more poorly received than its predecessor.

The game was generally solid – it looked good, was easy to pick up and play, and the combat felt skillful. However, it was missing key features like a large, connected world, the deep role-playing and storytelling BioWare is known for, and enough content, particularly after you finished the main story. Sadly, it’s no longer playable as the game servers are shutting down in 2026.

6. Biomutant

Animal Action

Before its release, Biomutant generated a lot of excitement because it offered a unique take on open-world games. Players had extensive options to customize their animal character and experience a blend of platforming, RPG mechanics, and a vast world to explore.

The game didn’t take off right away, mainly because it needed more refinement. It had several issues at launch, including technical glitches, unengaging characters, and clunky combat. While enjoyable, it didn’t quite deliver the seamless experience players were hoping for.

5. Crackdown 3

Deteriorating Super Soldiers

The development of Crackdown 3 was a long and bumpy road. First announced in 2014, the game would surface with new details only to then fall silent again, creating a pattern of starts and stops over several years.

When it finally released in 2019, the game felt unfinished. It didn’t offer much improvement over the previous two Xbox 360 titles, and while the familiar action was enjoyable, it didn’t justify the long wait.

4. Dynasty Warriors 9

Chinese Mythology On A Grander Scale

Previous Dynasty Warriors games focused on completing specific missions. Dynasty Warriors 9 broke from that tradition by letting players pick a faction and freely explore a large open world. The game deserves praise for its expansive world and the exciting feeling of taking over enemy bases and defeating countless soldiers.

Even as a Dynasty Warriors game, Dynasty Warriors 9 felt unrefined. It lacked polish in areas like graphics and was plagued by serious bugs, especially with quests, which disappointed many longtime fans of the series.

3. Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League

Arkham Has Fallen

Rocksteady Studios successfully created a great Batman game, and followed it up with the acclaimed Arkham trilogy. This led to high expectations for their next project, which was the subject of speculation for years. Finally, in 2024, they released Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, several years after Batman: Arkham VR came out in 2016.

The game didn’t live up to expectations. Unlike the immersive, story-driven Arkham series, it was designed as an online, constantly-updated shooter. Players quickly lost interest due to numerous bugs, uninspired gameplay, and a general lack of compelling things to do.

2. Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint

Caught Unguarded

Following the successful open-world shooter Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands, Ghost Recon Breakpoint offered players a more customizable experience. While it retained the shooting, stealth, and cooperative gameplay of its predecessor, it didn’t quite capture the same strong overall structure that made Wildlands so popular.

The game wasn’t just slightly flawed; the drop in quality was significant. Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint felt more like an unfinished test version than a complete game. Problems with bugs, graphics, performance, and a lack of ongoing support caused the sequel to fail badly.

1. Redfall

Left 4 Vampires

Following the success of Dishonored, Arkane Studios consistently delivered high-quality games, including Dishonored 2, Prey, and Deathloop. Their next major project, Redfall, appeared to be a cooperative vampire hunting game similar to Left 4 Dead, but with a focus on distinct character classes and their unique abilities.

Players ended up with a simple multiplayer game that didn’t live up to the exciting visuals shown in trailers or the quality of previous games from the developers. It’s become one of the worst-reviewed major games in recent years, and despite numerous updates, it never recovered its initial promise.

2026-04-11 00:39