Games with large, explorable worlds have existed since the 8-bit days, but the actual open world formula as we know it really came into its own during the sixth console generation. Games likeGrand Theft Auto 3showed us that a game world could be big, vibrant, and populated all at once.
Naturally, sinceopen world gamescame into vogue and well into the modern day, there have been numerous attempts from every angle, trying to take a shot at the throne, with many not quite cutting the mustard.
10 Best PS2 Open World Games You Need To Play
The halcyon days of the open world genre.
Over the last couple of decades, there have been a plethora of open world action games and RPGs that have tried to take the concept in interesting directions, but either fell short on execution or just didn’t generate much buzz.
Remaking these games completely would be an undertaking, but it would be a worthwhile effort to help diversify thingsaway from just Grand Theft Auto. Here are the open world games we’d like to get another crack at.
It’s kind of surprising we don’t have more games that play on the Mad Max aesthetic of a scrappy, every-man-for-himself post-apocalypse setting, aside perhaps fromFalloutand, obviously, theMad Maxgame. It’s a good setting for an open world, but there’s only one other game we can really think of that tried it:Rage.
This 2011 production from id Software and Bethesda was the very last game to be produced under the supervision oflegendary game developer John Carmack. It’s set ina post-apocalyptic desert wasteland where your only reliable allies are a gun and a car. The game has a big emphasis on vehicular combat, allowing you to customize a ride and take on races and battles around the map.
Rage did okay for itself and even managed to get a sequel, butfor a production with its pedigree, “okay” seems a little lacking. A big complaint from critics was a lack of direction, with the open world being large but functionally empty. Narrowing the scope a smidge might do a potential remake some good.
8Sunset Overdrive
Like A Kids’ Game Show On Steroids
Sunset Overdrive
Remember those game shows that aired on Nickelodeon in the 90s? They were full ofridiculous stunts, bizarre contraptions, and buckets of colorful slime? Well, what if you took all of those elements and combined them with a third-person open-world shooter? You would getSunset Overdrive, emerging from a massive puddle of radioactive goo with a mildly annoying self-aware smirk.
Sunset Overdrive is all about movement and momentum. If you stand still while playing this game, you’re doing it wrong. Whether it’s bouncing off cars or grinding on rails,you’re encouraged to keep up momentum as you travel and shoot, both for your own safety and to build up your Style Meter. As your Style increases, you can use more powerful weapons and abilities to cause gleeful chaos all around you.
It’s not super clear why Sunset Overdrive didn’t do so well for itself, aside perhaps from its mildly Whedon-esque writing full of snark and quips. Barring a few obnoxious missions, the game is generally a lot of fun, especially once you get into a high-speed flow. A remake would only need a few tweaks and maybe a couple of rewrites.
7Sleeping Dogs
Good Dog, Good Dog
Sleeping Dogs
Most open world crime games are set in some manner of western city à laLos Angelesor Miami, and generally deal with equally western crime organizations like street gangs or the mafia. One major game thatattempted to eschew thiswas 2012’sSleeping Dogs, which took us to the streets of Hong Kong and the battles of the triads.
The game has all the usual trappings of a crime sandbox,from driving to shooting to a large city full of various distractions to engage with. The big differentiating factor is a greater emphasis on melee combat, particularly martial arts. In a big punch-up, you may take on a bunch of dudes at once, countering and throwing them in a similar manner to the Batman Arkham games.
Sleeping Dogs was well-liked by the gaming public, butdidn’t meet its sales goals, and was ultimately written off by Square Enix. As Grand Theft Auto games grow in scale (and price), perhaps Sleeping Dogs could be repackaged as a “diet” option for players who aren’t into GTA.
6Watch Dogs
Hacking The World
Watch Dogs
Speaking of open world games with “dog” in the name, 2014’sWatch Dogswas one of Ubisoft’s biggest new IP launches since the originalAssassin’s Creed. This game was slated to be the company’s own answer to the crime sandbox craze, with the focus being on high-tech hacker crime.
While freely roaming throughout Chicago in the not-too-distant future, driving cars and shooting jerks,your secret weapon is your smartphone. Using your phone, you canhack just about any nearby piece of technologyand put it to work for you, such as deploying barricades to stop cop cars or moving cranes to create footholds.
You can also hack and steal information and money from pretty much any pedestrian on the street, though keeping your hacking efforts benign will help improve your reputation with the populace.
7 Open World Ubisoft Formula Games Better Than Assassin’s Creed Shadows
These titles beat Ubisoft at their own game.
Rather than with Watch Dogs itself, the problem is more with its legacy.The original game did great, but subsequent Watch Dogs games, particularly Legion, have shown diminishing returnsas the concept’s been muddled. Reworking the original might help the IP get back in the public’s good graces.
5The Saboteur
Drive Fast, Shoot Nazis
The Saboteur
Many open world games, particularlythose with a militaristic tinge, have some manner of “liberation” mechanic: destroying enemy forces in one area turns that area to your faction’s side and bolsters your presence on the map. One game that did this with a bit of stylistic flair was 2009’sThe Saboteur.
The Saboteur follows Sean, a racecar driver turned espionage specialist against the Nazi forces occupying World War II-era Paris. By attacking Nazi bases and checkpoints, you’ll gradually weaken their forces in the city, liberating its districts from their control.
As districts are freed, their monochrome palettes are returned to color, and French freedom fighters will join you in the streets to drive off any straggling soldiers.
Those who played The Saboteur generally liked its sense of style and overall gameplay, thoughan abundance of technical problems held it back severely. A properly-tuned remake would be a great intersection between open world gameplay and something a little more avant-garde.
4Just Cause
The Long-Forgotten Original
Just Cause
Just Cause 2was a very popular game, with its combination of a large archipelago map and free-flying parachute and grappling mechanics making it a hit with open world enthusiasts. What about the game that came before it, though, the oft-forgottenJust Causewith no number included?
Much like its sequels, the original 2006 Just Cause focused on combining vehicular action withhigh-flying movement, utilizinggimmicks like an instantly deployable parachute and skydiving to launch yourself all over the place. In addition to story missions, you’re able to freely explore the map, taking down bases and generally harassing the criminal cartels to increase your own influence.
The original game had good bones, which is how the sequel was able to build something better. Considering the reception toJust Cause 3and4has been lukewarm at best, rolling things back might benefit the series, though they might want to consider adding some elements from 2 like the grappling hook.
3Red Faction: Guerrilla
Break It Down
Red Faction: Guerilla
In the original Red Faction game,destruction was the order of the day, with its proprietary engine allowing you to blow up pretty much any solid object or terrain. The series’ third entry,Red Faction: Guerrilla, dialed the mass destruction down a bit, refocusing instead on focused, creative destruction.
In Red Faction: Guerrilla,you may’t destroy terrain, but pretty much everything else is fair game. Whether it’s with explosives or your trusty sledgehammer, you can break and break into just about any standing building or emplacement. This gives you some extra freedom in approaching missions; you can just blow up everything with a rocket launcher, but you can also sledge your way into the back of a compound and go the quiet route, relatively speaking.
Guerrilla was the last open world game in the Red Faction series, with the next game, Armageddon, being a strictly linear affair (and also not very good). Guerrilla struck the best balance between open world gameplay and destruction, and would be a good remake subject for refocusing the IP.
2Gravity Rush
Still Waiting For That Port, Sony
Gravity Rush
If you’re not going to center your open world game around cars, you need one heck of a good movement gimmick to make up the difference. Superpowers are always a good candidate for this, andthere are few superpowers as cool as gravity manipulation.That’s what you’ll find at the center ofGravity Rush.
In Gravity Rush,our protagonist Kathas the ability to freely manipulate her localized gravitational pull. She can make herself fall down, up, sideways, or any other way. With this ability, you can freely fall through the air, walk on walls, and perform gravity-weighted flying kicks on enemies.
Gravity Rush was originally released on the PS Vita, then got both a remaster and a sequel on the PlayStation 4. Unfortunately, none of these games did particularly well in sales, which might be because the original was a bit of a niche game released on a very niche platform, which cost it its brand recognition on the PS4. Doing the original again, and making sure it’s multiplatform, may help get it the recognition it deserves.
1The Technomancer
A Name This Cool Deserves Better
The Technomancer
Fextralife Wiki
We don’t claim to know precisely how the entire process of game development works, but we like to imagine that at least a few games must’ve sprung up from really cool names. For example, what’s a cool name to refer to someone who does stuff with technology? Why,The Technomancer, of course.
2016’s The Technomancer wasan open world action RPG in the same vein as Mass Effect or Deus Ex. As one of the titular Technomancers, our protagonist Zachariah can shoot cool lightning blasts out of his hands, which he uses to either help or mess with people, depending on your preferred moral alignment. Build up your party, travel around, beat up punks, you get the idea.
Technomancer has a very cool central concept, and some good technical bones, butit was severely lacking in distinguishing features, not to mention an interesting plot.The setting definitely has some meat on it, so a remake that goes more into what a Technomancer can actuallydocould be something special.
