Top 10 Underrated Open World Games

Top 10 Underrated Open World Games Los Santos and San Andreas are not the only cities worth exploring. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Underrated Open World Games . For this list, we're looking at open world games that, either critically or financially, which fell by the wayside. While the full package will be considered, the open world itself takes priority.

#10: “Mad Max”

“Mad Max: Fury Road” captured lightning in a bottle, so the stand-alone game released around the same time had big shoes to fill. Critics generally found Avalanche Studios' title to be nothing more than okay, but most praised the gorgeous open-world for capturing the atmosphere of the films. Mad Max is littered with side-quests and busy work, with the main plot focusing on Max building his Magnum Opus. Vehicle combat is an absolute blast and Mad Max shines when the player is allowed to roam the wasteland from behind the wheel.

#9: “Retro City Rampage”

Pop-culture references, the video game. Set in the city of Theftropolis, Retro City Rampage is reminiscent of Grand Theft Auto's earlier top-down games. A love letter to the 1980s, Vblank crafted an open world that is packed with adventures inspired by the 8-bit era. Theftropolis mixes massive skyscrapers with dive bars, offering players a ton of options on how they would like to proceed. With around 50 story missions, responsive gameplay, and an easily annoyed police force; Retro City Rampage is the ideal choice for gamers who miss GTA's pre-3D titles.

#8: “Ultimate Spider-Man”

Like their movie counterparts, Spidey's video game adventures can be hit or miss. Ultimate Spider-Man had the misfortune of following the awesome Spider-Man 2, a game boasting an impressive open world. Straying away from Sam Raimi's films, Ultimate Spider-Man goes for a more comic-book aesthetic. Players can control both Spidey and Venom, with the latter changing up the gameplay. Web-slinging across Manhattan and Queens is smooth as hell, as Peter races from one crime scene to the next to fight an array of classic villains.

#7: “Red Faction: Guerrilla”

As the third entry in the franchise, Red Faction: Guerrilla drops gamers onto a war-ravaged Mars in the year 2125 and gives them the tools to blow some shit up. Divided into six sectors, Guerrilla's open world directly impacts the storyline, as main quests only unlock after Alec Mason sufficiently weakens the Earth Defence Force's control on that sector. With a variety of main and side quests and the ability to destroy enemy structures and buildings, Red Faction: Guerrilla prioritizes creative freedom, allowing the player to approach a situation in whatever way they see fit.

#6: “Driver: San Francisco”

An open-world racing game done right. After the underwhelming second and disastrous third entry, San Francisco arrived a little too late to save the Driver series. In a move that is equally silly and brilliant, the protagonist is in a coma for the majority of the storyline, which triggers an ability that allows gamers to jump from one car to the next at the click of a button. With over a hundred licensed cars and no on-foot sections, San Francisco's sprawling environment cuts out any of the unnecessary fat and offers an open-world defined by complete freedom.

#5: “Mafia II”

A mafioso's life is hardly fun or endearing, a fact reflected in 2K Games' action-adventure title. Mafia II takes place in a fictionalized version of New York City with era-appropriate cars and music. Set in an extremely detailed and story-driven open world, Mafia II opts for immersion rather than freedom, with practically no side activities to distract from Vito's journey. Empire Bay acts as a gorgeous but somber backdrop, with players needing to keep their nose out of trouble to avoid attracting unwanted attention. This includes driving under the speed limit and stopping at traffic lights.

#4: “Dying Light”

Exploring a world is only fun with the right mechanics. Techland's Dying Light learned from Dead Island's mistakes by ramping up the difficulty curve and establishing a parkour system that makes traversing the urban environment a delight. With a dynamic day and night cycle, Dying Light is a pure survival game, one that punishes players for being unprepared when heading out into the zombie-infested city. Platforming feels amazing in Dying Light, especially once the grappling hook is unlocked, allowing the protagonist to catapult up rooftops or the side of buildings.

#3: “Sleeping Dogs”

Irrelevant to its setting or gameplay, any modern open-world crime focused game will always be compared to Rockstar's franchise. Sleeping Dogs took a risk by moving away from Western culture to tell a story set in Hong Kong. Stepping into the shoes of Wei Shen, an undercover cop infiltrating the Triad, Sleeping Dogs is a bit more character driven than GTA and does not reward players for causing unnecessary mayhem. While the driving mechanics are only okay, United Front added neat little touches like hijacking a car in mid-action, and the focus on hand-to-hand combat is a welcome change of pace.

#2: “Yakuza 0”

Once in awhile, a yakuza member just wants to beat teenagers in a slot car race and sing karaoke. Yakuza 0 is an insane ride through 1980's Tokyo, one packed with punks to brawl with and quirky places to visit. Sega's storyline plays it relatively straight, but the explorable open-world and ludicrous side quests break up the monotony. In terms of scale, Yakuza 0's world is small but densely populated, with arcade-like mini-games that are well thought out and unique. Yakuza 0 feels like a celebration of gaming culture and serves as the perfect entry-point into the series. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

#1: “Sunset Overdrive”

Tired of gritty post-apocalyptic worlds? Than Insomniac Games has your back! An Xbox One Exclusive, Sunset Overdrive looks and plays like a deranged cartoon, complete with a Saturday-Morning corporate villain. Sunset City is overrun by energy-drink obsessed mutants, and the only way to save the day is to blow shit up. While shooting is fun and varied, Sunset Overdrive's platforming mechanics steal the show, with the player gliding on rails to move through the colorful world. From the awesome aesthetic to the responsive and addictive gameplay, Sunset Overdrive should have been a system seller for Microsoft's latest console.