10 Hidden Gems in Open-World Gaming You Need to Play Now

The open-world gaming genre has gained immense popularity in recent years, as developers continue to push the boundaries and achieve incredible results. Players are drawn to the freedom offered by these games, exploring vast landscapes that have been carefully crafted to provide an immersive experience.

Despite their popularity, many open-world titles are often forgotten, even after gaining a significant following early on. The saturated market makes this expected, but fans of these forgotten games are disappointed that they have seemingly been left behind by the industry.

8 Prototype 2

The follow-up to a remarkable open-world action game, Prototype 2 features superhuman characters with the ability to shift shapes, just like its predecessor. Its violent and intense storyline has garnered a considerable following, particularly with its clever connections to the original game.

Its combat and parkour mechanics are among its strongest points, yet it remains underrated. The protagonist, James Heller, is a standout, and his confrontation with the first game's main character adds another layer of emotional depth to the already gripping plot.

7 Mad Max

Mad Max, a video game inspired by the legendary post-apocalyptic film franchise, was an unexpected hit upon release. Praised for its stunning graphics, thrilling vehicular battles, and distinctive backdrop, the game was initially met with widespread acclaim.

However, despite its promising debut, Mad Max failed to maintain players' enthusiasm beyond its initial novelty. The storyline was simplistic and unremarkable, while the combat system, while solid, was reminiscent of the Arkham series and ultimately failed to distinguish itself in the crowded gaming landscape.

6 Infamous

The PlayStation 3 exclusive Infamous was a hit among gamers, giving them the ability to play as Cole MacGrath, a bike courier turned superhero after an explosive package gives him extraordinary powers. The game provided a thrilling experience with its exciting combat and parkour mechanics. While its two sequels also offered enjoyable gameplay, it's unfortunate to see that the Infamous series has seemingly been forgotten by Sony, despite its dedicated fan base.

5 Spider-Man: Web Of Shadows

Despite being praised as a great superhero game, Spider-Man: Web of Shadows was criticized for its lackluster story and strange voice acting. Set in a world overrun by symbiotes, players could control Spider-Man with a fluid combat system that was quite engaging. However, despite its initial popularity, the game has since been relegated to mediocrity and overshadowed by Insomniac's take on the series.

4 Sunset Overdrive

Insomniac Games, known for their high-energy open-world game Sunset Overdrive, brought their unique blend of third-person shooting and movement mechanics to Marvel's Spider-Man. Despite the colorful and entertaining post-apocalyptic world of Sunset Overdrive, the game's early popularity dwindled due to a lack of realism in open-world games at the time.

3 Sleeping Dogs

Sleeping Dogs emerged as a unique open-world action game that incorporated a hand-to-hand combat system, offering endless entertainment to players even today. The game's car chases were also remarkably thrilling and grand, despite the unconventional driving physics. However, despite its initial success and popularity, Sleeping Dogs has gradually lost its place in the industry and is seldom mentioned as an example of a truly enjoyable video game, disappointing its passionate fans.

2 Maneater

The concept of controlling a man-eating shark and causing chaos in and out of water was a standout feature that Maneater aimed to emphasize to players. While the game executed this idea fairly well, some found the gameplay to be monotonous after a certain point.

Despite not being particularly captivating, players were pleasantly surprised to discover that the developers had put some effort into crafting a story. However, despite initial hype generated by its marketing, Maneater's lackluster gameplay resulted in it quickly fading from the spotlight.

1 Batman: Arkham Origins

Despite not being developed by Rocksteady, Batman: Arkham Origins offers an enjoyable gaming experience. While it may not introduce any groundbreaking features, the game is still worth playing through. Dismissing it due to minor narrative flaws and a lack of innovation does a disservice to this great prequel, which deserves more recognition among the Arkham series.