The implementation of open-worlds in gaming saw a huge rise during the eighth generation of home consoles, with games like Skyrim, Minecraft, and GTA V from the seventh generation paving the way. Open-worlds offer players an incredible level of freedom with a license to explore the map's secrets and side quests; appealing to players who grew tired of linear stages littered with invisible walls.
Despite the many upsides of open-world games, there are also several drawbacks. Many open-world games have been criticized for having numerous glitches, poorly formed stories, or weak side-quests that feel like afterthoughts. 2020 has once again seen many open-world games release that failed to live up to their high expectations, as well as some excellent titles that were overshadowed due to how crowded the genre has become.
10 (Too Much Love) Maneater
Maneater was released in May 2020 and is a classic case of a great idea lacking great execution. The open-world game takes players underwater and puts them in control of a bull shark looking for revenge on a mother-killing hunter.
The game struggled to impress critics, exemplified by its Metascores that range between 68 and 71. Along with some typical open-world technical issues, the game suffered from a poor camera and weak combat.
9 (Not Enough Love) Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Spider-Man: Miles Morales narrowly makes it onto this list as the excellent action-adventure game did sell well and received plenty of plaudits; though it earns a spot on this list as it somewhat fell through the cracks of the gaming industry's main attention due to other key news like Cyberpunk 2077's delay, the PlayStation 5's dodgy launch, and Microsoft's acquisition of Bethesda, taking the limelight.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales probably won't be listed among the PlayStation 5's very best titles once its lifecycle comes to an end, though it's a brilliant game that deserved time in the spotlight which it never truly received.
8 (Too Much Love) Watch Dogs: Legion
For the third time in a row, Ubisoft has struggled to live up to the high expectations that its latest Watch Dogs title has received.
When the original Assassin's Creed game hit shelves, it was seen as a disappointment but one with tons of potential; the series' potential was realized with the next entry, Assassin's Creed II. Sadly, the Watch Dogs series still hasn't had its Assassin's Creed II moment, and with three lackluster releases in a row, Ubisoft may be ready to pull the plug.
7 (Not Enough Love) Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
Xenoblade Chronicles was originally released on the Nintendo Wii in 2010 and has the console's joint-seventh highest Metascore at 92.
The game was remastered on the Nintendo Switch in 2020 but sadly struggled to capture the attention of the industry. Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition is an excellent example of how remasters should be done as it makes a generous amount of changes including a remastered soundtrack, improved interface, and adds a new scenario.
6 (Too Much Love) Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Like most Assassin's Creed games, there's a lot to love about Assassin's Creed: Valhalla. However, another similarity that it has to Ubisoft's juggernaut series, is that if you've played one you've basically played them all.
Ubisoft found joy in CD Projekt's misery when the Polish company's delay of Cyberpunk 2077 handed an audience to Assassin's Creed: Valhalla on a plate. Valhalla undoubtedly would have still succeeded without Cyberpunk 2077's delay, though it's hard to deny that it gave the game an extra dose of attention that it wouldn't have received otherwise.
5 (Not Enough Love) Ghost of Tsushima
Sucker Punch Productions' Ghost of Tsushima was released exclusively on the PlayStation 4 in July 2020.
The reason why the game appears in the Not Enough Love category is that it was frequently overlooked by award panels. Ghost of Tsushima was nominated for numerous highly-regarded awards such as The Game Awards' Game of the Year and Best Action/Adventure Game, as well as Golden Joystick's PlayStation Game of the Year. Sony Interactive Entertainment may be wishing that they released the game a different year as all three awards went to Naughty Dog's divisive sequel to The Last of Us.
4 (Too Much Love) Immortals Fenyx Rising
The idea behind Ubisoft's Immortals Fenyx Rising was formulated during the development of Assassin's Creed Odyssey when a glitch caused the characters to have a cyclops-like appearance.
Immortals Fenyx Rising received plenty of attention from gamers without a Wii U or Nintendo Switch when it became clear that the game was trying to emulate the success of Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Sadly, the lofty expectations proved to be out of reach for Immortal Feynx Rising, which was certainly not a bad game but failed to impress nonetheless.
3 (Not Enough Love) Ori and the Will of the Wisps
The Metroidvania genre saw an unexpected resurgence in the mid-2010s, with excellent games like Hollow Knight, Ori and the Blind Forest, and Dead Cells breathing new life into the once-forgotten style of game.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps differentiated itself from its predecessor with its open-world mechanics, a rarity of the platforming genre. Developer's Moon Studios filled their excellent Metroidvania map with tons of side quests that encouraged players to explore every inch of the game's beautiful but dangerous world.
2 (Too Much Love) Cyberpunk 2077
Many people guessed that Cyberpunk 2077 wouldn't live up to the extreme hype behind it, but not many predicted the utter disaster that the game's launch truly was.
Alarm bells soon started to ring when CD Projekt only allowed critics to review the PC iteration for the game. Fears were temporarily subsided when the game's initial Metascore reached an excellent 91, though everything came crashing down shortly after. It soon became apparent that the game was unfinished, and negative feedback from fans and critics began flowing when the console iterations hit stores.
The game now has a PC Metascore of 86, with PS4 and Xbox One scores of 55 and 61. CD Projekt and CD Projekt Red could still save the game with a No Man's Sky-like resurgence, but as it stands Cyberpunk 2077 appears to be yet another example of why games shouldn't be overhyped before releasing.
1 (Not Enough Love) Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Unfortunately, almost every Yakuza game could be classed as not getting enough love when releasing in the west. The series doesn't hide its Japanese influences to appeal to western audiences like many games and instead opts to embrace them. As well as being centered around the Yakuza, a real criminal organization in the country, the game lets players partake in common forms of Japanese entertainment, such as Karaoke, which is extremely popular in the Asian country.
Yakuza: Like A Dragon is yet another excellent entry into the series that has engrossed players with its story-driven experience.