The open-world genre is an ever-expanding landscape with developers seemingly trying to outdo one another. X game is ten times bigger than Y game and so on. Developers like Rockstar Games even try to outdo themselves with each new release. One could argue that their games are perhaps too big.
That’s the tricky party about creating an open-world. Some companies could make the biggest in the world, but if said world is desolate and without much to do, then one may wonder why a game is open-world in the first place. Is that the kind of trouble these ten games ran into? Let’s find out.
10 The Simpsons: Hit & Run 2
Did You Know Gaming on YouTube recently uncovered Radical Entertainment had plans for a sequel to The Simpsons: Hit & Run. For those who don't remember, this is widely considered one of the best games based on the property.
It apes Grand Theft Auto in a big way. Even though the team definitely had ideas on ways to expand in a sequel, the license went to EA and Rebellion Developments created The Simpsons Game in 2007. Everyone lost out on that deal.
9 Buzz Monkey's Open-World South Park
Also uncovered by Did You Know Gaming, they were able to find out details about a canceled open-world South Park game literally in the same vein as The Simpsons: Hit & Run.
It was being published by Ubisoft and developed by Buzz Monkey Software around 2004 for PS2, GameCube, and Xbox. The game would follow the kids through town on various missions. In the video, Cartman can be seen trying to infiltrate a hospital in order to get a straitjacket.
8 Star Wars Orca
EA hired Amy Hennig from Naughty Dog in order to make a Star Wars title with Visceral Games. Star Wars Orca was canceled in 2017 along with the studio's closing. EA Vancouver took over the project and seemingly rebooted it from a linear construct to one with an open-world element.
How much remained is unclear, but what is clear is that this project was also canceled two years later as of 2019. In Kotaku's investigation, it was discovered that players would assume the role of a bounty hunter exploring mini open-worlds via a variety of planets.
7 Mercenaries 3: No Limits
Speaking of Star Wars, Pandemic Studios can be thanked for developing the original two Battlefront games. Another great shooter in their repertoire was Mercenaries, with the first being released in 2005 and a sequel in 2008.
After the release of their last game, The Saboteur, the developer had to close up shop, canceling not just Mercenaries 3, but a game based on The Dark Knight and an unnamed Wii racing title. There are a few screenshots, a gameplay video, along with a promotional poster left up for this canceled PS3 and Xbox 360 game on Unseen64.
6 The Lord of the Rings: The White Council
EA strikes again, this time with another beloved franchise: The Lord of the Rings. Under EA's publishing rights, they helped make a lot of great games using this iconic license. Unfortunately, The White Council didn't make the cut.
It was being handled by the EA Redwood Shores studio. It would have been an open-world RPG set in The Lord of the Rings universe, but not about any particular main character. Unseen64 has a host of videos and concept art on their website. Announced in 2006 for PS3 and Xbox 360, it was canceled just a year later.
5 Steambot Chronicles 2
Steambot Chronicles is a very niche RPG started by Irem. The first game was released for the PS2 in 2006, with a spin-off for the PSP following in 2008. The full sequel was actually announced in 2006 at the Tokyo Game Show with a little teaser trailer.
Apparently, it would have been more open and action-oriented. The sequel was planned for PS3 and wouldn't get officially canceled until 2011. Unseen64 has compiled what little assets there are of Steambot Chronicles 2.
4 The Getaway 3
The Getaway was one of many Grand Theft Auto clones in the PS2 era. Released in 2002 by one of Sony's internal companies, Team Soho, a sequel would soon follow in 2004. The Getaway 3 was never fully shown off.
In 2005, a tech demo was revealed at E3 but it was never exactly called The Getaway 3. This demonstration was set in London's Piccadilly Circus. However, this might have actually been a teaser for another game, Eight Days, which was also canceled. Here is the trailer in question, making it appear as though both projects shared similar visions and or assets.
3 Crimson Skies 3
Wait, where is Crimson Skies 2? So, this property began as a board game in 1998, which was followed by an arcade and PC port in 2000. To those that don't follow the PC scene, the 2003 Xbox game, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, might have been construed as the first entry.
Work for a third game by the second entry's developer, FASA Studio, began soon after its launch for Xbox 360. For whatever reason, Crimson Skies 3 was canceled without any assets ever being publicly shown.
2 Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned
Along with each release of the films, there was a booty of Pirates of the Caribbean games. As was the case for most licensed based movie tie-ins at the time, these Pirates games mostly stunk. Armada of the Damned, like The White Council, would have been its own thing set in the same universe.
Sail around, explore islands, look for treasure, and level up in this massive open-world RPG. It sounds like a better version of (launch day) Sea of Thieves; unfortunately, this PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 title was canceled in 2010. On the plus side, Unseen64 has archived a ton of its content.
1 Strider
Before Grin closed its doors in 2009, the developer was hard at work on several promising titles. One was a complete reboot, or more like an open-world spin-off, to Final Fantasy that appeared to be more in the Dark Souls realm of games.
Along with that was a Strider reboot planned for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360. This would have been the series' first new game since Strider 2 in 1999. No gameplay exits, but Unseen64 does have some concept art. The franchise was eventually revived in 2014 by Double Helix Games.