Summary
- Assassin's Creed Origins broke away from the tradition of its franchise, becoming a successful role-playing game.
- Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor took a huge risk by releasing the game during the hiatus of the Lord of the Rings games.
- Cyberpunk 2077's shift from medieval to futuristic has paid off, establishing it as a genre favorite.
Open world games they are famous for offering players a lot of versatility in terms of the choices they can make, weapons and armor they can use, and NPCs they can encounter for various side quests along the way. While some titles may seem overwhelming, others allow players to take it easy and enjoy the ride.

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Unlike other genres, open-world games offer unique gameplay that, in many cases, players of all ages can enjoy. That said, even with so many options available to both players and developers, sometimes it's necessary to take risks to deliver an unforgettable experience. Here are some the best open-world games that took big risks and paid off.
7 The origins of Assassin's Creed
The first Assassin's Creed game to become a full RPG
- Released
- October 27, 2017
- Deviation from the proven concept of franchising
- The risk of becoming a full RPG paid off in a big way
When The origins of Assassin's Creed was released, Ubisoft took a huge risk by deciding to move away from the classic formula it had followed since the franchise's inception and move towards more RPG-oriented gameplay.
On paper it was always a great idea. However, fans of the franchise were already used to a certain concept that had been present for more than five games, so changing things so drastically might or might have paid off. Fortunately, this decision turned out to be beneficial for the company and the Assassin's Creed franchising.
6 Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
The game was released after the golden era of Lord of the Rings games
- Released
- September 30, 2014
- The combat mechanics are amazing
- Releasing this game in the mid-2010s was risky
Any player in their 20s and 30s probably remembers how great the The Lord of the Rings they were produced between 2000 and 2006. Since the movies were just released at that time, everyone was talking about them and the games sold almost as well as the movies.
While Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor no longer features playable characters, Talion is more than enough to give players full control of this orc-slaying experience that offers exceptional combat mechanics that require quick reflexes and strategic planning.

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However, even this being the case, both Monolith Productions and Warner Bros. took a huge risk by investing so much time and money into a project The Lord of the Rings game during a time when the franchise's video game universe wasn't at its peak.
5 Cyberpunk 2077
A strong departure from The Witcher's medieval theme
- Released
- December 10, 2020
- When Cyberpunk 2077 was released, CD Projekt RED was already famous The witcher series
- The concept of a dystopian futuristic society has nothing to do with The witcherthe medieval setting
When Cyberpunk 2077 was released, CD Projekt RED was already known as the critically acclaimed developer behind it The witcher series, which focuses on medieval settings, magical powers, and all sorts of ancient lore. The success of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt it's a testament to how many players loved this concept, so CD Projekt RED could have stuck with it indefinitely.
And while there's another Witcher game in the works, the developer took a break from monsters, spell books, and fantasy worlds to deliver Cyberpunk 2077which has nothing to do with the previous elements. Going from a medieval setting to a futuristic dystopian society was a very risky move, and although the game had a rocky start, it is now one of the best of its kind. Cyberpunk 2077 It's graphically demanding, so it's not a game that gamers with low-end PCs will enjoy to the fullest. But even when configured at the lowest possible settings, the experience is still incredible.
4 The sorcerer 3
A game that had more than three times the development budget of its predecessor
- The sorcerer 3 it had more than three times the development budget of The sorcerer 2
- The sorcerer 3 positioned CD Projekt RED as one of the most critically acclaimed studios of the 2010s
Continuing with the incredible games released by CD Projekt Red, there is The sorcerer 3. This title not only helped the studio become one of the most popular of the last 10 years, but also gave players the epic conclusion to Geralt's journey. It is estimated that the development budget for The sorcerer 2 it was about $10.5 million and that was more than tripled The sorcerer 3.
While many players argue that this wasn't a risk since the franchise was already successful, it's important to remember this first The sorcerer 3 came out, the franchise wasn't that popular, so things could have gone south very quickly. Luckily, the third installment of the series was a success thanks to its amazing narrative, likable characters, possible evil routes to take, and variety of monsters on the continent.
3 Elden Ring
FromSoftware's first open-world title
- Released
- February 25, 2022
- THE Dark souls games have always been linear
- Elden Ring it turned out to be one of the greatest games of the 1920s
When Elden Ring came out, the Dark souls the franchise was already very popular among gamers and had turned FromSoftware into a critically acclaimed developer. However, as most players know, the Dark souls the games are linear and require players to defeat certain bosses and progress through certain areas to move forward.
Elden Ringon the other hand, it opened up The Lands Between to players, so they could explore them freely with very few limitations. It wasn't clear on paper whether a Soulslike game with an open world concept like this would work, which is why it's safe to say FromSoftware took a huge risk. Luckily, everything went great and Elden Ring is one of the most popular games today.
2 The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
This title broke new ground for the franchise
- Released
- March 3, 2017
- Developer(s).
- Nintendo EPD
- The game retains critical components from the franchise and implements its own
- An extremely fun title with lots to discover
While there is fighting The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildit's safe to say that it doesn't focus on violence as much as the other titles on this list. Instead, it presents players with a friendlier environment that has that classic Nintendo feel.

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While this title isn't the first open-world Zelda game, it took some risks in terms of how the world works, how players can explore the land, and how the game works in general. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild it kept the elements that make its franchise great and incorporated others that were a little risky, but paid off in the end.
1 Red Dead Redemption 2
Rockstar's definitive western story
- Released
- October 26, 2018
- Arthur Morgan's story immediately fascinated players
- The game's budget was reportedly higher than that of some blockbuster films
Rockstar Games is mainly known for Grand car theft and the Red Dead Redemption franchise, although the studio has also been responsible for titles such as Manhunt, Bully, Max Payne 3 and others. Some players claim this is the case Red Dead Redemption 2 it wasn't a risky move, as there was already evidence Red Dead Redemption be successful.
However, it's hard to say that the success of the first game justified a budget of over $500 million for the second game, which is the estimated amount Rockstar spent on both development and marketing. This would put it Red Dead Redemption 2compared to those in blockbuster films like Avengers: Endgamewhich certainly represents a huge risk. Fortunately, its rewards have been enormous, and Rockstar's latest western story is among the most popular games of the last 10 years. Red Dead Redemption 2 it is, without a doubt, one of the most detailed games to date and has an epic ending that will make most players cry.

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