10 Worst Open-World Games Of All Time

When a whole world of potential goes wrong.

By Josh Brown /

Activision

Ever since Grand Theft Auto III proved how much of an interest there was in sandbox experiences, every studio since has been attempting to capitalise on the boom, resulting in over a decade of diverse, top-tier titles that continue to push the industry forward.

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With that said, in a genre as popular as this where so many different releases have continued to innovate and push boundaries, there have been just as many stinkers acting as cautionary tales of how chasing the open-world dollar can go terribly wrong.

Because despite what some developers would like to believe, building an engrossing sandbox experience takes more skill than just throwing players into a wide open map and letting them get up to mischief on their own. Consequently, throughout the years gamers have had to endure some of the most boring video games ever made, travelling through the same old sterile cities and repeating the same old missions.

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Some of the worst examples of the genre transcend these flaws though, resulting in open world games that weren't only head-bangingly repetitive and boring, but came close to killing the genre altogether.