Not every game can be perfect from start to finish. In fact, some of the best titles out there struggle to find their footing until a decent way into the story. Many games struggle with this, as it is hard to keep players invested in the world if those first few hours aren't enjoyable or gripping enough to hold their attention.
Best Games That Survived Disastrous Launches
A bad launch can sink a game before it even gets off the ground, but these games not only survived their bad launches, but are thriving today.
It doesn't matter if the start of the game is boring, takes too long, or is incredibly challenging: any negative sign in those early stages can be enough to turn even the most diehard fans away. However, if they manage to stick it out, they will be rewarded with breathtaking experiences that can't be found anywhere else. They're just hidden under the shell of an otherwise slow and mediocre beginning.
Death Stranding
Beyond Slow-Burning
- Hours of slow walking and cryptic cutscenes with seemingly no connection.
- Unlocking vehicles and other transport options makes exploration less tedious.
Death Stranding opens with long cutscenes, large stretches of nothing, and slow traversal that can feel punishing rather than enjoyable. The early hours are dominated by these moments of isolation, with little payoff in sight, and for many, the opening can be a bit too tedious to handle.
Once the world fully opens up, however, the game enters a whole new realm. New traversal tools are introduced, and suddenly, large spaces become much easier to move between, and the story begins to connect with each new interaction. What begins as a strange, abstract adventure quickly turns into a daring yet unforgettable experience unlike any other game on the market (except for Death Stranding 2, of course).
Red Dead Redemption 2
Trudging Through The Snow
- Heavy tutorials and a long, restrictive prologue.
- Opens up into an immersive open-world unlike any other.
Red Dead Redemption 2's prologue is a stark contrast from the award-winning open-world that follows. Players begin in the snowy mountains with limited movement and constant tutorials that make them feel restricted when they really just want to explore.
CD Projekt Red Thinks Cyberpunk 2077's Terrible Launch Made It a Better Game
One of CD Projekt Red's top members says that Cyberpunk 2077's poorly-received launch ultimately helped make the futuristic first-person RPG better.
Yet if they press on through the boredom, players are rewarded with a detailed landscape full of dynamic NPCs and environments that live and breathe throughout their journey. The story itself blossoms into an emotional roller coaster that stands among the best in the industry and flips all those early impressions on their head.
Persona 5
One Of The Longest Prologues Of All Time
- Constant hand-holding in the early hours.
- Stylish combat and long-term storytelling bring the world to life.
Persona 5’s opening hours are dominated by tutorials, slow social systems, and a heavy narrative setup that limits the player to a strict, scripted path. Many of the activities are cordoned off, and the game's rhythm doesn't really come together until a decent way through the story.
As players progress, the game transforms into an RPG masterclass that is equal parts ambitious and impressive. The combat becomes highly customizable, letting players take control over every encounter and craft them in different ways. By the end, Persona 5 fulfills its promise of being an emotionally charged but mechanically rich RPG that can stand toe-to-toe with the best.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Brutal In the Beginning, Beautiful In The End
- Players starts weak and the combat is incredibly punishing
- Realistic progression makes every milestone feel earned
Kingdom Come: Deliverance takes players on a path from peasant to knight, letting them experience all the weakness and hardship that comes with that journey. Early on, the combat feels awkward and even basic tasks like reading can be challenging, emphasizing the vulnerable nature of life itself in medieval Bohemia.
As their skills improve and systems open up, the game shows its true colors as an immersive medieval RPG that simulates every aspect of existence in the era. The mechanics begin to click as players progress, and the story branches out naturally, never forcing players down a set route and culminating in a powerful yet heartfelt conclusion that sets up Henry for his next adventure.
Yakuza 0
Hours Of Setup Before The Madness Begins
- Dialogue-heavy opening with slow pacing.
- The world opens up with a range of insane side quests that completely change the feel of the combat.
Yakuza 0 starts players off with limited combat options and a more restrictive exploration style that removes the chaos many have come to expect from the series. The early chapters focus heavily on narrative setup, which can feel overwhelming for players unfamiliar with the tone and density of the franchise's world. The time it takes to surpass those hurdles can be too much for many to cross.
8 "Bad" Games That Have Aged Absurdly Well
First impressions aren't everything, and these games have proven that by aging remarkably well despite a bad first impression.
However, with a full set of moves unlocked and more locations to explore, the world becomes a sandbox for action, and even side missions can feel just as rewarding as the main quest. The story unfolds at a more organic rate later on, turning into a gripping crime epic filled with unforgettable character arcs and moments that will have players desperately coming back for more.
Dragon's Dogma
Turning Many Players Away From The Start
- Generic fantasy tone with confusing systems.
- Exceptional storytelling that spans the entire playthrough.
Dragon’s Dogma takes a pretty generic approach to introducing its world, giving players some basic combat mechanics and repetitive quests that don't position it as anything beyond an average fantasy RPG.
Then, as new vocations unlock and high-level monsters emerge, the game’s combat turns into something extraordinary, letting players take on and scale massive enemies, all in gorgeous cinematic fashion. The narrative also takes a shocking philosophical turn late in the game, completely recontextualizing the adventure and flipping initial perceptions on their head in every way possible.
Okami
Gorgeous Yet Exhausting
- Excessive text that makes tutorials drag on.
- Environments later become a playground no longer limited by instructions.
Okami opens with an extremely long tutorial section filled with constant interruptions and minimal mechanical depth, which makes appreciating the beautiful artstyle challenging. The initial hours are heavy on dialogue and light on meaningful player freedom, and they often force many players away before the awe can truly take over.
Moving past the sluggish opening, players are presented with a stunning action-adventure epic that grows more expressive and vibrant with each passing moment. The puzzles become more intricate and engaging, the combat feels fluid, and the story flows with the action perfectly, leading to a payoff that is emotional and deeply memorable.
Driver
Defining Barrier To Entry
- Absurdly difficult tutorial section.
- Revolutionary driving mechanics and cinematic sequences that were ahead of their time.
Driver’s infamous garage tutorial is one of gaming’s most punishing openings, demanding advanced driving maneuvers with almost no instruction. Many players never made it past this opening hurdle, despite the rest of the experience being exceptional, and its reputation is often far more negative than it truly deserves.
Once that initial barrier is cleared, Driver reveals itself to be a wildly ambitious open-city driving game well ahead of its time. Realistic vehicle handling, cinematic car chases, and large urban maps create a pure getaway fantasy unmatched in its era. The opening now feels like a misplaced gatekeeper to a foundational title that defined an era of modern driving games.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
A Lot To Learn All At Once
- Starts very slowly without much hope of expanding.
- Unmatched quest and narrative design kicks down the door as soon as the tutorial is over.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt opens in White Orchard, a tutorial-heavy region that places a heavy emphasis on following the beaten path and learning the basics in the way the game intends. This pacing style makes a lot of the early encounters feel stiff, and the narrative comes off as pretty basic, despite its supposed acclaim.
Yet, as the story moves into the larger cities of Velen and Novigrad, the game’s true scale becomes apparent. Players will quickly find themselves embroiled in an interconnected web of questlines, all overlapping and feeding into one another, and the combat evolves into a creative experiment that is only limited by the player's imagination. The start may be a walk, but by the end, players will be flying sky-high.
Assassin's Creed 3
Significantly Delaying The Action
- Delayed access to the main protagonist.
- Large-scale battles that give the game a unique identity within the franchise.
Assassin’s Creed 3 begins with hours of historical setup before the true protagonist even becomes playable. The early narrative focuses on Haytham Kenway, who is a compelling character in his own right, but without the traditional assassin gameplay, many players feel frustrated after expecting an immediate sense of freedom.
When the story fully begins, the world expands into an ambitious landscape full of intense battles and engaging quests that will have players on the edge of their seats. Even with the slow opening, AC3 remains one of the best entries in the franchise and a great example of how compelling stories are often most rewarding when experienced gradually rather than with the payoff coming right at the start.
Open-World Game Franchises That Are Effectively Dead
Despite their strengths and plenty of promise, some open-world series are very unlikely to make a comeback.