Best Open-World Franchises That Were Killed Off Too Quickly

Open-world game franchises often seem quite impervious to the passing of time, with some games quickly becoming classics and still having lots of hours of fun to give back to the gaming community. When talking about this kind of game, players often think about huge maps to explore, with lots of points of interest to visit — or sometimes, even wide areas with nothing but desert-like plains, with a huge mutant monster roaming around, ready to blindside us.

So, with so much content to offer, and so many things to do, it's natural to think that at some point, these franchises keep growing and expanding, releasing more games, with modernized graphics and a new story to tell. However, more often than not, these franchises are killed by their producers for reasons gamers might not understand completely. This list will explore eight open-world franchises that have been killed by their publishers — from the natural heir of one of the best racing games ever made to a masterpiece that depicted the criminal gangs of Hong Kong like no other dared before.

8 Burnout

It Was Meant To Race Forever But Got Out Of Track And Crashed Into Oblivion

Burnout Paradise had it all: a huge open-world map to explore, incredibly difficult circuits, great AI, and most importantly — realistic physics. So, imagine players' shock when they found out there wouldn't be any other Burnout game after that. Aside from the remastered version of Burnout Paradise in 2018, the franchise has been on ice ever since (though hope blooms eternal).

The original game was quite good. And the remaster? Even better. So, why has Burnout been forsaken ever since? It's been more than six years since the remastered release, and still no news of the next iteration in the franchise. Last official news was in 2022, when Kieran Crimms, creative director for Need for Speed Unbound, confirmed that there are no plans to return to the franchise, and ever since: radio silence.

7 Mad Max

A Great Idea Based On Another Great Idea. Why Did It Fail?

When someone says Mad Max in a conversation, many heads will turn around, because this franchise is quite popular, and despite recent criticism of the continuation of the series (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga), the newer movies have proven it has enough traction to make it in the gaming space. So why is it that the Mad Max games ceased to be an option for Warner Bros and Avalanche? The game was fun — filled to the brim with the franchise's distinctive lore — and crafted by respectfully using the source material. But, the critics at that time said otherwise: the game wasn't up to standards, and it received average reviews.

Despite its more than obvious technological disadvantages, it is a good game, and clearly underrated. It's been over nine years since its release, and no news of a possible continuation for the series — or any separate Mad Max games to speak of. If gamers could try it today and see for themselves the potential behind this game, would the devs give it another chance? Perhaps... Or perhaps Mad Max was destined to be buried under the sands of the wastelands.

6 Batman: Arkham

The Best Batman Series Deserves To Be Continued

With the release of Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, many fans of the Arkhamverse have been wondering what's going on with the series they love so much. Batman: Arkham Asylum marked a before and after in how developers look at superhero games, and helped pave the way for many franchises that ended up becoming stagnant themselves. And now gamers are here, nine years after the release of Arkham Knight, stuck with no Batman: Arkham game in sight, and with the series ending in a brutal cliffhanger that left fans spinning around like a Batarang.

Naturally, this is a great loss for open-world game fans, especially those that also enjoy superhero games and the exploits of the caped crusader . Is it possible that the series is dead for good? With the mixed-to-poor reception of Suicide Squad, many players hope that Rocksteady's next stop might just be back to its Batman: Arkham roots, but time will tell.

5 Dead Rising

The Disassembly Of Its Development Studio Does Not Bode Well

Dead Rising has always been an interesting game, especially from the point of view of those who love great Zombie games. Dead Rising is known for a zany sense of humor, a great number of weapons to try, and dynamic combat using whatever players find at their disposal to cull the undead in the most unusual and flashy ways. With the most recent release of Dead Rising Deluxe Remaser, one would think this franchise is alive and kicking. But, the truth is, these open-world games have ceased to be a priority for CAPCOM.

Even if a remaster has just hit the stores, there's a clear statement from Capcom that says they are not going to dedicate more time to this franchise. Ever since Capcom Vancouver was shut down, alongside their mainline projects and the team disassembled, there hasn't been any public reconsideration from the publisher to resume producing games for the franchise.

4 Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning

It Was Too Ahead Of Its Time And Launched In The Worst Possible Release Window

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning was a beautiful game, with an incredible setting filled to the brim with enticing lore created by Todd McFarlane — and with an incredibly dynamic combat system. Nearly 12 years ago, this game hit the stores at a time when gamers were still processing The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. With a huge open-world map to explore, and several other maps added with the DLCs, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning deserved to be the first of many, but something went wrong.

Sadly, in the year it was released, it had to compete with dozens of other launches, like Mass Effect 3, Borderlands 2, Dragons Dogma, Assassin's Creed 3, The Walking Dead, Dishonored, Diablo 3, and many others. So, a game that was brighter than most, and that was a love letter to fans of the RPG genre, got outshined by so many heavy-hitting titles. It received a remaster of sorts in September 2020, titled Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning, but it was already too late: gamers and critics didn't appreciate a nearly ten-year-old game in an age where graphics and gameplay are practically 80% of the score.

Amalur was a great game, criminally underrated, that suffered from plain bad luck due to its untimely launch. Its franchise hopes died with it — or so it seemed; there are many rumors about a possible sequel ever since the remaster launched.

3 Days Gone

It's A Good Zombie Game But A Bad Open-World Game

Days Gone has its fans — and also its detractors. Quite a controversial game from wherever you look at it, this post-apocalyptic open-world zombie survival game developed by SIE Bend Studio and published by Sony Interactive collected a Freaker Horde of very critical reviews. But, is it due to it being a bad game? Or was it something else entirely? The truth is that Days Gone came at a time when two cosmic forces collided: zombie game fatigue and open-world game fatigue, all in the same combo.

Players were tired of both of these premises, and when Days Gone presented itself as an atypical zombie survival with an open-world post-apocalyptic setting — and being a console exclusive to top it off — fans of the genre were not pleased. Was this enough to kill Sony's interest for a franchise? The answer is obviously yes. Since the game failed to meet the expectations of many critics and gamers alike, it was destined to languish deep in Sony's roster of left-behind games. Though with the recent rumors of a Days Gone remaster, there's always a flicker of hope.

2 L.A. Noir

No Other Detective Game Dared To Imitate Its Greatness

L.A. Noir is a work of art. No matter how you look at it, this game was what many fans of the sleuth genre had been looking for for years. Set in Los Angeles in an infamous era (1947), L.A. Noir sent the player on a manhunt for one of the most notorious murderers that has puzzled the investigators for ages: The Black Dhalia Killer. This incredible game, with an unparalleled atmospheric narrative and great worldbuilding, was simply too perfect.

So, why aren't there more games starred by the notorious Cole Phelps? The answer might lie in the game's perilous journey from preproduction to release. The delays in the release process shattered the relationship between Rockstar and the developers (Team Bondi). Rumor has it some of these delays were due to scope creep, while others point the blame toward the ultra-perfectionism of the development team. For many gamers, L.A. Noir is still the gold-standard for sleuth games (though there are some great sleuth games out there). It's a pity the sequel got axed.

1 Sleeping Dogs

An Incredible Game That Combined The Best Of Shenmue With Yakuza And GTA

The tumultuous streets and alleys of Hong Kong come to life in Sleeping Dogs, and so do the shadows lying underneath its bright and colorful surface. No other game would ever dare go as far as this title to describe the criminal ring activities in this incredible city. Developed with a team of cultural experts, and also assisted by martial artists to deliver hyperrealistic combat animations, the game had a big debut in 2012, and it collected overall positive reviews and impressions by both reviewers and gamers.

So, why is that Square Enix refuses to continue its legacy? According to information divulged by the publisher itself, even after all the good reception, the game wasn't able to meet the sales expectations, and its plans for a sequel were forever lost in a dark corner of Square's headquarters. But, is it possible for a sequel to someday surface? With the resurgence of fighting games, it would make sense that one of the best Kung Fu games ever made renews its franchise with a second title. Time will tell, but for the moment, plaers can still enjoy this great open-world game while hoping for a continuation.