Steam reviews is a very important factor that has a huge impact on how well a game performs commercially. Good reviews attract more players, and bad reviews turn them away. But a negative review doesn't always mean a game is completely unplayable. It turns out that there are quite a few decent titles out there that manage to have enough positives to be enjoyable, despite their red-tinted Steam scores.
When it comes to open world genre, it can be incredibly difficult to create a compelling world that feels full of life or has enough content for players to enjoy over an extended period of time. Many developers have tried and failed when trying to build a game within one of the most popular genre spaces. Despite their less than desirable reception, these games still manage to deliver fun experiences, even if they are a little rough around the edges.
Wild west dynasty
Simulates the Cowboy lifestyle
- Release date: 22 August 2024
- Developer: Moon Punch Studio
- Platforms: PC
Wild west dynasty is an incredibly impressive open-world game that transports players to the brutal American Midwest, forcing them to survive against both the environment and the threats within it. Players must manage and develop their settlement, build individual structures to convince others to join and slowly create a vibrant city full of people with needs and wants.
Some of the biggest complaints about the game come down to its optimization and the bugs that plague the experience. It can be a bit frustrating when things break or the game crashes, but when it's running smoothly the core loop of exploring, crafting and decorating is quite satisfying, especially given the scale of the world and the fact that it's coming from a small indie developer.
Edge Of Space
Terraria meets intergalactic exploration
Edge of Space is a 2D survival sandbox that places players in an alien world with nothing but the suit on their back to help them survive. The world is large and full of dangers, forcing players to quickly scavenge for resources and gear up so they can advance and take on the more challenging enemies lurking around every corner.
There's a surprising amount of depth in terms of items and build paths, giving players more than enough content to explore without ever feeling too overwhelmed. Although the game has been heavily criticized for feeling unfinished and more of a Terraria clone than a unique project, the core gameplay feels distinct enough to warrant giving it a try.
Growtopia
Building a world together
- Release date: March 7, 2024
- Developer: Ubisoft Abu Dhabi
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, macOS, iOS, Android
Growtopia is an MMO adventure that allows players from all over the world to come together and build anything they can imagine. Players can build mini-games or tiny houses and, with enough ambition and time, create entire cities full of people interacting and sharing ideas for the next big project.
There are quite a few issues mentioned related to server connectivity, bots, and criticism of the developers at Ubisoft, which has dragged the review score down into the negative realm. That said, the game is still fun enough to enjoy with friends and offers the perfect place to relax for those who enjoy some simple building fun.
Life is Feudal: MMO
Bringing the Middle Ages to the modern day
- Release date: 12 January 2018
- Developer: LTG
- Platforms: PC
Life is Feudal: MMO comes from a series of medieval games that each embrace different gameplay concepts to build an authentic medieval world. In this case, players can build villages into an empire, participate in large-scale PvP battles, and conquer entire countries. The game has so much freedom that basically anything is possible with enough imagination.
The negativity comes from how the free-to-play model transitioned into a monthly subscription, alienating many die-hard fans and drawing in a lot of hate. The developers have since released a newer title called Life is feudal: Arden, that looks to improve on the already expansive world of the original MMO, but for people looking for an authentic medieval world to explore and mold to their will, the studio's first effort remains fun to this day.
X Rebirth
Venture across the universe
- Release date: November 15, 2013
- Developer: Egosoft
- Platforms: PC, macOS, Linux
X Rebirth is a large-scale space simulator that has almost everything a player could want in a game of its kind. There are high-intensity ship battles, trade mechanics that build on a deep economy, and so much more to see. Players are given all the freedom they need to explore and create their place in the galaxy.
Many of the complaints stem from a buggy state at launch, but also some glaring omissions that make certain aspects of the game difficult to enjoy. It feels like a game No Man's Skywhere the idea and ambition are there, but the execution just doesn't hit the mark. The follow-up, X4: Foundations, manages to deliver a lot more of those promises, but for those who prefer a more old-school feel, X Rebirth still manages to capture the essence of a truly open space simulator, just with a few issues here and there.
The ancient dimensions
A unique isometric survival experience
- Release date: 7 January 2025
- Developer: HEADSTONE STUDIO
- Platforms: PC
Ancient dimensions is an interesting survival crafting game that has a lot going for it, both in terms of visuals and gameplay. The top-down perspective changes the way survival mechanics work, as players can see more of the world at once, which can provide important information to avoid enemy encounters and find hidden resources without having to hunt up close.
The game is still in Early Access, which comes with the potential for significant changes, but the biggest issues here are related to bugs and core gameplay loops that feel unfinished. In its current state, Ancient dimensions has a lot of potential to grow into a beautiful open world survival game, and given enough time could potentially be another redemption story that proves all the haters wrong.
Human greed
Create an underground empire
- Release date: 10 July 2023
- Developer: NOK
- Platforms: PC
Human greed transports players to a city full of opportunities, some ethical and some highly illegal. Starting with next to nothing, players must loot and find resources to jump-start their underground business, slowly progressing from a lowly nobody to a criminal mastermind who rules an entire empire, managing everything from manufacturing to product shipping.
But despite a pretty decent following, the developer has been put in a pretty bad light for their actions and decisions regarding the development and marketing of the game. That said, the product that exists today is still quite enjoyable. Although there are some issues both in the game and with the creator, it's free to play, so it's still worth a try.
