The Xbox 360 was a massive hit for Microsoft. It came out of the gate hot and introduced the world to dozens of great series over its lifespan. One genre that saw a massive increase in games developed during the Xbox 360 generation was the open-world genre. With the improved tech under the 360’s hood, developers were able to create massive worlds filled with things to do. There were so many great open-world games that a few were bound to fall through the cracks in fans’ memories.
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Here are five phenomenal open-world Xbox 360 games you might’ve forgotten.
5) Gun
When you think about open-world games set in the Wild West, most players are going to think about Rockstar Games’ Red Dead Redemption series. That’s not a bad thing. RDR is one of the best open-world games of all time and one of the few great Western games ever released. However, Neversoft’s Gun deserves some love as well.
Released in 2005, right in the thick of Neversoft’s Tony Hawk Pro Skater series, Gun features a massive open world, packed to the brim with content. You can hunt bandits, play poker, herd cattle, and race horses. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Gun isn’t as good as Red Dead, but it’s absolutely worth checking out for fans of Western games. Granted, the genre hasn’t had a ton of games over the years, but Gun sits just behind Red Dead as one of the best in the genre. Unfortunately, Neversoft went back to the Tony Hawk and Guitar Hero mines after Gun was released, and we never got a sequel.
4) Just Cause 2
The Just Cause series is all about creating outrageous scenarios in its massive open world. Just Cause 2 takes that to the extreme, putting players loose inside a world that tips the scales at 390 square miles. That’s one of the largest maps we’ve ever seen in gaming, and Just Cause 2 more than justifies it. After all, you need a world this huge to take advantage of Rico Rodriguez’s abilities.
The real standout from Rico’s arsenal, though, is his grappling hook. Using it, you can tether two objects together, which is used for hilarious destruction when enemy vehicles get involved. For example, you can tie two enemy helicopters together and watch them explode into each other. Then, you can use Rico’s parachute, which can be repacked and redeployed at will, to make a clean getaway. If you’re looking for open-world hijinks, there isn’t a better game than Just Cause 2.
3) The Saboteur
The Saboteur is a completely different kind of open-world action-adventure. This game from Pandemic Studios is set in a German-occupied France during the height of World War II. You play as an Irish race car driver and mechanic who works with the locals to take Paris back from the Nazis. It’s a unique story that mixes in a few innovative mechanics. The biggest draw to The Saboteur is its use of color.
Areas occupied by the Nazis are in black-and-white. As you inspire the locals, you’ll slowly see color returned to the city. It’s a neat mechanic that helps tell the city’s story through gameplay. This open world is more limited than the vastness of something like Just Cause 2, but there are still plenty of activities for players to get up to. The open world also opens up different avenues to complete your objective. You can always go in guns blazing, but sometimes, you’re better off taking a stealthy approach.
2) Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
While publisher 38 Studios’ ultimate goal of turning Kingdoms of Amalur into an MMORPG was ultimately a failure that led to that studio’s closure and a lot of angry people in the state of Rhode Island, this game was pretty good. Kingdoms of Amalur was meant to be a test case for 38 Studios’ future MMO, giving players a taste of the world in a single-player action RPG. Again, the goal wasn’t a rousing success, but KOA absolutely felt like a single-player MMO.
The world of Amalur was vast, filled with things for players to do. The combat was relatively simplistic, but fun, and while the story was a little lacking, it had enough to it to keep you moving through the campaign. That said, Amalur was the real star. The world proved it had enough juice for an MMO, even if that game never happened, thanks to mismanagement from the parent studio.
1) Sleeping Dogs
Sleeping Dogs isn’t just one of the best forgotten open-world games on the 360; it’s one of the greatest games of the era. The fact that developer United Front Games took on Rockstar’s open-world crime genre and, in some ways, beat Grand Theft Auto at its own game is incredibly impressive. Sleeping Dogs puts players in the shoes of a Hong Kong cop who is working undercover. It’s a great set-up that opens up so many possibilities.
As you battle through the streets, using Wei Shen’s pulse-pounding martial arts skills, you’ll have the option to earn perks based on your style of play. Do you want to become a good cop? Or maybe you’d rather skirt that line and dig deeper into the seedier side of Hong Kong. It’s an exceptional story with the best melee combat in the genre. Unfortunately, it’s also the last game we’ve ever seen in the series, which is one of the great video game injustices.
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