Have you ever played a game that consumed your time without offering much in return? This is a particularly common issue in the realm of open-world games, where a plethora of unfulfilling tasks can transform an engaging adventure into a tedious grind.
While these games may not necessarily be poorly designed, they often feature an overwhelming number of aimless activities that can feel more burdensome than enjoyable. Below is a curated list of games that seem to disregard the value of your time.
Some titles on this list might initially appear as semi-open world experiences, but they tend to expand dramatically as players progress.
10 God of War: Ragnarok
Ironwood Broke Me
While some may argue that God of War: Ragnarök pales in comparison to its predecessor, a significant contributing factor is the time-consuming gameplay. The Ironwood segment, for instance, requires players to spend two agonizing hours riding a boar as Angraboda screams relentlessly—an experience that could easily test anyone’s patience.
Though visually stunning, this section ultimately emphasizes boredom, culminating in a peculiar encounter with a giant grandmother that feels disjointed from the overall narrative. This segment, which disrupts the otherwise well-paced gameplay, leaves players questioning the quality assurance process.
Additionally, Atreus’s involvement feels forced, with roughly ten hours allocated to his storyline, leading to a sense of bloat throughout the game. Fans come for the iconic Kratos, not ‘the boy.’
9 Avowed
Can I Interest You In Crafting Materials?
Avowed offers solid RPG mechanics, enjoyable combat, and a decent overarching plot. However, its exploration often feels unrewarding, resulting in a frustrating experience. While the environment is rich with secret caves, explore-worthy structures, and numerous chests, the rewards frequently consist solely of crafting materials.
Imagine the disappointment of receiving a gift card during the holiday season—this is analogous to the feeling of uncovering yet another chest filled with crafting items, which rarely, if ever, deliver the instant gratification typically associated with discovery.
8 Final Fantasy 16
Saving All of Humanity One Fetch Quest at a Time
Final Fantasy 16 made a strong return for the series in 2023, yet its side content significantly detracts from the overall experience. There’s a vast array of optional quests available, but players quickly discover that many are uninspired fetch quests, such as collecting dirt or assembling parts for a seemingly real airship only to find out that it’s a toy.
This lack of creativity recalls an MMO experience where the development team may have neglected the side quests’ quality. Though some later quests redeem the experience, unlocking them takes approximately 50 hours—by which time, many players are eager to close the game.
The phrase “through hell for the sake of heaven”perfectly sums up these quests, as they stand out as some of the most significant time-wasters in modern gaming.
7 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Wasting Your Time
Widely hailed as one of the greatest games ever, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has its merits. However, the punishing weapon degradation system and sprawling open world can severely test players’ patience. Weapons will frequently break when needed most, forcing users to rely on a rotation of subpar alternatives.
Despite the visually stunning landscape, the world often feels unnecessarily vast, encouraging long stretches of running and climbing with little to gain in return.
Ultimately, while exploring this mesmerizing landscape may evoke awe, it often falls short in delivering the rich, engaging gameplay that role-playing games are known for.
6 Metal Gear Solid V
Half-Finished Masterpiece
Metal Gear Solid V boasts fantastic moments but ultimately suffers from a lack of finish, detracting from its potential as an all-time classic. Late in the game, players expect a thrilling conclusion but instead are confronted with a requirement to replay several previous missions without any variation.
Not only must you repeat challenging missions, but it’s also a disrespectful experience, reinforcing the notion that the developers didn’t complete the game.
This not only harms player engagement but raises questions about game design standards in the industry.
5 Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Realism Is Not Fun
As one of the standout titles of 2025, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 often prioritizes realism over player enjoyment. While the game offers an engaging experience, certain moments leave players questioning their enjoyment, particularly in tasks that require excessive realism, such as carrying heavy sacks while slowing progress.
This dedication to realism appears again with intricate mechanics like limited saves and weapon degradation, which can take several minutes to fix. These elements can detract from the overall enjoyment and pacing of a thrilling adventure.
Though some players may appreciate this level of grandeur, it can often lead to unnecessary frustration.
4 Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla
The Bloat Goat
Marketed as a return to form, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla ultimately falters due to excessive content bloat. Each area is filled with monotonous activities meant to unlock levels, resulting in an absurd number of quests that feel more like chores than adventures.
Players often feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of uninteresting side quests, forcing engagement in tedious busywork that can stretch the experience to an exhausting 80 hours, culminating in a perplexing narrative.
The Asgard storyline, while more visually appealing, doesn’t alleviate the filler that plagues the main game, leaving players feeling detached and exhausted by the time they reach the end.
3 Days Gone
Open Without Purpose
Days Gone presents an intriguing concept with its open world set on a post-apocalyptic landscape. However, it feels as though the open-world format serves little purpose, with grand zombie hordes appearing only later in the game.
Without these hordes driving the action, players are left with typical open-world busywork and insufficiently engaging content, raising questions about the necessity of an open-world design.
While the vast world contains some interesting areas, it often devolves into repetitive tasks that leave players longing for engaging gameplay instead of tedious errands.
2 Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth
World Ending Threat, But First, Minigames
Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth achieved substantial developments for its remake series but also took steps backward, particularly regarding its pacing. While the open world captivates visually, it often lacks purpose, reinforcing familiar Ubisoft design tropes without meaningful rewards.
The confusing layout of areas like Gongaga becomes a significant frustration, alongside the incessant barrage of minigames that follow pivotal plot points, detracting from the overall narrative experience.
At times, it feels absurd to spend so much time engaging in minigames when the primary objective is to thwart a world-threatening antagonist, leading to considerable player frustration.
1 Starfield
AI Ruins Everything
Originally anticipated to revolutionize the gaming landscape, Starfield does so in some respects but sets a precedent that should not be emulated in the industry. While its advertising promised vast galaxies to explore and countless planets waiting for discovery, the reality often falls short.
The perceived abundance of unique content quickly fades as players encounter numerous procedurally generated areas, resulting in repetitive exploration that transforms what should be an exhilarating experience into a monotonous slog.
With the same assets recycling throughout the game, players may start to feel that the endeavor of exploring becomes a fruitless task, draining the excitement from the exploration element entirely.
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