Everywhere you look, enthusiasts are eagerly sharing their lists of the best games of 2025. However, what of the disasters, the underperformers? We'll take a momentary detour to honor the absolute worst games of the year, based on review aggregator Metacritic. Could each of these games as bad as the reviews suggest? Let's find out.
10. Welcome Tour for Switch 2
Metascore: 54/100, Audience Score: 3.4/10
Initial reactions to this pack-in experience were shaped by its $9.99 price tag, with many expressing disappointment it wasn't a free pack-in like some other console launches. Critical opinion was quite mixed, from scathing critiques to slightly kinder takes that noted the delightful software underneath the controversy. Regardless of the controversy, the title proved to be a strong digital seller during its launch month.
9. Rennsport
Aggregate Score: 53/100, Audience Score: 3.2/10
Billed as "more than a racing game," this vroom-vroom title from Competition Company and Teyon was met with pretty unanimous reviews. Critics noted that the game was lacking in nearly every way, especially in a year filled with excellent racing titles. In the eyes of critics, this underwhelming entry was better off left unplayed.
8. The Purrfect Bubsy Collection
Metascore: 53/100, Audience Score: 8.6/10
To begin with: the awkward colon usage is a silly annoyance. This compilation of retro platforming games revives a "attitude"-filled feline known for incessant jokes. Critics observed that these games were mediocre originally and have not improved with age. The surprisingly strong user score stands as a curious contrast to the Metascore.
7. Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact
Aggregate Score: 53, User Score: 3.5
This anime-inspired fighting game encountered widespread disappointment from both professionals and fans. It was lambasted for a small character selection and a minimal offering of features. Fan reaction was notably negative, with some expressing a wish that the title's poor performance would serve as a lesson for the developers.
6. Neptunia Motorcycle Game
Metascore: 51, Audience Score: 5.3
Hailing from the quirky Hyperdimension Neptunia series, this bike-riding title tasks players with gathering Dogoos. Critics argued that its effort to channel a rolling-collection experience didn't land, coming across as more of a quick spin-off than a meaningful series entry. Its brief runtime combined with a premium price raised eyebrows.
5. Captain Blood
Aggregate Score: 50, Audience Score: 5.3
This title is a curious artifact from the past, launched after years and years in production delays. The publishers opted to preserve the game as an authentic experience of its time, fully aware that today's audiences might criticize its retro feel. As such, many reviews concluded that the fascinating story of its resurrection was more compelling than the game itself.
4. Scar-Lead
Aggregate Score: 44, Audience Score: 2.4
This anime-art roguelike shooter drawing from games like *Returnal* fell flat with critics. Common complaints were bland enemy design, repetitive levels, and a unengaging plot. A much-criticized system involving the character's attire was seen as adding nothing and detracted from the game's overall experience.
3. Ambulance Life: A Paramedic Simulator
Aggregate Score: 44, User Score: 4.9
Recall the engaging medical sims of the past, then strip away the satisfying gameplay. That, according to reviews, is essentially *Ambulance Life*. Reviewers found the ambulance-driving sequences to be monotonous, and the story's portrayal of mental health topics was criticized as being poorly executed. The overall experience was deemed not very compelling.
2. Tamagotchi Plaza
Aggregate Score: 43, User Score: 5.8
This new direction for the classic virtual pet formula turns the franchise into a shopping simulation title. The result, based on critics, was a vapid collection of basic activities that very soon overstayed its welcome. Some reviews went so far as to declare it one of the lowest-quality titles available on its platform, noting a profound lack of engaging content.
1. MindsEye
Metascore: 37, User Score: 2.5
Intended to be a major open-world action game from a team featuring industry veterans, *MindsEye* was a catastrophic disappointment. Reviews heavily criticized its weak action, boring plot, and a multitude of technical problems. Several found it to be a downgrade compared to decades-old games in the similar style. Among the overwhelming criticism, a tiny number of positive user reviews found fun in the experience, serving as a rare vote of confidence.
