Everywhere you look, enthusiasts are quick to share their rankings of the greatest games of 2025. But what about the disasters, the failures? It's time to take a momentary detour to honor the most panned games of the year, as determined by the aggregate scores from Metacritic. Is every one of these games as disappointing as the reviews suggest? We shall see.
10. Switch 2's Welcome Tour
Metascore: 54/100, Audience Score: 3.4/10
Initial reactions to this pack-in experience were colored by its $9.99 price tag, with many expressing disappointment it wasn't a free pack-in like competing console launches. Professional assessment was quite mixed, from harsh disappointment to somewhat forgiving appraisals that noted the delightful software itself. Regardless of the debate, the title proved to be a notable seller during its launch month.
9. Rennsport
Metascore: 53/100, Audience Score: 3.2/10
Marketed as "not just a racing game," this driving sim from European developers garnered pretty unanimous reviews. Critics noted that the game fell short in key areas, notably in a year featuring high-quality racing games. Ultimately, this sputtering stinker was advised to be left in the garage.
8. Bubsy in: The Purrfect Collection
Metascore: 53/100, User Score: 8.6/10
First things first: the awkward punctuation is a minor strike against it. This compilation of SNES and PS1 platforming games showcases a "attitude"-filled feline known for constant jokes. The consensus was that these games were not good to begin with and feel dated with age. The surprisingly strong user score remains a baffling anomaly to the critical reception.
7. Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact
Aggregate Score: 53, Audience Score: 3.5
This *Hunter x Hunter* fighter faced harsh criticism from both professionals and players. Complaints centered on a thin character selection and a dearth of content. User reviews was particularly vitriolic, with some expressing a hope that the title's poor performance would be a warning for future projects.
6. Neptunia Riders Vs Dogoos
Metascore: 51, Audience Score: 5.3
Hailing from the quirky Hyperdimension Neptunia series, this bike-riding title tasks players with rounding up cute monsters. Reviewers felt that its effort to mimic a unique gameplay loop was unsuccessful, coming across as more of a low-effort product than a worthy Neptunia game. Its brief runtime combined with a full retail cost raised eyebrows.
5. Captain Blood
Metascore: 50, Audience Score: 5.3
This title is a resurrected relic from the past, seeing the light of day after years and years in development hell. The publishers consciously chose to preserve the game as an period-accurate artifact of its time, accepting that modern gamers might dislike its retro feel. As such, many reviews concluded that the tale of its journey was more interesting than the end product.
4. Scar-Lead Salvation
Metascore: 44, User Score: 2.4
This anime-art third-person shooter modeled after games like *Returnal* disappointed with critics. Common complaints were bland enemy design, samey environments, and a forgettable story. A much-criticized system involving the protagonist's clothing was universally disliked and took away from the game's overall experience.
3. Paramedic Simulator
Metascore: 44, User Score: 4.9
Imagine the engaging medical sims of the past, then take out the satisfying gameplay. That, according to reviews, is roughly *Ambulance Life*. Players found the emergency response sections to be tedious and repetitive, and the narrative's handling of its subject matter was criticized as being poorly executed. The overall experience was deemed a missed opportunity.
2. Tamagotchi Plaza
Aggregate Score: 43, Audience Score: 5.8
This shift away from the classic digital companion formula turns the franchise into a shopping simulation title. The result, based on critics, was a unsatisfying series of simple minigames that rapidly overstayed its welcome. Some reviews went so far as to label it one of the worst titles available on its platform, citing a profound lack of depth.
1. MindsEye
Aggregate Score: 37, User Score: 2.5
Positioned as a high-profile open-world action game from a team featuring industry veterans, *MindsEye* was a notable critical flop. Reviews savaged its weak action, dull missions, and a host of horrendous bugs. Critics found it to be a regression compared to decades-old games in the action genre. Among the overwhelming criticism, a tiny number of optimistic players found fun in the experience, providing a rare counterpoint.