Everywhere you look, enthusiasts are eagerly sharing their lists of the best games of 2025. Yet, where are the disasters, the failures? We'll take a momentary detour to recognize the most panned games of the year, based on 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
The early response to this pack-in experience were colored by its $9.99 price tag, with many feeling cheesed off it wasn't a bundled game like competing console launches. Professional assessment spanned a wide spectrum, from "crushing disappointment" to more generous reviews that noted the polished software itself. Regardless of the debate, the title proved to be a surprisingly robust digital seller during its launch month.
9. Rennsport
Aggregate Score: 53/100, Audience Score: 3.2/10
Billed as "not just a racing game," this vroom-vroom title from Competition Company and Teyon was met with overwhelmingly poor reviews. Reviews pointed out that the game felt unfinished in nearly every way, notably in a year packed with excellent racing experiences. In the eyes of critics, this disappointing sim was advised to be left unplayed.
8. The Purrfect Bubsy Collection
Aggregate Score: 53/100, User Score: 8.6/10
Before we start: the confusing title grammar is a minor annoyance. This compilation of SNES and PS1 mascot platformers showcases a rude feline known for incessant hacky one-liners. Critics observed that these games were not good originally and haven't gotten better with age. The surprisingly strong user score is a baffling oddity to the Metascore.
7. Hunter x Hunter Fighting Game
Aggregate Score: 53, User Score: 3.5
This *Hunter x Hunter* brawler was met with significant backlash from both critics and the dedicated community. Complaints centered on a limited character selection and a dearth of content. Player sentiment was especially negative, with some stating a hope that the title's failure would have consequences for similar releases.
6. Riders Vs Dogoos
Metascore: 51, Audience Score: 5.3
Hailing from the niche Hyperdimension Neptunia series, this bike-riding title tasks players with collecting cute monsters. Reviewers felt that its effort to mimic a unique experience was unsuccessful, coming across as more of a quick spin-off than a meaningful addition to the franchise. Its short length combined with a full retail cost was criticized.
5. Captain Blood
Aggregate Score: 50, User Score: 5.3
This title is a curious artifact from the past, seeing the light of day after a very long time in development hell. The publishers made the decision to keep the game as an authentic experience of its time, acknowledging that modern gamers might not appreciate its dated design. As such, many reviews noted that the interesting history of its resurrection was more compelling than the end product.
4. Salvation
Metascore: 44, Audience Score: 2.4
This anime-styled third-person shooter modeled after games like *Returnal* fell flat with critics. The main issues were uninspired foes, repetitive levels, and a forgettable story. A much-criticized system involving the character's attire was seen as adding nothing and detracted from the game's enjoyment.
3. Ambulance Life: A Paramedic Simulator
Aggregate Score: 44, User Score: 4.9
Imagine the engaging medical sims of the past, then take out the memorable characters. That, according to reviews, is pretty much *Ambulance Life*. Players found the emergency response sections to be tedious and repetitive, and the narrative's handling of mental health topics was criticized as being insensitive. The overall experience was deemed largely unsatisfying.
2. Tamagotchi Plaza
Metascore: 43, Audience Score: 5.8
This shift away from the classic digital companion formula transforms the franchise into a minigame collection title. The result, based on critics, was a unsatisfying assortment of basic activities that very soon became boring. Some reviews went so far as to declare it one of the lowest-quality titles available on its platform, pointing to a dearth of engaging content.
1. MindsEye
Aggregate Score: 37, User Score: 2.5
Positioned as a blockbuster open-world action game from a studio led by industry veterans, *MindsEye* was a catastrophic commercial failure. Reviews savaged its poor shooting mechanics, boring plot, and a plethora of horrendous bugs. Critics found it to be a significant step back compared to much older games in the same genre. Among the sea of negativity, a tiny number of positive user reviews found fun in the experience, offering a distinct vote of confidence.
