Everywhere you look, enthusiasts are foaming at the mouth to post their selections of the best games of 2025. Yet, where are the disasters, the underperformers? Let's take a momentary detour to honor the most panned games of the year, according to the aggregate scores from Metacritic. Could each of these games as bad as their scores suggest? We shall see.
10. Welcome Tour for Switch 2
Aggregate Score: 54/100, Audience Score: 3.4/10
Initial reactions to this showcase title were colored by its $9.99 price tag, with many feeling cheesed off it wasn't a free pack-in like competing console launches. Reviewer sentiment was quite mixed, from scathing critiques to more generous appraisals that noted the delightful software underneath the controversy. Regardless of the controversy, the title proved to be a surprisingly robust seller during its launch month.
9. Rennsport
Metascore: 53/100, Audience Score: 3.2/10
Marketed as "not just a racing game," this simulation from European developers was met with pretty unanimous reviews. The consensus was that the game was lacking in nearly every way, especially in a year filled with excellent racing games. In the eyes of critics, this sputtering stinker was advised to be left in the garage.
8. The Purrfect Bubsy Collection
Metascore: 53/100, Audience Score: 8.6/10
Before we start: the awkward punctuation is a notable strike against it. This compilation of SNES and PS1 platforming games revives a sarcastic feline known for incessant jokes. Reviewers noted that these games were not good to begin with and have not improved with age. The surprisingly strong user score remains a curious anomaly to the professional reviews.
7. Nen x Impact
Metascore: 53, Audience Score: 3.5
This *Hunter x Hunter* fighting game faced harsh criticism from both critics and players. It was lambasted for a small roster of characters and a minimal offering of gameplay modes. Player sentiment was notably vitriolic, with some stating a hope that the title's flop would have consequences for the developers.
6. Neptunia Riders Vs Dogoos
Aggregate Score: 51, User Score: 5.3
Based on the niche Hyperdimension Neptunia series, this bike-riding title tasks players with collecting cute monsters. The assessment was that its attempt to mimic a unique feel didn't land, coming across as more of a quick spin-off than a substantial series entry. Its brief runtime combined with a full retail cost raised eyebrows.
5. Captain Blood
Aggregate Score: 50, Audience Score: 5.3
This title is a piece of lost media from the Xbox era, finally released after nearly two decades in development hell. The team behind it opted to preserve the game as an authentic product of its time, accepting that modern gamers might criticize its old-school mechanics. As such, many reviews remarked that the tale of its journey was more interesting than the actual gameplay.
4. Scar-Lead Salvation
Aggregate Score: 44, User Score: 2.4
This anime-art action game drawing from games like *Returnal* failed to impress with critics. Frequent criticisms included repetitive adversaries, monotonous stage design, and a snoozy narrative. A particular feature involving the outfit degradation was seen as adding nothing and took away from the game's overall experience.
3. Ambulance Life
Aggregate Score: 44, Audience Score: 4.9
Recall the strategic medical sims of the past, then strip away the compelling story. That, according to reviews, is essentially *Ambulance Life*. Players found the ambulance-driving sequences to be monotonous, and the story's portrayal of its subject matter was criticized as being tone-deaf. The overall experience was deemed a missed opportunity.
2. Tamagotchi Plaza
Metascore: 43, User Score: 5.8
This departure from the classic virtual pet formula turns the franchise into a minigame collection title. The result, according to critics, was a unsatisfying series of repetitive tasks that rapidly overstayed its welcome. Some reviews went so far as to label it one of the lowest-quality titles available on its platform, pointing to a complete absence of engaging content.
1. MindsEye
Metascore: 37, User Score: 2.5
Positioned as a blockbuster crime saga from a studio led by well-known figures, *MindsEye* was a catastrophic commercial failure. Reviews universally panned its poor shooting mechanics, uninspired storytelling, and a multitude of technical problems. Many found it to be a regression compared to much older games in the similar style. Despite the overwhelming criticism, a few of optimistic players found value in the experience, providing a rare contrast.
