Everywhere you look, enthusiasts are quick to share their lists of the top titles of 2025. But what about the stinkers, the underperformers? We'll take a few moments to recognize the absolute worst games of the year, based on the aggregate scores from Metacritic. Are all of these games as disappointing as the ratings suggest? Let's find out.
10. Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
Metascore: 54/100, Audience Score: 3.4/10
The early response to this pack-in experience were shaped by its $9.99 price tag, with many feeling cheesed off it wasn't a free pack-in like competing console launches. Professional assessment was quite mixed, from harsh disappointment to more generous takes that praised the charming software underneath the controversy. Despite the debate, the title proved to be a surprisingly robust seller during its launch month.
9. Rennsport
Metascore: 53/100, User Score: 3.2/10
Presented as "beyond a racing game," this driving sim from European developers was met with overwhelmingly poor reviews. The consensus was that the game was lacking in nearly every way, particularly in a year packed with stellar racing titles. In the eyes of critics, this sputtering stinker was best left in the garage.
8. Bubsy in: The Purrfect Collection
Metascore: 53/100, Audience Score: 8.6/10
Before we start: the irritating title grammar is a silly strike against it. This compilation of retro Bubsy titles revives a rude feline known for non-stop quips. Critics observed that these games were mediocre in their time and have not improved with age. The surprisingly strong user score stands as a peculiar anomaly to the critical reception.
7. Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact
Aggregate Score: 53, Audience Score: 3.5
This manga-based brawler was met with widespread disappointment from both critics and players. Issues included a small character selection and a severe lack of features. User reviews was especially negative, with some voicing a wish that the title's failure would be a warning for similar releases.
6. Neptunia Motorcycle Game
Aggregate Score: 51, Audience Score: 5.3
Hailing from the quirky Hyperdimension Neptunia series, this motorcycle action game tasks players with rounding up cute monsters. Reviewers felt that its goal to channel a unique feel didn't land, coming across as more of a cash grab than a worthy addition to the franchise. Its short length combined with a full retail cost was criticized.
5. Captain Blood
Metascore: 50, Audience Score: 5.3
This title is a piece of lost media from the Xbox era, finally released after years and years in legal limbo. The developers opted to release the game as an authentic artifact of its time, accepting that contemporary players might dislike its old-school mechanics. As such, many reviews remarked that the interesting history of its journey was more compelling than the game itself.
4. Salvation
Aggregate Score: 44, Audience Score: 2.4
This anime-art third-person shooter modeled after games like *Returnal* failed to impress with critics. Common complaints centered on uninspired foes, monotonous stage design, and a unengaging plot. A particular feature involving the protagonist's clothing was seen as adding nothing and took away from the game's overall experience.
3. Ambulance Life: A Paramedic Simulator
Aggregate Score: 44, Audience Score: 4.9
Think of the strategic medical sims of the past, then remove the compelling story. That, according to reviews, is pretty much *Ambulance Life*. Reviewers found the ambulance-driving sequences to be a slog, and the story's portrayal of mental health topics was criticized as being insensitive. The overall experience was deemed a missed opportunity.
2. Tamagotchi Plaza
Aggregate Score: 43, User Score: 5.8
This new direction for the classic digital companion formula transforms the franchise into a minigame collection title. The result, based on critics, was a unsatisfying series of repetitive tasks that quickly became boring. Some reviews went so far as to declare it one of the most disappointing titles available on its platform, pointing to a profound lack of engaging content.
1. MindsEye
Metascore: 37, User Score: 2.5
Arriving as a major open-world action game from a ex-Rockstar veteran's well-known figures, *MindsEye* was a spectacular commercial failure. Reviews savaged its lousy combat, boring plot, and a multitude of horrendous bugs. Many found it to be a significant step back compared to previous-generation games in the action genre. Among the sea of negativity, a few of optimistic players found something to enjoy in the experience, providing a lonely vote of confidence.
