Everywhere you look, gamers are foaming at the mouth to post their rankings of the best titles of 2025. However, what of the flops, the underperformers? It's time to take a moment to examine the absolute worst games of the year, according to review aggregator Metacritic. Are all of these games as bad as the reviews suggest? Let's find out.
10. Switch 2's Welcome Tour
Aggregate Score: 54/100, Audience Score: 3.4/10
The early response to this tech demo were heavily influenced by its $9.99 price tag, with many expressing disappointment it wasn't a bundled game like competing console launches. Professional assessment was quite mixed, from scathing critiques to more generous takes that noted the charming software underneath the controversy. Regardless of the debate, the title proved to be a notable digital seller during its launch month.
9. Rennsport
Aggregate Score: 53/100, Audience Score: 3.2/10
Billed as "beyond a racing game," this vroom-vroom title from Competition Company and Teyon was met with overwhelmingly poor reviews. The consensus was that the game was lacking in nearly every way, notably in a year featuring stellar racing titles. Ultimately, this disappointing sim was better off left unplayed.
8. Bubsy in: The Purrfect Collection
Aggregate Score: 53/100, Audience Score: 8.6/10
To begin with: the confusing title grammar is a notable annoyance. This compilation of SNES and PS1 platforming games features a sarcastic feline known for constant jokes. Reviewers noted that these games haven't aged well to begin with and have not improved with age. The improbably high user score remains a curious contrast to the professional reviews.
7. Hunter x Hunter Fighting Game
Aggregate Score: 53, User Score: 3.5
This manga-based fighting game was met with significant backlash from both critics and players. Issues included a thin roster of characters and a severe lack of features. User reviews was notably vitriolic, with some voicing a wish that the title's failure would serve as a lesson for future projects.
6. Neptunia Riders Vs Dogoos
Aggregate Score: 51, User Score: 5.3
Hailing from the quirky Hyperdimension Neptunia series, this motorcycle action game tasks players with rounding up slime-like creatures. The assessment was that its attempt to recreate a rolling-collection feel didn't land, coming across as more of a quick spin-off than a meaningful addition to the franchise. Its short length combined with a $40 price tag seemed like a bold choice.
5. Captain Blood
Aggregate Score: 50, Audience Score: 5.3
This title is a piece of lost media from the past, finally released after years and years in development hell. The publishers consciously chose to keep the game as an original product of its time, acknowledging that today's audiences might not appreciate its old-school mechanics. As such, many reviews noted that the interesting history of its journey was more interesting than the end product.
4. Salvation
Metascore: 44, User Score: 2.4
This anime-art roguelike shooter modeled after games like *Returnal* failed to impress with critics. The main issues centered on uninspired foes, monotonous stage design, and a forgettable story. A controversial mechanic involving the outfit degradation was seen as adding nothing and undermined the game's overall experience.
3. Ambulance Life
Metascore: 44, User Score: 4.9
Recall the engaging surgery games of the past, then remove the compelling story. That, according to reviews, is pretty much *Ambulance Life*. Players found the ambulance-driving sequences to be a slog, and the story's portrayal of mental health topics was criticized as being tone-deaf. The overall experience was deemed a missed opportunity.
2. Tamagotchi Plaza
Aggregate Score: 43, Audience Score: 5.8
This new direction for the classic digital companion formula transforms the franchise into a shopping simulation title. The result, per critics, was a unsatisfying collection of simple minigames that very soon overstayed its welcome. Some reviews went so far as to label it one of the most disappointing titles available on its platform, pointing to a complete absence of depth.
1. MindsEye
Metascore: 37, Audience Score: 2.5
Positioned as a major open-world action game from a team featuring industry veterans, *MindsEye* was a notable commercial failure. Reviews heavily criticized its poor shooting mechanics, dull missions, and a host of game-breaking glitches. Critics found it to be a downgrade compared to decades-old games in the action genre. Despite the sea of negativity, a small handful of positive user reviews found fun in the experience, offering a lonely vote of confidence.
