The Worst Titles of the Year 2025, According to Review Aggregator Metacritic

Everywhere you look, enthusiasts are eagerly sharing their rankings of the best titles of 2025. However, what of the disasters, the underperformers? Let's take a moment to honor the lowest-rated games of the year, based on review aggregator Metacritic. Could each of these games as bad as the ratings suggest? Here is the list.

10. Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour

Metascore: 54/100, Audience Score: 3.4/10

Initial reactions to this showcase title were shaped by its $9.99 price tag, with many expressing disappointment it wasn't a bundled game like competing console launches. Critical opinion spanned a wide spectrum, from "crushing disappointment" to slightly kinder reviews that praised the delightful software underneath the controversy. Despite the controversy, the title proved to be a surprisingly robust seller during its launch month.

9. Rennsport

Aggregate Score: 53/100, User Score: 3.2/10

Presented as "beyond a racing game," this simulation from European developers received overwhelmingly poor reviews. The consensus was that the game fell short in nearly every way, notably in a year featuring excellent racing titles. For many, this disappointing sim was best left unplayed.

8. Bubsy in: The Purrfect Collection

Aggregate Score: 53/100, Audience Score: 8.6/10

Before we start: the awkward colon usage is a notable strike against it. This compilation of 1990s-era mascot platformers revives a rude feline known for constant jokes. The consensus was that these games haven't aged well to begin with and have not improved with age. The surprisingly strong user score remains a curious oddity to the professional reviews.

7. Nen x Impact

Aggregate Score: 53, User Score: 3.5

This manga-based fighting game encountered widespread disappointment from both professionals and fans. Complaints centered on a small roster of characters and a severe lack of gameplay modes. User reviews was especially negative, with some stating a hope that the title's failure would have consequences for the developers.

6. Riders Vs Dogoos

Metascore: 51, User Score: 5.3

Based on the niche Hyperdimension Neptunia series, this motorcycle action game tasks players with rounding up cute monsters. Critics argued that its goal to channel a *Katamari Damacy*-like gameplay loop was unsuccessful, coming across as more of a cash grab than a substantial addition to the franchise. Its brief runtime combined with a premium price seemed like a bold choice.

5. Captain Blood

Metascore: 50, Audience Score: 5.3

This title is a curious artifact from the mid-2000s, launched after nearly two decades in legal limbo. The team behind it made the decision to keep the game as an authentic artifact of its time, acknowledging that contemporary players might dislike its dated design. As such, many reviews noted that the fascinating story of its resurrection was far richer than the game itself.

4. Scar-Lead

Metascore: 44, User Score: 2.4

This anime-art third-person shooter drawing from games like *Returnal* disappointed with critics. Common complaints were repetitive adversaries, repetitive levels, and a unengaging plot. A much-criticized system involving the outfit degradation was widely panned and undermined the game's enjoyment.

3. Ambulance Life: A Paramedic Simulator

Metascore: 44, Audience Score: 4.9

Imagine the tense medical sims of the past, then take out the compelling story. That, according to reviews, is roughly *Ambulance Life*. Reviewers found the emergency response sections to be tedious and repetitive, and the story's portrayal of mental health topics was criticized as being tone-deaf. The overall experience was deemed largely unsatisfying.

2. Tamagotchi Plaza

Metascore: 43, User Score: 5.8

This new direction for the classic digital companion formula turns the franchise into a shopping simulation title. The result, according to critics, was a vapid assortment of repetitive tasks that quickly became boring. Some reviews went so far as to call it one of the lowest-quality titles available on its platform, pointing to a complete absence of depth.

1. MindsEye

Aggregate Score: 37, User Score: 2.5

Arriving as a blockbuster crime saga from a ex-Rockstar veteran's well-known figures, *MindsEye* was a catastrophic commercial failure. Reviews savaged its poor shooting mechanics, boring plot, and a multitude of technical problems. Several found it to be a downgrade compared to much older games in the action genre. Despite the scathing reviews, a tiny number of positive user reviews found fun in the experience, providing a rare contrast.