The Lowest-Rated Games of This Year, According to Aggregate Scores
Everywhere you look, gamers are foaming at the mouth to post their selections of the top releases of 2025. But what about the stinkers, the underperformers? It's time to take a momentary detour to examine the most panned games of the year, based on the critical consensus on Metacritic. Is every one of these games truly as terrible as the reviews suggest? We shall see.
10. Welcome Tour for Switch 2
Aggregate Score: 54/100, Audience Score: 3.4/10
The early response to this pack-in experience were heavily influenced by its $9.99 price tag, with many voicing frustration it wasn't a bundled game like some other console launches. Critical opinion spanned a wide spectrum, from scathing critiques to slightly kinder reviews that noted the polished software itself. Despite the grumbling, the title proved to be a strong seller during its launch month.
9. Rennsport
Aggregate Score: 53/100, Audience Score: 3.2/10
Marketed as "not just a racing game," this simulation from studios in Germany and Poland received overwhelmingly poor reviews. The consensus was that the game fell short in almost every category, notably in a year featuring high-quality racing experiences. In the eyes of critics, this sputtering stinker was better off left in the garage.
8. Bubsy's Purrfect Collection
Metascore: 53/100, User Score: 8.6/10
To begin with: the awkward punctuation is a silly point of contention. This compilation of SNES and PS1 Bubsy titles features a sarcastic feline known for incessant quips. Critics observed that these games haven't aged well to begin with and have not improved with age. The notably positive user score stands as a baffling anomaly to the Metascore.
7. Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact
Aggregate Score: 53, Audience Score: 3.5
This manga-based fighting game faced widespread disappointment from both critics and the dedicated community. It was lambasted for a limited fighter lineup and a severe lack of features. Player sentiment was particularly harsh, with some voicing a wish that the title's failure would serve as a lesson for similar releases.
6. Riders Vs Dogoos
Metascore: 51, User Score: 5.3
Hailing from the anime-style Hyperdimension Neptunia series, this vehicle combat game tasks players with collecting slime-like creatures. The assessment was that its effort to channel a rolling-collection feel was unsuccessful, coming across as more of a cash grab than a substantial addition to the franchise. Its 3-hour duration combined with a premium price raised eyebrows.
5. Captain Blood
Aggregate Score: 50, User Score: 5.3
This title is a piece of lost media from the mid-2000s, finally released after a very long time in development hell. The developers consciously chose to release the game as an original product of its time, accepting that today's audiences might criticize its retro feel. As such, many reviews remarked that the tale of its journey was more compelling than the game itself.
4. Scar-Lead Salvation
Metascore: 44, User Score: 2.4
This anime-art third-person shooter drawing from games like *Returnal* failed to impress with critics. The main issues included bland enemy design, monotonous stage design, and a forgettable story. A controversial mechanic involving the outfit degradation was seen as adding nothing and took away from the game's enjoyment.
3. Ambulance Life: A Paramedic Simulator
Metascore: 44, Audience Score: 4.9
Think of the tense medical sims of the past, then remove the satisfying gameplay. That, according to reviews, is essentially *Ambulance Life*. Players found the core gameplay loop to be a slog, and the narrative's handling of its subject matter was criticized as being tone-deaf. The overall experience was deemed largely unsatisfying.
2. Tamagotchi Plaza
Aggregate Score: 43, Audience Score: 5.8
This new direction for the classic virtual pet formula transforms the franchise into a town-management title. The result, according to critics, was a vapid assortment of simple minigames that rapidly became boring. Some reviews went so far as to declare it one of the most disappointing titles available on its platform, pointing to a dearth of depth.
1. MindsEye
Aggregate Score: 37, User Score: 2.5
Arriving as a blockbuster crime saga from a ex-Rockstar veteran's experienced developers, *MindsEye* was a notable commercial failure. Reviews heavily criticized its poor shooting mechanics, uninspired storytelling, and a host of game-breaking glitches. Several found it to be a significant step back compared to previous-generation games in the same genre. Despite the scathing reviews, a few of positive user reviews found value in the experience, providing a distinct counterpoint.
