At every turn, enthusiasts are foaming at the mouth to post their lists of the top releases of 2025. Yet, where are the stinkers, the underperformers? Let's take a momentary detour to honor the most panned games of the year, based on the critical consensus on Metacritic. Could each of these games truly as terrible as the reviews suggest? Let's find out.
10. Switch 2's Welcome Tour
Aggregate Score: 54/100, Audience Score: 3.4/10
First impressions 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 similar console launches. Critical opinion was quite mixed, from "crushing disappointment" to more generous appraisals that noted the charming software underneath the controversy. Regardless of the debate, the title proved to be a strong seller during its launch month.
9. Rennsport
Aggregate Score: 53/100, Audience Score: 3.2/10
Billed as "not just a racing game," this vroom-vroom title from European developers garnered largely negative reviews. The consensus was that the game was lacking in key areas, particularly in a year filled with stellar racing games. For many, this underwhelming entry was better off left in the garage.
8. Bubsy in: The Purrfect Collection
Metascore: 53/100, User Score: 8.6/10
To begin with: the irritating punctuation is a silly annoyance. This collection of 1990s-era Bubsy titles showcases a sarcastic feline known for incessant hacky one-liners. Critics observed that these games haven't aged well originally and have not improved with age. The improbably high user score is a curious oddity to the professional reviews.
7. Hunter x Hunter Fighting Game
Metascore: 53, Audience Score: 3.5
This *Hunter x Hunter* brawler was met with harsh criticism from both reviewers and the dedicated community. Complaints centered on a limited character selection and a severe lack of features. User reviews was notably harsh, with some stating a wish that the title's flop would have consequences for future projects.
6. Riders Vs Dogoos
Aggregate Score: 51, Audience Score: 5.3
Based on the niche Hyperdimension Neptunia series, this bike-riding title tasks players with rounding up Dogoos. Reviewers felt that its effort to recreate a unique gameplay loop ultimately fell flat, coming across as more of a low-effort product than a meaningful series entry. Its brief runtime combined with a premium price raised eyebrows.
5. Captain Blood
Aggregate Score: 50, Audience Score: 5.3
This title is a piece of lost media from the mid-2000s, launched after years and years in development hell. The team behind it consciously chose to keep the game as an period-accurate artifact of its time, acknowledging that modern gamers might not appreciate its dated design. As such, many reviews concluded that the fascinating story of its development was more interesting than the game itself.
4. Scar-Lead
Metascore: 44, User Score: 2.4
This anime-art roguelike shooter drawing from games like *Returnal* disappointed with critics. Frequent criticisms centered on bland enemy design, samey environments, and a snoozy narrative. A much-criticized system involving the outfit degradation was universally disliked and took away from the game's overall experience.
3. Ambulance Life
Aggregate Score: 44, Audience Score: 4.9
Imagine the tense surgery games of the past, then strip away the compelling story. That, according to reviews, is essentially *Ambulance Life*. Reviewers found the ambulance-driving sequences to be a slog, and the narrative's handling of mental health topics was criticized as being poorly executed. The overall experience was deemed not very compelling.
2. Tamagotchi Plaza
Metascore: 43, User Score: 5.8
This departure from the classic digital companion formula makes the franchise into a town-management title. The result, according to critics, was a dull 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 dearth of engaging content.
1. MindsEye
Aggregate Score: 37, User Score: 2.5
Arriving as a high-profile crime saga from a team featuring industry veterans, *MindsEye* was a catastrophic commercial failure. Reviews heavily criticized its lousy combat, uninspired storytelling, and a plethora of horrendous bugs. Critics found it to be a downgrade compared to much older games in the same genre. Among the scathing reviews, a few of positive user reviews found fun in the experience, serving as a lonely vote of confidence.
