Everywhere you look, gamers are foaming at the mouth to post their selections of the best games of 2025. Yet, where are the disasters, the low achievers? Let's take a few moments to examine the most panned games of the year, based on the critical consensus on Metacritic. Are all of these games as disappointing as the reviews suggest? Here is the list.
10. Welcome Tour for Switch 2
Metascore: 54/100, User Score: 3.4/10
Initial reactions to this tech demo were heavily influenced by its $9.99 price tag, with many voicing frustration it wasn't a bundled game like competing console launches. Professional assessment varied dramatically, from "crushing disappointment" to somewhat forgiving reviews that praised the polished software itself. Regardless of 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
Marketed as "not just a racing game," this driving sim from Competition Company and Teyon received overwhelmingly poor reviews. Critics noted that the game felt unfinished in key areas, notably in a year filled with stellar racing titles. Ultimately, this disappointing sim was best left unplayed.
8. Bubsy's Purrfect Collection
Aggregate Score: 53/100, Audience Score: 8.6/10
First things first: the irritating punctuation is a minor strike against it. This collection of 1990s-era Bubsy titles features a "attitude"-filled feline known for constant quips. Reviewers noted that these games were mediocre to begin with and feel dated 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, User Score: 3.5
This *Hunter x Hunter* fighter faced significant backlash from both critics and players. It was lambasted for a thin roster of characters and a minimal offering of content. User reviews was particularly harsh, with some expressing a hope that the title's poor performance would be a warning for future projects.
6. Neptunia Riders Vs Dogoos
Aggregate Score: 51, User Score: 5.3
Based on the quirky Hyperdimension Neptunia series, this bike-riding title tasks players with rounding up Dogoos. Reviewers felt that its goal to channel a rolling-collection feel didn't land, coming across as more of a cash grab than a worthy addition to the franchise. Its 3-hour duration combined with a full retail cost 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 Xbox era, seeing the light of day after years and years in development hell. The publishers made the decision to preserve the game as an original artifact of its time, accepting that modern gamers might criticize its retro feel. As such, many reviews concluded that the interesting history of its journey was more interesting than the game itself.
4. Salvation
Metascore: 44, User Score: 2.4
This anime-styled third-person shooter modeled after games like *Returnal* fell flat with critics. Common complaints centered on bland enemy design, monotonous stage design, and a forgettable story. A much-criticized system involving the character's attire was seen as adding nothing and undermined the game's overall experience.
3. Ambulance Life: A Paramedic Simulator
Metascore: 44, User Score: 4.9
Recall the tense surgery games of the past, then strip away the satisfying gameplay. That, according to reviews, is pretty much *Ambulance Life*. Critics found the ambulance-driving sequences to be a slog, and the treatment of its subject matter was criticized as being tone-deaf. The overall experience was deemed not very compelling.
2. Tamagotchi Plaza
Metascore: 43, User Score: 5.8
This new direction for the classic digital companion formula makes the franchise into a town-management title. The result, based on critics, was a unsatisfying collection of basic activities that rapidly overstayed its welcome. Some reviews went so far as to declare it one of the worst titles available on its platform, pointing to a dearth of engaging content.
1. MindsEye
Aggregate Score: 37, Audience Score: 2.5
Intended to be a major crime saga from a team featuring industry veterans, *MindsEye* was a catastrophic disappointment. Reviews savaged its lousy combat, uninspired storytelling, and a plethora of horrendous bugs. Critics found it to be a downgrade compared to decades-old games in the action genre. Amidst the scathing reviews, a few of optimistic players found something to enjoy in the experience, providing a rare vote of confidence.
