Everywhere you look, enthusiasts are eagerly sharing their selections of the greatest games of 2025. Yet, where are the disasters, the failures? Let's take a moment to recognize the lowest-rated games of the year, based on the aggregate scores from Metacritic. Could each of these games as bad as their scores 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 showcase title were colored by its $9.99 price tag, with many expressing disappointment it wasn't a free pack-in like similar console launches. Reviewer sentiment was quite mixed, from "crushing disappointment" to slightly kinder appraisals that noted the charming software itself. Despite the controversy, the title proved to be a surprisingly robust commercial performer during its launch month.
9. Rennsport
Aggregate Score: 53/100, Audience Score: 3.2/10
Presented as "not just a racing game," this driving sim from studios in Germany and Poland received overwhelmingly poor reviews. Critics noted that the game felt unfinished in key areas, particularly in a year featuring high-quality racing games. For many, this sputtering stinker was better off left unplayed.
8. The Purrfect Bubsy Collection
Metascore: 53/100, Audience Score: 8.6/10
To begin with: the awkward colon usage is a notable strike against it. This compilation of 1990s-era Bubsy titles revives a sarcastic feline known for incessant hacky one-liners. The consensus was that these games were mediocre to begin with and have not improved with age. The improbably high user score is a curious oddity to the critical reception.
7. Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact
Metascore: 53, Audience Score: 3.5
This manga-based fighting game encountered harsh criticism from both professionals and players. It was lambasted for a small roster of characters and a dearth of content. Fan reaction was particularly harsh, with some stating a desire that the title's failure would have consequences for the developers.
6. Neptunia Riders Vs Dogoos
Metascore: 51, Audience Score: 5.3
A part of the anime-style Hyperdimension Neptunia series, this vehicle combat game tasks players with gathering Dogoos. Reviewers felt that its attempt to recreate a *Katamari Damacy*-like experience was unsuccessful, coming across as more of a quick spin-off than a meaningful addition to the franchise. Its short length combined with a premium price seemed like a bold choice.
5. Captain Blood
Metascore: 50, Audience Score: 5.3
This title is a resurrected relic from the past, finally released after a very long time in legal limbo. The developers opted to keep the game as an original artifact of its time, acknowledging that today's audiences might dislike its old-school mechanics. As such, many reviews remarked that the tale of its resurrection was more interesting than the game itself.
4. Salvation
Aggregate Score: 44, Audience Score: 2.4
This anime-styled third-person shooter drawing from games like *Returnal* fell flat with critics. Frequent criticisms were repetitive adversaries, monotonous stage design, and a snoozy narrative. A controversial mechanic involving the character's attire was universally disliked and detracted from the game's enjoyment.
3. Paramedic Simulator
Metascore: 44, Audience Score: 4.9
Think of the tense medical sims of the past, then remove the compelling story. That, according to reviews, is essentially *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 poorly executed. The overall experience was deemed not very compelling.
2. Tamagotchi Plaza
Aggregate Score: 43, Audience 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 vapid series of basic activities that very soon overstayed its welcome. Some reviews went so far as to declare it one of the worst titles available on its platform, citing a dearth of satisfying gameplay.
1. MindsEye
Aggregate Score: 37, User Score: 2.5
Intended to be a high-profile open-world action game from a studio led by well-known figures, *MindsEye* was a notable critical flop. Reviews savaged its poor shooting mechanics, boring plot, and a plethora of technical problems. Critics found it to be a regression compared to much older games in the same genre. Among the scathing reviews, a small handful of optimistic players found something to enjoy in the experience, serving as a rare vote of confidence.
