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

Everywhere you look, fans are eagerly sharing their rankings of the best titles of 2025. But what about the stinkers, the underperformers? Let's take a moment to recognize the lowest-rated games of the year, as determined by review aggregator Metacritic. Is every one of these games truly as terrible as their scores suggest? Let's find out.

10. Welcome Tour for Switch 2

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

First impressions to this showcase title were heavily influenced by its $9.99 price tag, with many feeling cheesed off it wasn't a free pack-in like some other console launches. Professional assessment varied dramatically, from "crushing disappointment" to more generous appraisals that praised the delightful software underneath the controversy. Regardless of the debate, the title proved to be a notable seller during its launch month.

9. Rennsport

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

Billed as "not just a racing game," this simulation from studios in Germany and Poland was met with largely negative reviews. Reviews pointed out that the game felt unfinished in almost every category, especially in a year filled with high-quality racing titles. For many, this sputtering stinker was better off left in the garage.

8. Bubsy in: The Purrfect Collection

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

First things first: the confusing colon usage is a notable strike against it. This compilation of retro mascot platformers revives a rude feline known for incessant jokes. Reviewers noted that these games were not good originally and haven't gotten better with age. The improbably high user score is a curious anomaly to the Metascore.

7. Hunter x Hunter Fighting Game

Metascore: 53, User Score: 3.5

This manga-based fighting game faced significant backlash from both reviewers and fans. Issues included a small fighter lineup and a severe lack of gameplay modes. Player sentiment was especially vitriolic, with some expressing a wish that the title's poor performance would be a warning for future projects.

6. Neptunia Riders Vs Dogoos

Metascore: 51, Audience Score: 5.3

A part of the quirky Hyperdimension Neptunia series, this vehicle combat game tasks players with rounding up slime-like creatures. The assessment was that its goal to recreate a rolling-collection feel ultimately fell flat, coming across as more of a cash grab than a substantial addition to the franchise. Its short length 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 resurrected relic from the mid-2000s, finally released after years and years in development hell. The team behind it opted to release the game as an period-accurate artifact of its time, fully aware that contemporary players might criticize its retro feel. As such, many reviews noted that the tale of its development was more interesting than the end product.

4. Scar-Lead Salvation

Metascore: 44, Audience Score: 2.4

This anime-styled roguelike shooter modeled after games like *Returnal* failed to impress with critics. Common complaints included bland enemy design, repetitive levels, and a snoozy narrative. A controversial mechanic involving the protagonist's clothing was widely panned and detracted from the game's enjoyment.

3. Ambulance Life: A Paramedic Simulator

Metascore: 44, Audience Score: 4.9

Recall the strategic medical sims of the past, then remove the satisfying gameplay. That, according to reviews, is pretty much *Ambulance Life*. Critics found the ambulance-driving sequences to be tedious and repetitive, and the treatment of its subject matter was criticized as being tone-deaf. The overall experience was deemed largely unsatisfying.

2. Tamagotchi Plaza

Aggregate Score: 43, User Score: 5.8

This new direction for the classic digital companion formula turns the franchise into a shopping simulation title. The result, per critics, was a unsatisfying collection of simple minigames that very soon grew tiresome. Some reviews went so far as to call it one of the most disappointing titles available on its platform, pointing to a complete absence of satisfying gameplay.

1. MindsEye

Aggregate Score: 37, Audience Score: 2.5

Intended to be a high-profile GTA-style title from a team featuring well-known figures, *MindsEye* was a spectacular commercial failure. Reviews universally panned its poor shooting mechanics, boring plot, and a plethora of technical problems. Several found it to be a significant step back compared to decades-old games in the same genre. Despite the overwhelming criticism, a few of fans found fun in the experience, offering a lonely contrast.