The Most Disappointing Video Games of the Year 2025, Per Aggregate Scores

Everywhere you look, enthusiasts are quick to share their selections of the best releases of 2025. However, what of the stinkers, the underperformers? It's time to take a momentary detour to recognize the absolute worst games of the year, based on the aggregate scores from Metacritic. Is every one of these games truly as terrible as the reviews suggest? Let's find out.

10. Switch 2's Welcome Tour

Metascore: 54/100, User Score: 3.4/10

Initial reactions to this showcase title were colored by its $9.99 price tag, with many feeling cheesed off it wasn't a free pack-in like similar console launches. Professional assessment was quite mixed, from scathing critiques to somewhat forgiving appraisals that praised the delightful software itself. Regardless of the debate, the title proved to be a strong digital seller during its launch month.

9. Rennsport

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

Billed as "beyond a racing game," this simulation from European developers was met with pretty unanimous reviews. Reviews pointed out that the game was lacking in almost every category, notably in a year filled with excellent racing games. For many, this sputtering stinker was best left in the garage.

8. Bubsy in: The Purrfect Collection

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

To begin with: the confusing title grammar is a minor annoyance. This compilation of 1990s-era mascot platformers features a rude feline known for constant hacky one-liners. The consensus was that these games were not good originally and haven't gotten better with age. The improbably high user score remains a peculiar contrast to the critical reception.

7. Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact

Aggregate Score: 53, User Score: 3.5

This *Hunter x Hunter* fighting game encountered widespread disappointment from both reviewers and players. It was lambasted for a thin character selection and a severe lack of features. User reviews was particularly harsh, with some stating a desire that the title's failure would serve as a lesson for similar releases.

6. Neptunia Riders Vs Dogoos

Metascore: 51, Audience Score: 5.3

A part of the quirky Hyperdimension Neptunia series, this bike-riding title tasks players with collecting slime-like creatures. Reviewers felt that its goal to mimic a unique experience was unsuccessful, coming across as more of a low-effort product than a worthy addition to the franchise. Its brief runtime combined with a premium price seemed like a bold choice.

5. Captain Blood

Metascore: 50, User Score: 5.3

This title is a piece of lost media from the mid-2000s, finally released after nearly two decades in legal limbo. The team behind it consciously chose to preserve the game as an period-accurate experience of its time, fully aware that modern gamers might dislike its retro feel. As such, many reviews concluded that the fascinating story of its development was far richer than the actual gameplay.

4. Scar-Lead

Aggregate Score: 44, Audience Score: 2.4

This anime-styled action game drawing from games like *Returnal* failed to impress with critics. Frequent criticisms included uninspired foes, repetitive levels, and a snoozy narrative. A controversial mechanic involving the outfit degradation was widely panned and detracted from the game's overall experience.

3. Ambulance Life: A Paramedic Simulator

Metascore: 44, User Score: 4.9

Think of the engaging medical sims of the past, then remove the compelling story. That, according to reviews, is essentially *Ambulance Life*. Reviewers found the emergency response sections to be tedious and repetitive, and the narrative's handling of mental health topics was criticized as being tone-deaf. The overall experience was deemed a missed opportunity.

2. Tamagotchi Plaza

Aggregate Score: 43, Audience Score: 5.8

This new direction for the classic digital companion formula turns the franchise into a minigame collection title. The result, per critics, was a unsatisfying collection of repetitive tasks that rapidly grew tiresome. Some reviews went so far as to call it one of the worst titles available on its platform, pointing to a dearth of depth.

1. MindsEye

Aggregate Score: 37, Audience Score: 2.5

Intended to be a high-profile open-world action game from a studio led by industry veterans, *MindsEye* was a notable commercial failure. Reviews savaged its poor shooting mechanics, uninspired storytelling, and a multitude of horrendous bugs. Critics found it to be a downgrade compared to previous-generation games in the action genre. Amidst the sea of negativity, a tiny number of optimistic players found something to enjoy in the experience, serving as a lonely contrast.