Everywhere you look, enthusiasts are eagerly sharing their rankings of the best games of 2025. But what about the stinkers, the failures? It's time to take a momentary detour to examine the lowest-rated games of the year, as determined by the critical consensus on Metacritic. Could each of these games truly as terrible as the ratings suggest? Here is the list.
10. Welcome Tour for Switch 2
Aggregate Score: 54/100, User Score: 3.4/10
Initial reactions to this showcase title were shaped by its $9.99 price tag, with many feeling cheesed off it wasn't a free pack-in like competing console launches. Reviewer sentiment was quite mixed, from harsh disappointment to slightly kinder reviews that praised the charming software underneath the controversy. Despite the debate, the title proved to be a strong commercial performer during its launch month.
9. Rennsport
Metascore: 53/100, Audience Score: 3.2/10
Billed as "more than a racing game," this vroom-vroom title from European developers was met with overwhelmingly poor reviews. Critics noted that the game felt unfinished in almost every category, especially in a year featuring stellar racing games. In the eyes of critics, this disappointing sim was better off left in the garage.
8. Bubsy's Purrfect Collection
Aggregate Score: 53/100, User Score: 8.6/10
To begin with: the irritating punctuation is a minor point of contention. This anthology of 1990s-era Bubsy titles features a "attitude"-filled feline known for incessant hacky one-liners. The consensus was that these games were not good in their time and have not improved with age. The notably positive user score stands as a baffling anomaly to the professional reviews.
7. Hunter x Hunter Fighting Game
Metascore: 53, User Score: 3.5
This *Hunter x Hunter* fighter was met with significant backlash from both professionals and the dedicated community. It was lambasted for a small roster of characters and a severe lack of content. Fan reaction was notably vitriolic, with some expressing a hope that the title's flop would serve as a lesson for similar releases.
6. Neptunia Riders Vs Dogoos
Metascore: 51, Audience Score: 5.3
Based on the anime-style Hyperdimension Neptunia series, this motorcycle action game tasks players with collecting cute monsters. The assessment was that its effort to mimic a rolling-collection gameplay loop was unsuccessful, coming across as more of a low-effort product than a meaningful addition to the franchise. Its brief runtime combined with a premium price raised eyebrows.
5. Captain Blood
Metascore: 50, User Score: 5.3
This title is a resurrected relic from the mid-2000s, seeing the light of day after years and years in production delays. The developers made the decision to preserve the game as an original artifact of its time, accepting that contemporary players might dislike its old-school mechanics. As such, many reviews noted that the tale of its resurrection was more compelling than the game itself.
4. Scar-Lead
Metascore: 44, Audience Score: 2.4
This anime-styled roguelike shooter modeled after games like *Returnal* disappointed with critics. The main issues centered on uninspired foes, samey environments, and a snoozy narrative. A much-criticized system involving the outfit degradation was widely panned and took away from the game's enjoyment.
3. Ambulance Life: A Paramedic Simulator
Aggregate Score: 44, User Score: 4.9
Recall the engaging medical sims 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 monotonous, and the treatment of mental health topics was criticized as being poorly executed. The overall experience was deemed largely unsatisfying.
2. Tamagotchi Plaza
Aggregate Score: 43, Audience Score: 5.8
This shift away from the classic digital companion formula transforms the franchise into a minigame collection title. The result, based on critics, was a unsatisfying collection of simple minigames that very soon became boring. Some reviews went so far as to call it one of the most disappointing titles available on its platform, pointing to a profound lack of engaging content.
1. MindsEye
Aggregate Score: 37, User Score: 2.5
Arriving as a major open-world action game from a studio led by well-known figures, *MindsEye* was a notable disappointment. Reviews heavily criticized its lousy combat, dull missions, and a multitude of technical problems. Several found it to be a regression compared to decades-old games in the same genre. Despite the scathing reviews, a few of positive user reviews found fun in the experience, serving as a lonely counterpoint.
