At every turn, gamers are eagerly sharing their selections of the greatest titles of 2025. Yet, where are the flops, the underperformers? Let's take a few moments to honor the most panned games of the year, according to the aggregate scores from Metacritic. Is every one of these games as disappointing as the ratings suggest? Here is the list.
10. Switch 2's Welcome Tour
Metascore: 54/100, Audience 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 harsh disappointment to somewhat forgiving appraisals that noted the charming software underneath the controversy. In spite of the controversy, the title proved to be a notable seller during its launch month.
9. Rennsport
Metascore: 53/100, Audience Score: 3.2/10
Presented as "beyond a racing game," this driving sim from Competition Company and Teyon received pretty unanimous reviews. Reviews pointed out that the game fell short in key areas, especially in a year filled with stellar racing games. Ultimately, this disappointing sim was best left unplayed.
8. Bubsy's Purrfect Collection
Metascore: 53/100, User Score: 8.6/10
First things first: the irritating title grammar is a minor annoyance. This collection of retro mascot platformers showcases a sarcastic feline known for non-stop hacky one-liners. Critics observed that these games were not good in their time and feel dated with age. The surprisingly strong user score stands as a baffling anomaly to the professional reviews.
7. Nen x Impact
Aggregate Score: 53, Audience Score: 3.5
This manga-based fighting game was met with harsh criticism from both critics and players. Issues included a thin roster of characters and a severe lack of content. Player sentiment was particularly negative, with some voicing a desire that the title's poor performance would serve as a lesson for future projects.
6. Neptunia Riders Vs Dogoos
Aggregate Score: 51, User Score: 5.3
Based on the anime-style Hyperdimension Neptunia series, this motorcycle action game tasks players with collecting cute monsters. Reviewers felt that its goal to mimic a rolling-collection gameplay loop ultimately fell flat, coming across as more of a quick spin-off than a meaningful addition to the franchise. Its short length combined with a premium price raised eyebrows.
5. Captain Blood
Aggregate Score: 50, User Score: 5.3
This title is a resurrected relic from the mid-2000s, seeing the light of day after nearly two decades in development hell. The team behind it made the decision to release the game as an period-accurate artifact of its time, accepting that today's audiences might criticize its retro feel. As such, many reviews concluded that the fascinating story of its journey was more interesting than the end product.
4. Scar-Lead Salvation
Aggregate Score: 44, Audience Score: 2.4
This anime-art action game inspired by games like *Returnal* disappointed with critics. Frequent criticisms were bland enemy design, samey environments, and a forgettable story. A much-criticized system involving the protagonist's clothing was widely panned and took away from the game's overall experience.
3. Ambulance Life
Aggregate Score: 44, User Score: 4.9
Recall the engaging medical sims of the past, then strip away the satisfying gameplay. That, according to reviews, is essentially *Ambulance Life*. Players found the emergency response sections to be a slog, and the story's portrayal of its subject matter was criticized as being insensitive. The overall experience was deemed a missed opportunity.
2. Tamagotchi Plaza
Aggregate Score: 43, Audience Score: 5.8
This new direction for the classic virtual pet formula makes the franchise into a town-management title. The result, per critics, was a dull series of repetitive tasks that quickly grew tiresome. Some reviews went so far as to label it one of the lowest-quality titles available on its platform, citing a profound lack of engaging content.
1. MindsEye
Aggregate Score: 37, User Score: 2.5
Intended to be a major crime saga from a ex-Rockstar veteran's experienced developers, *MindsEye* was a notable commercial failure. Reviews heavily criticized its weak action, dull missions, and a plethora of technical problems. Many found it to be a downgrade compared to much older games in the action genre. Despite the sea of negativity, a tiny number of positive user reviews found value in the experience, serving as a rare contrast.
