Across the internet, fans are foaming at the mouth to post their lists of the greatest games of 2025. Yet, where are the stinkers, the low achievers? We'll take a momentary detour to honor the lowest-rated games of the year, according to the critical consensus on Metacritic. Is every one of these games truly as terrible as their scores suggest? Here is the list.
10. Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
Metascore: 54/100, Audience Score: 3.4/10
First impressions to this pack-in experience were colored by its $9.99 price tag, with many voicing frustration it wasn't a free pack-in like similar console launches. Professional assessment spanned a wide spectrum, from harsh disappointment to slightly kinder reviews that noted the polished software underneath the controversy. Regardless of the grumbling, the title proved to be a strong seller during its launch month.
9. Rennsport
Metascore: 53/100, User Score: 3.2/10
Marketed as "not just a racing game," this vroom-vroom title from European developers was met with largely negative reviews. Critics noted that the game was lacking in almost every category, especially in a year filled with high-quality racing experiences. Ultimately, this sputtering stinker was advised to be left unplayed.
8. Bubsy in: The Purrfect Collection
Aggregate Score: 53/100, User Score: 8.6/10
Before we start: the irritating colon usage is a minor strike against it. This anthology of SNES and PS1 Bubsy titles revives a rude feline known for non-stop jokes. The consensus was that these games were mediocre to begin with and have not improved with age. The surprisingly strong user score is a peculiar anomaly to the Metascore.
7. Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact
Metascore: 53, Audience Score: 3.5
This manga-based brawler encountered significant backlash from both reviewers and fans. It was lambasted for a small fighter lineup and a dearth of content. Player sentiment was especially vitriolic, with some expressing a wish that the title's failure would serve as a lesson for similar releases.
6. Riders Vs Dogoos
Metascore: 51, User Score: 5.3
Based on the anime-style Hyperdimension Neptunia series, this vehicle combat game tasks players with collecting Dogoos. Reviewers felt that its goal to channel a *Katamari Damacy*-like gameplay loop ultimately fell flat, coming across as more of a quick spin-off than a worthy Neptunia game. Its short length combined with a $40 price tag was criticized.
5. Captain Blood
Metascore: 50, User Score: 5.3
This title is a piece of lost media from the mid-2000s, finally released after years and years in legal limbo. The publishers made the decision to keep the game as an period-accurate product of its time, acknowledging that modern gamers might dislike its dated design. As such, many reviews remarked that the tale of its development was far richer than the game itself.
4. Scar-Lead Salvation
Aggregate Score: 44, User Score: 2.4
This anime-styled roguelike shooter inspired by games like *Returnal* disappointed with critics. Common complaints centered on repetitive adversaries, monotonous stage design, and a snoozy narrative. A much-criticized system involving the character's attire was seen as adding nothing and detracted from the game's enjoyment.
3. Paramedic Simulator
Aggregate Score: 44, Audience Score: 4.9
Imagine the engaging medical sims of the past, then remove the memorable characters. That, according to reviews, is roughly *Ambulance Life*. Players found the emergency response sections to be monotonous, and the narrative's handling of its subject matter 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 shift away from the classic digital companion formula turns the franchise into a shopping simulation title. The result, according to critics, was a vapid series of simple minigames that very soon grew tiresome. Some reviews went so far as to declare it one of the worst titles available on its platform, noting a profound lack of depth.
1. MindsEye
Aggregate Score: 37, User Score: 2.5
Arriving as a major crime saga from a ex-Rockstar veteran's industry veterans, *MindsEye* was a spectacular commercial failure. Reviews universally panned its poor shooting mechanics, uninspired storytelling, and a multitude of technical problems. Several found it to be a regression compared to much older games in the same genre. Despite the sea of negativity, a tiny number of fans found value in the experience, providing a lonely vote of confidence.
