The Lowest-Rated Video Games of This Year, Per Review Aggregator Metacritic

At every turn, enthusiasts are quick to share their selections of the greatest titles of 2025. However, what of the stinkers, the failures? Let's take a momentary detour to examine the most panned games of the year, based on the aggregate scores from Metacritic. Could each of these games as bad as the reviews suggest? Let's find out.

10. Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour

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 bundled game like competing console launches. Professional assessment varied dramatically, from "crushing disappointment" to more generous appraisals that praised the polished software underneath the controversy. Despite the grumbling, the title proved to be a surprisingly robust digital seller during its launch month.

9. Rennsport

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

Billed as "not just a racing game," this driving sim from European developers received overwhelmingly poor reviews. Critics noted that the game was lacking in almost every category, particularly in a year packed with stellar racing games. Ultimately, this underwhelming entry was advised to be left unplayed.

8. Bubsy's Purrfect Collection

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

First things first: the awkward title grammar is a minor strike against it. This anthology of SNES and PS1 platforming games features a rude feline known for incessant hacky one-liners. The consensus was that these games were not good to begin with and haven't gotten better with age. The surprisingly strong user score is a curious anomaly to the Metascore.

7. Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact

Metascore: 53, User Score: 3.5

This *Hunter x Hunter* fighter was met with significant backlash from both reviewers and players. Issues included a thin roster of characters and a minimal offering of features. User reviews was particularly negative, with some voicing a desire that the title's flop would be a warning for similar releases.

6. Riders Vs Dogoos

Aggregate Score: 51, Audience Score: 5.3

A part of the niche Hyperdimension Neptunia series, this vehicle combat game tasks players with gathering slime-like creatures. Reviewers felt that its attempt to recreate a rolling-collection feel was unsuccessful, coming across as more of a cash grab than a meaningful Neptunia game. Its brief runtime 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 Xbox era, launched after a very long time in legal limbo. The developers consciously chose to preserve the game as an original experience of its time, accepting that today's audiences might criticize its dated design. As such, many reviews remarked that the fascinating story of its development was more interesting than the game itself.

4. Salvation

Aggregate Score: 44, Audience Score: 2.4

This anime-styled third-person shooter inspired by games like *Returnal* disappointed with critics. Common complaints included bland enemy design, repetitive levels, and a forgettable story. A particular feature involving the character's attire was widely panned and detracted from the game's potential charm.

3. Paramedic Simulator

Metascore: 44, User Score: 4.9

Think of the engaging medical sims of the past, then strip away the satisfying gameplay. That, according to reviews, is pretty much *Ambulance Life*. Players found the ambulance-driving sequences to be a slog, and the treatment of serious themes was criticized as being tone-deaf. The overall experience was deemed a missed opportunity.

2. Tamagotchi Plaza

Metascore: 43, User Score: 5.8

This new direction for the classic digital companion formula makes the franchise into a minigame collection title. The result, according to critics, was a unsatisfying assortment of basic activities that quickly grew tiresome. Some reviews went so far as to declare it one of the lowest-quality titles available on its platform, pointing to a dearth of satisfying gameplay.

1. MindsEye

Aggregate Score: 37, Audience Score: 2.5

Arriving as a high-profile GTA-style title from a team featuring experienced developers, *MindsEye* was a notable commercial failure. Reviews universally panned its weak action, boring plot, and a multitude of game-breaking glitches. Critics found it to be a downgrade compared to previous-generation games in the action genre. Among the sea of negativity, a small handful of positive user reviews found fun in the experience, serving as a lonely contrast.