Across the internet, gamers are foaming at the mouth to post their rankings of the best games of 2025. Yet, where are the stinkers, the underperformers? We'll take a momentary detour to honor the lowest-rated games of the year, as determined by the aggregate scores from Metacritic. Are all of these games truly as terrible as the reviews suggest? We shall see.
10. Welcome Tour for Switch 2
Metascore: 54/100, User Score: 3.4/10
Initial reactions to this pack-in experience were shaped by its $9.99 price tag, with many expressing disappointment it wasn't a free pack-in like similar console launches. Professional assessment was quite mixed, from harsh disappointment to more generous reviews that noted the charming software underneath the controversy. In spite of the grumbling, the title proved to be a surprisingly robust seller during its launch month.
9. Rennsport
Aggregate Score: 53/100, Audience Score: 3.2/10
Presented as "more than a racing game," this driving sim from Competition Company and Teyon was met with overwhelmingly poor reviews. Reviews pointed out that the game fell short in almost every category, especially in a year featuring high-quality racing titles. In the eyes of critics, this disappointing sim was advised to be left unplayed.
8. Bubsy in: The Purrfect Collection
Aggregate Score: 53/100, Audience Score: 8.6/10
First things first: the irritating punctuation is a notable annoyance. This collection of 1990s-era Bubsy titles showcases a rude feline known for constant jokes. Reviewers noted that these games were not good to begin with and haven't gotten better with age. The surprisingly strong user score is a peculiar contrast to the Metascore.
7. Hunter x Hunter Fighting Game
Aggregate Score: 53, Audience Score: 3.5
This manga-based brawler was met with significant backlash from both professionals and the dedicated community. Complaints centered on a thin roster of characters and a minimal offering of content. User reviews was especially harsh, with some voicing a wish that the title's flop would be a warning for future projects.
6. Riders Vs Dogoos
Metascore: 51, User Score: 5.3
Based on the quirky Hyperdimension Neptunia series, this motorcycle action game tasks players with gathering Dogoos. The assessment was that its goal to mimic a unique gameplay loop didn't land, coming across as more of a low-effort product than a worthy Neptunia game. Its 3-hour duration combined with a $40 price tag was criticized.
5. Captain Blood
Aggregate Score: 50, User Score: 5.3
This title is a piece of lost media from the mid-2000s, launched after nearly two decades in development hell. The publishers opted to preserve the game as an original artifact of its time, accepting that modern gamers might criticize its old-school mechanics. As such, many reviews noted that the fascinating story of its resurrection was far richer than the end product.
4. Salvation
Metascore: 44, User Score: 2.4
This anime-art third-person shooter drawing from games like *Returnal* failed to impress with critics. Frequent criticisms were repetitive adversaries, samey environments, and a forgettable story. A much-criticized system involving the outfit degradation was seen as adding nothing and took away from the game's potential charm.
3. Ambulance Life: A Paramedic Simulator
Aggregate Score: 44, Audience Score: 4.9
Imagine the strategic surgery games of the past, then remove the satisfying gameplay. That, according to reviews, is pretty much *Ambulance Life*. Reviewers found the emergency response sections to be monotonous, 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 shift away from the classic virtual pet formula makes the franchise into a minigame collection title. The result, based on critics, was a dull assortment of basic activities that quickly grew tiresome. Some reviews went so far as to label it one of the worst titles available on its platform, pointing to a complete absence of depth.
1. MindsEye
Metascore: 37, User Score: 2.5
Intended to be a blockbuster open-world action game from a team featuring experienced developers, *MindsEye* was a catastrophic critical flop. Reviews universally panned its weak action, uninspired storytelling, and a plethora of game-breaking glitches. Several found it to be a downgrade compared to previous-generation games in the similar style. Amidst the scathing reviews, a small handful of positive user reviews found value in the experience, offering a distinct contrast.
