Across the internet, gamers are eagerly sharing their rankings of the best releases of 2025. Yet, where are the flops, the underperformers? It's time to take a momentary detour to honor the most panned games of the year, as determined by review aggregator Metacritic. Are all of these games as bad as the reviews suggest? Let's find out.
10. Switch 2's Welcome Tour
Aggregate Score: 54/100, Audience Score: 3.4/10
First impressions to this pack-in experience were colored by its $9.99 price tag, with many feeling cheesed off it wasn't a bundled game like competing console launches. Professional assessment spanned a wide spectrum, from scathing critiques to somewhat forgiving reviews that praised the charming software itself. Regardless of the grumbling, the title proved to be a strong digital seller during its launch month.
9. Rennsport
Aggregate Score: 53/100, Audience Score: 3.2/10
Marketed as "beyond a racing game," this vroom-vroom title from Competition Company and Teyon received overwhelmingly poor reviews. Reviews pointed out that the game fell short in almost every category, particularly in a year filled with excellent racing experiences. In the eyes of critics, this disappointing sim was better off left on the shelf.
8. Bubsy's Purrfect Collection
Aggregate Score: 53/100, User Score: 8.6/10
First things first: the awkward title grammar is a minor point of contention. This anthology of SNES and PS1 platforming games revives a rude feline known for non-stop jokes. Critics observed that these games were mediocre originally and feel dated with age. The notably positive user score stands as a peculiar oddity to the professional reviews.
7. Hunter x Hunter Fighting Game
Metascore: 53, User Score: 3.5
This *Hunter x Hunter* brawler faced harsh criticism from both critics and fans. It was lambasted for a thin roster of characters and a severe lack of gameplay modes. User reviews was particularly harsh, with some voicing a hope that the title's failure would serve as a lesson for future projects.
6. Neptunia Motorcycle Game
Aggregate Score: 51, Audience Score: 5.3
Hailing from the quirky Hyperdimension Neptunia series, this motorcycle action game tasks players with gathering cute monsters. Reviewers felt that its goal to mimic a rolling-collection experience didn't land, coming across as more of a low-effort product than a meaningful Neptunia game. Its short length combined with a full retail cost raised eyebrows.
5. Captain Blood
Aggregate Score: 50, Audience Score: 5.3
This title is a piece of lost media from the Xbox era, launched after years and years in production delays. The team behind it opted to release the game as an original experience of its time, fully aware that contemporary players might not appreciate its old-school mechanics. As such, many reviews concluded that the fascinating story of its resurrection was more compelling than the end product.
4. Scar-Lead Salvation
Aggregate Score: 44, User Score: 2.4
This anime-styled third-person shooter inspired by games like *Returnal* fell flat with critics. Common complaints were bland enemy design, samey environments, and a snoozy narrative. A particular feature involving the character's attire was universally disliked and took away from the game's overall experience.
3. Paramedic Simulator
Aggregate Score: 44, User Score: 4.9
Recall the tense medical sims of the past, then remove the compelling story. That, according to reviews, is pretty much *Ambulance Life*. Critics found the ambulance-driving sequences to be monotonous, and the story's portrayal of mental health topics was criticized as being insensitive. The overall experience was deemed a missed opportunity.
2. Tamagotchi Plaza
Metascore: 43, Audience Score: 5.8
This departure from the classic digital companion formula makes the franchise into a minigame collection title. The result, according to critics, was a vapid series of basic activities that very soon became boring. Some reviews went so far as to call it one of the lowest-quality titles available on its platform, citing a dearth of satisfying gameplay.
1. MindsEye
Metascore: 37, Audience Score: 2.5
Positioned as a blockbuster crime saga from a ex-Rockstar veteran's industry veterans, *MindsEye* was a spectacular disappointment. Reviews universally panned its poor shooting mechanics, boring plot, and a multitude of technical problems. Many found it to be a downgrade compared to much older games in the similar style. Despite the overwhelming criticism, a small handful of positive user reviews found value in the experience, providing a rare contrast.
