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

Everywhere you look, gamers are quick to share their selections of the best games of 2025. Yet, where are the stinkers, the failures? We'll take a few moments to honor the lowest-rated games of the year, according to the critical consensus on Metacritic. Could each of these games as bad as their scores suggest? Let's find out.

10. Welcome Tour for Switch 2

Metascore: 54/100, User Score: 3.4/10

First impressions to this pack-in experience were shaped by its $9.99 price tag, with many expressing disappointment it wasn't a complimentary title like some other console launches. Critical opinion spanned a wide spectrum, from harsh disappointment to more generous appraisals that noted the delightful software underneath the controversy. Despite the controversy, the title proved to be a notable commercial performer 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 garnered overwhelmingly poor reviews. Reviews pointed out that the game felt unfinished in key areas, notably in a year packed with excellent racing titles. Ultimately, this disappointing sim was best left on the shelf.

8. The Purrfect Bubsy Collection

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

Before we start: the irritating title grammar is a minor point of contention. This anthology of SNES and PS1 mascot platformers showcases a rude feline known for incessant quips. Reviewers noted that these games were mediocre to begin with and haven't gotten better with age. The improbably high user score is a peculiar oddity to the Metascore.

7. Hunter x Hunter Fighting Game

Aggregate Score: 53, Audience Score: 3.5

This manga-based brawler encountered widespread disappointment from both critics and players. Complaints centered on a limited roster of characters and a severe lack of content. Fan reaction was particularly vitriolic, with some voicing a desire that the title's failure would be a warning for similar releases.

6. Neptunia Motorcycle Game

Metascore: 51, User Score: 5.3

Based on the anime-style Hyperdimension Neptunia series, this motorcycle action game tasks players with rounding up slime-like creatures. Critics argued that its attempt to recreate a unique gameplay loop didn't land, coming across as more of a cash grab than a meaningful series entry. Its 3-hour duration combined with a $40 price tag was criticized.

5. Captain Blood

Metascore: 50, User Score: 5.3

This title is a resurrected relic from the mid-2000s, finally released after nearly two decades in production delays. The developers made the decision to keep the game as an period-accurate product of its time, accepting that modern gamers might not appreciate its old-school mechanics. As such, many reviews concluded that the tale of its journey was more compelling than the end product.

4. Scar-Lead

Metascore: 44, Audience Score: 2.4

This anime-art action game drawing from games like *Returnal* disappointed with critics. The main issues included uninspired foes, repetitive levels, and a snoozy narrative. A controversial mechanic involving the character's attire was widely panned and detracted from the game's potential charm.

3. Ambulance Life: A Paramedic Simulator

Metascore: 44, User Score: 4.9

Think of the tense medical sims of the past, then take out the compelling story. That, according to reviews, is roughly *Ambulance Life*. Players found the core gameplay loop to be a slog, and the story's portrayal of its subject matter was criticized as being insensitive. The overall experience was deemed not very compelling.

2. Tamagotchi Plaza

Metascore: 43, Audience Score: 5.8

This shift away from the classic digital companion formula transforms the franchise into a town-management title. The result, per critics, was a vapid collection of simple minigames that rapidly grew tiresome. Some reviews went so far as to declare it one of the worst titles available on its platform, pointing to a dearth of satisfying gameplay.

1. MindsEye

Metascore: 37, User Score: 2.5

Positioned as a blockbuster open-world action game from a ex-Rockstar veteran's industry veterans, *MindsEye* was a spectacular disappointment. Reviews savaged its lousy combat, dull missions, and a plethora of game-breaking glitches. Several found it to be a regression compared to previous-generation games in the action genre. Despite the overwhelming criticism, a small handful of fans found value in the experience, offering a lonely vote of confidence.