Everywhere you look, gamers are foaming at the mouth to post their rankings of the best releases of 2025. However, what of the disasters, the failures? It's time to take a few moments to honor the lowest-rated games of the year, according to the aggregate scores from Metacritic. Could each of these games as bad as the ratings suggest? Here is the list.
10. Welcome Tour for Switch 2
Metascore: 54/100, Audience Score: 3.4/10
First impressions to this pack-in experience were heavily influenced by its $9.99 price tag, with many expressing disappointment it wasn't a bundled game like similar console launches. Critical opinion was quite mixed, from "crushing disappointment" to more generous appraisals that praised the polished software itself. Despite the grumbling, the title proved to be a notable commercial performer during its launch month.
9. Rennsport
Metascore: 53/100, Audience Score: 3.2/10
Billed as "not just a racing game," this vroom-vroom title from Competition Company and Teyon was met with overwhelmingly poor reviews. Reviews pointed out that the game felt unfinished in almost every category, notably in a year featuring stellar racing games. For many, this underwhelming entry was better off left on the shelf.
8. The Purrfect Bubsy Collection
Metascore: 53/100, Audience Score: 8.6/10
First things first: the irritating punctuation is a silly strike against it. This compilation of retro Bubsy titles features a sarcastic feline known for non-stop jokes. The consensus was that these games were not good to begin with and have not improved with age. The improbably high user score remains a curious anomaly to the critical reception.
7. Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact
Aggregate Score: 53, Audience Score: 3.5
This anime-inspired fighter encountered widespread disappointment from both professionals and players. It was lambasted for a thin character selection and a minimal offering of gameplay modes. Fan reaction was particularly harsh, with some expressing a wish that the title's failure would have consequences for future projects.
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 gathering slime-like creatures. Critics argued that its effort to channel a rolling-collection experience ultimately fell flat, coming across as more of a quick spin-off than a meaningful Neptunia game. Its short length combined with a premium price was criticized.
5. Captain Blood
Aggregate Score: 50, User Score: 5.3
This title is a curious artifact from the Xbox era, launched after years and years in production delays. The developers opted to keep the game as an period-accurate product of its time, acknowledging that today's audiences might dislike its old-school mechanics. As such, many reviews concluded that the fascinating story of its resurrection was far richer than the actual gameplay.
4. Salvation
Metascore: 44, Audience Score: 2.4
This anime-art action game modeled after games like *Returnal* disappointed with critics. The main issues centered on bland enemy design, monotonous stage design, and a snoozy narrative. A particular feature involving the protagonist's clothing was widely panned and detracted from the game's potential charm.
3. Ambulance Life
Metascore: 44, Audience Score: 4.9
Imagine the tense surgery games of the past, then strip away the satisfying gameplay. That, according to reviews, is pretty much *Ambulance Life*. Reviewers found the emergency response sections to be tedious and repetitive, and the narrative's handling of its subject matter was criticized as being tone-deaf. The overall experience was deemed not very compelling.
2. Tamagotchi Plaza
Metascore: 43, Audience Score: 5.8
This departure from the classic digital companion formula transforms the franchise into a minigame collection title. The result, based on critics, was a vapid assortment of repetitive tasks that very soon became boring. Some reviews went so far as to declare it one of the lowest-quality titles available on its platform, pointing to a dearth of depth.
1. MindsEye
Metascore: 37, User Score: 2.5
Positioned as a major open-world action game from a studio led by industry veterans, *MindsEye* was a spectacular disappointment. Reviews heavily criticized its poor shooting mechanics, dull missions, and a multitude of horrendous bugs. Many found it to be a regression compared to previous-generation games in the action genre. Among the scathing reviews, a small handful of positive user reviews found fun in the experience, serving as a distinct counterpoint.
