The Lowest-Rated Video Games of the Year 2025, According to Metacritic

At every turn, gamers are eagerly sharing their lists of the greatest releases of 2025. Yet, where are the stinkers, the failures? We'll take a few moments to recognize the lowest-rated games of the year, as determined by review aggregator Metacritic. Could each of these games truly as terrible as the reviews suggest? Let's find out.

10. Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour

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

Initial reactions 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 similar console launches. Professional assessment was quite mixed, from "crushing disappointment" to more generous appraisals that highlighted the charming software underneath the controversy. Regardless of the debate, the title proved to be a surprisingly robust commercial performer during its launch month.

9. Rennsport

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

Billed as "beyond a racing game," this simulation from studios in Germany and Poland received overwhelmingly poor reviews. Critics noted that the game fell short in key areas, notably in a year featuring stellar racing titles. Ultimately, this sputtering stinker was advised to be left on the shelf.

8. The Purrfect Bubsy Collection

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

First things first: the awkward title grammar is a notable strike against it. This compilation of SNES and PS1 platforming games revives a rude feline known for incessant hacky one-liners. The consensus was that these games were mediocre originally and have not improved with age. The surprisingly strong user score stands as a peculiar anomaly to the Metascore.

7. Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact

Aggregate Score: 53, User Score: 3.5

This anime-inspired fighter was met with widespread disappointment from both professionals and the dedicated community. Issues included a limited fighter lineup and a minimal offering of features. Fan reaction was notably vitriolic, with some voicing a wish that the title's failure would serve as a lesson for future projects.

6. Neptunia Motorcycle Game

Metascore: 51, User Score: 5.3

Based on the quirky Hyperdimension Neptunia series, this motorcycle action game tasks players with gathering slime-like creatures. The assessment was that its effort to mimic a rolling-collection experience didn't land, coming across as more of a low-effort product than a meaningful addition to the franchise. Its 3-hour duration combined with a premium price was criticized.

5. Captain Blood

Aggregate Score: 50, Audience Score: 5.3

This title is a resurrected relic from the past, seeing the light of day after nearly two decades in production delays. The publishers opted to release the game as an original artifact of its time, acknowledging that modern gamers might dislike its retro feel. As such, many reviews concluded that the interesting history of its journey was more compelling than the end product.

4. Scar-Lead

Aggregate Score: 44, Audience Score: 2.4

This anime-art third-person shooter modeled after games like *Returnal* failed to impress with critics. Frequent criticisms centered on uninspired foes, repetitive levels, and a unengaging plot. A controversial mechanic involving the character's attire was seen as adding nothing and detracted from the game's enjoyment.

3. Ambulance Life: A Paramedic Simulator

Aggregate Score: 44, User Score: 4.9

Think of the strategic medical sims of the past, then remove the memorable characters. That, according to reviews, is essentially *Ambulance Life*. Reviewers found the ambulance-driving sequences to be a slog, and the story's portrayal of its subject matter was criticized as being tone-deaf. The overall experience was deemed not very compelling.

2. Tamagotchi Plaza

Metascore: 43, User Score: 5.8

This new direction for the classic virtual pet formula transforms the franchise into a town-management title. The result, per critics, was a vapid series of repetitive tasks that rapidly overstayed its welcome. Some reviews went so far as to call it one of the worst titles available on its platform, pointing to a complete absence of engaging content.

1. MindsEye

Aggregate Score: 37, User Score: 2.5

Arriving as a blockbuster GTA-style title from a ex-Rockstar veteran's industry veterans, *MindsEye* was a catastrophic critical flop. Reviews savaged its lousy combat, dull missions, and a host of horrendous bugs. Many found it to be a significant step back compared to much older games in the same genre. Amidst the sea of negativity, a tiny number of positive user reviews found fun in the experience, serving as a rare vote of confidence.