10 Most Brutally Disappointing Games Of 2025 (So Far)

21 July 2025

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10-most-brutally-disappointing-games-of-2025-(so-far) — 10 Most Brutally Disappointing Games Of 2025 (So Far)

While it’s easy to talk about some of the best video games of 2025, with smash hits like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (among others) setting the bar incredibly high, there have also been a trove of incredibly disappointing and downright terrible games this year. With the year only halfway over, there’s no telling how much worse it can get.

Even giving these games the benefit of the doubt, there’s simply no way a lackluster videogame is going to be successful when the industry is pumping out such amazing games in 2025. A bad game feels way worse when you have incredible games like Clair Obscur, Blue Prince, or Elden Ring Nightreign to compare it to. With major disappointments such as MindsEye‘s abysmal launch showcasing just how bad things can get, publishers need to think twice before sending underwhelming projects out the door when the competition is so fierce.

10 Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles – Not The Remaster You’re Looking For

A Star Wars Remaster Nobody Asked For

I can think of a dozen or so different classic Star Wars games that fans would kill to see remastered, but I don’t think Star Wars Episode 1: Jedi Power Battles even makes the top 10. However, Aspyr decided to publish this remaster, and it launched at the beginning of the year to an absolutely abysmal reception. The original game was arguably one of the worst Star Wars games ever made, so remastering it was certainly a choice.

Star Wars Episode 1: Jedi Power Battles was originally launched on the original PlayStation and Dreamcast, and while it was certainly okay for that medium, it simply doesn’t translate well to modern platforms. The remaster added some interesting new content, but ultimately, that wasn’t enough to make it stand out as a successful Star Wars remake.

Jedi Power Battles has a 4.3 user review score on Metacritic, and just a 55 critic review score. This makes it both one of the lowest-rated games of the year and one of the lowest-rated Star Wars games ever.

9 Game of Thrones: Kingsroad – The North Has Memory Problems

Will We Ever Get A Solid Game Of Thrones RPG?

Much like the final seasons of the Game of Thrones television show, Game of Thrones: Kingsroad leaves a lot to be desired. It’s a little confounding that an IP as incredible as A Song of Ice and Fire doesn’t have a solid RPG that explores the universe in an entertaining way. While Kingsroad certainly tried to get us there, it ultimately falls flat because it’s largely a mobile game, even if it is playable on PC.

Characters from GTA 6, Clair Obscur, and Ghost of Yotei

After the announcement of GTA 6’s delay until May 2026, everyone is speculating on the 2025 GOTY, and Expedition 33 seems to be the frontrunner.

Even if it didn’t have all the trappings of a mobile game that turn a lot of players off, I’m not entirely sold on Kingsroad‘s premise. I still think the only way we’ll ever get a strong sword and sorcery-style RPG in the GoT universe is if they abandon Westeros altogether.

Either way, the Kingsroad RPG sold itself on an open-world RPG experience but limited its audience by rolling out as a mobile game with a PC port, an obvious bad move considering its 5.8 user and 57 critic review scores on Metacritic.

8 Tamagotchi Plaza: A Deeply Underwhelming Package

This Football (Soccer) Game Had Loads Of Potential

The Tamagotchi brand holds positive memories for many, but Tamagotchi Plaza didn’t exactly add to them. While the presentation has its charms, the lack of any strong connective tissue and the slow grind that the game demands can make it feel like a slog. With minigames that don’t exactly wow, there just isn’t much reason to check this one out.

The Metacritic consensus for Tamagotchi Plaza places it at a dismal 42, although slightly more forgiving user reviews scrape out an acceptable 6.0 average. Either way, it’s not one to write home about, and those looking for a good Switch 2 experience will likely be better off sticking with the hits.

7 The Precinct: Lock This One Up

A Top-Down Buggy Mess Modeled After Early GTA Games

The Precinct has an interesting premise, but unfortunately ends up being an extremely repetitive and boring experience when all is said and done. It’s modeled after early GTA-style top-down gameplay, and pays homage to the early 80s and 90s cop films. These things are great in theory, but in practice, this game is a lot of the same mission types strung together to milk a simple idea for all it’s worth, which isn’t much.

The Precinct’s story had potential, but ended up being incredibly predictable and underwhelming as well, which is a shame.

While it’s certainly not the worst game of the year, it’s definitely one of the most underwhelming games I’ve played in 2025. Aside from these issues, the game launched with a ton of bugs and performance issues that, to the developer’s credit, have been largely addressed since its release. Overall, you might want to skip this one and just sit tight until GTA 6 finally releases, whenever that ends up happening.

6 Ambulance Life: This Paramedic Sim Has Officially Flatlined

One Of The Lowest-Rated Games Of 2025

Ambulance Life: A Paramedic Simulator is, well, a paramedic simulation game that really doesn’t deliver when it comes to sim mechanics. In a genre ripe with excellent simulation games, this one provides a lackluster experience. The game launched with an extensive array of issues that left players in a state of confusion and dismay, and the day-one patch more or less made the game unplayable.

Ambulance Life does have potential, but it’s also hard to pin down the exact audience for this game. Those interested in medicine might find the game entertaining, but those interested in a fun simulation experience will have better luck with various other games in the space that are much less frustrating in terms of game mechanics and controls. Ambulance Life has a Metacritic score of just 44, with bugs and mechanical problems being cited as a core reason the game is so frustrating to play.

5 FBC: Firebreak – A Hot Mess

An Overhyped FPS From Remedy That Should’ve Been Better

FBC Firebreak was one of the most hyped games of the year, sold as a co-op successor to the smash hits Alan Wake and Control, an incredible game from Remedy Entertainment. When you play Firebreak, it’s hard to believe it came from the same developers as Control, however, and it’s ultimately one of the biggest disappointments of 2025.

FBC: Firebreak takes Remedy’s talents to the online co-op space, but it struggles to present as compelling of a package as Control or Alan Wake.

FBC Firebreak launched with some performance issues, but more pressingly, the gameplay is subpar, especially compared to previous Remedy titles. While the gameplay does pick up later in the experience, the beginning is a major slog, and a limited supply of content makes even the more exciting bits of progress wear thin.

If a game can’t hook you in the first 4 to 6 hours, there’s something wrong, and this seems to be the case for FBC Firebreak. Remedy may have shot itself in the foot by setting the bar so high with Control, but players have no choice but to compare it to its predecessor.

4 Monster Hunter Wilds – A Lackluster Successor

Monster Hunter World Is Hard To Follow, & Wilds Failed To Impress Fans

While other franchise titles like Monster Hunter World were beloved by fans and critics alike, Monster Hunter Wilds was a huge disappointment for many fans of the series. Critics raved about this game, and it ranks at an 88 overall on Metacritic, but this stands in stark contrast to how it has been received among players. Ultimately, this is one title that didn’t land with fans of the franchise, serving as a largely stripped-down version of its predecessor.

Monster Hunter Wilds Mizutsune and Arkveld monsters

Monster Hunter Wilds has been including fan-favorite monsters in its free Title Updates, but some creatures could be even better picks for the future.

While the game isn’t entirely irredeemable, the fan feedback for Monster Hunter Wilds is absolutely scathing. All told, this game feels incomplete and lacks many of the features that made Monster Hunter World successful, not to mention its various bugs and performance issues on PC since launch.

3 Captain Blood: Shiver Me Timbers

A Pirate Hack & Slasher Stuck In The PS2 Era

Captain Blood suffered a long and sordid development history that ultimately shows in the final product. Work first started on this game as far back as 2003, and the gameplay reflects that. It took over 20 years for the full game to finally see the light of day, but the end result is completely underwhelming, which is a shame for everyone involved.

A player in Monster Hunter Wilds wearing a skull-like mask.

I’m so glad that after four months I still haven’t bought one of 2025’s most critically acclaimed RPGs, despite it being at the top of my wishlist.

Captain Blood probably should have been put to rest when it was effectively canceled ten years ago. For some reason, the game got picked up again, but the concept itself and core gameplay weren’t adapted for a modern gaming atmosphere.

The game feels like something from the PlayStation 2 era of the 2000s, and it might have been much more successful if it had made it to the market when initially planned. However, Captain Blood has just a 50 rating on Metacritic, a sad ending for a game that started off with amazing potential.

2 Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour: Yes, They Really Charge You For It

Why Would Anyone Want To Pay For This?

While some demo games have had incredible success, such as PlayStation’s Astro World, Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is definitely not one of these games. It’s hard to believe that Nintendo is charging people for this experience, especially given the lackluster gameplay that serves as a demo of the console’s main features.

If the experience was actually fun and exciting, that would be one thing, but it largely consists of things like trivia questions and underwhelming mini-games. The fact that it isn’t included for free as part of purchasing the Nintendo Switch 2 rubbed players the wrong way, and its dismal 3.6 user score on Metacritic makes this extremely obvious.

1 MindsEye: The Biggest Flop Of 2025

Is This Game Really As Bad As They Say? The Answer Is Yes

There isn’t much to say about MindsEye that hasn’t already been said, but I can speak from personal experience on this one. I bought this game despite the bad reviews, thinking that it couldn’t possibly be as bad as people said. Needless to say, I was wrong, and I don’t think there’s ever been a game I wanted my money back on as quickly as I did for MindsEye.

The game had so much potential, and despite the terrible reviews, I think it does have a few redeeming features, such as the visuals and GTA-style driving mechanics. But that’s being generous, as the overall experience is one of the least interesting I’ve ever had playing a game. There’s a justifiable reason this game only has a 2.4 user rating and 34 critic rating on Metacritic, and I hope we don’t see any other video games as disappointing as MindsEye in the rest of 2025.

Source: Metacritic (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

Brand: Apple, HP, Microsoft, Dell, Samsung, Lenovo, Toshiba, Asus, Acer
Original Release Date: 1971
Original MSRP (USD): The Kenbak I is considered the very first PC, which cost $750 back in 1971. Adjusted for inflation, the first PC cost around $4,659.
Hardware Versions: PC