2025 has been one hell of a year so far for video game fans, as we have been eating very well. There has been a wealth of standout indie games, AA games punching well above their weight, and we are only weeks after the reveal of sometruly eye-catching future prospects at the time of writing.
Nevermind The Reviews, MindsEye Creeps Into The Top Of UK Sales Charts
Call it morbid curiosity, perhaps?
In short, it’s been a good year, and now that we’re about halfway through, we have very lofty expectations for all the titles that will be released this side of June. However, despite the amazing games that have kept us entertained this year, there have been quite a few that have flattered to deceive, or just outright stank up the joint.
So, consider this a public service announcement to all those in search of their next big purchase. These are some releases from 2025 so far that wrote a check that their game simply couldn’t cash.
We will consider both games that are objectively bad and games that might not be terrible, but fall short of what fans would have expected from that particular title. We will also not be considering any games launched in early access.
An Own Goal
First up, we have a game that I was personally so excited for as a recovering Rocket League addict. It seemed for all the world that REMATCH would be Rocket League but with a more traditional, cleats-on-the-ground feel to the play. But, needless to say,it hasn’t quite turned out that way.
Despite offering gameplay that is undeniably fun, the issue is that the gameplay is shallow and, more importantly, broken.
The game will rubberband like crazy, and the ball will get stuck in place for what feels like an age in ranked matches. Goals will be awarded for shots that cannon off the post or get clearly saved by the keeper, and some techniques are so overpowered that the game feels deeply unbalanced.
In short, it’s a game that should have been a free-to-play early access title, but instead, it’s a half-baked product pushed out to market before it’s ready, and it shows.
8Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Living In The Shadow Of Its Predecessors
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
I know a very vocal subset of the internet will hate me for saying it. But, I think it would be pretty criminal not to include this one on a list of disappointing 2025 titles,because boy, was this a drag.
Don’t get me wrong, as far as Assassin’s Creed titles go, it’s not the worst. Stealth feels pretty solid, and it’s visually stunning. But, for me at least, that’s where the plaudits stop.
This is because the gameplay is a typical paint-by-numbers open-world with unremarkable map marker-filler activities, dull side quests, and irritating exploration that’ll have you awkwardly scaling cliffs and weaving through thickets of bamboo.
Combine that with a story that gets worse the longer it goes on, and a secondary character that feels wholly unnecessary and annoying to play, and you have an AC game that was supposed to be the savior of Ubisoft, but feels like all style and no substance.
7Croc: Legend of the Gobbos
The Legend Was A Myth
Croc Legend of the Gobbos
Do I feel bad about attacking one of the games that I hold most near and dear, as it was a big part of my childhood? Absolutely. Do I feel it’s warranted? Also, yes.
The problem withthis recent remakeof a former mascot platforming icon’s greatest outing is that it doesn’t really feel like a remake at all. Visually, it’s a step-up for sure, but the issue is that the gameplay is stuck in the PSX era.
You see, Croc was originally designed with tank controls, something that made the game surprisingly difficult back in the day. However, with the advent of modern controls, each level feels extremely basic, and laughably easy.
Plus, it just shows its age in terms of design as well, with nonsensical mini-games, a pointless Sonic-style health system, and endlessly respawning enemies. It really needed to undergo a complete rework, and what we got only highlighted how much of a relic the older title is.
Additionally, they didn’t include trophy support, which was a particularly disappointing omission. To paraphrase Michael Jordan, I took that personally.
6Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree
Meh-Troidvania
Mandragora
If anyone knows me, they know thatI’m a sucker for a Metroidvania, and if it’s a Soulsvania in any shape or form, all the better. However, despite the fact that Mandragora caught my eye, it certainly didn’t hold my attention for long.
The game’s gritty world and visuals, alongside its ludicrously detailed skill tree that gave me immediate Path of Exile vibes, was a big draw. But, upon exploring the game’s world and battling through bosses, the cracks began to show.
It’s not that Mandragora is a bad game,it’s just not great.The combat is really basic, and because the game is so combat-focused, that becomes a major gripe very quickly.
But alongside that, the bosses aren’t anything to write home about, and the platforming and exploration don’t feel all that refined or rewarding, either. Plus, the story and quests just feel like a means to an end.
It’s a serviceable game, but it doesn’t truly excel at anything it tries to do, which is why I consider this game one of the most disappointing games of the year so far.
5FBC Firebreak
In Desperate Need Of Content
FBC: Firebreak
We have another recent release that just about sneaks onto this list at the buzzer. Not exactly an accolade any game will want, but FBC Firebreak has more than earned it.
If you wanted to criticise the game negatively, you could easily build a case around the game’s lack of story-based features that made Control so excellent. Or, you could riff on the idea that the game is a rather grind-intensive but criminally basic FPS game.
However, I think the most common, and fair complaint is that the game is woefully lacking in content, as the majority of what the game has to offer in terms of unique missionscan be played in full within about 1-2 hours.
Combine that with the fact that the game is a mid-tier paid product, and you have something that, much like aforementioned REMATCH, feels half-baked but is being sold to us as the finished article.
4The Precinct
All Units, Proceed With Caution
The Precinct
As someone who feels rather similarly to how our good friends who make up the NWA feel about the police, a game where you play as an upholder of the law in the USA of all places is a hard sell.
That said, if done well,The Precinctcould have been a solid foundation upon which to build a nuanced and biting story about those on the force, the job they do, and the hardship that comes with that. Plus, in an idyllic world, on paper, a police officer is a pretty cool job.
That certainly isn’t the case in The Precinct, though, as the game is made up of repetitive call-out missions, shootouts, and driving sequences where you wrestle with wonky controls that feel deeply intuitive, and sadly, the story that punctuates the moments in between is pretty threadbare as well.
It has its moments, and you can see why so many people had this cop sim on their radar. But, the biggest crime related to this game about justice and police work is the wasted potential on show here.
3Captain Blood
A Rotten Relic
Captain Blood
When I heard the backstory behind Captain Blood, I was equal parts intrigued and excited. A game that was almost fully developedduring the PS2 life cyclebut then never saw the light of day. Only to be picked up over a decade later, polished up, and given a belated release.
It had all the potential to be a time capsule, transporting us back to the bygone era of the PS2, but instead, it was a showcase of perhaps why this game never saw the light of day in the first place.
If I were to be kind, it’s like a bargain bin version of what the original God of War games offered, with a naval theme. However, being less kind, it’s a repetitive, shallow slog with dated visuals, a litany of bugs and sound issues, and very few actual redeeming qualities.
It’s the kind of restoration project that you want to see succeed without a hitch. But that’s not what happened here, and Captain Blood should rightly be landlocked forevermore.
2Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
Welcome To Hell
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
The only positive thing I can say about Nintendo Switch Welcome Tour is that I understand what Nintendo was trying to do here.
They saw the success of Astro’s Playroom, a glorified tech demo that helped show off the tech of the PS5 in all its glory. But it was also a fantastic gaming experience in its own right.
Welcome Tour tried to emulate that, but clearly didn’t quite understand the assignment, as their console’s fourth-wall-breaking tech demo is atrocious.
Not only is it a dull experience that doesn’t warrant the player’s engagement in the first place. It’s also a game that cannot be completed in its entirety without all the bells and whistles attached to the Switch 2, which would cost potential players an arm and a leg.
I know that new games on the Switch 2 are hard to come by right now, but even still, give this one a swerve.
Certainly Not A GTA Killer
It’s weird. Everyone, including myself, foresaw the absolute dumpster fire that was Mindseye coming. After all, how could you not consider the absolutely horrible way the game was marketed ahead of launch? However, there was always that slim chance that it would prove doubters wrong.
I personally sat down with one of the game’s developers, and the way they spoke about the game with such passion and confidence almost had me convinced that maybe I had missed something.
But, it seems that they were just pretty well media trained, as the game went beyond unremarkable and into a realm no game wants to find itself. It finds itself in the ‘worst games of all time’ conversation.
The game lacks content, yet still feels like it drags on longer than it should. The game is littered with bugs, the performance outside of cutscenes is abysmally poor, the story is serviceable at best, and the gameplay is akin to a third-person shooter from generations past.
The developers seem adamant that they can reverse the trajectory of this maligned title, but considering they thought their game would be received well in the first place, we aren’t holding our breath.
10 Worst Games of the Last Decade (According to OpenCritic)
We don’t enjoy beating a dead horse, but it’s worth looking back every now to avoid repeating past mistakes.
