Here’s something you probably haven’t heard before- 2017 has been an excellent year for video games. We know, pretty controversial opinion right there.
No, but seriously- what a year it’s been, chock-full of games that can easily be described as not only the best this generation has had to offer, but also as some of the best games we’ve ever played, period. But it all can’t be good. Like any other year, 2017 had its fair share of disappointments, of controversies, and, obviously enough, its fair share of horrendous releases. We’ve spent plenty of time over the past twelve months talking about all the good things this year has given us in terms of gaming experiences, but now it’s time to talk about the bad stuff.
So without further ado, we present to you GamingBolt’s nominees for the worst game of 2017.
TROLL AND I
Troll and I at least has to be praised for being a game that had some pretty unique ideas, and for having some pretty lofty ambitions. But that is exactly what works so badly against it. It tries too many things at the same time, and sadly enough, it doesn’t succeed at any of them. You can see that the ideas it has are often interesting on paper, but the game itself is a confused mess that is riddled with pervasive issues, such as obnoxious glitches and terrible voice work.
SYBERIA III
Syberia III has a fairly interesting setting, which is made even more interesting thanks to some decent art work. Unfortunately though, in almost every other area that actually counts, the game falters quite drastically. Syberia III is bogged down by technical issues (the awful lip syncing immediately comes to mind), while the stilted dialogue and uninteresting script don’t do the game any favours either. The game’s been awaited by fans of its predecessors for some time now, which is why it’s a real shame that the wait has ended in such bitter disappointment.
1-2 SWITCH
In all fairness, no one really expected 1-2-Switch to be amongst the best games of the year or anything. When you really get down to it, it’s hardly even a game. It wasn’t supposed to be anything more than a collection of mini-games that served as an advert for some of the Switch’s most unique features and functionalities. Somehow, though, 1-2 Switch manages to fall short of even these meagre expectations. It’s nothing more than a half-baked attempt at making something mildly fun, with not nearly enough content to keep anyone interested for long.
DYING REBORN
With a name as silly as Dying: Reborn, you really wouldn’t expect this game to amount to much. Surprisingly enough, though, the game actually makes a decent first impression. In its opening few minutes, Dying Reborn’s atmosphere does a decent job of pulling you into the experience, and the escape room concept is an inherently exciting one. Sadly, it never manages to move beyond that, and ends up feeling repetitive and unfinished. It often almost feels like a pre-alpha, or a small demo that could be used as a pitch for a bigger and better idea.
LIFE OF BLACK TIGER
Even if technological advancements were taken back to twenty years ago, Life of Black Tiger would still be a horrendous game. It looks bad (as you can see), it lacks even the most basic animation transitions, and it’s full of visual bugs and technical glitches. But a game doesn’t have to be judged solely on its visuals, right? Maybe it plays well? Well, it frigging doesn’t. Life of Black Tiger is bogged down by shoddy and unresponsive controls, poorly designed empty maps, and a basic concept that has zero potential for becoming anything interesting.
VROOM IN THE NIGHT SKY
One cannot possibly go overboard while criticizing this game. Vroom in the Night Sky looks like it was hurriedly put together in a few hours using decade old assets and then made available to the masses without any concern about what it might do to their mental well-being. And for all we know, that may very well be exactly what happened. It’s that bad. Don’t play it. Don’t even look at it.
MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS: MEGA BATTLE
What a mighty terrible game. It’s mega shitty. These horrible puns are the best things that have ever been associated with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Mega Battle. That should give you a fair idea of how bad this game is. It’s lacking in the areas that you’d usually expect most from in a Mighty Morphin Power Rangers game, that being corny and cheesy humour, while repetitive gameplay, poorly executed mechanics and generally boring combat all make for a game that will disappoint you, even if you go in expecting nothing good.
RESERVOIR DOGS: BLOODY DAYS
You don’t really expect much from games that are making use of licenses to begin with, so our expectations from Reservoir Dogs: Bloody Days weren’t exactly sky high. Predictably enough, the game ended up being exactly as underwhelming as we thought it would be. It has some interesting ideas, sure, and at times it can definitely be a mildly enjoyable experience, but it just feels half-assed and incomplete in everything it attempts. From its characters and technical aspects to its boring, repetitive mission design, Bloody Days is by no means a game that you ever need to try out.
DE-FORMERS
De-formers, despite the few rare moments of fun, and despite having an admittedly good soundtrack, is ultimately a broken game with terrible shooting mechanics and some bland level design. It’s not a game that you could rightly recommend to anyone, and it truly makes you wonder why a developer like Ready at Dawn is wasting its talents and resources on something like this.
DOUBLE DRAGON IV
Double Dragon IV at least has to be commended for having a very specific vision and sticking to it. The game is dedicated to being an ode to 1980s style brawlers, but sadly enough, it takes that dedication a bit too far, to the point where it actually becomes detrimental to the overall experience. Double Dragon IV makes use of mechanics and game design practices that haven’t aged all that well- these are ways of playing a game that have faded away for very good reason, and yet the game bafflingly insists on sticking with them. It’s a real shame, too, because you can’t help but feel that underneath all the excessive nostalgia and obtuse game design, there might actually be an enjoyable game in there. It never comes to fruition, sadly enough, and what we’re left with is a pretty terrible game.
GAMINGBOLT’S WORST GAME OF 2017- VROOM IN THE NIGHT SKY
Vroom in the Night Sky as an inexcusably terrible game. Vroom in the Night Sky is a boring, broken game with an asinine and ridiculous concept, and it’s no damn fun at all. Even its name is a disgrace. It makes us questions our own existence, and not in a good way. Vroom in the Night Sky has no right to exist, and you shouldn’t recommend it to anyone but your most hated enemies- maybe not even them. If it even can be called a game, then it is, without a doubt, the worst game of 2017.
Note: GamingBolt’s Game of the Year categories, nominations and awards are selected via an internal nomination, voting and debate process. You can check the rest of categories and the respective winners here.
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