The PS5 has been out for more than two years at this point, and while there has been no shortage of games that have touched remarkable heights – there have been plenty of disappointments to go along with them too. To that end, we present 15 of the worst PS5 games of all time.
Before starting with the list, it’s important to acknowledge that our opinion of these games is subjective – so while we may find them to be disappointing, you could have had a great time with them regardless. And if that’s the case, more power to you!
With that out of the way, let’s begin:
Godfall
When Counterplay Games showcased Godfall for the first time, it seemed like a great RPG with spectacular visuals and addictive combat. But when it was finally released, it turned out to be a disappointing experience that was rife with apparent flaws all around. The game is plagued with repetitive gameplay and uninteresting loot mechanics – all of which result in an experience that’s not worth sinking your teeth into.
Rustler
Jutsu Games tried to mix medieval elements with the chaotic top-down action of the original Grand Theft Auto games with Rustler, and while that combination certainly sounds enchanting – the end result is anything but. Rustler suffers from all kinds of issues ranging from poor game design to bland missions to technical issues and so much more. There are some cool ideas here, but they crumble under the weight of the shoddy moment-to-moment gameplay which makes the entire package a big disappointment.
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy — The Definitive Edition
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition aims to bring the experience of the PS2 era GTA games to a modern gaming landscape, and it could have been so much better if the developers put a little bit of effort towards it all. What fans got was an underwhelming package filled to the brim with bugs, glitches, and improvements that felt more like downgrades from the original experience. It’s easily one of the biggest disappointments of recent memory, and Rockstar’s conscious decision to keep vital information hidden from the public up until launch also made the whole situation so much worse.
In Nightmare
Maximum Games’ In Nightmare tries to instill the same feelings of distress and constant tension as Little Nightmares, but it fails to achieve that design goal by a significant margin. And that can largely be attributed to poor puzzle design that hinges on being frustrating throughout the entire experience, and a narrative that doesn’t have much in terms of interesting plot revelations or twists or really anything doesn’t help the game’s case either.
Balan Wonderworld
While post-release reports have shed more light on the disastrous development cycle that Balan Wonderworld had to endure, that doesn’t really soften the blow that fans received when they booted up the game for the first time. Balan Wonderworld had some interesting concepts going for it, but they were surrounded by a poor technical framework and half-baked mechanics that made playing through the game an exercise in pain.
eFootball 2022
Konami’s attempt at rebranding its Pro Evolution Soccer series has started off on a pretty bad note with eFootball 2022. This free-to-play soccer sim is plagued with game-breaking bugs at launch, and while post-launch patches have alleviated some of those issues – other prominent criticisms such as the lack of varied game modes and general polish within gameplay mechanics haunt the game’s fates to this date.
LEGO Brawls
LEGO Brawls fared as a mostly fine fighting game when it was released on mobile platforms as a part of a subscription service, but in a console landscape where there are so many better options available – some even free to play – it ends up being one of the worst ones of the bunch. LEGO Brawls has a super thin gameplay loop that goes along with an uninteresting progression system and little variety in game modes that makes it suitable only for infants and younger audiences.
MX vs ATV Legends
THQ Nordic’s MX vs ATV Legends could have had a strong run if it had spent some more time in the making, but as it stands now – it’s a game that has some neat ideas at its epicenter, but they get muddled up in a buffet of technical and game design problems that make the whole ordeal a lot more frustrating than it needs to be.
Werewolf – The Apocalypse Earthblood
Developer Cyanide’s latest Werewolf – The Apocalypse Earthblood is a game that should by all means have been a smash hit. Hell, it’s a game where you can turn into a werewolf and wreak havoc upon your adversaries with your bare hands. But in practice, Werewolf – The Apocalypse is plagued with an overwhelming amount of game design problems ranging from poor combat design to sloppy narrative and dull visuals makes this adventure a pure disappointment on so many levels.
Zorro The Chronicles
It’s not everyday that we get linear adventure games that mix stealth and action elements together, so when Zorro The Chronicles was released – it certainly piqued the interest of many fans. But that feeling of ecstasy was rather short-lived, as Zorro The Chronicles constantly bombards the player with one frustration after another. And even as a game meant for younger audiences, Zorro The Chronicles fails on more fronts than it succeeds.
Dragon Ball The Breakers
At first, Dragon Ball The Breakers seemed like a fun concept with its asymmetric multiplayer gameplay putting a fresh twist on the standard video game adaptation of this classic anime. But when the game was released, fans realized how shallow the game actually is. Dragon Ball: The Breakers is riddled with prominent issues ranging from a finicky camera system, ill-designed gameplay mechanics, and plenty of microtransactions to go along with it.
The Last Oricru
Soulslike games are dime a dozen these days, and while some are excellent takes on this newfound genre – others are anything but. As you might have already guessed, The Last Oricru finds itself in the latter category, mostly thanks to uninteresting writing and a wonky combat system. Story choices in The Last Oricru do hold interesting ramifications for the plot, but that doesn’t really amount to much in the face of other prominent problems with the moment-to-moment experience.
Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Alliance
A co-op action RPG set against the backdrop of one of the most recognizable tabletop games of all time should be a surefire hit, right? Well, countless fans thought so – but Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Alliance laid waste on those expectations with a bland product that’s rife with issues both technical and otherwise. The visuals are impressive to some degree, but taken as a whole – it’s a disappointing product that doesn’t stand up to the sheer potential of its source material.
Matchpoint Tennis Championship
Torus Games’ Matchpoint Tennis Championships might not be the worst game on the list, but it’s not a game that’s going to hold your attention for more than a couple of hours at best. The actual gameplay mechanics are fine if simplistic enough for the most part, but everything surrounding that is underwhelming – and that includes a barebones career mode with little personality and bland visual presentation among other issues.
Tennis World Tour 2
While Tennis World Tour 2 is a game that delves into the more technical aspects of the sport, Big Ant Studios’ latest finds itself on the receiving end of most of the criticisms that were addressed with Matchpoint Tennis Championships a while before. Tennis World Tour 2 could have been something great, but for that to happen – it really needed some more time in the oven.
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