Granted, support is still ongoing for many of these titles, and they could improve significantly in the coming months and/or years. As of now, however, they’re still underwhelming. Without further ado, here are our picks for the 15 most disappointing games of the year.

Bounty Star

A combination of bounty hunting with mechs and farming on the side in a lawless frontier, where redemption is only really the start? Sign me up, but in the case of Bounty Star, its reach severely exceeds its grasp. Repetitive combat and objectives, surface-level base-building, iffy storytelling – it just didn’t come together as I’d hoped. Which is a shame because, for all her faults, Clementine deserved better.

Battlefield: RedSec

Between desync issues and the lack of solo play, EA’s free-to-play Battlefield royale didn’t launch in the best circumstances. The fact that it arrived alongside the core monetization for Battlefield 6 and required playing to complete Battle Pass challenges rubbed people the wrong way (as did the fact that it included naval combat, which is missing in the base game). RedSec still has room to grow and offer a fun experience, but for now, it’s got a long way to go.

Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion

I had my doubts about Titanic Scion when it was revealed that the Arsenals were now power armor instead of mechs, which could now ride on horses and whatnot. That was the least of the game’s problems, however, as the open world approach gave way to some truly bland-looking improvements. As nice as the customization and weapon variety could be, the amount of frustration from actual combat just undercut everything else.

Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate

How do you follow up the climactic finale to a ten-year-long Light and Darkness saga? In Bungie’s case, you start a brand new story, one focused on another intriguing subject in The Nine. Unfortunately, it also sought to anger players by ripping out whole systems, increasing the grind tenfold, recycling old content and introducing gameplay mechanics that no one wanted, like Matterspark. Destiny 2 has since experienced the lowest player numbers since the Curse of Osiris days, and as much as I like lightsabers, it doesn’t look like Renegades will completely right the ship.

TRON: Catalyst

Bithell Games’ titles can be hit or miss, but at least there’s this style, this panache that sticks out. Not TRON: Catalyst, though. The lackluster visuals make exploration dull, and the story, which attempted a time-travelling spin, often fell flat when it didn’t feel mundane. Then again, we did get TRON: Ares this year, so things can indeed be worse for the franchise.

Rennsport

Who says Teyon of RoboCop: Rogue City fame can’t make a racing game? Most people who bought Rennsport on Steam, apparently. While it had several problems throughout early access, you would think these would be addressed when it was time for 1.0, but you’d be wrong. Underwhelming physics, optimization issues, livery microtransactions and terrible multiplayer are just some of its shortcomings. All in all, a lackluster outcome.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment

A canon entry in the Hyrule Warriors series – we did it. It’s just a shame then that the story as a whole feels completely perfunctory. Even if you can look past that, Age of Imprisonment doesn’t really do all that much interesting with its missions. The combat and performance are the series’s best yet, which is no small praise, but it really could have been so much more.

Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection

Packing every single classic Mortal Kombat title into one retro package, complete with interviews from the development team, sounds great for long-time fans (and whoever enjoyed Mythologies and Special Forces). The problem, as always, is the execution. Input, sound issues, lack of lobbies and more at launch – not to mention the price – put a real damper on the celebrations.

Yooka-Replaylee

It’s Yooka-Laylee, but with better graphics, improved controls, all moves unlocked from the outset, etc. So what’s the problem? Well, it’s still Yooka-Laylee at its core, which means the levels don’t always flow in the best ways or offer the most enjoyable challenges. Dr Quack’s quizzes are gone, which is great, but for those expecting any further overhauls beyond this should temper their expectations.

FBC: Firebreak

Why is Remedy, a developer known for its story-focused single-player titles, delving into the co-op shooter genre? Good question, but it did so anyway, and the results were mixed to say the least. While the developer included numerous improvements and even completely overhauled core systems, it wasn’t enough to proclaim Firebreak as anything less than a disappointment with an uncertain long-term future.

The Precinct

If you can get around the cheesy writing and characters, The Precinct may scratch that itch for old-school GTA with its overhead perspective. Its design choices fumble more often than not, though, whether it’s in the chases, how terrible the allied AI can be or the lackluster aiming. In other words, it may have been a neat spin on GTA, but with cops instead of gangsters, but not this one.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7

Remember when I said that most of the entries in this list are titles that fell short in various ways and may not be outright bad? Black Ops 7 is the exception to the latter. Its campaign is simply awful in almost every way, and while multiplayer is an improvement over last year, it has more than its share of issues. But it’s the sheer soullessness of this year’s entry that gets to me, even more so than 2023’s Modern Warfare 3.

Synduality: Echo of Ada

Amid all the hype for ARC Raiders and even Escape from Tarkov, it’s worth looking back on Bandai Namco’s failed attempt at an extraction shooter – Synduality: Echo of Ada. Support is still ongoing, for what it’s worth, but with forced PvP (that too with a lackluster player base), a laughable grind for blueprints and more, it’s no wonder that player counts continue to decline on Steam.

NASCAR 25

Remember when new NASCAR titles were a big deal, alongside the likes of Need for Speed and F1? NASCAR 25, unfortunately, doesn’t return to those days of thunder. Between Career Mode looking lackluster and multiplayer’s flailing, it’s easy to ignore the mostly fun handling. Not the worst package for the brand, but certainly nowhere close to capturing its brilliance either.

Killing Floor 3

Good news – after the Rearmament update, all Specialists can now equip any perk they desire. Bad news – Killing Floor 3 is still very lackluster. Server issues, iffy movement, no mod support, no text chat, no server browser – the list goes on, and that’s before even getting to how the futuristic premise falls flat. Tripwire continues to update and improve it, but for now, it’s little more than dead weight on the Killing Floor name.

My appreciation for Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 eventually made me fall in love with the legendary fighting franchise itself. In the nearly thirty years since then, I’ve played almost every mainline entry. And while I still lament what they did with Mortal Kombat 1 and the current state of the series, nothing quite raises the excitement like someone screaming “Mortal Kombat!”

In that sense, seeing Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection release in 2025 with the games I grew up loving was a nostalgic rush. But after spending some time with it, while there’s plenty to appreciate, I can’t help but feel a little disappointed with how certain things have been handled.

"The first three Mortal Kombat titles each have their own independent versions, spanning consoles, handhelds, and arcades."

Now, the good stuff first. This is the Kollection of older Mortal Kombat games. You’ll find the legendary first three entries, followed by what’s probably my least favorite in the series, Mortal Kombat 4. Then there’s Mortal Kombat Trilogy, the GBA version of Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, and even Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero straight from the PlayStation 1 era. Heck, there are also special versions of these games, including my all-time favorite Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, the excellent Mortal Kombat Trilogy, and Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition.

And that’s still not all, the first three Mortal Kombat titles each have their own independent versions, spanning consoles, handhelds, and arcades. They really went all out with this collection. There’s also a Krypt mode packed with commentary on the series, timelines of key events, cool artwork, and behind-the-scenes videos that every long-time fan should check out. From a content perspective, this collection absolutely delivers, bringing heaps of nostalgia to the table along with plenty of bonus material that nearly every Mortal Kombat fan will appreciate.

The presentation, especially the user interface, is another major highlight of this collection. Everything leading up to launching these games has been presented in a clean, stylish, and scrollable format that’s instantly likable. You can filter games by arcade, console, or handheld versions, allowing you to jump right into the exact version you want. It’s one of the coolest menu designs I’ve seen in a game this year, focusing heavily on speed and accessibility, something fans are sure to appreciate.

There are also several quality-of-life improvements, the most noticeable being the ability to reverse time during gameplay. It fits nicely with the time-related themes that some of the more recent entries explore in their stories, while also adding a great layer of accessibility for newcomers to practice and refine their skills. Speaking of practice, you can now train specifically for fatalities, a really cool touch for fans like me who played these games decades ago.

You can also enable or disable on-screen move lists and adjust difficulty settings, a welcome feature given how unbalanced some of the older titles can feel (a product of their time, so not necessarily a flaw). On top of that, there are visual options that let you tweak screen filters (weird, you can only change it for individual games) and adjust the display width, giving players even more control over how they want their nostalgic experience to look and feel.

On the performance front, I played the collection on my PlayStation 5 Pro, and as expected from such old titles, I didn’t face any performance issues whatsoever. But the volume on some of these games is too low, not to mention there are some missing sound effects here and there. The original trilogy still plays the best, truly legendary in my opinion, and remains absolutely worth your time. The combat still feels tight and responsive, and you can literally see how it evolved and improved from the first game up to Mortal Kombat 3.

"If the handheld version of Deadly Alliance was included, why not the console version as well?"

Mortal Kombat 4 remains a mixed bag for me. The shift from 2D to 3D clearly impacted its overall quality back then, and that still shows today. As for the rest, titles like the awful Mortal Kombat: Special Forces and the severely outdated GBA versions of Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition, and Mortal Kombat Advance look so pixelated that they’re borderline unplayable. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, these are, after all, direct ports of their original releases, but I doubt many players will spend much time with them.

I’m also a bit confused by some of the choices made here. If the handheld version of Deadly Alliance was included, why not the console version as well? It feels like a strange and noticeable omission. I also think having multiple versions of the same game could end up confusing new players. Don’t get me wrong. This is absolutely fantastic for game preservation  but a simple recommendation filter like highlighting which version is best to play, could have gone a long way in making these options stand out better. Of course, this is subjective, but from a new player’s perspective, it could have helped avoid unnecessary confusion.

I also want to point out one very noticeable issue with this collection: the input lag, both for offline and online play. You’re forced to adapt your playstyle around it, which can be frustrating for some players. I no longer have my old consoles to test and confirm whether this was an issue in the original versions, but regardless, it’s 2025, and this should have been addressed. I’m not sure how fixable this is or whether it’s by design, but it feels off-putting and, by modern fighting game standards, unacceptable.

There’s also a Quick Play mode for online matches, but I found it to be pretty barebones, because, well, it is. Matchmaking works on a per-game basis, so good luck finding matches consistently when there are so many titles to choose from. Since it’s tied to specific games, wait times can get quite long for certain players. There are currently no lobbies or group play options either, though those features are said to be coming later. If implemented properly, there’s potential for a decent community to form around this mode, but for now, we’ll just have to wait and see how that pans out.

"To wrap up, I’m divided on Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection."

I also feel that some degree of visual enhancement could have been implemented. To be clear, this isn’t a remaster or a remake, nor was it ever marketed as one, these are straight ports. Still, a modest level of visual improvement to character models or environments would have gone a long way. Purists may not agree, but I genuinely believe there was room for visual touch-ups, especially in the first four games of the series. It feels like a missed opportunity, though, who knows, maybe they’re saving that for separate remasters or remakes down the line.

To wrap up, I’m divided on Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection. As a long-time fan, it’s genuinely great to experience these classics again on modern hardware and displays, complete with some thoughtful quality-of-life additions and nostalgic extras. But for players who’ve spent the last decade exploring fighting games, I’m not sure this collection offers much value.

The input lag issues and limited matchmaking options certainly don’t help either. In the end, Legacy Kollection feels more like a collector’s item, something to proudly preserve in your vault rather than a title you’ll revisit often. For Mortal Kombat fans, it’s a worthy trip down memory lane. For everyone else, there are far better fighting game options available today.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.

The biggest complaint among players is input lag, which doesn’t just pervade every title in the Kollection – it’s also apparent in the menus. Online multiplayer also suffers from a lack of direct challenges to friends and the inability to create lobbies, not to mention issues with rollback netcode (which results in sound glitches).

For what it’s worth, Digital Eclipse has confirmed that an Online Arcade for creating private and public rooms to invite players, holding up to 16 at a time, is in the works. It even includes the option to play multiple titles in the Kollection at once. However, there’s currently no ETA beyond “a few weeks after launch,” which also depends on “internal and first-party approval timeframes.”

Alongside PC, Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection is available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. Check out our feature for everything you should know.

With a host of nifty features and a long list of games, Legacy Kollection is sure to have caught your eye if you’re a fan of Ed Boon’s fighting titles. Whether you’ve been a fan from the franchise’s early days or have just hopped on to the bandwagon with Mortal Kombat 1, this one is sure to give you something to like. But is it worth your time and money?

That’s what we’re here to help you answer with these details you may want to know before you decide to pick up a copy. Let’s jump in!

1. Lots of Kombat To Take On

There’s a solid roster of games for you to dive into, making this one a dream come true for Mortal Kombat fans. You get to play Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat 2, Mortal Kombat 3, Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero (a title we thought we’d never see again), Mortal Kombat 4, Mortal Kombat: Special Forces, Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, and Mortal Kombat Advance.

It’s a great way for Digital Eclipse to bring the best of the franchise from across a variety of consoles over the years to a single, convenient package for fans to enjoy.

2. Additions to Make Gameplay A Tad More Forgiving

One of the new features being brought to the table is the Rewind ability, which lets you go back a few seconds in the event that you make a mistake or hit the wrong button. It’s slated to make players who may not be used to the franchise’s hard-hitting difficulty still feel like they’re able to make progress in the games that they’re playing.

It could be quite useful in titles like Mythologies: Sub-Zero, which was widely criticized for its challenging difficulty, among other things.

3. Pull Off Those Fancy Moves Easily

Performing Finishers or special moves in Mortal Kombat wasn’t as easy back in the day as it is now. There were complicated input strings that you would have to write down and memorize before attempting them, a facet of the experience that a few franchise veterans might be missing thanks to NetherRealm’s more streamlined approach since MK9.

However, Legacy Kollection gives you the option to display complicated input strings on-screen as you fight, letting you easily check out what you’ll need to hit in the heat of battle. It’s a welcome addition to the game and is sure to have many players appreciating just how difficult things used to be back in the day.

4. Practice Makes Perfect

Another addition to the game is a Trainer Mode that lets you try out new characters and master their movesets in peace without having to worry about staying alive against vicious opponents. It’s a great way to move past your main character and try out a few others. We can’t all be Scorpions and Sub-Zeroes now, can we?

5. Fatality Training

Aside from brushing up on your fighting moves, Fatality Training lets you practice dealing out your more brutal moves after a fight to kick off the franchise’s iconic finishing moves. You’re going to be ripping and chopping up your opponents quite frequently once you get the hang of how to pull off the best and most vicious finishers in your move list.

6. Peek Behind The Creative Curtain

Legacy Kollection also includes a lot of exclusive content like interviews, an interactive documentary that lets you learn more about the franchise’s origins and its evolution over the years, snippets from Ed Boon and John Tobias spread out over an interactive timeline, and so much more.

It’s a great way to pay homage to a franchise that has been a mainstay in the fighting genre and has even managed to spread out into other entertainment media. We can’t wait for the new movie to come out, after all.

7. Online Play with Rollback Netcode

Diving into a quick versus match or joining a lobby is going to be quite seamless in Legacy Kollection, with Digital Eclipse bringing rollback netcode to the title to ensure that you’re always in the thick of the action, even if your opponent is miles away. There are a bunch of matchmaking options, as well as cross-gen play, which can let you play against your buddies even if you’re on older generations of consoles.

There’s even stat tracking for those of you who like to dive into how well you’ve been doing against talented opponents. That’s quite a nice touch in our book!

8. Choose Your Edition

Aside from a standard edition, those of you who would like to purchase physical copies are in for a treat if you have a bit of extra cash. The Deluxe Edition comes complete with a steelbook, a slipcover, a magnet and poster, cards, arcade flyers, and mini marquees!

The Kollector’s edition takes things up a notch, adding a very cool controller holder in the form of Goro alongside a host of additional goodies that make it a very attractive, albeit expensive option, based on the platform you’re purchasing it for.

9. Local Multiplayer

It wouldn’t be Mortal Kombat unless you get to dive into it with your friends from your couch. Local multiplayer joins online play, allowing you and your buddies to enjoy a bit of nostalgia while tearing each other to shreds, all from the comfort of your gaming rooms.

Get ready to bust out your best moves when the game hits the shelves!

10. CRT Filters

If you’re looking to really dive into the nostalgia factor, there’s good news. Legacy Kollection gets the option to enable CRT filters, bringing the classic scanlines of the original releases to the table to let you experience them just as you remember them in all their retro glory!

11. Add Some Music Into the Fray

There’s also a compilation of some of the franchise’s most iconic soundtracks in the Legacy Kollection, giving you the option of listening to tunes that can take you right back to the franchise’s arcade days. While it’s unclear if you can play those tracks in the middle of a fight, it’s still a solid addition to a title that’s aimed at recreating the look and feel of the earliest titles in its history.

12. Secret Characters At Your Fingertips

If you’ve played some of the games that are being included in Legacy Kollection back in the day, you probably shudder at the thought of jumping through hoops to unlock hidden characters. The unlock requirements for some of them were so specific and challenging to pull off that it could take a few hours to gain access to a character you really want to play.

However, Digital Eclipse has added the option to instantly unlock all characters without having to satisfy those elaborate requirements, an option that could save you a lot of time and effort.

13. MK Gold’s Absence Explained

While many fans were disappointed to learn that the Sega Dreamcast’s enhanced port of Mortal Kombat 4 was not going to be a part of the new title, Digital Eclipse’s Dan Amrich has since stated that it was definitely considered but ultimately scrapped owing to variables beyond the studio’s control.

He went on, however, to state that there was the possibility of DLC being added to the game, and speculations about MK Gold being among its additions continue to make the rounds. We’d take that news with a pinch of salt, however, but it is nice to know that the title did receive its due in some form.

14. A Few More Iconic Titles In The Pipeline

While Legacy Kollection does bring the best OG titles in the franchise’s history to the table, games from the PS2 era and, of course, Mortal Kombat 9, are notable omissions.

The studio has commented that it was focused on telling the franchise’s story over the years, and that its selection of games was a logical addition. That implies that we could be seeing some of the best titles in later years making their way to the collection either as DLC add-ons, or perhaps in their own anthology in a second volume of games.

15. The Switch 2 Version

For those of you considering picking up a physical version for your Switch 2, you’ll be pleased to know that it’s not a Game Key Card but contains the full game without the need for an additional download. You’re going to get to dive into the action as soon as you can once you get your hands on a copy!

And that’s a wrap on everything you need to know about Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection ahead of its October 2025 release. Are you going to be enjoying this blast from the past? Which one of its titles are you most stoked to play? Let us know in the comments!

Among the included titles are the first three Mortal Kombat games, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Mortal Kombat Trilogy, and Mortal Kombat 4. Infamous spin-offs Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero and Mortal Kombat Special Forces are included, alongside Mortal Kombat Advance, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance and Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition from the Game Boy Advance era. You can even experience the differences between arcade and home console versions of some titles.

Similar to Tetris Forever, which Digital Eclipse developed and published, Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection also offers extensive documentary content. There are interviews with original team members Ed Boon, John Tobias, Dan Forden, and John Vogel, alongside archive footage, concept art, marketing materials, and more.

You can also explore the full timeline and history of the setting, unlock all the secret characters instantly, and play online with rollback netcode. Stay tuned for more details en route to its release.

Along with this, the trailer also highlights the other goodies that will be available in Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection, which includes comprehensive timelines of the development of each game, as well as the franchise as a whole. The timelines also feature interviews from the various titles’ developers, as well as creators of the franchise like John Tobias.

Gaming history buffs can also check out things like high-quality scans of classic concept art, and even full 3D models of the arcade machines that many of the Mortal Kombat games were originally developed for.

On the gameplay side of things, the trailer showcases a new training mode that teaches players how to pull off some of the most complicated moves from the classic fighting games, including fatalities for each character across various levels. After this, we get a rundown of other features of the Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection, including character histories, soundtracks, and online multiplayer, complete with rollback netcode.

Digital Eclipse has previously confirmed some of the other titles that will be available in the collection. The list includes a host of classics and their spin-offs, including Mortal Kombat (1992), Mortal Kombat 2 (1993), Mortal Kombat 3 (1995), Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (1995), Mortal Kombat 4 (1997), Mortal Kombat Advance (2001), Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance (2002), and Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition (2003).

The collection will also include different versions of the same game to offer a more comprehensive package of classic Mortal Kombat titles. This includes niche titles like the Game Boy Advance version of Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, and niche releases like Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3.

Earlier this month, the studio and publisher had announced that physical editions of Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection are available for pre-order. These physical releases are available for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and the Switch 2. While there is a standard edition that just includes the game, details have also been revealed about the Deluxe Edition, as well as a Kollector’s Edition.

The Kollector’s Edition is especially noteworthy. Available for pre-order on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and the two Nintendo platforms, it features goodies like a Premium Kollector’s Box, a hardcover art and lore book, a pin set featuring Sub-Zero and Scorpion, commemorative arcade tokens with an acrylic display stand, and a controller holder in the shape of Goro’s original stop motion figure. It is worth noting that the PC version only comes with a Steam code for the game, while the other versions will come with discs and game carts.

Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection is coming to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and the Switch 2. The title doesn’t yet have a release date, however. Rumours have indicated that it might come out by the end of September.

The trailer also showcases some of the features of Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection, such as the fact that all games in the collection will feature support for online multiplayer with rollback netcode, allowing for smooth multiplayer experiences without having to worry too much about lag causing your inputs to miss. The trailer also gives us a glimpse at some of the classic Mortal Kombat games that will be available through the Legacy Kollection, be it the original Mortal Kombat, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, or even the first 3D game in the franchise – Mortal Kombat 4.

A Kollector’s Edition has also been confirmed for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2. This includes the game itself, along with goodies like the Premium Kollector’s Box, a hardcover art and lore book, a pin set featuring Sub-Zero and Scorpion, commemorative arcade tokens with an acrylic display stand, and a controller holder in the shape of Goro’s original stop motion figure. It is worth noting that the PC version only comes with a Steam code for the game, while the other versions will come with discs.

Some of the games available in the Legacy Kollection will also have different variations available to play. For example, the Mortal Kombat Trilogy will also be available in the collection, which offers up different variations on the first three Mortal Kombat games. While the differences are miniscule at best, they can sometimes end up offering different gameplay or even improved visuals, and sometimes even different rosters. For context, some games will even have their Game Boy Advance versions available.

Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection was first unveiled back in June, with the still-incomplete list of games part of the collection including Mortal Kombat (1992), Mortal Kombat 2 (1993), Mortal Kombat 3 (1995), Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (1995), Mortal Kombat 4 (1997), Mortal Kombat Advance (2001), Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance (2002), and Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition (2003).

The overall project is being handled by Digital Eclipse, which last made a name for itself thanks to its release of Atari 50, which turned out to be a critically-acclaimed celebration of Atari’s history, including some games from even its first consoles. The company also has gotten a reputation for including quite a few behind-the-scenes details in fun, interactive ways. These can range from simpler things like concept art, to even old footage of the development of these games, and even interviews from developers in modern times. Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection will similarly feature interviews from the original development teams behind the games, including Ed Boon, John Tobias, John Vogel, and Dan Forden.

Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection doesn’t yet have a release date. A rumour from back in July, however, indicated that it might come out on September 29.