Although video games and the experience they provide are quite subjective, some titles that have come out this year have perhaps earned their bad rep. The good news is that they can serve as a lesson in hindsight for their developers and publishers while also allowing the rest of the industry to learn from their mistakes.

With that being said, it’s time to take a look at some of the worst games that 2025 has brought to our libraries.

10. TRON: Catalyst

TRON: Catalyst had the potential to put a unique spin on the popular TRON movies with its unique art style and top-down action perspective. However, Bithell Games dropped the ball here by playing it too safe, with the resulting experience never pushing its players beyond a certain limit and feeling quite underwhelming as a result.

Make no mistake, Exo’s adventures and the central conflict between the Core and Automata are a solid premise for a video game. But Bithell failed to capitalize on its source material in ways that mattered. The result is a game that seems ambitious on the surface but is largely forgettable thanks to its execution.

Its combat never challenges its players while its level design and narrative are merely serviceable instead of being great ways to present complex themes like corporate greed, time travel, and dystopian societies. Although it does have its takers, TRON: Catalyst should have been the definitive TRON experience for fans and newcomers alike. It’s a damn shame it didn’t make the most out of its source material, though.

9. Spirit of the North 2

Just like the previous title on this list, Spirit of the North 2 has the dubious distinction of wasting a fantastic premise. Infuse Studio had an opportunity to build on the mechanics and story it set up in the original game but instead failed to do more with its take on a fox and raven working together to dispel the influence of a truly malicious antagonist.

It’s rare that a game uses its opening act to make its players the catalyst for all the calamity that they will have to deal with as they continue their playthrough. That’s just what Spirit of the North 2 does, however. But that inspired piece of narrative flair soon falls flat in the wake of an uninspired world with insultingly simply puzzles and lacklustre exploration.

While its world-building was on point for the most part, this is a game that remains largely forgettable once you roll the credits on its relatively short adventure. We really hope that Infuse pulls up its socks and does more with a world that looked pretty darn good but had so little in it that it may have been okay to let it succumb to the influence of the dark shaman who was trying to corrupt it.

8. Creature Keeper

While Creature Keeper does deserve some slack considering it’s an indie title developed by a single individual, it does earn its place on this list thanks to the egregious wasted potential on display throughout its runtime. It’s ambitions to be a rival to Pokemon or Palworld are clear to see but it wastes the potential of capturing friendly beasties to battle at your side in favor of a befriending mechanic that’s more reliant on how many treats you currently carry in your inventory.

That lackluster approach carries over to its combat and world-building, seriously limiting its potential to be more than a passing distraction in a world filled with more entertaining titles. Sodland is not a place you might find yourself going back to in the interim between your last great game and the release of your next big one.

7. Captain Blood

A game that broke out of development hell and is based on a fairly interesting pirate novel should have been quite the entertainer, right? However, SeaWolf Studio’s take on piracy quickly disabused us of that notion, with Captain Blood failing to capture the highs and lows of the 1685 Spanish Main in an adventure that certainly needed more time at sea before it became a true swashbuckler.

Its hack n’ slash gameplay loop failed to make the most out of a combat system that seemed reasonably good but was ultimately let down by clunky controls and a main story that failed to dig up any narrative gold. Captain Blood is sadly the worst pirate we ever heard of.

6. Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour

It’s puzzling that a behemoth like Nintendo failed to learn from its rival Sony when it came to creating an experience that introduced Switch 2 owners to their shiny new handheld. Unlike Astro Bot, which was a free add-on for PS5 owners, Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour fails to highlight any of the new device’s best features in a way that justifies its $10 price tag.

The best way we can explain it is by comparing it to a tour of a large office given to you by an intern who is clearly unpaid, and subsequently disinterested in what they do there. It’s quite disheartening to see such a half-hearted attempt from a studio that generally makes incredible games especially for its homegrown consoles. Nintendo will certainly want to revisit this title and perhaps get back to the drawing board for future additions.

5. Ambulance Life: A Paramedic Simulator

It’s rather surprising that Aesir Interactive followed up its excellent Police Simulator: Patrol Officers with Ambulance Life: A Paramedic Simulator. While one would expect that the studio would take what worked in its last outing and develop it to add new wrinkles to the subsequent one, what we were given was a buggy, uninspired mess that failed to capture the tension and impact of what a paramedic working under pressure would experience in the field.

Instead, we were left trying our best to get our patients loaded up in the ambulance while its day one patch rendered its diagnostic mechanic all but useless, leaving us with a bunch of patients whose pain and suffering were indicative of our own emotions playing this title’s mind-numbing minigames. Honestly, you’d be better off actually training to be a paramedic in the real world if you want to see what that feels like in action.

4. Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest

This DLC chapter to one of 2024’s most terrifying horror games is probably a surprising presence on this list much like the main game’s terrifying threats. However, Siren’s Rest fails to deliver on an exciting promise of uncovering more of what made the Biera D oil rig fall to the depths of Davy Jones’ locker.

With ten years passing between the DLC and the base game, a new protagonist looking to get more answers about the ill-fated oil rig fails to find the answers she needs thanks to a less linear approach to discovering secrets and annoying pathing issues that seriously limited her ability to find what she was looking for. The relatively shorter runtime also worked against it, making Siren’s Rest the weakest part of the experience that The Chinese Room brought to the table in a horror game that had us at the edge of our seats last year.

3. Dollhouse: Behind the Broken Mirror

We’ve seen everything that Dollhouse: Behind the Broken Mirror brings to the table before. There’s an amnesiac protagonist who needs to visit a desolate location filled with the secrets of her past. There are spooky dolls, maniacal clowns, and a whole host of horrors standing in her way. There are puzzles to solve, and secrets to unlock.

But unfortunately, these staples of the horror genre take a backseat to a lackluster narrative, egregious pacing issues, badly synced audio, and severely limiting mechanics that make this game quite difficult to recommend. SODESCO’s attempts to build up its Dollhouse franchise needs a lot of work, and fast.

2. Game of Thrones Kingsroad

netmarbleNeo’s attempt to leverage of the success of HBO’s largely successful take on Westeros may have been a good attempt if it wasn’t for its progression systems that seemed hell-bent on eating into our wallets before allowing us to uncover more of its take on George R.R. Martin’s fictional world.

Trying to worm your way into the affections of the lords and ladies of the land is a tedious grind if you take the free-to-play route, taking a lot away from a Game of Thrones experience that brought an impressive character creator and a lot of cool moments with series staples like Jon Snow. It’s an unpolished take on Westeros that only the Lannisters might be able to successfully navigate given their seemingly deep pockets.

1. MindsEye

Build a Rocket Boy would certainly wish that their gaming debut was not the belle of the ball on this list but here we are. MindsEye brought a gorgeous yet empty open-world to its players, populating it with enemies and NPCs that were quite dumb by modern standards.

Those problems were further exacerbated by a boring combat loop, a mediocre main story, and a very puzzling endgame loop that we still cannot make sense of. Its bugs and frame drops only added to the confusion while Build a Rocket Boy’s poor damage control efforts have relegated their pilot project to the depths of gaming hell. As it stands, MindsEye’s best feature is that it serves as a bad example, and a benchmark in what not to do when making a new game.

What were your thoughts on these titles? Were there any others that you think deserve a place on this list? Hit us up in the comments and fire away at the games you thought were a let-down this year!

In that vein, Spirit of the North from Infuse Studio has always intrigued me. Surely, playing as a fox would prove just as compelling? While the first game didn’t really connect with me for a myriad of reasons, I had some hopes for the sequel, which is out now for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC. Surely the development team had learned from the first game’s issues and lived up to the thematic potential. Unfortunately, Spirit of the North 2 fumbles almost as much as the first game and fails to really capitalize on an interesting exploration loop.

"You’re given free rein to explore, at least within your abilities. In this vein, Spirit of the North 2 does a decent job of providing enough freedom while reinforcing the plot’s agency."

The sequel starts with you, a fox, awakening in your sanctuary where other foxes dwell. You can customize your fox at the start, and while options are fairly limited (the number of fur and eye choices particularly didn’t impress), others become available as you explore the land. You’ll get plenty after quote-unquote accidentally releasing Grimnir, the dark shaman.

Grimnir, as you’ll learn through the various scrolls scattered through the sanctuary, isn’t a good dude. Though originally a wise shaman, traversing the regions and offering knowledge, he seemingly falls to darkness and begins to corrupt the various tribes. The Fox Tribe is the only one that escapes unscathed by fleeing to some unknown land, and, yet, Grimnir is also imprisoned within the sanctuary. Which is fine – perhaps there’s a rational explanation for these disparities. However, even after enough warnings that his staff should remain separated from him, you, the protagonist, take and deliver it, express style.

Yes, it’s somewhat accidental, having collapsed through rickety wooden boards and super-conveniently landing in Grimnir’s cell, but the entire set-up feels incredibly contrived. It feels like the development team couldn’t think of any other way to kickstart the adventure across the Northern Isles without making your character into an absolute dolt. The only thing funnier is the mighty Grimnir, who creates lava eruptions within the cavern he’s imprisoned and sets fire to your sanctuary, is fought off by a couple of pecks from your raven companion.

After escaping a corrupted bear and the sanctuary, you proceed to explore the landscape, gathering clues and ideally cleansing the surroundings. The goal is to locate the Guardians, who were lost to Grimnir’s dark tides, but it’s not completely obvious. Instead, you’re given free rein to explore, at least within your abilities. In this vein, Spirit of the North 2 does a decent job of providing enough freedom while reinforcing the plot’s agency. You’ll collect crystal shards to unlock Obelisks and reveal more of the map, with points of interest to investigate, Runes to discover, and Wisps to collect. There are even cute little raccoon merchants to purchase wares as their limited facial expressions light up with joy.

"The landscape as a whole feels barren and not just because of the dull color palettes. The extensive distance between different things adds to the monotony."

These Wisps are integral to accessing the mini-dungeons dotting the landscape, where you’ll uncover items to unlock the main puzzles. There’s an extensive amount of puzzling and platforming, with the former feeling incredibly quaint. For instance, you’ll have to pick up small objects and place them on podiums to open the way forward, but they’re insultingly easy to find. One variation tries to mix things up by giving you three different small objects. Which one could possibly fit on the podium? Trial and error? Who could possibly try that?

Another instance involved leaping through openings due to every cell door being locked, which could have offered something intriguing but felt way too simplistic. I appreciate some guidance, like the raven companion perching on some objectives as an indication of where to go next. It’s thankfully not overdone, giving some breathing room to figure things out, even if the process is way too easy. The puzzles are slightly better, especially as you unlock new abilities like Glide that allow for fresh mechanics. There’s a Zelda-ish vibe, which isn’t completely unwelcome, even if I yearned for more varied challenges and harder puzzles.

On a side note, the raven sometimes sounds mysteriously like Kazooie from the Banjo-Kazooie series. Perhaps it’s Kazooie that sounds closer to a raven? Regardless, this only distracted me from the middling platforming and made me want to play Banjo-Kazooie.

Venturing to different areas just to see what lies around the next corner can be enjoyable, especially as you discover more scrolls and learn how bad Grimnir is and how you totally shouldn’t have broken him free. However, the landscape as a whole feels barren and not just because of the dull color palettes. The extensive distance between different things adds to the monotony. I don’t need a random event occurring every few minutes to farm two Tokens and a Blue, but it feels like the overall play space could have been compartmentalized a bit.

That extends to the skill tree as well, which offers all kinds of quote-unquote meaningful upgrades like +1 health and reduced fall damage (which feels unnecessary after you unlock Glide). I would have appreciated fewer nodes if it meant they were individually more impactful. At least the various discovered Runes add some interesting wrinkles, like free armor points that recover your health.

"With some more polish and shine, it could evolve into an above-average but still solid experience. In its current state, however, it’s little more than a hollow action-adventure title with numerous rough edges."

As for the platforming, the core component of the gameplay, it leaves something to be desired (like many other aspects). Along with regular jumps, you have “guided” jumps, where a small blue indicator appears on crevasses and ledges. Hit the jump button, and you’ll leap onto them. Attempt to leap onto them like a fox, and you sometimes won’t make it. Some sections are annoying to traverse without following the indicator. It’s not every single section, but the implementation is a bizarre choice and disrupts what should be a smooth platforming experience. You can’t ignore it either, which further adds to the mundanity.

Finally, there are the visuals created courtesy of Unreal Engine 5. There are two modes available on PS5, Performance and Fidelity, with the former selected for the sake of 60 FPS gameplay. The downside is that the aesthetic, which is an odd mix of realistic and animated that isn’t terrible but feels off as a whole, suffers from excessive environmental pop-in. At one point, I thought I saw the sky slightly flashing, which didn’t help with the immersion.

The overall brightness is also odd. Some areas were pitch-black until cranking it up slightly. Then I ran into other locations, which were dark until approaching closer, leading to uncertainty, especially since fall damage and environmental hazards are a thing.

Spirit of the North 2 has sizable ambitions – it’s apparent in the storyline, awfully contrived as the set-up and boneheaded as the protagonist may be, and in the sheer scale of the landscape. If only the iffy platforming, barren regions, unimpressive puzzles and awful visual optimization, on PS5. With some more polish and shine, it could evolve into an above-average but still solid experience. In its current state, however, it’s little more than a hollow action-adventure title with numerous rough edges.

This game was reviewed on PS5.

The Midnight Walk

A claymation adventure with stop-motion visuals, unfolding in a dark fantasy world where you must protect a lantern being and its flame from monsters in the dark – say what you will, but The Midnight Walk offers a solid premise. Offering five tales of tense chases, puzzle solving, stealth and simply awe-inspiring visuals, The Midnight Walk launches on May 8th for PS5, PC, PlayStation VR2 and SteamVR.

Spirit of the North 2

Following the underrated original, Spirit of the North 2 again sees players venturing through a gorgeous open world as a fox. Your goal is to cleanse the guardians and defeat Grimnir, a dark shaman, but each biome promises extensive secrets, including powerful runes and abilities. For those seeking a more laidback adventure, Spirit of the North 2 launches on May 8th for Xbox Series X/S, PC and PS5.

The Precinct

Remember American Fugitive, which offered an old-school GTA-like experience? The Precinct is from the same studio, but this time, you’re a police officer in Averno City, upholding the law. It’s an intriguing twist, as tasks range from ticketing vehicles to pursuing suspects in high-speed chases. With extensive degrees of crime, the ability to call for backup, and a living sandbox, The Precinct may live up to its inspiration when it launches on May 13th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.

DOOM: The Dark Ages

Perhaps the month’s biggest release, DOOM: The Dark Ages is id Software’s largest campaign yet, packed with new weapons, tools, enemies (including the cosmic horror variety), and mechanics. Between the sandbox nature of some levels, oodles of secrets, heavier story focus with sleek cutscenes, more extensive difficulty options, and the incredible gameplay loop, it could end up an all-timer. The Dark Ages begin on May 15th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC alongside Game Pass.

RoadCraft

After Expeditions: A MudRunner Game, Saber Interactive is taking the franchise in a different direction with RoadCraft. As part of a disaster recovery company with heavy machinery, your job is to repair bridges and roads, remove debris, and much more to effectively save the day. There are over 40 vehicles to operate and eight maps available, but best of all, you can haplessly coordinate with up to three other players. RoadCraft arrives on May 20th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED: Battle Destiny Remastered

Gundam games can be hit or miss, but you can’t deny the sheer thrill of not knowing what’s cooking next. Bandai Namco’s next release is actually a remaster of the Japan-only PS Vita title, Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Battle Destiny, with high-res visuals, difficulty adjustments, new control settings, and a revamped UI. However, the basic gameplay remains the same as players complete missions based on the anime, partaking in high-octane battles, and unlocking new suits. It’s out on May 22nd for PC and Nintendo Switch.

Blades of Fire

With Souls-like mechanics, a massive fantasy world to explore, and in-depth blacksmithing mechanics, Blades of Fire is proving more than just a spiritual successor to Severance: Blade of Darkness. Available on May 22nd for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC, players control Aran, who ventures through the world, battling the forces of Queen Nerea to end her tyranny. This requires forging one’s own weapons, carefully tempering stats to fit your preferred play style, unlocking new recipes, and using the right tools against specific enemies.

Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny

After Onimusha: Warlords returned from the dead in all its HD glory, it’s now the sequel’s turn. Jubei’s journey through Feudal Japan will retain the same level of challenge when it arrives on May 23rd for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC. However, you can up the difficulty further with Hell Mode, where a single hit kills. For the more quality of life-minded, you can now access various mini-games from the beginning; auto-save is supported; and you can now control when Onimusha form is activated.

Deliver At All Costs

Even without Konami publishing it, Deliver At All Costs looks like a delightfully chaotic action title with an incredible atmosphere. You play as a delivery driver, Winston Green, transporting all kinds of bizarre packages (including a bomb) by any means necessary. Pilot various vehicles or travel on foot, tear through fully destructible streets and escape angry citizens across three Acts in 1959. Deliver At All Costs is available on May 22nd for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC and will also be free on the Epic Games Store for a week.

Elden Ring Nightreign

Few developers could pivot from an immensely successful open-world Souls-like action RPG into a spin-off with battle royale and rogue-like mechanics, but this is FromSoftware. Nightreign sees you venturing into Limveld, an alternate dimension version of Limgrave. After three days and three nights. And facing multiple bosses. And dealing with a moving ring of death. Even if it’s not an offline experience, it’s still unmistakably FromSoft and promises plenty of hardcore Souls-like action when it launches on May 30th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, and PC.

Revenge of the Savage Planet

As a sequel to Journey to the Savage Planet, your purpose is simple: Take revenge on the greedy corporate heads. There are multiple planets to explore this time with numerous locations, flora, fauna, and more, and co-op is fully supported for another player. With new gear and extensive exploration options, Revenge of the Savage Planet looks to expand on everything that made the original so great. It’s out on May 8th for Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and PC.

F1 25

It wouldn’t be a year without the usual slate of yearly EA titles, and F1 25 from Codemasters is no exception. The jury is out on how everything will feel, especially after last year’s divisive handling changes, but Braking Point returns with more player agency and drama, and My Team 2.0 promises new Owner Perks for greater specialization. F1 25 launches on May 30th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC, so there’s plenty of time to learn more.

JDM: Japanese Drift Master

If Tokyo Xtreme Racer wasn’t enough, JDM: Japanese Drift Master may be the ticket. Launching on May 21st for PC, it depicts Japan’s street racing culture with an extensive open world to explore (dynamic weather and day/night cycles included), extensive customization of real-world brand cars, and, of course, plenty of drifting. There’s even a story depicted through manga with over 40 events.

Sonic Rumble

The good news: Sonic is getting a new game. The worrying news: It’s a party battle royale title developed with Rovio of Angry Birds fame. For now, the visuals look bright and appealing with up to 32 players partaking in modes like Co-Op Battles to fight the Death Egg Robot or Run Battles with the classic Sonic mechanics. There’s potential, but we’ll see how it pans out when it launches on May 8th for iOS, Android, and PC.

Along with the game’s release date, the Signature Edition of Spirit of the North 2 was also unveiled. Slated for release on PC and PS5, Spirit of the North 2 Signature Edition will be a physical release of the game that also includes a host of physical goodies.

Spirit of the North 2 Signature Edition will include the game itself, a signed, full-colour art and lore booklet, two embroidered patches, four metal character pins, two art cards, and two mystical Runescript cards. All of this, along with a copy of the game, will be packed into an oversized collector’s box that features exclusive cover art made for the Signature Edition.

The Signature Edition will be available exclusively from Silver Lining Direct, and is priced at €64.99 for either the PC or the PS5 version. The standard edition of Spirit of the North 2 is priced at €24.99 on PC and €34.99 on PS5.

Spirit of the North 2 was announced all the way back in October 2023. In the game, players take on the role of a fox that is on a journey through a ruined world to try and restore the guardian beasts. Along the way, the fox, accompanied by a raven, will have to deal with the dark shaman Grimnir.

The core gameplay in Spirit of the North 2 will feature quite a bit of exploration. Through this, players will also be able to upgrade their abilities by finding magical runes hidden all over the world. There will also be quite a bit of side content in the form of optional challenges and secrets that players can find.

The original announcement trailer gave us a look at the kinds of environments that players will get to explore throughout the world, ranging from labyrinthine ruins, snow-capped mountains, and dark and dank crypts. While not too much in the form of more details have been revealed for Spirit of the North 2, the developers at Infuse Studios have said that players will have to deal with enemies through puzzle-based encounters.

In Spirit of the North 2, players will be able to explore the untamed Northern Isles where they will be able to uncover ancient mysteries and even get new abilities as they cleanse the land around them of its corruption. The studio has stated that it will take players more than 16 hours to finish the main story of Spirit of the North 2. It is unknown whether that play time also includes optional content that players can discover.

As its name might imply, Spirit of the North 2 is a sequel. Its predecessor, aptly dubbed Spirit of the North, was released back in November 2019 on PC, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. For more details, check out our review of the PS4 version of the title.

Joined by a raven, the fox journeys to restore the guardian beasts. The world is still in ruins, and the duo must contend with Grimnir, the dark shaman, on their quest. You’ll discover runes to enhance abilities and can explore the open world, discovering various challenges and secrets. Along with its skills, you can also customize the fox’s look.

The range of environments, from snowy mountains and ancient labyrinths to murky crypts, is impressive. Though combat isn’t showcased, the developer promises “thrilling, puzzle-based encounters” against “formidable foes” to free the legendary guardians. Stay tuned for more updates on Spirit of the North 2, and check out our review for the first game here.