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!

But we couldn’t help but feel that some games this year could have been so much more in terms of the value they brought to their players but ultimately let us down. It’s time to dive into 2025’s most disappointing games – and why they made us feel that way.

Let’s get started. 

Deliver At All Costs

Developed by Far Out Games and published by Konami, Deliver At All Costs had all the makings of a fun experience made engaging via a very unique premise. Winston Green’s determination to be the ultimate courier, letting nothing get between his cargo and his destination ultimately fell flat thanks to an uninspired gameplay loop.

While the isometric graphics and unique mechanics could entertain you for a brief time once you get started, the game quickly gets repetitive, with little to no narrative context other than a few fetch and carry requests.

Limited upgrades to the We Deliver pickup truck and a lack of actual consequences for your destructive actions other than some bland police pursuits make this an unfortunately forgettable experience that is sure to lie forgotten in many of its players’ libraries once the initial thrills wear off. 

Monster Energy Supercross 25 – The Official Video Game

Despite an excellent visual makeover courtesy of Unreal Engine 5, a wide selection of tracks, and the legendary Ricky Carmichael taking up the in-game commentator’s mic, Monster Energy Supercross 25 wasted away its advantages with a learning curve that a significant portion of players would find daunting.

Its tutorials are ineffective at getting you into the ebb and flow of a race, a lapse that is sure to throw you face-first into the dirt in front of a crowded stadium. Milestone S.r.l. probably assumed that anybody picking up the game was already a fan of dirt-bike racing and tailored the experience accordingly.

We’re sure that fans of the sport will swear by this one but for the rest of us, this is a title that is a very ironic uphill climb.

JDM: Japanese Drift Master

This indie title from the stables (or garages?) of Warsaw-based developer Gaming Factory seemed like it would be a great drifting simulator for racing fans who like a bit of style when they turn a corner. While its in-game physics and story-based open world are certainly highlights, the overall experience was ultimately marred by several inconsistencies in the Guntama Prefecture’s streets and winding mountain roads.

Obstacles that a fast-moving car could plow through quite easily in the real world could bring you to a complete stop while irregular lighting ruins the dynamic day and night cycle, sending you tearing right into unsuspecting NPCs who just want to get home and unwind after a long day.

Its delivery missions are nothing to write home about either while errors in the kind of vehicle you will need for its many events are a constant annoyance, requiring you to reload at the last garage you were in and drive a new car all the way back to the starting point.

We recommend rewatching Tokyo Drift a couple of times while you wait for a sale on this one.

STAR WARS: Episode I: Jedi Power Battles Remastered

We’ll be the first to admit that getting to revisit the origin story of Anakin Skywalker (or Darth Vader as you know him) had us pretty excited for this remake of the 2000 title from LucasArts. Getting all of its original content in one place while Aspyr’s additions like the ability to play as a bunch of enemies you beat down in your first playthrough during New Game+ was quite the attractive package.

However, an excellent visual makeover aside, all of the problems that players had with the original continue to plague the remaster, and are annoying enough to drive you towards the Dark Side of the force. It’s a baffling lack of polish that is sure to ruin what could have been a very entertaining return to Star Wars’ glory days.

Perhaps Qui Gon would be happy to let Darth Maul stab him to death if he were to try this one out.

TRON Catalyst

Bithell Games had the opportunity to bring the magic and complex political discourse of the original TRON films to a new generation of gamers in its take on the sci-fi franchise. However, Exo’s adventures and the subsequent conflict between the Automata and Core ultimately failed to impress thanks to a lackluster story and a distinct lack of utility to its many inventive mechanics.

From the Glitch system that lets you reset your state on a server to an earlier, safer time, or the lore that fails to flesh out the various factions you encounter in any satisfactory way, this is a game that could have, and should have been a whole lot better than it ultimately was – and that’s a real shame considering that it does so many things right.

Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter

Although Arlo’s quest for revenge and his adventures as the Warden of the West are quite well-written and given a lot of gravitas and weight thanks to Doug Cockle’s narration, this attempt to create a side-scrolling Soulslike was ultimately let down by its tonal inconsistencies.

It was quite jarring to see a boss brutally murder innocent NPCs only for a character to make a very droll quip a few moments later. While the combat on display is certainly top notch, the healing mechanic proved to me more annoying than innovative, especially towards the story’s final sections and boss fights.

Hardcore Soulslike fans might find a lot to like in this game but for the most part, it does feel like it could be more fleshed-out both narratively and from a technical standpoint. Its world-building does deserve credit, though.

La Quimera

What could go wrong with an FPS title that puts you in the heart of a conflict between warring states in a world gone mad? A lot, apparently. Reburn’s take on a co-op experience that lets you team up with your buddies to take on a world of threats with an AI companion in tow failed to impress on any level.

It didn’t help that the game was delayed on the day of its release, a misstep that is sure to be a sore spot for the studio and anyone who was excited for the game alike. But its distinct lack of a clear and engaging narrative coupled with its lackluster combat is sure to make this one a game that the gaming world would be happy to leave behind.

Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny Remaster

We’ve certainly been seeing a lot of Oda Nobunaga and his exploits in recent times. But younger games might have not known that the Japanese warlord was the main antagonist of a very popular action franchise from Capcom back in the day.

The studio’s remaster of 2002’s Onimusha 2 does include everything that made the original title so memorable, but fails to bring anything new to the table other than a new weapon swapping quality-of-life improvement and a couple of difficulty modes to accompany its visual upgrade.

Jubei Yagyu certainly deserved better despite his stoic and occasionally sassy demeanour making him less popular than Dante or Leon.

The Precinct

Fallen Tree’s police-sim brought a very promising start to Mick Cordell Jr’s first day at the Avernus City PD’s headquarters. However, his career soon took a very boring turn, devolving into mindless prowling along the city’s streets with only a hint of the promise he brought to table ever showing up during its runtime.

Terrible driving controls aside, The Precinct was a pretty interesting title that failed to deliver on the action-packed chases and gunfights it seemed to offer, instead focusing on the boring and dreary parts of police work. While it does shine on occasion and its main story could be interesting to some, this is a game we quickly moved on from thanks to its sloppy writing and average gameplay loop.

Splitgate 2

Its controversial marketing aside, Splitgate 2 never really reached the heights that its predecessor did thanks to being held back by a limited selection of playable classes and a gameplay loop that many players found derivative despite its intention to innovate.

Although credit must be given to its wide selection of weapons, maps, and modes, they were ultimately let down by its gameplay, which was hamstrung by the presence of only three playable classes with fixed functionalities. That’s especially saddening when one considers how many people worked on it as opposed to the original game.

Atomfall: Wicked Isle DLC

Although Wicked Isle did bring meaningful additions to Atomfall’s main story, they weren’t enough to make up for its lack of new enemy types and glaring omissions that made its runtime more tedious than it should have been.

That’s especially egregious considering how the main game always found a way to keep us on our toes, and the DLC’s new weapons, skills, and characters could not justify its lack of enough content to justify its price tag. Wicked Isle is another presence on this list that could have been so much more but ultimately failed to live up to the expectations it generated.

Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest

While getting to dive back into the main game’s story and learning more about the tragic events that brought about the Beira D’s destruction was certainly exciting, Mhairi’s search for its data logger was a disappointment thanks to its shorter runtime and technical issues that actively made it far less appealing than the main game.

Although it did bring a fairly interesting narrative to the table, it was not enough to deserve the same praise that the main game earned, mostly in part due to The Chinese Room’s attempts to address the linear nature of the main game only to get caught up in pathing and other technical issues that were obstacles to obtaining the full experience on offer in the DLC.

That’s a paradox many studios would rather avoid. 

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves

After 26 years of silence, Fatal Fury fans were all “REV”ved up to receive a new title in the popular  SNK franchise. Bringing innovative new mechanics and excellent visuals to the table, it’s quite surprising that KOF Studios failed to do more with a franchise that had many gamers very excited about returning to the 2D fighting experience it offered.

That was unfortunately the extent of its traction, as an uninspired RPG mode and a distinct lack of heavy hitters on its playable roster brought disappointment to its fans despite the presence of excellent fighting systems that would challenge newcomers and veterans alike.

FBC Firebreak

A co-op multiplayer shooter set in the world of Control had us immediately invested in what we assumed would be another banger from Remedy Entertainment. However, FBC Firebreak failed to live up to that hype with a gameplay loop that quickly became repetitive while its inspirations were largely relegated to the background with a few notable exceptions.

A limited selection of weapons and little to no variety in locations and enemy types marred a gameplay loop that was frantic and action-packed until it revealed a slew of unlockables that required way too much grinding for the average player.

All is not lost, however, as Remedy could bring changes that puts this exciting yet flawed shooter back on track.

MindsEye

Oh, MindsEye. We really wish Build a Rocket Boy could have made this game live up to the high expectations that we and the rest of the gaming world had for it. We once expected it to be the perfect title to ease our sorrow at the delay of GTA 6. On paper, MindsEye has everything a modern hit should bring to the table. An interesting narrative backed up by a gorgeous open-world that blurs the line between man, machine, and AI.

But Redrock’s empty streets and non-responsive NPCs worked in tandem with its uninspired mission design, lackluster story and buggy execution to rob us of what could have been one of this year’s finest titles. We wish we could say this was a bittersweet experience but we have to lean more towards the former than the latter.

Were there any games that you believe failed to live up to your expectations? We’d love to hear about them in the comments!

Anyone who even vaguely knows about the game can guess – a mysterious, potentially alien entity has infiltrated the rig, causing massive damage. There were more questions than answers left afterwards, which is why there’s some appeal to Siren’s Rest. What really happened? Well, you’re not going to find out here.

The story focuses on Mhairi, who leads a saturation dive into the wreckage, deep in the trenches, to find any remains of the crew and their possessions to return to their families (alongside obtaining the rig’s data logger). While the depths are visually good-looking, swimming across the ocean floor is also appropriately harrowing, with lone flares pointing the way until you’re on your own within the ruins, where most of the story unfolds.

"It’s pretty straightforward, and even the puzzle-solving doesn’t amount to much more than “Cut through this rusted bit” or “Move this heavy object.” The fact that many of the interactive parts are painted yellow, further dulls any real sense of challenge or tension."

There are two chapters in total, each encompassing different dives. Still, the overarching gameplay is relatively the same: Swim through the winding wreckage, breaking open doors, drawers, and cabinets to collect Mementos and photograph the remains of the crew. Some familiar names and interesting bits of lore drop, especially surrounding the rig’s boss Rennick, but it’s nothing that massively impacts the story (outside of the big reveal around Mhairi’s identity, which you’ll likely have guessed early on).

While there’s nothing inherently bad about the gameplay – swimming feels responsive enough, and propelling through narrow corridors is fine – it also feels dull. Maybe I got easily bored with popping things open or cutting through rusted hinges to open doors. After a point, the latter occasionally felt less like a mechanic that would be expanded upon and more like the trigger for loading the next segments. Siren’s Rest eventually mixes things up with air pockets, which Mhairi can venture into, oftentimes disconnecting her umbilical cable.

These sections offer more boots-on-the-ground exploration and light platforming alongside the occasional quick-time event. I wasn’t the biggest fan of jumping across gaps to grab onto ledges since it often felt like Mhairi would cease all momentum before an edge, thus causing her to drop like a stone upon jumping. Eventually, it became clear that I had to slightly fall off and then jump, as weird as it sounds. It’s not something that came up a lot, but with that in mind, one would think it’d feel less awkward.

Otherwise, most of the tension arises from the rig falling apart, effectively sealing off the initial entrances and prompting you to find another exit. It’s pretty straightforward, and even the puzzle-solving doesn’t amount to much more than “Cut through this rusted bit” or “Move this heavy object.” The fact that many of the interactive parts are painted yellow, further dulls any real sense of challenge or tension.

It’s not long before things get trippy, and Chapter 2 kicks off with Mhairi venturing into even greater depths, where the entity itself is still seemingly alive. Some hallucinations are mixed into the exploration, eventually revealing Mhairi’s purpose for undertaking the dive before culminating in hide and seek from a monster. The emphasis on flares over the flashlight also made for tenser proceedings, with environments illuminated just enough to proceed but with more than oppressive darkness. And to be fair, the few sequences with the monster can be tense, given its speed.

"The bugs were more immersion-breaking, from the umbilical cable constantly clipping through walls to Mhairi remaining stationary in the water after missing a jump. Another bug caused voice lines to overlap while identifying a crew member’s remains, completely muddling the moment."

However, even while stopping around and reloading a few times because of bugs, the DLC took less than two hours to clear. While it’s what the developer promised, it only left me with more questions. It feels like more of an epilogue, one more focused on closure and moving on than actually solving any mysteries.

The ambiguity of the entity was a big appeal for Still Wakes the Deep – much like The Thing, not knowing its purpose and simply fearing its spread was enough (even if The Chinese Room’s execution of the concept wasn’t nearly as great). Siren’s Rest pretty much distills it into just a scary monster that you need to avoid (or run into because, hey, free Achievement/Trophy). Even the hallucinations don’t serve much purpose here. You leave with pretty much the same conclusion, except there’s some unnecessary open-endedness about how much of it was real.

While I can appreciate the voice acting, especially that of Lois Chimamba as Mhairi, there are some rather annoying plot contrivances. After some terrible occurrences to close out Chapter 1, she insists – or is encouraged, rather – to skip her safety list, simply diving into something much more dangerous than before, which just felt baffling. I also wasn’t a big fan of her suddenly screaming like she missed grabbing onto a ledge, especially since it made that one jump where she landed perfectly look ridiculous.

The DLC does have some admittedly good-looking visuals, just like the base game, though it’s not the best when it comes to facial expressions. Gazing down into the inky darkness and dropping a flare, watching it tumble along the way before hitting the bottom, was cool, limited as such moments could be.

Performance was also good on Epic settings at 1440p, with DLSS set to Quality, but there were some noticeable jaggies. Bringing the settings down to High and opting for DLAA didn’t completely remove them, but it certainly helped, even with noticeable performance drops. The bugs were more immersion-breaking, from the umbilical cable constantly clipping through walls to Mhairi remaining stationary in the water after missing a jump. Another bug caused voice lines to overlap while identifying a crew member’s remains, completely muddling the moment.

"Mhairi’s pursuit of answers takes over the plot yet doesn’t feel developed enough to inspire much empathy. And that’s with Chimamba putting in a strong performance throughout."

There are also weird instances where straying too far from the fixed path triggers a warning. Another path required going somewhere else and acquiring the flares first since my flashlight wouldn’t work. How did the development team communicate this? By covering my screen in the entity’s effects and promptly killing me. It’s the most video gamey way of saying, “No, not this way yet,” that I’ve seen in a long while. That same “no, no, no” attitude pervades the use of the underwater camera. Want to take pictures of anything but human remains for whatever reason? Well, you can’t.

At the end of it all, I’m not entirely sure how to feel about Siren’s Rest. Mhairi’s pursuit of answers takes over the plot yet doesn’t feel developed enough to inspire much empathy. And that’s with Chimamba putting in a strong performance throughout. In the same vein, I don’t really have any greater answers about the Beira D tragedy than before, and the relatively tame gameplay for much of the experience doesn’t help. If you’re really keen on revisiting the world of Still Wakes the Deep, Dicaprio-pointing at your screen upon recognizing some names while casually swimming around, it’s not the worst DLC. However, for its price and what it does and doesn’t offer, you could skip it without much consequence.

This game was reviewed on PC.

Taking place almost ten years after the base game’s events, players return to Beira D as Mhairi, who leads a saturation dive to learn more about the truth behind the oil drilling platform’s disaster and what happened to its crew. The developer promises 1.5 to two hours of playtime, and there’s a heavier emphasis on underwater exploration.

Which is terrifying in its own right, especially when something is still lurking in the wreckage. Some cross-dimensional mystery also seems to be occurring, though we’ll need to play the DLC to learn more.

Stay tuned for more details when it launches. You can also read our review of Still Wakes the Deep here.