Review aggregate siteMetacritichas unveiled its lineup of the worst video game releases of 2022, and it’s an eclectic collection of failed MMOs, half-baked indie games, and unfortunate FPS titles on par with 2018’s all-time stinkerHunt Down the Freeman. Lots of year-end worst-of lists tend to focus on big-budget experiences that weren’t quite up to snuff or large live-service games that quickly overstayed their welcome, butMetacritic’s list is instead an uncompromising look at the ten titles that scored the absolute lowest on their site this year.
The past year sawthe debut of many highly-rated gamessuch asElden Ring,God of War Ragnarok, andSplatoon 3along with some stellar indie titles likeSifu,Stray, andOllie Ollie World. However, there were plenty of underwhelming outings, as well, and some unfinished, disappointing, and downright bad titles made their way to digital and physical storefronts in 2022.
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Metacritic’s worst-of list makes note of a few usual suspects: the abysmal Xbox-exclusiveCrossfireXwas so poorly received that the developer issued an apology, and PlatinumGames’ foray into the live-service space withBabylon’s Fallproved to be a spectacular fall from grace. The list also covers more than a few under-the-radar releases like theLegend of Zelda-wannabeXel, the bafflingly-titledDark Soulsrip-offThe Last Oricru, and the Kickstarter-fundedDragon AgediscipleThe Waylanders. The full list is as follows:
The most surprising inclusion here may beNightdive Studios’Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition, as the developer has a mostly sterling reputation when it comes to remasters of older titles. Meanwhile,Kamiwaza: Way of the Thiefwas likely missed by most gamers, as it’s a remaster of a 2006 PS2 title that originally never released in North America.Zorro: The ChroniclesandLEGO Brawlswere likely written off by many as titles aimed at younger audiences, andPostal 4: No Regertscontinues a trend of sub-par shooters established by its predecessor.
For those who weren’t quite satisfied by the various titles that debuted in 2022, there’s a good number ofanticipated titles slated for 2023that may help to balance things out. From Bethesda’s next big open-world adventure inStarfieldto Capcom’s return to the ever-beloved survival horror hitResident Evil 4and an all-new installment in theLegend of Zeldafranchise, the highs of the upcoming year could very well help to nullify the lows of the previous.
