The 20 WORST Games Ever According To Metacritic
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The 20 WORST Games Ever According To Metacritic
We crawled deep into the catacombs of Metacritic, passing by fallen ones such as Final Fantasy XIV and No Man’s Sky. We crawled deep into the catacombs of Metacritic, passing by fallen ones such as Final Fantasy XIV (1.0) and No Man’s Sky. As one of the most popular gaming review sites, Metacritic uses aggregate data to generate a well-rounded, accurate score for all types of entertainment media. Past the front page, stamped with the latest releases of 2017, beyond the articles of new cinema, and even further than reviews of this decade's hottest music, there is a list of the worst-rated games on Metacritic of all time. THEGAMER VIDEO OF THE DAY NBA Unrivaled
Source: polygamia.pl Sports games are great. The NFL, NHL, MLB, and even NBA all have titles that proudly and accurately represent their corresponding sports. But both sports and video games are about the future, about one-uping themselves to make a better game next year, and the year after that. NBA Unrivaled does exactly the opposite, employing graphics and AI that are even worse than its predecessors (the game was released in 2009). The failed attempt at capturing the nostalgia associated with arcade sports games back in the day led to a game with very little reason to exist. In terms of terrible games, NBA Unrivaled is indeed unrivaled (except by the remaining 19 games on this list), which is why it has a Metascore of 24/100.
Source: gamespot.com As the title suggests, the plotline revolves around an alien invasion, though the focus on New York is unclear. The game received universally negative reviews for aesthetics alone, since the sound effects and voice acting were far below the standard for the time. The visual design is depressing at best, as one can feel the pointlessness of the game as they wander through an overly red-washed wasteland killing aliens that were clearly designed ironically. The classic “critical mission to save the world” premise is far too outdated to support any game, especially without any real twist or unique spin. If you’re into mindlessly killing aliens, then this title may have something to offer. However, the generic shooter gameplay does get repetitive and the lack of solid plot gives you little reason to keep playing. To those looking for depth and compelling storyline, it is a huge disappointment. These criticisms earned Terrawars a 24/100 on Metacritic.
Source: youtube.com (PSP1S0) A new take on the traditional racing game, Pulse Racer ties the rider and vehicle as one entity. The driver’s heart is connected to his or her vehicle. If you drive too fast or hard, the driver suffers a heart attack. Take damage from other racers, and both the car and driver lose health points, while various power-ups aid the player along the track. It’s good example of a solid game in the imagination phase, but terrible in implementation. The primary complaint was the cheap graphics and bland design, and the mechanics themselves are too commonplace to outshine the myriad of other flaws. One unique feature that does earn the developers some credit is the Infinitrax system, which creates randomly generated courses based on user-defined inputs. This is just enough to earn Pulse Racer a 24/100 Metascore. Fighter Within
Source: gamespot.com A 1-on-1 fighting game released in 2013, this title was made exclusively for the Xbox Kinect. Using full-body motion sensing, the idea was to allow players to physically perform combat moves during battles. While interesting in theory, the control scheme actually turned out to be horribly broken, with many motions failing to work most of the time, leaving players giving it their all IRL with no response in-game. In its defense, the graphics were actually ahead of their time, with striking visual details and animation. However, the broken controls and lack of compelling story doomed this game to notoriety, earning it a 23/100 on Metacritic. FlatOut 3 Chaos & Destruction
Source: gameface.in With a name like this, a certain vision comes to mind; a Mad Max-esque world of high speed driving, adrenaline-fueled action, and no small number of fiery explosions. While the game attempts to deliver on it all, it is held back by numerous technical glitches and poor design unfaithful to the aesthetic of the previous two games in the series. The AI doesn’t actually work and the physics engine is atrocious (no collision detection). This makes races too chaotic, to a point where there no longer seems to be a point in trying to win. While the graphics have a certain vibrancy, they don’t meet the quality standards for their time. These negative aspects caused the third installment of the FlatOut series to earn a 23/100 Metascore. Charlie s Angels
Source: youtube.com (FreeEmulatorVideos) Based on the second film of a series based on a well-known TV show, all of the same name, Charlie s Angels is the story of three private investigators, though they act more like spies than private eyes. Part of the beat ‘em up genre, this game has been universally acknowledged as one of the worst games ever created. Unbearable camera and combat controls, painfully poor graphics, shoddy storyline, badly designed AI, and misogynistic themes are just some of the criticisms made by users and critics alike. With no substance in the plot and entertaining gameplay, no aspect of the game has any real appeal, earning it a 23/100 on Metacritic. Rambo The Video Game
Source: videogamer.com Rambo is yet another failed game based on a successful film. Rather than take on a more traditional shooter perspective, this 2014 release was a rail shooter that takes players through every film, right through Rambo III. It is a severe disappointment when compared to the films it is based on (or most games). The combat quickly turns repetitive with little variation between levels. The story itself seems to get lost in the lazy visual design, each forest setting no different than the last. Like with other entries on the list, this is an inexcusable attempt by a studio to acquire unearned profits through lazy reconstruction of a great film series in a poor, interactive form. Most people would be better off re-watching the films. The game received a 23/100 on Metacritic. Fast & Furious Showdown
Source: youtube.com (GamerAndy1) Inspired by the iconic movie franchise, Showdown utterly fails to live up to the hype of its source material. For all the high-stakes racing, survival, hijacking, and action, the game itself comes off as boring and childish. None of the controls work as they should, and the graphics are severely outdated for a game of this caliber. The co-op mode adds some degree of entertainment, but ultimately fails to carry the game. Users bashed the developers for exploiting an otherwise successful franchise simply for monetary gain. Others said the game would only appeal to casual gamers who were diehard fans of the films. Plus, the primary protagonist of the film franchise, Dominic Toretto, isn’t even in the game, so it comes as no surprise it earned a 22/100 on Metacritic (this is the average console score, on the 3DS it earned a 50/100). Drake Of The 99 Dragons
Source: youtube.com (gstgzzl) In this 2003 shooter, you play as a supernatural assassin named Drake. He is sent on a quest by the Spirit Gods to collect the souls of his enemies and avenge his Master’s death. This uninspired premise is further weakened by ugly graphics and the bane of almost every gamer: sloppy camera controls. Drake dual-wields weapons, but shoots both at the same time. These mechanics make it nearly impossible to land a shot. Drake’s supernatural abilities are lazily implemented in a game where the basic controls of moving and jumping are already frustrating enough as is. To add insult to injury, the sound effects and voice acting are poor in quality and the overall narration is incoherent. Afro Samurai 2 Revenge Of Kuma
Source: destructoid.com Infestation Survivor Stories The War Z
Source: gameskinny.com Produced by the infamous Sergey Titov, The War Z is a MMO survival horror game, featuring, you guessed it, zombies. Its renaming to Infestation was the result of a copyright dispute: The War Z sounded too similar to the upcoming film World War Z, based on the book of the same name. Alone In The Dark Illumination
Source: bluegartr.com In 2015, the sixth installment of the Alone in the Dark saga was released. Another survival horror franchise, this series had until recently received positive feedback and praise by most critics. However, despite the fact that Illumination was the first game to introduce online co-op, the title fell far short of anything noteworthy. The general consensus seems to be that the ideas were solid, but execution was poor. As one of four characters, the player must fight the forces of evil, specifically the spawn of Cthulhu, in order to free their town of Lorwich from a terrible curse. Each level, with all its puzzles, enemies, and elements, are randomly generated. SPOGS Racing
Source: gamespot.com Racing cars is overrated. Racing tires is the new trend. A SPOG (Sports Player Object Gyros) is essentially a wheel-shaped vehicle with a disc in the center, representing the player avatar. These are used to race across 12 different tracks, a traditional design of most (all) racing games. An added feature is the Crash ‘N Grab, allowing riders to crash into each other to steal spare parts. These are then used to upgrade the vehicle, allowing players to perform tricks, hinder other players, and steal more parts. This idea was the only part of SPOGS Racing that received positive feedback, but it was so poorly implemented that it could not outweigh the flaws of the game itself. Double Dragon II Wander Of The Dragons
Source: youtube.com (PXAbstraction)
Source: tiredoldhack.com A relatively recent release (2017), on the new Nintendo Switch no less, this game joins the ranks of others on this list as an undebatably terrible game. You play as Luna, a Magical Girl riding around the sky collecting Stardust. The trouble starts and ends with the objectives of the game. The goal is to collect Stardust, which lets you upgrade your bike and allows you to move faster. This, in turn, helps collect even more Stardust. Then, there are things called Keystars, which unlock the famous Magical Gate. Collect enough to open this gate, you get more Stardust, which let you get Keystars faster, which lets you get more Stardust!!! To anyone but a small child, it’s a vicious cycle of existential dread and mind-numbing gameplay. While the controls offer little to complain about and the game design itself is mostly clean, the actual premise of the game leaves much to be desired. Plus, you’re riding a bike. Bikes don’t go “vroom.” These sentiments earned Vroom in the Night Sky a 17/100. Leisure Suit Larry Box Office Bust
Source: mobygames.com This game is part of a long saga of Larry games, most of which feature suggestive humor, strange storylines, and misogynistic themes. Earlier games in the saga, such as Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards, received much more positive reception than the 2009 Box Office Bust. This open-world exploration game contains racing, shooting, seduction, combat, and other superfluous mechanics, none of which play like they should. This is poorly complimented by the vague plot in which Larry Lovage, controlled by the player, works for his uncle Larry Laffer (the main protagonist in previous Larry games) at his movie studio to try and uncover a mole sent by a rival studio. One thing this game got right was the name, which may be part of the reason it earned a 17/100 on Metacritic. Yaris
Source: neoseeker.com Ride To Hell Retribution
Source: oceanofgames.com Sex. Drugs. Rock ‘n’ Roll. Biker Gangs. The Roaring 60s. The Modern Wild West. There’s a whole list of unique aesthetics Ride to Hell fails to capture with its shoddy visual design and unoriginal gameplay. The graphics resemble a cheaper version of the engine used by the Borderlands franchise, but without the originality or vibrancy. The mess of fighting, bike-riding, and sex scenes are loosely held together by a weak premise, barely propped up by simply boring gameplay. Family Party 30 Great Games Obstacle Arcade
Source: youtube.com (wiiviewr) Nintendo has been at the forefront of family game night with such treasures as Wii Sports, Mario Party, and Sonic and Mario at the Olympic Games. What’s more fun than cracking open a cold one with the boys (or your parents?) as you spend the night betraying, humiliating, and dominating each other in a virtual world of heart-racing mini-games and fickle RNG. Big Rigs Over The Road Racing
Source: youtube.com (penguinz0)