We’ve seen one of the best, and the worst, of what the primary half of 2025 has delivered to the desk in 2025. Nonetheless, there are just a few releases that had a lot potential and might be strong experiences to some gamers who swear by them. Opinions are subjective, in any case.
However we couldn’t assist however really feel that some video games this 12 months might have been a lot extra when it comes to the worth they delivered to their gamers however finally allow us to down. It’s time to dive into 2025’s most disappointing video games – and why they made us really feel that manner.
Let’s get began.
Ship At All Prices
Developed by Far Out Video games and printed by Konami, Ship At All Prices had all of the makings of a enjoyable expertise made partaking by way of a really distinctive premise. Winston Inexperienced’s dedication to be the last word courier, letting nothing get between his cargo and his vacation spot finally fell flat because of an uninspired gameplay loop.
Whereas the isometric graphics and distinctive mechanics might entertain you for a short time when you get began, the sport shortly will get repetitive, with little to no narrative context apart from just a few fetch and carry requests.
Restricted upgrades to the We Ship pickup truck and an absence of precise penalties on your harmful actions apart from some bland police pursuits make this an sadly forgettable expertise that’s certain to lie forgotten in a lot of its gamers’ libraries as soon as the preliminary thrills put on off.
Monster Power Supercross 25 – The Official Video Sport
Regardless of a superb visible makeover courtesy of Unreal Engine 5, a wide array of tracks, and the legendary Ricky Carmichael taking over the in-game commentator’s mic, Monster Power Supercross 25 wasted away its benefits with a studying curve that a good portion of gamers would discover daunting.
Its tutorials are ineffective at getting you into the ebb and movement of a race, a lapse that’s certain to throw you face-first into the filth in entrance of a crowded stadium. Milestone S.r.l. most likely assumed that anyone selecting up the sport was already a fan of dirt-bike racing and tailor-made the expertise accordingly.
We’re certain that followers of the game will swear by this one however for the remainder of us, this can be a title that may be a very ironic uphill climb.
JDM: Japanese Drift Grasp
This indie title from the stables (or garages?) of Warsaw-based developer Gaming Manufacturing facility appeared like it could be an ideal drifting simulator for racing followers who like a bit of favor after they flip a nook. Whereas its in-game physics and story-based open world are definitely highlights, the general expertise was finally marred by a number of inconsistencies within the Guntama Prefecture’s streets and winding mountain roads.
Obstacles {that a} fast-moving automobile might plow by fairly simply in the actual world might deliver you to an entire cease whereas irregular lighting ruins the dynamic day and night time cycle, sending you tearing proper into unsuspecting NPCs who simply wish to get house and unwind after an extended day.
Its supply missions are nothing to put in writing house about both whereas errors within the form of car you’ll need for its many occasions are a relentless annoyance, requiring you to reload on the final storage you have been in and drive a brand new automobile all the way in which again to the start line.
We advocate rewatching Tokyo Drift a few instances whilst you look forward to a sale on this one.
STAR WARS: Episode I: Jedi Energy Battles Remastered
We’ll be the primary to confess that attending to revisit the origin story of Anakin Skywalker (or Darth Vader as you already know him) had us fairly excited for this remake of the 2000 title from LucasArts. Getting all of its unique content material in a single place whereas Aspyr’s additions like the flexibility to play as a bunch of enemies you beat down in your first playthrough throughout New Sport+ was fairly the engaging bundle.
Nonetheless, a superb visible makeover apart, all the issues that gamers had with the unique proceed to plague the remaster, and are annoying sufficient to drive you in direction of the Darkish Aspect of the power. It’s a baffling lack of polish that’s certain to break what might have been a really entertaining return to Star Wars’ glory days.
Maybe Qui Gon can be completely happy to let Darth Maul stab him to demise if he have been to do this one out.
TRON Catalyst
Bithell Video games had the chance to deliver the magic and sophisticated political discourse of the unique TRON movies to a brand new technology of players in its tackle the sci-fi franchise. Nonetheless, Exo’s adventures and the next battle between the Automata and Core finally did not impress because of a lackluster story and a definite lack of utility to its many ingenious mechanics.
From the Glitch system that permits you to reset your state on a server to an earlier, safer time, or the lore that fails to flesh out the varied factions you encounter in any passable manner, this can be a recreation that would have, and will have been an entire lot higher than it finally was – and that’s an actual disgrace contemplating that it does so many issues proper.
Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter
Though Arlo’s quest for revenge and his adventures because the Warden of the West are fairly well-written and given quite a lot of gravitas and weight because of Doug Cockle’s narration, this try to create a side-scrolling Soulslike was finally let down by its tonal inconsistencies.
It was fairly jarring to see a boss brutally homicide harmless NPCs just for a personality to make a really droll quip just a few moments later. Whereas the fight on show is definitely prime notch, the therapeutic mechanic proved to me extra annoying than modern, particularly in direction of the story’s closing sections and boss fights.
Hardcore Soulslike followers would possibly discover loads to love on this recreation however for probably the most half, it does really feel prefer it might be extra fleshed-out each narratively and from a technical standpoint. Its world-building does deserve credit score, although.
La Quimera
What might go mistaken with an FPS title that places you within the coronary heart of a battle between warring states in a world gone mad? So much, apparently. Reburn’s tackle a co-op expertise that permits you to workforce up together with your buddies to tackle a world of threats with an AI companion in tow did not impress on any stage.
It didn’t assist that the sport was delayed on the day of its launch, a misstep that’s certain to be a sore spot for the studio and anybody who was excited for the sport alike. However its distinct lack of a transparent and interesting narrative coupled with its lackluster fight is certain to make this one a recreation that the gaming world can be completely happy to depart behind.
Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Future Remaster
We’ve definitely been seeing quite a lot of Oda Nobunaga and his exploits in latest instances. However youthful video games might need not identified that the Japanese warlord was the primary antagonist of a very talked-about motion franchise from Capcom again within the day.
The studio’s remaster of 2002’s Onimusha 2 does embrace all the pieces that made the unique title so memorable, however fails to deliver something new to the desk apart from a brand new weapon swapping quality-of-life enchancment and a few issue modes to accompany its visible improve.
Jubei Yagyu definitely deserved higher regardless of his stoic and sometimes sassy manner making him much less in style than Dante or Leon.
The Precinct
Fallen Tree’s police-sim introduced a really promising begin to Mick Cordell Jr’s first day on the Avernus Metropolis PD’s headquarters. Nonetheless, his profession quickly took a really boring flip, devolving into senseless prowling alongside town’s streets with solely a touch of the promise he delivered to desk ever exhibiting up throughout its runtime.
Horrible driving controls apart, The Precinct was a reasonably fascinating title that did not ship on the action-packed chases and gunfights it appeared to supply, as an alternative specializing in the boring and dreary elements of police work. Whereas it does shine every so often and its essential story might be fascinating to some, this can be a recreation we shortly moved on from because of its sloppy writing and common gameplay loop.
Splitgate 2
Its controversial advertising and marketing apart, Splitgate 2 by no means actually reached the heights that its predecessor did because of being held again by a restricted choice of playable lessons and a gameplay loop that many gamers discovered spinoff regardless of its intention to innovate.
Though credit score have to be given to its broad choice of weapons, maps, and modes, they have been finally let down by its gameplay, which was hamstrung by the presence of solely three playable lessons with fastened functionalities. That’s particularly saddening when one considers how many individuals labored on it versus the unique recreation.
Atomfall: Depraved Isle DLC
Though Depraved Isle did deliver significant additions to Atomfall’s essential story, they weren’t sufficient to make up for its lack of recent enemy sorts and evident omissions that made its runtime extra tedious than it ought to have been.
That’s particularly egregious contemplating how the primary recreation at all times discovered a method to hold us on our toes, and the DLC’s new weapons, abilities, and characters couldn’t justify its lack of sufficient content material to justify its price ticket. Depraved Isle is one other presence on this checklist that would have been a lot extra however finally did not reside as much as the expectations it generated.
Nonetheless Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Relaxation
Whereas attending to dive again into the primary recreation’s story and studying extra concerning the tragic occasions that introduced concerning the Beira D’s destruction was definitely thrilling, Mhairi’s seek for its information logger was a disappointment because of its shorter runtime and technical points that actively made it far much less interesting than the primary recreation.
Though it did deliver a reasonably fascinating narrative to the desk, it was not sufficient to deserve the identical reward that the primary recreation earned, principally partially on account of The Chinese language Room’s makes an attempt to handle the linear nature of the primary recreation solely to get caught up in pathing and different technical points that have been obstacles to acquiring the total expertise on supply within the DLC.
That’s a paradox many studios would fairly keep away from.
Deadly Fury: Metropolis of the Wolves
After 26 years of silence, Deadly Fury followers have been all “REV”ved as much as obtain a brand new title within the in style SNK franchise. Bringing modern new mechanics and glorious visuals to the desk, it’s fairly stunning that KOF Studios did not do extra with a franchise that had many players very enthusiastic about returning to the 2D preventing expertise it provided.
That was sadly the extent of its traction, as an uninspired RPG mode and a definite lack of heavy hitters on its playable roster introduced disappointment to its followers regardless of the presence of wonderful preventing programs that may problem newcomers and veterans alike.
FBC Firebreak
A co-op multiplayer shooter set on this planet of Management had us instantly invested in what we assumed can be one other banger from Treatment Leisure. Nonetheless, FBC Firebreak did not reside as much as that hype with a gameplay loop that shortly grew to become repetitive whereas its inspirations have been largely relegated to the background with just a few notable exceptions.
A restricted choice of weapons and little to no selection in places and enemy sorts marred a gameplay loop that was frantic and action-packed till it revealed a slew of unlockables that required manner an excessive amount of grinding for the typical participant.
All is just not misplaced, nevertheless, as Treatment might deliver modifications that places this thrilling but flawed shooter again on monitor.
MindsEye
Oh, MindsEye. We actually want Construct a Rocket Boy might have made this recreation reside as much as the excessive expectations that we and the remainder of the gaming world had for it. We as soon as anticipated it to be the right title to ease our sorrow on the delay of GTA 6. On paper, MindsEye has all the pieces a contemporary hit ought to deliver to the desk. An fascinating narrative backed up by a stunning open-world that blurs the road between man, machine, and AI.
However Redrock’s empty streets and non-responsive NPCs labored in tandem with its uninspired mission design, lackluster story and buggy execution to rob us of what might have been considered one of this 12 months’s best titles. We want let’s imagine this was a bittersweet expertise however now we have to lean extra in direction of the previous than the latter.
Have been there any video games that you just imagine did not reside as much as your expectations? We’d love to listen to about them within the feedback!
