Game criticism (or any criticism for that matter) has always been fickle. Games with bad reviews are loved by general audiences, and games with bad reviews are loved (usually in an ironic way, but whatever). As such, it's certainly not unheard of to see massive discrepancies between professional critic reviews and user scores.
Metacritic is the perfect medium to assess the feelings and gaps between critics and players. Critics and players disagreeing is a tale as old as... well, whenever gaming started. And we're here to look at the biggest offenders. These are ten games with the biggest gap between critics and players on Metacritic.
10 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
If professional critics are to be believed, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 is the second greatest video game of all time, behind only Ocarina of Time. It currently stands at a 98 on Metacritic, which is about as close to perfection as you can possibly get.
However, the users aren't so sure about that and have rated it a much more modest 7.5. It's certainly still a good score, and no one will deny that it's a good game, but we think 98 may be a little too passionate. Let's reel it in a bit there, critics...
9 Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 is in the same boat as Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2. In fact, it's rated just below the latter with a Metascore of 97, making it one of the most acclaimed video games in the site's history.
But as we all know, the general populace didn't seem to care for it as much as the critics, with many calling it outdated, slowly-paced, and horribly repetitive. As such, the user score for the Xbox One version sits at just 7.6, a good but not great score for one of the most divisive video games of our time.
8 LittleBigPlanet
LittleBigPlanet was one of the PlayStation 3's most unpredictable successes, and critics couldn't get enough of it. This adorable little platformer was endlessly lauded and ended up with an exorbitant 95 Metascore, placing it on the list of the greatest games of all time.
However, the user score sits at a relatively abysmal 6.8, indicating that something clearly didn't click for general players. Then again, it could just be trolls, because the actual review section is littered with perfect 10s...
7 Madden NFL 2003
EA dominated the sports market back in the late 90s and early 2000s. Well, they still do, but the games just aren't the same. Back then, we had critically acclaimed darlings like Madden NFL 2003, which surprisingly sits at 95 on Metacritic.
In fact, it's still regarded as the greatest sports game ever made. Users disagree. The user score sits at just 7.4, and while most people gave it equal acclaim, there seems to be a small handful of people who really hate the game. Then again, as with LittleBigPlanet, they could just be trolling or contrary for the sake of being contrary.
6 Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
The Phantom Pain served as Kojima's final curtain call for Konami, and many critics thought that it served as a wonderful end to an era. The game was universally lauded, scoring a 95 Metascore thanks to its heavy themes and open-ended gameplay.
Meanwhile, as with most critically acclaimed titles, the user score sits at 7.4. The main criticisms seem to be directed at the game's open-world nature and obtuse story, which many called baffling, ridiculous, and utterly nonsensical. We mean, yeah, this is Hideo Kojima we're talking about, here!
5 Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
It's amazing how quickly Modern Warfare fatigue began to set in. The second Modern Warfare is the most critically acclaimed game of the series, scoring a 94 cumulative score on Metacritic. After all, it was Modern Warfare, but better!
However, it seems as if fatigue had already set in for the general gaming populace, who scored it a measly 6.5. Many people criticized the short single-player campaign and the prevalence of hackers and cheaters in the online component. And, of course, people just wanted to give a critically acclaimed and popular game a bad score.
4 Mass Effect 3
Mass Effect 3 is easily one of the most infamous video games of all time, yet you wouldn't know it judging by the critical response! The critics absolutely adored the game, and it sits at 93 on Metacritic.
But as you know, gamers weren't very happy with the game's ending and general lack of care towards choices and branching story. As such, the user score currently sits at the rather awful 5.7, a scathing statement heralding their disappointment and frustration.
3 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (PS3)
The PlayStation 3 version of Skyrim was particularly scathed by the gaming population. Critics didn't seem to notice much of a difference between it and the Xbox 360 version, and it sits at a cumulative score of 92.
Meanwhile, the user score sits at just 6.6 compared to the Xbox 360's 8.5. The user reviews are plagued with 0 scores, many of whom condemn the game's numerous game-breaking bugs, horrible lag, constant freezing, and the potential to cause corrupted save data. Yeah, they weren't very impressed with this one...
2 Destiny 2
We think it's safe to say that fans did not like Destiny 2. Critics saw the sequel as a major improvement over the original and gave it great reviews, and it currently sits at 87 on Metacritic. Certainly not one of the GOATs, but a very good score, nonetheless.
The user score, meanwhile, sits at just 4.3, a major slap in the face to Bungie's ambitions and efforts. Many condemned the lack of gameplay features and over-reliance on looting, calling it nothing but a Destiny 1.5 cash-in that was sold at full price.
1 Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare
We didn't want to include too many Call of Duty discrepancies on this list, both because it would get too repetitive and because a large chunk of the bad scores come from people who just mindlessly give it a bad review because it's Call of Duty. But Infinite Warfare is worth mentioning.
It certainly wasn't all that well-received by critics, as it sits at just 77, which is a comparatively low score for AAA video games. But it's the abysmal 3.8 user score that really tells the story here. Once Call of Duty literally went to space, fans had officially had enough.