Review aggregate site Metacritic has 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 stinker Hunt 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, but Metacritic’s list is instead an uncompromising look at the ten titles that scored the absolute lowest on their site this year.
The past year saw the debut of many highly-rated games such as Elden Ring, God of War Ragnarok, and Splatoon 3 along with some stellar indie titles like Sifu, Stray, and Ollie 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.
Metacritic’s worst-of list makes note of a few usual suspects: the abysmal Xbox-exclusive CrossfireX was so poorly received that the developer issued an apology, and PlatinumGames’ foray into the live-service space with Babylon’s Fall proved to be a spectacular fall from grace. The list also covers more than a few under-the-radar releases like the Legend of Zelda-wannabe Xel, the bafflingly-titled Dark Souls rip-off The Last Oricru, and the Kickstarter-funded Dragon Age disciple The Waylanders. The full list is as follows:
- Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition (Switch)
- Kamiwaza: Way of the Thief (PS4)
- The Waylanders (PC)
- The Last Oricru (Xbox Series X)
- Zorro: The Chronicles (PS5)
- LEGO Brawls (PS5)
- Xel (Switch)
- Babylon's Fall (PS5)
- CrossfireX (Xbox Series X)
- Postal 4: No Regerts (PC)
The most surprising inclusion here may be Nightdive 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 Thief was likely missed by most gamers, as it's a remaster of a 2006 PS2 title that originally never released in North America. Zorro: The Chronicles and LEGO Brawls were likely written off by many as titles aimed at younger audiences, and Postal 4: No Regerts continues 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 of anticipated titles slated for 2023 that may help to balance things out. From Bethesda’s next big open-world adventure in Starfield to Capcom’s return to the ever-beloved survival horror hit Resident Evil 4 and an all-new installment in the Legend of Zelda franchise, the highs of the upcoming year could very well help to nullify the lows of the previous.