When you think of multiplayer video games, what do you think of? GoldenEye 007? Halo? Overwatch? Fortnite? Call of Duty? All are (or were) wildly popular, and that's primarily due to one reason and one reason only - they're good games. The games contained in this list are not good games. In fact, "not good" is putting it quite lightly, because they are downright atrocious.
These games contain a multiplayer component, whether it is the primary or secondary aspect. But either way, they were not good and were viciously attacked by professional critics. These are ten of the worst multiplayer games of all time, according to Metacritic.
10 Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Battle 22 - 25
Ultimate Battle 22 is a fighting game released back in 1995 for the OG PlayStation. It has consistently been called one of the worst fighting games of all time, and it absolutely does not deserve to carry the name of Dragon Ball Z.
Critics ferociously condemned the basic and often unresponsive fighting mechanics and borderline archaic animations. Another point of contention was the graphics, which many called out of date and distracting. This was not the power that the PlayStation advertised...
9 NBA Unrivaled - 24
NBA Unrivaled is a PlayStation Network game that absolutely no one paid any attention to. Let's just say, NBA Street this was not. The game played a lot like the Street series, as it focused primarily on ridiculous plays, fast-motion action, and the "Momentum meter" that allowed the team to "upgrade," allowing for faster offense and defense and perform wacky plays.
Of course, critics didn't take too kindly to this and rightfully called it out for its borderline plagiarism. Of course, the game itself was also a pile of cheap nonsense, but the Street comparisons really made it look even worse than it was.
8 Game Party Champions - 24
It's games like this that really gave the WiiU a bad rap. It also makes you appreciate good party games like...Mario Party. Are there other good party games? Game Party Champions consisted of various minigames like ping pong, mini-golf, football, and batting cages.
Sounds boring and cliché? That's because it is. Not only were the minigames themselves banal and hackneyed, but the game itself was a cheap rush job meant to release in time for the Wii U's launch. Suffice to say, it was not a great first impression...
7 Pulse Racer - 24
Pulse Racer was advertised as a futuristic kart-style racing game in the vein of Mario Kart. Mario Kart this was not. In fact, comparing this game to Mario Kart is a travesty that should be punishable by banishment and exile. This game was released on the Xbox back in 2003, and it served as a horrible representation of what the console could do.
Critics singled out the horrible graphics, Game Boy-like animations, and rudimentary gameplay design, and many called it the worst game available on the console. It's ironic that this was deemed a futuristic kart racer because it was horribly stuck in the past.
6 FlatOut 3: Chaos & Destruction - 23
FlatOut 3 was a demolition derby game released for the PC back in 2011. It was claimed to be "demolition racing at its most extreme," but that's like saying McDonald's burgers at the most delicious. The game was a technical disaster on all fronts, from the horrible and unrealistic physics engine to the unintuitive controls that often resulted in frustration.
We hesitate to even call this a multiplayer game, as the lobbies were totally dead on arrival and failed to get better. To the surprise of no one, we may add...
5 Fast & Furious: Showdown - 21
We don't know how such a terrible video game could be tied into such an iconic film series. Yeah, the movies aren't anything great, but they're enormously popular for their mindless action and explosive spectacle. This is even more egregious when you consider that the game was published by Activision, one of the biggest video game publishers in the world.
The game was widely condemned for being just another cheap and exploitative movie cash-in, and it had virtually no redeeming qualities as a video game worth buying. What a waste of an opportunity.
4 Infestation: Survivor Stories - 20
Infestation: Survivor Stories has quite a storied history. It was originally released on Steam under the name The War Z but was promptly removed for false advertising, as many features were not present in the finished product. This should have served as a major red flag when it was re-released, but people took the bait and played it anyway.
The game tried desperately to be the next DayZ but failed in virtually every capacity, delivering a game that was genuinely painful to look at, play, and experience. It was obvious that this game was either rushed or hastily thrown together with no quality assurance or care. It was meant solely to cash-in on a popular game of the time and nothing more.
3 SPOGS Racing - 18
Ah yes, does everyone remember SPOGS Racing? No, of course you don't. This was a little racing game released for the WiiWare and it saw players smashing into each other to collect upgradeable materials. You could then upgrade your specific SPOG Racer on the fly with said materials using the game's patented Crash N' Grab mechanic.
It sounds fun, but it was anything but. The game was so incompetently made that many critics deemed it one of the worst racing games in existence, and it was unfathomable that Nintendo actually had the gall to charge money for this monstrosity.
2 Yaris - 17
If you thought SPOGS Racing was bad, just wait until you hear about Yaris. Yaris was a free video game released upon the Xbox Live Arcade, and it saw players controlling a Toyota Yaris to race around a track and collect coins. Yep, that's about all there is to it.
Oh, there's also a retractable weapon unbelievably called the "mechanosymbiont," but that only turns obstacles into more coins to collect. Not only is the gameplay insultingly rudimentary, but it was clear that the "game" was meant as little more than a blatant advertisement. It didn't work. If anything, it put people OFF the Yaris.
1 Family Party: 30 Great Games Obstacle Arcade - 11
Believe it or not, it does, in fact, get worse than Yaris. It's a game called Family Party, and it was absolutely atrocious. It was released for the Wii U back in 2012, and up to four people could play the game's minigames. Not only did the critics hate the game and its mechanics, but they also found it insulting on a personal level.
It was released in North America on December 4, right in time for Christmas. The game was nothing but a blatant cash-grab meant to capitalize on the excitement of Christmas, and it was sad to think of children opening this garbage on Christmas Day. No one deserves to play it. Let's never speak of it again.