The past year has brought some award-winning games, and at the same time, some terrible ones that should've been shelved long ago. With this guide, we bring to you a list of bad games, according to critics.
From a new LEGO game to a disappointing enhanced version of Blade Running, there's quite a unique roster for this year's line-up of dreadful games you shouldn't give your time and money.
If you want more content like this, feel free to check out our other pieces like best Android games, best free sports games for 2023, and best free puzzle games for 2023.
Bad games - The worst games, according to critics
It's best to steer clear of any of the games below. Instead, you should play some games that are worth your time than these.
LEGO Brawls
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+ 10Usually, LEGO games are pretty good. However, LEGO Brawls, which is a Smash Bros-like fighting game, doesn't seem to cut it. The issue with this is that it's a port of a 2019 version of the game that wasn't really that good to begin with. Additionally, the game's publisher even charged £40 for this game, which doesn't make it worth purchasing at all.
XEL
click to enlarge + 10A 3D, open-world platformer set in a sci-fi and fantasy world, XEL may be visually decent, and gets a couple of points for its story. Trying to attain a similar flair as the Legend of Zelda games, XEL fails to achieve the same heights. The game has a reputation for being quite unpolished, too, especially in the shortcomings with its NPCs.
Babylon's Fall
click to enlarge + 10In Babylon's Fall, we explored the story of a soldier's ambitious journey to reach the top of the Tower of Babylon. As based on mythology, the tower is known to be a bridge to heaven.
Story-wise, Babylon's Fall is pretty decent. The main issue with the game is its visuals and gameplay. It was lambasted for being very outdated, and just ruins the playing experience. Several players and critics heavily criticised that aspect, which made the game garner a spot on this list. As a result, its servers are now due to shut down.
CrossfireX
click to enlarge + 10Surprisingly, CrossfireX was produced by a major developer, Remedy Entertainment. However, this multiplayer shooter wasn't able to grab the attention of gamers. There were several bugs and crashes that made the game quite difficult to play in the early stages.
Additionally, the game wasn't able to provide any good multiplayer modes, not enough to tempt players away from existing titles. In line with that, CrossfireX's single-player was not well-made, either. The game is going to be shut down in May of this year, which doesn't come as a surprise.
Postal 4: No Regrets
click to enlarge + 10Receiving a lot of negative feedback, it's no surprise to see Postal 4: No Regrets on this list. The latest in the long-running series was heavily criticised for its dark jokes and comedy that didn't sit well with gamers.
Moreover, the game crashed frequently, making it a very frustrating experience. There were also multiple bugs and glitches, which says a lot, as the game seemed to be rushed.
Arc of Alchemist
click to enlarge + 10Arc of Alchemist is a promising RPG game that has interesting gameplay and a unique storyline. Its premise is about a desert explorer who is looking for a key that holds great power. This key is a weapon needed to save humanity.
With such good potential, Arc of Alchemist fails to reel in players because of its lousy combat and forgettable characters.
Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition
click to enlarge + 10A lot of games are getting remastered versions lately, and last year Blade Runner's 1997 classic version was the latest in line. While its remastered version has some appeal to modern players, it still can't provide players with a good gaming experience.
The mechanics of Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition have drawn a lot of negative criticism. Moreover, some critics even say that the game's original version was much better than this remastered one.
Zorro: The Chronicles
click to enlarge + 10Zorro: The Chronicles doesn't seem entirely bad. It's still quite lacklustre, though, in terms of adventure. It mimics the combat and stealth mechanics similar to Assassin's Creed and the Batman Arkham games, which don't help in making a good impression on players.
A lot of elements in this game are quite underdeveloped. The controls also aren't very tight, which contributes to the unsatisfactory gameplay. Furthermore, critics have said that the story of Zorro: The Chronicles is also weak, and players struggled to get through the game in general.
The Waylanders
click to enlarge + 10In The Waylanders, you're in for an RPG that takes place in Europe. It's an ambitious game, and was quite popular at launch. However, its mechanics ruined the game as a whole. It wasn't necessarily difficult. but too complicated compared to most games, which made its gameplay quite challenging to grasp.
Plus, the characters in the game were very unbalanced, and there were several bugs. Fortunately, the devs of this game have rolled out some patches to fix this. However, this game still hasn't gotten itself out of the spot of being one of the worst games.
Kamizawa: Way of the Thief
click to enlarge + 10Last in this list is Kamizawa: Way of the Thief. The game's goal is for you to infiltrate and steal items through lavish locations. Crucially, this game is a remastered version of its PS2 counterpart. However, while the visual quality of the game is greatly improved, the mechanics haven't changed. This makes the game less worth it to play, as it doesn't bring any quality of life upgrades.
That's it for our list for bad games, according to critics. If you want more lists like this, check out our other write-ups such as the best free PC games for 2023, best One Piece games, and best Jackbox games.