10 Action Games You Should Never Play

With so many video games having been made over the years, it’s not surprising that a lot of them aren’t very good.

Even poorly made games can sometimes find players who enjoy them, but it’s rare for a game to be universally disliked. Usually, there’s at least someone who appreciates it.

Sometimes, a lot of people will agree that a video game is really bad, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to try it myself.

I’ve learned the hard way which adventures aren’t worth taking, and that’s why I’m sharing a list of ten action games you should probably skip.

10. Devil May Cry 2

The Stain of a Generational Franchise

If you’re not really into the history of video games and following long-running series, you probably won’t enjoy Devil May Cry 2.

I checked out the game just to keep up with how it was doing after launch, curious to see if all the negative feedback it got was justified. And honestly, I think people underestimated it – it deserves more attention than it’s getting.

No matter what you look for in a game – whether it’s the story, graphics, gameplay, or anything else – Devil May Cry 2 simply doesn’t deliver. It’s a disappointing sequel that misses the mark in every way compared to the original.

This is easily one of the worst games I’ve ever played, but I’m ranking it tenth because there’s a strange appeal in experiencing it just to share in the common dislike with other players.

9. Biomutant

Omnipresent Annoyances

Biomutant is a major letdown, and one of the most disappointing games I’ve seen in the last ten years. I was really excited about it for a long time, but it unfortunately falls short in almost every way.

It might just be a poorly made game, not a complete failure, but the disappointment feels worse because of all the hype and expectations surrounding it. When something doesn’t live up to those expectations, it’s especially disheartening.

Playing Biomutant can be a frustrating experience. Its combat is uninspired, the story is forgettable, and the dialogue is poorly written. Exploring the game world feels pointless because none of its features or systems offer any real reward or depth – it’s often as dull as staring at a blank wall.

While the scenery is beautiful and offers occasional enjoyment, this title ultimately disappoints and leaves a negative impression – you’d be better off simply wondering about it instead of experiencing it.

8. Ninja Blade

Don’t Be Fooled by FromSoftware’s Seal

As someone who enjoys recent FromSoftware games, I’ve always been curious about their older titles, including the somewhat unsuccessful Ninja Blade.

Despite appearances, this game simply copies popular action titles of the time, but doesn’t understand what made those games special. As a result, it misses the mark and doesn’t live up to the inspiration of series like Ninja Gaiden, Devil May Cry, and God of War.

The game is frustrating from the start due to its overuse of simple, timed button presses, repetitive fighting, reused material, and numerous technical problems. Ultimately, it lacks any truly original concepts, making it a disappointing experience.

I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that Ninja Blade and Demon’s Souls came out in the same year! Honestly, I’m so glad the developers went with Demon’s Souls because it basically launched an amazing new type of game. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have gotten that incredible subgenre, and we’d probably be stuck with even more of Ninja Blade, which… let’s just say wasn’t my cup of tea!

7. Saints Row

A Completely Lost Soul

The newest Saints Row game is a real disappointment, especially considering how good the earlier ones were. It’s honestly frustrating to even discuss how much it misses the mark.

Putting aside the disastrous initial release, this sequel just doesn’t feel passionate or creative. It feels like something that had to be made, rather than a game people were excited to develop – more of an obligation than a labor of love.

This game is deeply flawed. The writing is cringeworthy, the world and missions feel outdated – like something from the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 – and it’s incredibly repetitive, making it a frustrating experience throughout.

It’s hard to imagine many people genuinely enjoyed Saints Row, and it’s been nearly five years since it came out.

6. God of War: Sons of Sparta

Tortures Difficult to Describe

Even though I was excited to try it, especially because I’ve really gotten into Metroidvania games recently, God of War: Sons of Sparta is easily the weakest entry in the God of War series.

While I admire the attempt to build on Prince of Persia with a new approach to gameplay and story, ultimately it doesn’t contribute anything meaningful to the overall world or lore of the series.

Honestly, this game brings down your overall enjoyment of God of War. Its simple combat, uninspired platforming, and basic graphics actually make the original game feel less impressive by comparison.

Being curious can be a powerful motivator, even if something seems potentially awful. But trust me, God of War: Ascension is a huge leap forward – it’s far better than Sons of Sparta, going from simply good to truly exceptional.

5. Umbrella Corps

An Insult That Shouldn’t Exist

While the last game at least tried to do something new with a familiar series, Umbrella Corps is shockingly disrespectful to a major franchise like Resident Evil.

It’s rare to see a game so obviously designed just to profit from its established name and fanbase, and that’s all this game seems to be about.

Umbrella Corps is a truly awful game. It’s packed with annoying in-game purchases, awkwardly mixes different game types with the classic Resident Evil style, suffers from terrible technical problems, and doesn’t offer nearly enough content to be enjoyable, no matter how hard you try.

Honestly, I’m really surprised people can still buy this game. It’s so poorly made that some would argue it shouldn’t even be saved as a piece of gaming history.

4. Wolfenstein: Youngblood

A Ruined Legacy

Few games have disappointed me as much as Wolfenstein: Youngblood, especially considering how well MachineGames had been doing with the recent Wolfenstein games and how much potential they seemed to have.

Knowing that Arkane Studios, one of my all-time favorite game developers, and FromSoftware helped create this game makes its failure all the more upsetting.

No matter how you categorize it – as a Wolfenstein game, a shooter, an RPG, or an immersive sim – the result is a disappointing title. It suffers from terrible artificial intelligence and feels like a shallow attempt to capitalize on current gaming trends simply by using the Wolfenstein name.

Everything about Wolfenstein: Youngblood falls flat – the way it’s structured as an ongoing service, the cooperative gameplay, the repetitive tasks, and the complete lack of a compelling story. It’s a disappointing game, and I hope it doesn’t derail the future of the Wolfenstein series.

3. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

A Senseless Service

Games that constantly require ongoing purchases or subscriptions really frustrate me, but playing Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was beyond irritating – it was unbelievably infuriating.

Even though I’m not a DC enthusiast, this product feels so empty and uninspired it’s hard to believe anyone made it. But honestly, it’s exactly what you’d expect from an industry focused solely on profit.

I’m really surprised Rocksteady made a game that feels so bland, repetitive, and focused on shooting, especially with such a weak story and pushy in-game purchases. It honestly feels less like a creative work from a game studio and more like a project driven by investors.

I’m really frustrated with Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, and that’s why I sound so annoyed. It feels like a letdown for the DC universe, a disappointment coming from the creators of the Batman: Arkham games, and frankly, a poor entry in the superhero genre overall. It just hits all my buttons in the worst way.

2. Skull Island: Rise of Kong

Nothing Good to Salvage

I generally avoid getting too excited about new games based on existing licenses, because they rarely live up to the quality of older titles. Still, I often get my hopes up anyway, and Skull Island: Rise of Kong was one of those times where I was disappointed.

It’s hard for me to say, especially because it’s a Chilean-made game and I tend to favor local creations, but this game really feels like it was made by people new to video game development. However, that’s actually not the case at all.

Skull Island: Rise of Kong is a surprisingly unsuccessful game. Despite being made by a clearly talented team, almost everything feels off – the combat is weak, the cutscenes don’t land, the story doesn’t flow, and even the visuals and dialogue fall flat. It’s hard to find anything enjoyable within the game.

Even if you’re a fan of games based on existing stories, this is a prime example of a truly bad adaptation. I honestly can’t think of a single reason to recommend it to anyone, no matter their tastes.

1. Skull and Bones

The AAAA Failure

Following numerous delays, bold promises, and claims of exceptional quality, Skull and Bones is shaping up to be one of the most disappointing games ever released, and a prime example of overblown hype.

Building on the fantastic ship combat in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Ubisoft promised a game that would really improve on that system. Instead, it showed they’d lost touch with what players actually wanted a long time ago.

The game is failing on multiple fronts. It’s overloaded with ways to spend money, doesn’t deliver on its initial promises, and suffers from both a lack of content and a generally unrefined experience. Gameplay feels repetitive, and beyond sailing ships, there’s little to make you actually feel like a pirate. Overall, it’s a complete disappointment.

Given its price was similar to a major, high-budget game, but the quality felt like something made with almost no resources or experience, it’s no surprise this game is one of the worst you can play.

I get why people are so curious about how bad things really were during the disaster, but I experienced it firsthand, and it’s not worth releasing another version of the game just to prove what’s already widely known and easily guessed.

2026-05-15 17:42