10 Worst Games of the Last Decade (According to OpenCritic)

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Over the past few years, I’ve noticed an exciting shift in the gaming world, making it more democratic and approachable for both gamers and creators like myself.

As a gamer, you now have various choices at your disposal. These range from acquiring a gaming console, enjoying games on a computer or mobile device, purchasing individual games digitally, subscribing to vast game collections, and even allowing family members to access your account for playing their games.

Conversely, developers benefit from an abundance of game development tools, various avenues for self-publication, and even the opportunity to seek funding through crowdfunding campaigns to support their projects.

Nevertheless, as technology and creative platforms become easier to access, they can sometimes lead to some unrefined or debatable productions. This piece will delve into the 10 Least Popular Games of the Past Decade, based on OpenCritic’s assessment.

I applied three criteria for the selection:

– At least seven critic reviews on OpenCritic.

– Released on a traditional gaming platform like a home console or PC.

– Not a shovelware title, meaning the developer at least tried to make a decent game.

10. The Quiet Man

OpenCritic Score – 29

This game on the list, titled The Quiet Man, has garnered the highest number of critical reviews – over 30, a fact that seemingly makes it more problematic than the others in this collection. It was produced by Human Head Studios and released by Square Enix, which accounts for its significant attention.

In simpler terms, “The Quiet Man” is an action-packed game that also includes aspects of fighting games. It’s unique because you control a character who can’t hear, and the game presents the world from his perspective.

Nevertheless, critics contended that the tricky aspect of the game wasn’t executed effectively. As a result, the developer included an additional, optional function to reinstate the game’s soundtrack at a later stage.

Or simply:

Critics felt the special feature was poorly implemented, prompting the developer to introduce an extra option for restoring the game’s audio afterwards.

The majority of the game uses full-motion video scenes featuring real actors, but when these characters speak, there’s neither audio nor captions to mimic the deafness of the main character, Dane.

In instances where players assume command, the graphics transition into a style reminiscent of classic video games, enabling both exploration and battle. Generally speaking, reviewers found the game incomplete and lacking in conveying its central theme.

9. POSTAL 4: No Regerts

OpenCritic Score – 27

Back then, I recall enjoying the game called “Postal 1,” which sparked quite a stir due to its content, causing it to be prohibited in several nations, much like “Carmageddon” and other games of that time. It was thrilling, gruesome, and downright madcap, most certainly not suitable for a child of 10 years old.

Regardless of the fact that Postal games were not generally appreciated by either critics or the general audience, somehow, there were still four primary installments, remakes, and various spin-offs developed within the franchise.

2022 saw the launch of “POSTAL 4: No Regrets“, a game that was met with harsh criticism. Critics found it dull, plagued with technical issues, and laden with outdated, exaggerated humor.

The gameplay offers a frenetic first-person shooter experience, featuring weaponry that strives for humor in unusual ways; for instance, there’s a bow that fires rubber ducks or a pistol where the silencer is a cat.

Rather than appearing witty or engaging, it instead seemed overly eager for a player’s response. In the end, the reaction it received was nothing short of stunned rejection.

8. Hollow

OpenCritic Score – 26

2017 saw the release of the game “Hollow” by Forever Entertainment, prior to their focus shifting towards remakes such as Front Mission and Panzer Dragoon.

Initially, it appears that the studio is endeavoring to create a first-person survival horror game akin to Dead Space. In this game, we assume the role of a pilot who finds himself marooned on a spaceship following an unfathomable catastrophe, with the crew inexplicably disappearing.

Though “Hollow” establishes a chilling horror setting with its tight, tense ambiance and effective audio design, the true terror lies in actually experiencing the game itself.

Later on in the story, the game strays from its intended horror-survival genre and focuses excessively on combat elements, a departure from its areas of expertise.

In battle, I either score a headshot against the scant and seemingly misplaced adversaries, or I find myself either downed or, even more frustratingly, out of bullets for the ensuing skirmish – a situation frequently leading to a game restart.

The game Hollow typically lasts for approximately five hours before ending, suggesting that the developers might have anticipated frequent restarts, or if you decide to stop playing entirely.

7. Super Seducer

OpenCritic Score – 26

Let me confess something that might make you raise an eyebrow. Before ‘Super Seducer’ hit the shelves, I was already in the know thanks to my regular follow-up with Richard La Ruina on social media. But, please, don’t tell my partner! It doesn’t mean I adopted his methods or lifestyle; it’s just… well, I can’t quite put my finger on it.

Initially, the announcement of “Super Seducer” left me puzzled, and it seemed to do the same for other critics too. However, the game garnered a score of 26 out of eight reviews, yet surprisingly, it managed to gain some favor among players, which may sound peculiar.

In the game titled “Super Seducer“, you find yourself engaging in conversations with various women, aiming to pick the most effective lines to win them over. However, this game has a lighthearted approach, and it presents some clearly inappropriate options which can lead to uproarious yet extremely offensive scenes.

It’s possible that due to its light-hearted approach, the game titled Super Seducer did quite well in sales and even expanded into a trilogy. Social platforms such as Twitch played a significant role in increasing its popularity, with streamers often demonstrating some of the most awkward situations to their audiences.

6. Raven’s Cry

OpenCritic Score – 24

Jeremy Penter from AngryCentaurGaming rated “Raven’s Cry” as “Don’t Bother Playing,” and that speaks volumes. Many gamers think that “Raven’s Cry” attempted to capitalize on its resemblance to “Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag,”, a game released two years prior.

Therefore, Raven’s Cry features an atmospheric pirate backdrop, thrilling swordplay, sea battles, and numerous oceanic journeys.

Regrettably, Raven’s Cry, an action game blended with RPG features, didn’t live up to its promises for me. I found the combat to be rigid and monotonous, regardless of the skills I acquired. The naval battles seemed incomplete, missing even basic animations like ships sinking, which added to the feeling that something was amiss.

There are several optional missions and decisions that influence certain outcomes, but they’re not particularly remarkable.

Initially, “Raven’s Cry” appeared promising, but soon after starting to play, it becomes clear that it’s superficial and not worth your time. It might be best to abandon it permanently.

5. Skull Island: Rise of Kong

OpenCritic Score – 24

Skull Island: Rise of Kong has a unique charm in its dreadful quality that sparked an unexpected fascination among the public. Numerous content creators found themselves drawn to it, almost as a duty to the industry, elevating the game to the level of an ironic classic – a game that’s undeniably absurd.

This game seems odd to discuss because it appears as if it belongs to a bygone era, with a style that harkens back to PS2 games but lacks the nostalgic appeal associated with that time period. Its visuals, scenes, and overall presentation give off an old-fashioned vibe reminiscent of a PS2 game without the charisma typically found in such productions.

The game’s combat, being a 3D brawler, tends to be quite monotonous and lack creativity, giving an impression that the development team aimed to make the gaming experience dull and unsatisfying for players.

As a gamer, I can tell you that it seems like the developers were put under immense pressure, given they had just a single year to create this masterpiece, working with a small dedicated crew, and enduring some serious overtime – the so-called “crunch time.

The outcome, given the circumstances, followed our predictions exactly – a disappointment, taking into account that Joe DeVito, the creator of the novel “Kong: King of Skull Island“, played a part in it.

4. Cartoon Network: Battle Crashers

OpenCritic Score – 24

Cartoon Network: Battle Crashers was an attempt by Cartoon Network to create a fighting game starring famous characters such as Gumball, Steven Universe, and Finn and Jake. After Uncle Grandpa brings them together through a journey across different dimensions, they have to fight against the malevolent shard creatures.

As a hardcore gamer, I can tell you that Battle Crashers doesn’t deviate much from the classic beat-’em-up style. Each character comes with unique skills to master, and combat pickups keep things interesting. Plus, the environment is interactive, and multiplayer action is on offer too. But let me warn you, what you experience in the initial minutes of Battle Crashers is pretty much what you can expect for the entire game ride.

Despite the option of instant character switching, Cartoon Network’s fighting game can become incredibly monotonous.

Instead of constantly repeating the same fundamental assault, you’re up against monotonous adversaries and uninspiring bosses. What makes it even more frustrating is that with such an impressive cast, the game somehow manages to make them seem dull and inconsistent with their original personas due to its ordinary design elements.

3. Afro Samurai 2: Revenge of Kuma

OpenCritic Score – 21

It’s quite heartening when a company owning up to its errors and making efforts to rectify them carries a certain poetic charm, as demonstrated by Versus Evil, the publisher behind Afro Samurai 2: Revenge of Kuma, initially intended to be Volume 1 of a trilogy.

Yet, the game faced a massive backlash from both critics and gamers, primarily due to its technical problems, uninspiring layout, poor narrative, and other concerns.

The game received a lot of negative feedback because it had technical glitches, an average design, bad storyline, and more issues.

In response to overwhelming negative feedback, Versus Evil granted full refunds to every player, without any requests being made. The game’s developer also removed it from online retailers and offered a public apology, indicating the significant failure of the project.

The concept for the game “Afro Samurai” garnered notice due to its manga and anime adaptations, both of which enjoyed a degree of popularity in the past decade, particularly with Samuel L. Jackson providing the voice for Afro Samurai. However, “Afro Samurai 2” failed to meet expectations.

To put it simply, the sequel to “Afro Samurai” fell flat for me. It’s categorized as an action game with a third-person perspective, offering three distinct fighting styles and emphasizing the use of combos to vanquish foes.

As I wielded my virtual sword, the gameplay seemed somewhat reactive, yet something felt amiss. It was like each swing drained the life out of the game, leaving me battling an unfulfilling, lackluster experience.

2. Vroom in the Night Sky

OpenCritic Score – 19

Initially, I thought this seemed like yet another low-quality game, exploiting the permissive self-publishing policy on the Nintendo Store. However, upon closer inspection, I found it intriguing as it boasted over 15 professional reviews.

And wow… if regret could kill.

Vroom in the Night Sky was released by POISOFT and surprisingly, it was one of the games launched alongside the Nintendo Switch console. While Nintendo might not have advertised it like that, the game became available on the same day as the console. The developers referred to it as a “Magical Bike Action Game,” but the only magic you’d hope for is that it would vanish into nothingness.

Luna gracefully soars through the skies on her enchanted bicycle, gathering Stardusts and Keystars. It feels, appears, and operates rather uncomfortably, reminiscent of a spiritual reincarnation of Superman 64, in terms of its awkwardness.

It appears that it was crafted with dedication and thoughtfulness, but when it comes to investing my funds in something created out of affection, I prefer to contribute to a charitable cause instead.

1. The Day Before

OpenCritic Score – 16

I’ll make an exception to my rule due to a valid reason: The game The Day Before had only six critic reviews, but that’s because it vanished before getting a fair review. It was all a trick, a swindle. One of the most deceitful scams the gaming industry has ever experienced.

The Day Before was unveiled as a post-apocalyptic MMO survival game set to revolutionize the genre, featuring a zombie-ridden United States landscape. It boasted high realism, open-ended gameplay, and unprecedented player interactions, offering an experience unlike any other before it. These daring claims sparked a massive fanbase and catapulted the game to the peak of Steam’s wishlist.

As the anticipated release date drew near, “The Day Before” found itself enmeshed in various controversies, such as uncompensated developers, repeated use of assets, legal disputes over trademarks, delayed releases, and numerous warning signs.

In simple terms, the game had more issues at launch than an insect book filled with errors, and only four days after release, it was taken down from online marketplaces. The developers, Fnatic, subsequently declared bankruptcy.

It’s not hard to spot this fraud, that’s why I felt it necessary to add “The Day Before” to the list. Not just because it was one of the worst games of the last ten years, but likely of all time as well.

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2025-02-03 15:41