These “Terrible” Games Rekindled My Love for Gaming

It’s easy to lose sight of the fact that gaming should be enjoyable. We all live in the real world, and while games can be a great way to escape stress, how you play really affects your experience. The gaming world is often full of strong opinions and arguments, with people on opposite sides constantly debating. Some people thought 2025 was an amazing year for games, while others felt it was a letdown, despite some good titles.

I’ve played a lot of fantastic new games lately, but I surprisingly enjoyed revisiting older, less-celebrated titles the most. These games had been sitting in my Steam library, largely forgotten, for about ten years. Unlike modern games that come with high expectations, these offered no promises – just a way to pass the time, which was exactly what I needed when I was feeling burnt out. I played them purely for enjoyment, and continued playing simply because I wanted to.

I wrote this article simply because I wanted to share my positive thoughts about these games in detail.

Just some notes and things I want to mention.

“Terrible” is a bit tongue-in-cheek, hence the quotation marks. Still, I believe this descriptor matches the games’ reputations, to an extent.
This is NOT a recommendations list. I am not reviewing the games either. That said, if one of these titles looks like something you might enjoy, great! Give it a whirl, and most of these are cheap to pick up. If you have been hoarding Steam games for most of your life (like I have), then you might own some of these already. Or, try some other game that has been calling your name for years.
The games are listed in the order they were played and completed.
Five main games are spotlighted, along with a few extras that were part of the journey but do not fit the title’s criteria in some form or another.
All the gameplay screenshots were taken from my play sessions. Each main game ends with a gallery that goes through most of the campaign, so skip that if you intend to play one of these.

Awfully Fun Game 1: Inversion

A Brief Diversion Turns Into A Great Month

Played on Steam
Playtime: 8 Hours
Genre & Theme: Cover shooter... Gears of War, but with gravity.
Number of Crashes: 20+. After each one, I rebooted my PC, logged into Steam, and jumped right back into Inversion.
Does Inversion Have A Turret Sequence? Yes, multiple! You tear down a building at one point. They are great.
Why I Have This Game: Seems like I picked it up for like $3 in 2017, not that I remember that. Still, I’m glad I did, as Inversion is no longer available to purchase in my region.

Do you remember when every game seemed to be a cover-based shooter? It was a popular trend for a while, but that style of game largely disappeared about ten years ago, with Gears of War being one of the few that kept it alive. Inversion came out towards the end of that trend and was often seen as unoriginal, and it quickly faded into obscurity. When it released in 2012, the game felt redundant, and its main feature – a gravity mechanic – wasn’t quite enough to make it stand out from Gears of War, or used in a particularly impactful way.

I downloaded Inversion thinking I’d only play it for a little while, but something unexpected happened: the game began with a section where you control a turret. It instantly reminded me of gaming back in 2012 – a time when games felt simpler, and the PlayStation 3 was at its peak. The PS3 era is my favorite, and Inversion brought back that same nostalgic feeling right away.

The game kept crashing my computer, eventually forcing a restart. I figured it was just a glitch, so I tried playing again. But after ten more crashes, I realized there was probably a bigger problem. Luckily, the Steam community is great at finding solutions and workarounds for bugs, which saved the game from being completely unplayable. They really are lifesavers, and I wouldn’t have been able to finish Inversion without their help.

They are the true heroes…

While Inversion doesn’t quite reach the level of Gears of War, it’s a game we haven’t seen much of lately. Because of that, what might have felt stale back in 2012 actually feels surprisingly new in 2025. It was fun to clumsily rush forward, take cover, and soak up damage, especially with a tough-talking teammate constantly repeating the same lines. Inversion felt like a blast from the past, and I really enjoyed it – I wanted it to go on longer.

Side Quest 1: Dark Sector

It Wasn’t A Fluke, Bring On The Cover Shooters

Played on Steam
Playtime: 6.9 Hours
Genre & Theme: Cover shooter… Warframe before Warframe
Number of Crashes: None, I believe
Does Dark Sector Have A Turret Sequence? Yes, multiple! They are not great, to be honest. The turret is a bit too unwieldy and doesn’t feel that powerful.
Why I Have This Game: Steam gave Dark Sector away for free in 2024. I had no real intention to play it, but free is free.
Why Is This A Side Quest: Dark Sector is pretty well regarded for the most part.

I played Dark Sector after enjoying Inversion, hoping for another action-packed cover shooter. While Digital Extremes is now famous for Warframe, they first experimented with some of those ideas in this 2008 game. Dark Sector combines typical third-person shooting with a unique Glaive weapon that can powerfully defeat enemies—and has other uses too. It feels a little clunky at first, but the combat becomes really enjoyable once you learn how to use the Glaive effectively. If you’re looking for a brief single-player experience with solid action, a few imperfections, and a character straight out of the 2000s, this game is worth checking out.

Awfully Fun Game 2: Devil’s Hunt

Finding The PS3 Spirit In A 2019 Game

Played on Steam
Playtime: 6 Hours
Genre & Theme: Hack & Slash… Yeah, this isn’t Devil May Cry, but that’s okay.
Number of Crashes: A handful of times, but nothing too major
Does Devil’s Hunt Have A Turret Sequence? Sadly, no.
Why I Have This Game: Purchased for about $2 from Green Man Gaming earlier in 2025.

This isn’t just another review of a cover-based shooter – we’re covering Devil’s Hunt because there weren’t many other options. The game follows Desmond, an underground fighter who gains demonic powers and gets caught in a battle between Heaven and Hell. Be warned: it’s a story-heavy game with over an hour of cutscenes! While that might usually be excessive, they’re delivered with such sincerity that they’re surprisingly enjoyable. Desmond himself feels like a protagonist straight out of the 2010s – and that’s a good thing.

I really wanted to love Devil’s Hunt, and it definitely has potential. It feels like the foundation for a great game is there, but it’s not quite fully realized yet. When you start, the combat feels pretty limited – just a few basic moves. You do unlock more abilities as you go, branching out into different skill trees with combos and special moves. Honestly, though, I think it would have been better if they’d focused on unlocking timed skills only. The early hours of the game felt a bit repetitive because there wasn’t enough variety in the combos.

I almost gave up on Devil’s Hunt a few times because of a frustrating stuttering problem during fights. It seems others experienced this too, according to the game’s community forum, and it probably won’t be fixed. However, I kept playing because I really enjoyed the story – it was both serious and strangely funny. I also put up with the other issues, as the game looks surprisingly good considering it wasn’t made by a huge studio.

Side Quest 2: Bionic Commando

I Have My Limits

Played on Steam
Playtime: 2 Hours
Genre & Theme: Third-Person Shooter… Spider-Man?
Number of Crashes: None
Does Bionic Commando Have A Turret Sequence? Maybe? I really don’t know. It seems like it would.
Why I Have This Game: Humble Bundle’s Humble Capcom X SEGA X ATLUS Bundle (2017)
Why Is This A Side Quest: Didn’t finish it.

Of all the games I tried for this article, Bionic Commando was the only one I couldn’t get into. While I liked the character of Nathan Spencer and his ’90s comic book vibe, the game just wasn’t enjoyable for me, and I don’t want to waste time playing something I’m not having fun with. However, the swinging mechanic with the bionic arm was fun at times, so I might revisit the game later on.

Awfully Fun Game 3: Legendary

No Caveats, Legendary Is An Awesome FPS Game

Played on Steam
Playtime: 6 Hours
Genre & Theme: A First-Person Shooter Monster Movie
Number of Crashes: Twice, if my memory isn’t failing me.
Does Legendary Have A Turret Sequence? Believe it or not, it doesn’t. Yeah, I was shocked and disappointed too.
Why I Have This Game: Honestly, I don’t know. Maybe it was part of a bundle, or maybe it was dirt cheap and easy to justify. Whatever the reason, I’m glad I have Legendary.

Legendary really stood out as the most unexpectedly fun game I played during that time. Unlike other games where my mood affected how much I enjoyed them, I would have loved Legendary no matter what. It’s a shame it’s been largely forgotten! It’s an over-the-top first-person shooter, like a really wild B-movie, with massive city battles and a giant monster built from pieces of buildings. You fight all sorts of enemies – werewolves, golems, spiders, tentacles, a griffin, and these unsettling fairy creatures called Nari. There’s even a scene where a Kraken destroys Big Ben! And get this – there are invisible werewolves in the game!

Legendary’s campaign is fast-paced and packed with over-the-top action sequences, keeping things interesting with its diverse environments. While the shooting mechanics aren’t groundbreaking, they’re solid and offer a good selection of weapons, plus a unique ability to move objects with your mind and heal yourself. The gun sounds could be a little more impactful, but that’s a minor issue. I personally really enjoyed the single-player experience – it was a lot of fun!

Side Quest 3: Quantum Theory

The Bottom Of The Cover Shooter Barrel… Has Its Moments

Played on PS5
Playtime: 6.5 Hours
Genre & Theme: Cover Shooter… and fantasy Gears of War…
Number of Crashes: Technically, none. That said, I’m pretty sure I gave my DualSense stick drift from playing Quantum Theory.
Does Quantum Theory Have A Turret Sequence? Yes, multiple! They are fine. Better than the game’s regular gunplay.
Why I Have This Game: PS Plus Premium, and PS3 streaming works OK for me.
Why Is This A Side Quest: I didn’t like Quantum Theory as much as the others, and images were a pain since PS Plus doesn’t let you take screenshots of streaming games (sorry for the above image quality, as I had to use my phone).

I want to be honest in this review, even though I prefer to focus on the positive. Unfortunately, Quantum Theory isn’t a good game, and playing it through PlayStation Plus’ streaming service actually makes the experience worse. The shooting feels weak, enemies can take way too much damage, the difficulty feels unfair, the levels look the same, and the characters aren’t very interesting.

Honestly, PS Plus’ streaming worked fairly well, but it will always have limitations.

I absolutely love that Quantum Theory lets you pick up and throw your partner at enemies – it’s a fantastic mechanic! And Gears of War would be even more amazing if Marcus Fenix could launch Dom Santiago across the battlefield like a human projectile. The Coalition should really add that feature!

The game Gears of War would be much more fun if Marcus Fenix could launch Dom Santiago like a human projectile across the battlefield.

Awfully Fun Game 4: Blades Of Time

Revisiting The Past In More Ways Than One

Played on Steam
Playtime: 10 Hours (Including 1 Hour DLC)
Genre & Theme: Hack & Slash… Well, it is no Bayonetta, but that’s okay.
Number of Crashes: A few times.
Does Blades Of Time Have A Turret Sequence? No, but I wish it did.
Why I Have This Game: Don’t remember buying this at all, but Blades of Time has been ridiculously cheap forever.

I had played Blades of Time before, though only for a short while – less than an hour. It’s from the same developers as X-Blades, which I also own but haven’t gotten around to playing yet. My first impression of Blades of Time wasn’t great. The main character, Ayumi, starts with limited combat moves, a weak weapon, and a tricky time-rewinding ability that’s hard to master. While her British accent is a nice touch, it wasn’t enough to keep me hooked the first time around. I can see why I stopped playing it fairly quickly, even though I usually love action games.

Despite its flaws, Blades of Time constantly introduces new abilities and upgrades, especially in the beginning – you’ll unlock something new about every 15 minutes. However, this stops for a long stretch of around four hours before picking up again near the end of the game. The combat itself isn’t very complex, but it offers a surprising variety of skills, including powerful area-of-effect attacks, helpful passive bonuses, and elemental effects. While it never becomes truly deep, the fighting does become more diverse. And surprisingly, Blades of Time also includes third-person shooting with a decent selection of weapons.

Once you’ve fully upgraded Ayumi’s area-of-effect attacks, unlock the fire and ice abilities for her blades. While these elements are useful, they primarily add a cool, visually impressive flair to combat, which is a key part of the experience in Blades of Time.

I recently replayed Blades of Time, and it really made me think about how much expectations can ruin – or sometimes, surprisingly, not ruin – a game. I first tried it ages ago, and everyone said it was pretty rough, so I gave up almost immediately. This time, I went in telling myself I’d give it a fair shot, but also that I wouldn’t force myself to play if it wasn’t clicking. Did it become one of my all-time favorites? Absolutely not, and I won’t be revisiting it. But honestly, I had a good time with it! I even finished the “Dismal Swamp” DLC, playing as Ayumy, who… well, she’s basically a weaker version of Ayumi. It was just… fine, and that’s okay. It was a surprisingly enjoyable experience despite the game’s flaws.

I loved my time spent with Blades of Time, even though I didn’t love the game itself.

Side Quest 4: Hunted: The Demon’s Forge

Back To The Cover Shooter Well For One Last Time, And Now With Elves

Played on Steam
Playtime: 10 Hours
Genre & Theme: Cover shooter AND Hack & Slash
Number of Crashes: Once.
Does Hunted: The Demon’s Forge Have A Turret Sequence? Yes, multiple! Well, ballista sequences rather than turrets. They are kind of fun, but a bit too frequent. The bolt thrower was the best.
Why I Have This Game: Purchased via Steam for around $1.50 (2017).
Why Is This A Side Quest: Although not beloved, Hunted: The Demon’s Forge is mostly regarded as average.

Bethesda released some unusual games in the 2010s, and Hunted: The Demon’s Forge is one of the strangest. It’s a fantasy game that mixes shooting with close combat, created by the same developers known for Torment: Tides of Numenera, The Bard’s Tale, and Wasteland 3. It’s hard to believe they made this! The game’s main feature is that you can play as two different characters, E’lara and Caddoc, switching between them throughout the story. Caddoc focuses on fast-paced, melee combat, while E’lara is better at ranged attacks and shooting from cover. The campaign is quite long and throws a lot of enemies at you, but the core gameplay is well-done. I preferred playing as E’lara – landing headshots felt more rewarding than fighting with swords, but both characters are effective.

Awfully Fun Game 5: Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood

Ending Things On A Bloody (And Singular) Note

Played on PS5
Playtime: 7 Hours
Genre & Theme: Gory Hack & Slash, but with claws rather than blades.
Number of Crashes: None
Does Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood Have A Turret Sequence? Who needs a turret when you are a werewolf?
Why I Have This Game: PS Plus

After a month of playing through various games, Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood was easily the most disappointing. Surprisingly, it was also the only one I completed in a single day – not because it was short, but because of how consistently underwhelming it was. While based on a rich tabletop RPG with a lot of established story, Earthblood largely abandons that lore in favor of excessive violence, brooding characters, and visually similar, lifeless settings. Whether you’re in a research lab, on an oil rig, or inside a prison, each location feels almost identical. Ultimately, I was almost impressed by how stubbornly unchanging the game remained – it takes real commitment to be this repetitive.

The gameplay loop in Earthblood is simple: go into an area, transform into a werewolf, defeat all enemies, and repeat. You can also briefly turn into a wolf for faster movement, but this form isn’t useful in fights. The game starts with a required stealth section, but after that, you can choose to play stealthily or immediately become a werewolf and unleash chaos. I always chose the chaotic option – why wouldn’t I? Despite becoming repetitive, the combat is satisfyingly primal, much like a Musou game, and there’s plenty of it.

I went on a seven-hour gaming spree that resulted in some wild dreams about werewolves and military bases, but it actually helped me recover from burnout. Suddenly, I had a huge list of games I’d previously ignored that I was excited to try. I’m ready to dive into titles like Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z, Haze, Mindjack, and Duke Nukem Forever, and I’m even going to track down a copy of Wanted: Weapons of Fate.