The online gaming community often tends to categorize video games into two extreme categories: either they’re hailed as fantastic or condemned as terrible. But it’s important to remember that only a small number of games can really be called bad in a clear-cut way. Even though some people might find it fun to look through Metacritic’s list of the best worst video games ever, it’s safe to say that these games are mostly for a small group of people.
Peer to peer in the gaming community, a game’s lack of appeal can be caused by a lot of different things, some of which are hard to explain. But when a game gets the unfortunate distinction of being one of the worst, there’s usually not much to say about it. Most of the time, these games have obvious problems. Below we have mentioned the best worst video games.
Why Are These Games Considered Bad?
Without knowing exactly which games you are talking about, it’s hard to give a clear answer. The idea of a game being “bad” can mean very different things to different people, depending on their opinions, preferences, and expectations. But there are a few common reasons why people might think a game is bad:
🕹️ Technical Problems: Games that often crash, have bugs, glitches, or aren’t optimized well can be seen as bad. These problems can make it hard to play and make players angry.
🎮 Poor Gameplay: If the core game mechanics are boring, don’t work well together, or don’t have enough depth, players may not enjoy playing the game.
🙄 Lack of Innovation: Some games may be criticized because they don’t bring anything new or exciting to the table. A game can feel old and boring if it doesn’t have any new ideas.
🎨 Bad graphics or art design: Games with old or low-quality graphics, unappealing art styles, or inconsistent aesthetics can be seen as bad, especially in a time when visuals are important.
📖 Weak Storytelling: If a game’s story is badly written, boring, or full of plot holes, it can take away from the experience as a whole.
Best Worst Video Games Comparison Table
The “Best Worst Video Games” comparison table shows a variety of ways to play video games. On one end, the best games have great graphics, a story that pulls you in, and new ways to play. On the other hand, the worst games have technical problems, bad design, and don’t live up to players’ expectations. These games serve as lessons for both developers and players. This table is a good resource for gamers who want to find good games and avoid being disappointed in the ever-changing world of video games.
Game Title | Genre | Platform(s) |
---|---|---|
Gravity Games Bike | Sports | PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, GBA |
Postal III | Action-Adventure | Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 |
Game Party Champions | Party | Wii U |
NBA Unrivaled | Sports | Xbox 360 |
Terrawars | First-person Shooter | Microsoft Windows |
Gravity Games Bike
Features
- Poor Graphics Quality
- Limited Gameplay Variety
- Unresponsive Controls
- Lackluster Soundtrack
- Limited Customization Options
- Minimal Innovation in Gameplay Mechanics
It’s hard to say the name of this game, and it seems to be missing some commas or something. Which is fitting, since the game itself is missing a lot, like polish, fun, and the ability to be played. Overall, this is one of the best Worst Video Games you can download now.
The people who make games seem to have forgotten why Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater was such a big deal. It’s not easy to make games like this work well, and most of the time they don’t. Even though there was a clear model to follow after THPS, most people still didn’t even come close to getting it right. In the end, none of the later Tony Hawk games did either.
Pros
- Realistic bike physics.
- Variety of bikes and tracks.
Cons
- Poor graphics and outdated visuals.
- Limited gameplay depth.
Postal III
Features
- Glitch-Ridden Gameplay
- Offensive and Controversial Content
- Subpar Graphics and Animation
- Poorly Optimized Performance
- Lack of Engaging Storyline
- Unintuitive User Interface
People find it hard to really criticize a game series like Postal, which was made to go against political correctness and good taste in general. Someone who criticizes a Postal game must not “get it” or be too sensitive and easily offended to enjoy something subversive. Overall, this is one of the best Worst Video Games you can download now.
Of course, there are a lot of games that go into these kinds of waters and still end up being good. This is shown by games like Grand Theft Auto, Dead or Alive, MadWorld, and Bayonetta. No, people criticize Postal, especially the third part, which has been delayed for a long time and is still not really finished, because, underneath all the crudeness, they are not actually good or interesting games.
Pros
- Controversial humor for some players.
- Open-world environment.
Cons
- Numerous bugs and glitches.
- Disjointed and nonsensical storyline.
Game Party Champions
Features
- Shallow Mini-Games
- Lack of Overall Challenge
- Limited Game Modes
- Mediocre Graphics
- Repetitive Gameplay
- Inconsistent Motion Controls
One bad thing about the Wii being so popular and catching on with the “casual” crowd is that a lot of cheap Nintendo party game collections were dumped on it in the hopes that family members who didn’t know any better would buy them. Since many of them sold well, they were sure to be made again. Still, this is one of the best Worst Video Games you can download now.
Some of this was brought over to the Wii U, and the result is Game Party Champions, which is one of the worst games in a genre that has a lot of bad games. Even though the Wii U only has a small number of games, no Wii U owner should ever play this game.
Pros
- Family-friendly mini-games.
- Simple and accessible for casual gamers.
Cons
- Limited gameplay variety.
- Lacks depth and long-term engagement.
NBA Unrivaled
Features
- Generic Gameplay Mechanics
- Poor Player Animation
- Limited Roster and Teams
- Unresponsive Controls
- Lack of Realistic Basketball Simulation
- Inadequate Presentation and Commentary
Tecmo was one of the first companies to make fast-paced sports games that were just like the real sports enough to please purists, but were still fun and easy enough for anyone to play. With such a long history, they seemed like a good company to try to make a modern version of NBA Jam, which they did with NBA Unrivaled in 2010.
They also did very badly. Unrivaled is a boring, half-hearted mess that would have been bad enough on its own, but it came out the same year as EA’s NBA Jam reboot, which wasn’t perfect but did what Unrivaled was trying to do much, much better. Thus, this is one of the best Worst Video Games you can download now.
Pros
- NBA-licensed players and teams.
- Arcade-style basketball action.
Cons
- Mediocre graphics and animations.
- Limited gameplay features and modes.
Terrawars
Features
- Outdated Graphics and Visuals
- Bland and Repetitive Level Design
- Lack of Engaging Storyline
- Uninspired Enemy AI
- Limited Weapon Variety
- Poorly Executed Multiplayer Mode
Some of these games’ screenshots say everything you need to know about them. In this case, the picture above is from the FPS game Terrawars: New York Invasion from 2006. It looks a bit like how movies from the early 1990s thought virtual reality would look. Overall, this is one of the best Worst Video Games you can download now.
That is to say, it is ugly, blocky, and has almost no finer details. Gameplay is more important than graphics, and Terrawars fails there, too. It was made with the same engine as the great No One Lives Forever 2, but it plays even worse than it looks. This is an insult to both N.O.L.A. and FPS games in general.
Pros
- Sci-fi theme with potential.
- Wide range of weapons and gadgets.
Cons
- Poorly executed gameplay.
- Uninspiring level design and story.
How do you determine if a video game is good or bad?
People have different tastes, preferences, and priorities when it comes to gaming, so they may have different ideas about whether a video game is good or bad. But when judging a video game, players and critics often look at the following factors and criteria:
🎮 Gameplay: The core mechanics and how the game is played are very important. Is it fun to play the game? Is it interesting, hard, and worthwhile? Does it have a lot of different ways to play to keep people interested?
📜 Story and Narrative: Many gamers like games that have a good story or narrative. Is there a good story? Do the characters have a lot of depth? Does the game make you feel like you’re a part of its world?
🖼️ Graphics and Visuals: Good graphics and art design can make a game more enjoyable overall. But graphics alone don’t tell you how good a game is.
🔊 Audio and Music: Sound design, voice acting, and music can have a big effect on how immersive and fun a game is. Soundtracks and audio that are done well can add to the appeal of a game.
🕹️ Controls and User Interface: For a smooth gaming experience, you need controls that are easy to use and a user interface that is easy to understand. The quality of a game can be hurt by controls that are hard to use or feel awkward.
FAQs
Deep in the vaults of the National Museum of American History is a beat-up Atari case with “the worst video game of all time.” The game is called E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and it was so bad that not even Steven Spielberg could save it.
Diablo Immortal now has the worst user score on Metacritic. Its 0.2 rating on PC makes it the game with the worst user score. The mobile version of Diablo Immortal hasn’t done much better. After more than 4,000 ratings, it only has a score of 0.5 from users.