The influence that the review aggregator Metacritic has on the gaming industry is increasing every year. Many gamers use the site as their go-to source of feedback on a game, and high or low scores have made and broken not just individual games, but entire development and publishing companies. Suffice to say, receiving a sub-50 score from the site can be a devastating blow.
It should go without saying, but just because a game receives a low review score, doesn’t mean there isn’t fun to be had. There’s no doubting that these ten games have their fair share of shortcomings, but if you’re a fan of their genre and find the game at a good price, then it may be worth a punt.
10 Summer Sports: Paradise Island
The success of the simple yet addicting Wii Sports unsurprisingly led to tons of companies trying to replicate the motion control game. One such studio was Destineer with their 2008 release Summer Sports: Paradise Island. The game featured seven summer sports: badminton, basketball, beach volleyball, croquet, horseshoes, lawn darts, and mini-golf.
Destineer’s execution of the sports unsurprisingly didn’t hold a candle to Nintendo’s Wii Sports, and the game gets tiresome fast when playing alone, but when you’re looking for light-hearted fun with friends, Summer Sports: Paradise Island is a good option to have.
9 Golden Axe: Beast Rider
The classic hack and slash side-scrolling series finally made the jump to 3D in late 2008. The action-adventure game failed to impress, scoring 44 on Xbox 360 and 45 on PS3.
As the score suggests, most critics dismissed the game, claiming that it was not worth even the most dedicated Golden Axe fan considering. Dave Halverson of Play offered hope for fans of the series though, with this scathing introduction to his review: “Regarding many of the “reviews” on Sega’s Golden Axe: Beast Rider: Be wary. The majority of these people (can’t call them critics) either didn’t complete a fraction of the game, don’t understand game design, or just plain suck at games”.
8 007 Legends
Some artists and pieces of media are, in a sense, cursed by their previous success. Peter Jackson’s films are frequently compared to The Lord of the Rings, Nas’ albums are compared to Illmatic, and James Bond games are compared to GoldenEye 007.
007 Legends, like many Bond games, disappointed upon release as hopes that it would reach the N64 game’s heights were soon diminished. However, 007 Legends is a decent FPS game that was unfortunate to receive Metascores of 41 and 45 on PS3 and Xbox 360 respectively. The game also scored a brutal 26 on PC, although it’s hard to argue that the broken port deserved much higher.
7 Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back
The constant rise of remakes, remasters, and long-awaited sequels finally being announced has made many gamers daydream about their favorite childhood games being re-imagined in the modern gaming scene. Tommo and UFO Interactive Games, however, decided to release a sequel that no one in the world was asking for, a sequel to one of the worst games ever made, Bubsy 3D.
Developer Black Forest Games made the wise decision of ignoring the infamous Bubsy 3D and taking the series back to its 2D side-scrolling roots. The game’s initial $30 price tag was excessive, but if you’re able to pick The Woolies Strike Back up for cheap, it’s a decent platformer that could spark a new era of Bubsy games.
6 Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal
It’s safe to say that Sonic fans weren’t holding out much hope for the Wii U and 3DS Sonic Boom games that simultaneously released, as SEGA took a similar approach to CD Projekt with Cyberpunk 2077, by restricting reviews of the game.
There’s no defending the Wii U iteration, Rise of Lyric, as the game was a bug-infested mess. Shattered Crystal, however, was far more playable, enjoyable, and likely only received a sub 50 score due to its association with Rise of Lyric, as well as critic frustration over the lack of review codes.
5 Naughty Bear
A hack and slash game that has players controlling a Jason Voorhees inspired teddy bear was always going to raise eyebrows. Artificial Mind and Movement and 505 Games did a solid job of promoting the game, with humorous marketing campaigns that hit home the comical concept.
Naughty Bear‘s gameplay is very simplistic, and the novelty will quickly wear off for some. For those who think they’ll get a kick out of it though, Naughty Bear does a good job driving home its comedy ideas and many will find a good few hours of fun with mowing down teddy bears.
4 Iron Man
It’s safe to say that superhero video games have been very hit or miss over the years; for every Spider-Man Miles Morales, there’s Superman 64, for every Batman: Arkham City, there’s Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker.
Iron Man’s scores that ranged between 42 and 47 on home consoles suggests that it’s on the Superman 64 end on the spectrum, though Artificial Mind and Movement can feel hard done by for having another game on this list. Iron Man certainly isn’t a classic, but the game offers a decent 5 hours of main-story gameplay that will satisfy fans of the Avenger if they’re able to pick it up for cheap.
3 Saw II: Flesh & Blood
Describing Saw II: Flesh & Blood as “enjoyable” probably isn’t the best choice of words, as it will make people avoid ever being alone with you.
The game is an interesting experience for fans of the films though, as it helps them answer the common question that is asked when watching the Saw series, “what would you do in that situation?”. Saw II: Flesh & Blood received Metascores of 45 and 47 on PS3 and Xbox 360.
2 Nickelodeon Kart Racers
Considering how many excellent cartoon racers are available in the gaming industry, Nickolodeon Kart Racers needed to do something special to make itself stand out. To put it bluntly, Nickolodeon Kart Racers fails to differentiate itself from the crowd.
That doesn’t mean it’s a complete flop though; younger audiences who are fans of the characters will get hours of enjoyment out of the game, and although the visuals leave much to be desired, the fundamental part of the game, the racing, is solid.
1 Sonic The Hedgehog
Considered by some to be one of the worst 3D games ever made, it may surprise some to see 2006’s Sonic The Hedgehog on this list. Along with the dull hub-world and lackluster voice-acting, Sonic The Hedgehog is known for its plethora of glitches. Truth be told though, the numerous glitches and weak voice-acting put the game in the ‘so bad it’s good’ category.
The game certainly shouldn’t be praised in for its glitches, as releasing unfinished games at full price is always an unethical choice, but it’s hard not to laugh as Sonic clips through mountains and casually stands upside down on shuttle loops. The old-school linear levels are also quite enjoyable, as speedy platforming is always when the blue hedgehog is at his best.
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