It’s been a damn good year for video games, largely thanks to the likes of Elden Ring, God of War Ragnarok, and many others. However, for every certifiable classic, there are dozens of stinkers — at least according to reviews aggregate Metacritic.
On Tuesday, Metacritic revealed what the worst-reviewed games of 2022 are. Much like last year, it’s overflowing with shoddy licensed titles and remasters that likely needed more time in the cooker. There are no Game Award winners in here, sadly.
In honor of this momentous occasion, we’ve put together a list of the worst video games of 2022, ordered from… uh, least bad to worse? Bad to astoundingly terrible? Whatever, you know the drill.
10
Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition
Release date: June 23, 2022
Platform: Switch
Metascore: 52
The point-and-click Blade Runner adventure that initially came out in 1997 is somewhat of a cult classic. Unfortunately, the updated graphics didn’t go over well with anyone.
9
Kamiwaza: Way of the Thief
Release date: Oct. 11, 2022
Platform: PS4
Metascore: 52
Originally released in Japan back in 2006, Kamiwaza: Way of the Thief finally made its way to western shores in this re-release. Any celebration over this long-awaited localization was cut short due to awkward controls and dated combat, though.
8
The Waylanders
Release date: Feb. 2, 2022
Platform: PC
Metascore: 51
There was a decent amount of hype for The Waylanders before its release. Mainly due to a successful Kickstarter pitch that cited Dragon Age: Origins and Baldur’s Gate as inspiration for the game’s direction. However, an incredibly buggy launch put an end to all that excitement.
7
The Last Oricru
Release date: Oct. 13, 2022
Platform: Xbox Series X|S
Metascore: 50
Countless soulslikes are out there, and The Last Oricru didn’t stand out among the rest. Most critics slammed it for poor storytelling and clunky gameplay, which is the last thing you want from an action RPG like this.
6
Zorro: The Chronicles
Release date: June 16, 2022
Platform: PS5
Metascore: 49
Family-friendly adventures based on popular licenses usually turn out poorly, and Zorro: The Chronicles is no exception. Most of the critique centers around dull, lifeless combat that goes on for too long.
5
LEGO Brawls
Release date: Sept. 2, 2022
Platform: PS5
Metascore: 46
Somehow, a LEGO game came out without any fanfare. That’s about LEGO Brawls only accomplishment, seeing as how nearly every review cites how dull it is. It probably doesn’t help that the superb LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga only came out a few months beforehand, either.
4
XEL
Release date: Jul 14, 2022
Platform: Switch
Metascore: 43
By now, you’re probably noticing that most of these games are either remasters or based on a popular license. Xel is neither of those – it’s just bad. This action-adventure title might take inspiration from Zelda, but is noticeably lacking in the polish department. Most reviews, including the positive ones, note how terribly it runs despite looking like a game from two generations ago.
3
Babylon's Fall
Release date: Mar. 3, 2022
Platform: PS5
Metascore: 41
Oh boy, here we go with the infamously awful stuff. Babylon’s Fall, the multiplayer free-to-play action RPG, had only one person playing it back in spring. Yes, literally one human – so it’s getting shut down next year. Most complaints centered on… pretty much everything: combat, graphics, loot, progression – it was all terrible.
2
CrossfireX
Release date: Feb. 10, 2022
Platform: Xbox Series X|S
Metascore: 38
Talk about an oddity. CrossfireX is a first-person shooter co-developed by Remedy Entertainment and Smilegate – studios known for brilliant games like Control and Lost Ark, respectively. For whatever reason, CrossfireX came out as an unmitigated disaster. Multiplayer systems (still) barely work, and the mediocre campaign is riddled with bugs.
1
Postal 4: No Regerts
Release date: Apr. 20, 2022
Platform: PC
Metascore: 30
Ah, Postal – the edgiest of edgy shooters to ever edge. Postal 4: No Regerts aims to please nobody aside from nerds perpetually stuck in 2007 and even fails that crowd with its atrocious combat. Several reviews even claim this one is totally irredeemable in every regard. Congrats on taking the biggest L, Postal 4 – hope the memes were worth it.
Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.
