Summary
Metacritichas revealed the 10 lowest-rated video games of 2023, withThe Lord of the Rings: Gollumreceiving the lowest rating. Despite being a year marked by impressive new titles, remakes, and stellar additions to established franchises, 2023 was also tarnished by considerable disappointment and failures. The metric employed byMetacriticzeroes in on titles that garnered the lowest scores on their site throughout the year.
Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews and assigns scores to movies, TV shows, music albums, and video games from various critics and publications. The scores are presented as a weighted average, providing a numerical representation of the overall critical reception of a particular piece of media. Annually,Metacritic releases a list of the worst video gamesof that year. The site has already revealed its lineup of titles that have disappointed players in 2023.
The lowest-rated game on thisMetacritic listisThe Lord of the Rings: Gollum,a game that generated significant buzz for its profound disappointment, particularly considering its use of theLOTRIP. This is an action-adventure game allowing players to assume control of Smeagol (Gollum) on his journey across Middle-earth.Gollumgarnered negative reviews, currently holding a Metacritic score of 34 on the PS5. The game was described as a baffling experience, criticized for its lack of inspiration and dullness, ultimately falling short of the expectations set by both fans of the Tolkien universe and the gaming community at large.
Metacritic’s Lowest-Rated Games of 2023
Following closely isFlashback 2, scoring 35 on the PC.DespiteFlashback’s revolutionary historyand the nostalgia it evokes, the sequel failed to captivate players. The game was criticized for its poor presentation and execution, riddled with bugs that further hindered the experience, earning it the second spot on Metacritic’s list.Greyhill Incidentclaimed the third spot with a Metacritic score of 38 on the PC. It faced criticism for several reasons, encompassing its poorly executed story and voice performances, lackluster stealth gameplay, uninspiring environments, and numerous bugs. Other games joining Metacritic’s lowest-rated list includeQuantum Error,Testament: The Order of High Human,Crime Boss: Rockay City,Hellboy: Web of Wyrd,Gangs of Sherwood,Loop8: Summer Of Gods, andGargoyles Remastered.
While not officially listed,titles such asThe Walking Dead: Destinies, a game that promised players the ability to reshape the narrative ofThe Walking Deadseries but faced substantial negative criticism on social media platforms, andThe Day Before, arguably the worst game of 2023, also confronted significant backlash across different platforms. However, it’s important to note that Metacritic only categorizes games if they’ve received at least seven professional reviews, meaning some titles with poor reception weren’t included in the list.
