2019 showered us with some truly spectacular games, including the PC version of Red Dead Redemption 2, Sekiro, and the remake of Resident Evil 2, to name just a few. Unfortunately, we also got titles that sat on the opposite end of the spectrum and didn’t fare nearly as well.
Art may be subjective, but you’ll have to be the judge as to whether any of these titles deserve your time. Until then, strap in! It’s going to be a bumpy ride!
10 Aeternoblade II (Score: 44)
Besides having a title that nobody wants to pronounce, Aeternoblade II hit all the wrong buttons and ended up failing in its quest. Input lag, technical hiccups, and bad voice acting all worked against it from the start.
Critics cooked it with a score of 44, which might have something to do with the recent release of the “Director’s Rewind,” a glorified patch designed to overhaul the hated combat system for “European audiences.”
9 Fimbul (Score: 44)
While the concept of exploring ancient Norse mythology just prior to the arrival of Ragnarok seems like an interesting premise, developer Zaxis couldn’t quite make it work. A combination of sword hacking and comic book panel story sequences wasn’t enough to pull audiences in, or critics for that matter.
Fimbul averaged a less-than-favorable score of 44, with critics citing glaring technical issues (especially on the Switch), bland gameplay, and an anti-climatic play experience, causing it to fall on its own sword.
8 Submersed (Score: 44)
Survival horror took an unexpected twist with the release of the indie project Submersed, developed by Main Loop Videogames S.L. The premise of a coast guard paramedic investigating a seemingly abandoned offshore rig sounded promising, but alas, it failed to deliver.
The game received harsh reviews from critics who charred it for boring visuals, unfair gameplay, and a poor inventory system. With a critical score of just 44, Submersed was effectively left adrift at sea.
7 FIFA 20: Legacy Edition (Score: 43)
The FIFA series should be a no-brainer success story, but it hasn’t always been that way. FIFA 20: Legacy Edition left many critics sore for being little more than an incremental update to FIFA 19.
Extra hatred was levied against the Nintendo Switch version of the game for its technical issues and lack of content, leaving many to wonder if EA wasn’t interested in scoring a goal with owners of the console.
6 WWE 2K20 (Score: 43)
Let’s face it - wrestling games have never been truly spectacular, with only a few titles ever achieving greatness. WWE 2K20 falls into the former category with a Metacritic score of 43.
A staggering amount of bugs and glitches were joined by long loading times, graphical hiccups, and paywalls, which tag-teamed the game from multiple turnbuckles, leaving it face down in the mat.
5 Contra: Rogue Corps (Score: 42)
Contra hasn’t had a decent offering since Hardcorps on the Sega Genesis, and the trend shows no signs of stopping. After several uber-awful installments on various PlayStation consoles, gamers eventually got the spiritual successor Hard Corps: Uprising on PS3, which was a killer hit.
Unfortunately, mainstream Contra soldiered on with Rogue Corps, an over-the-top 3D shooter that failed to catch on with gamers or critics who cited outdated visuals, bland gameplay, and limited multiplayer options as instruments in its demise. Even Red Falcon himself wouldn’t have been enough to save this one.
4 Dollhouse (Score: 41)
This horror title blended gothic imagery with a detective story that used a Focus feature to put the player in the eyes of their would-be killer, for extra tension. Like all good ideas, however, it needs the polish to back it up.
In the end, Dollhouse was plagued with bugs, repetitive gameplay, and unimpressive procedurally generated maps that failed to resonate with critics. It ended up getting knifed in the back with a score of just 41.
3 Blades Of Time (Score: 38)
This hack and slash adventure game tried to capitalize on the female-centric formula of Tomb Raider, while adding fantasy elements into the mix at the same time. By all accounts, it should have been a winner.
While the game holds a “Mostly Positive” rank on Steam, it didn’t fare nearly as well on Metacritic, scoring just 38 due to complaints regarding gameplay mediocrity, bad presentation, and gimmicks that failed to hold up for the long run. In the end, time got the best of this one.
2 Left Alive (Score: 37)
It’s hard to imagine developers Toshifumi Nabeshima and Yoji Shinkawa (Armored Core & Metal Gear Solid, respectively) putting a bad foot forward, but Left Alive is proof in the pudding.
The Mech premise wasn’t enough to save Left Alive from poor graphics, bad enemy AI, and an unforgiving level of difficulty, rendering it non-enjoyable. It ended up getting squashed by its own ambition.
1 Eternity: The Last Unicorn (Score: 36)
Admittedly, old-school-style adventure games have a charm all their own, and they did help push the genre forward, but Eternity: The Last Unicorn clung far too tightly to old mechanics, turning it into 2019’s most ill-received Metacritic title.
While critics praised the intentions of Void Studios, they refused to ignore the horrid combat system, foggy directives, and bland boss fights that failed to draw players in and make them part of the story. For that reason, Eternity: The Last Unicorn ended up going extinct with very little effort.
NEXT: The 10 Worst Things About The Resident Evil 3 Remake On PS4 & Xbox One
