Another year is winding down, and with very few notable game releases between now and the end of the year, sites are starting to post their “Best Of” lists. Others are sharing “Worst Of” lists, highlighting theworst video games released throughout 2021. While subjective lists like these are always open for debate, review aggregate siteMetacritichas provided a list of the 10 worst video game releases of 2021 based on their average review score.
Metacritic’s 10 worst-reviewed video games of 2021 consists mostly of fairly obscure games that the mainstream may not even be aware of, likeDemon SkinandI Saw Black Clouds. However, there are some higher profile games on the list as well, with easily the most notable being theNintendo Switch version ofGrand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition, which has a rough 47 average critic score.
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Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Editionhad a disastrous launch, with the collection earning widespread negative reviews at the time of its release for a multitude of serious technical issues. The Nintendo Switch version ofGTA Trilogywas definitely the worst of the bunch, suffering from an even more lackluster performance than its PC, PlayStation, and Xbox counterparts. To make matters worse, Nintendo Switch gamers have had to wait longer formajorGTA Trilogyupdatesthat have vastly improved the experience on other platforms.
8. Arkham Horror: Mother’s Embrace - 48
7. I Saw Black Clouds - 48
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition - 47
Of Bird and Cage - 44
2. Balan Wonderworld - 36
- eFootball 2022 - 25
Another notable game that made the Worst-Reviewed Games of 2021 list isBalan Wonderworldfrom Square Enix. Developed by the creator ofSonic the Hedgehog, there was some hype behindBalan Wonderworldthanks to its colorful art style and commitment to 3D platforming gameplay. However, theBalan Wonderworlddemosoured a lot of people on the game, and then when it actually came out, it was panned by critics and completely failed to find an audience.
The absolute worst-reviewed game of 2021, according to Metacritic’s data, iseFootball 2022. Like some of the other games on the list,eFootball 2022had serious technical issues at launchand still suffers from many of them to this day. It may improve over time, but there’s no denying that it’s gotten off on the wrong foot.
Fans will have to wait until next year to see what the worst-reviewed games of 2022 will end up being, but hopefully there aren’t any that get review scores quite as low as the titles on this list.
