Top 20 Worst Video Games From Great Franchises
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Gaming - March 18th 2025, 21:17 GMT+1
Ah, Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon – the game that dared to ask, "What if we took one of the most beloved franchises of all time and handed it over to a company that had no idea what they were doing?" This CD-i disaster is infamous for its horrifyingly bad animation, questionable voice acting, and gameplay that feels like it was designed by someone who had only heard of video games in passing. For the first time, Zelda was playable – but at what cost? The side-scrolling action was clunky, enemy hitboxes were about as predictable as a weather forecast in Hyrule, and the cutscenes looked like they were drawn by a sleep-deprived intern with a grudge. If you ever need a reminder of why Nintendo keeps such a tight grip on their IPs, look no further. | © Philips Interactive Media
Educational games have their place in the world, but they should never be forced upon unsuspecting children under the guise of a Mario game. Mario Is Missing! is a geography "adventure" where you control Luigi – not in a thrilling ghost-hunting escapade, but in a dull, meandering journey through real-world locations like Rome and New York. The goal? To retrieve stolen artifacts and return them to their rightful places. The execution? A sluggish mess where Bowser is apparently running an international art heist instead of, you know, kidnapping princesses. If you ever wanted to see what a Mario game without any real platforming or excitement looks like, this is it. And if you somehow made it through without falling asleep, congratulations! You have more patience than most. | © The Software Toolworks / Nintendo
Remember when Capcom made Street Fighter II, one of the greatest fighting games ever? Well, they decided to let a different team create a tie-in game based on the Street Fighter live-action movie… and things went terribly wrong. Instead of the classic animated sprites that fans loved, this game used digitized actors from the film, leading to visuals that somehow looked worse than the Mortal Kombat games it was trying to imitate. The controls were stiff, the hit detection was all over the place, and the whole thing just felt like a bizarre parody of itself. It was the rare case of a game based on a movie based on a game, and at no point did anyone stop to ask, "Wait… should we actually do this?" The answer, clearly, was no. | © Capcom / Incredible Technologies
What’s that? A Pokémon racing game? That sounds like a great idea! Oh wait – this is Pokémon Dash, a game that took all the excitement of a kart racer and replaced it with a touchscreen-destroying, stylus-scribbling nightmare. Instead of high-speed drifting and fun power-ups, you controlled Pikachu by furiously dragging the stylus across the DS screen, leading to both hand cramps and deep existential regret. The tracks were uninspired, the controls felt unresponsive, and the fact that only Pikachu was playable made it feel like a game that was missing 95% of its potential. It’s as if Game Freak heard fans asking for a Pokémon racing game and replied, "Fine, but you won’t like it." They were right. | © Nintendo / Ambrella
Ah yes, Sonic '06, the game that launched a thousand memes and broke a million hearts. This was meant to be Sonic’s triumphant return to form – his big next-gen adventure! Instead, it was an unfinished, glitch-ridden catastrophe that became synonymous with everything wrong with rushed game development. The load times were longer than a Lord of the Rings marathon, the controls felt like Sonic was skating on buttered glass, and let’s not forget that awkward romance between Sonic and a human princess (seriously, who thought that was a good idea?). It’s almost impressive how many ways this game went wrong. Sonic deserved better, and so did we. | © Sega
Ah, Metroid: Other M – the game that decided Samus Aran needed to go from being a silent, independent badass to a character with the emotional depth of a soggy cardboard box. For years, fans had built their own image of Samus as a cool, confident warrior, but Other M swooped in and rewrote her as someone who had to ask for permission to use her own weapons… even while being actively burned alive. The gameplay had potential, blending 2D and 3D elements, but the awkward first-person sections and bizarre story decisions made it feel like Metroid's identity had been thrown into the nearest lava pit. It’s a game that took the phrase “character development” a little too literally – by developing a character no one wanted. | © Nintendo / Team Ninja
When a game spends over a decade in development, you either get a masterpiece… or Duke Nukem Forever. Spoiler alert: It was the latter. After years of hype, this long-awaited sequel finally arrived in 2011, only to feel like a relic from the early 2000s – complete with outdated jokes, stiff shooting mechanics, and level design that seemed allergic to fun. Duke’s wisecracks, once edgy and rebellious, now just made him seem like that one uncle who still thinks quoting Austin Powers is peak comedy. Combine that with clunky controls, painfully long load times, and questionable design choices (like forcing players to carry only two weapons in a Duke Nukem game), and you have a title that somehow made fans wish it had been delayed even longer. | © Gearbox Software
With a name like Warfighter, you’d expect this game to be an intense, action-packed thrill ride. Instead, it was more like watching a straight-to-DVD war movie while half-asleep. Attempting to cash in on the Call of Duty craze, Medal of Honor: Warfighter ended up being a generic, soulless shooter with a campaign so forgettable that players likely had trouble remembering it even while playing. The story tried to be emotional but came across as cliché, the gunplay lacked impact, and the multiplayer felt like a copy-paste job from better games. Add in a collection of bugs and a launch that left players scratching their heads, and Warfighter quickly became the final nail in the coffin for the franchise. Mission failed. | © Electronic Arts / Danger Close
What happens when a horror franchise decides to abandon horror altogether? You get Resident Evil 6, a game that tried to do everything and ended up doing nothing particularly well. Instead of focusing on the slow-burning terror that made the series great, Capcom turned this installment into a chaotic, over-the-top action movie where explosions were more common than scares. The game offered multiple campaigns – none of which really stood out – along with absurd QTE sequences, bullet-sponge enemies, and an overall feeling that Resident Evil had completely lost its identity. It wasn’t scary, it wasn’t fun, and at times, it wasn’t even coherent. Fans wanted survival horror, but instead, they got Michael Bay’s Resident Evil. | © Capcom
Gears of War was known for its tight cover-based shooting, brutal action, and engaging campaigns. Judgment, on the other hand, felt like the franchise's awkward teenage phase – still recognizable but unsure of what it wanted to be. Instead of the emotional storytelling and well-paced missions that made the earlier games great, Judgment gave us a forgettable side story starring Baird (of all people) and a series of missions that felt more like a series of multiplayer training exercises than a proper campaign. The addition of a scoring system made every fight feel like a forced arcade challenge rather than a battle for survival, and the multiplayer changes alienated longtime fans. It wasn’t awful, but for a Gears game? It was a serious downgrade. | © Epic Games / People Can Fly
Imagine taking Final Fantasy, a franchise known for its deep storytelling and strategic combat, and reducing it to a mindless, pay-to-win tap-a-thon. That’s All the Bravest in a nutshell. Instead of an epic adventure, players got a game where the only real mechanic was frantically tapping the screen to make characters attack. Strategy? Gone. Exploration? Forget about it. The game even had the audacity to lock beloved characters behind microtransactions, turning nostalgia into a cash grab. It’s as if Square Enix asked, “How can we make the most cynical mobile game possible?” – and then high-fived each other when they succeeded. If you ever needed proof that not every Final Fantasy spin-off is magical, here it is. | © Square Enix
Oh, Halo 5: Guardians, the game that boldly went where no Halo had gone before – straight into the depths of storytelling disappointment. Fans eagerly awaited Master Chief’s next adventure, only to find that the game wasn’t really about him. Instead, we got stuck with Spartan Locke, a character about as interesting as an empty ammo clip. The marketing teased an epic showdown between Chief and Locke, but that conflict lasted about five minutes before fizzling out like a dud grenade. The multiplayer was solid, but the lack of split-screen co-op was a gut punch to longtime fans. Halo 5 tried to evolve the series, but in doing so, it forgot what made Halo special in the first place. | © 343 Industries / Microsoft Studios
A side-scrolling Assassin’s Creed set in Soviet Russia? Sounds cool, right? Well, Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: Russia managed to take that intriguing premise and turn it into a bland, frustrating mess. The 2.5D gameplay felt like a watered-down version of what made the main series fun, and the stealth mechanics were clunky at best, rage-inducing at worst. The game’s art style was stylish, but good visuals can’t save a game when the level design makes every encounter feel like trial and error. It was supposed to be the thrilling conclusion to the Chronicles trilogy, but instead, it played like an obligation that Ubisoft needed to check off a list. Dasvidaniya to any excitement – this one was a misstep. | © Ubisoft
Space. The final frontier. Or, in the case of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, the place where the franchise jumped the shark. After years of modern and futuristic settings, this entry decided to launch itself into full-blown sci-fi territory, complete with zero-gravity gunfights and spaceships. The problem? Call of Duty fans didn’t want to be astronauts – they wanted boots-on-the-ground combat. The backlash was so intense that the game's reveal trailer became one of the most disliked videos in YouTube history. The campaign wasn’t bad, but the multiplayer felt uninspired, and the setting just didn’t click. It was as if Call of Duty forgot its own identity in an effort to keep up with trends that nobody asked for. | © Infinity Ward / Activision
Oh, Mass Effect: Andromeda – the game that launched a thousand memes… but for all the wrong reasons. Fans of the original trilogy expected an epic new adventure, but instead, they got a game filled with stiff animations, awkward dialogue, and characters whose facial expressions ranged from “mild confusion” to “existential dread.” The story lacked the depth and intrigue of its predecessors, the exploration felt hollow, and the game’s many technical issues at launch made it a laughingstock. Despite later patches improving things slightly, the damage was done. Andromeda was supposed to be the beginning of a new era for Mass Effect – instead, it became a cautionary tale of what happens when you rush a game out the door. | © BioWare / Electronic Arts
Ah, Star Wars Battlefront II – the game that taught us the true power of the Dark Side: microtransactions. Upon its release, players were eager to dive into epic galactic battles, only to find progression systems locked behind paywalls thicker than a Hutt's belly. The controversy was so intense that it made the Kessel Run look like a leisurely stroll. EA quickly scrambled to adjust the system, but the damage was done. It was a stark reminder that even in a galaxy far, far away, greed can lead to the downfall of an empire – or at least, a game's reputation. | © Electronic Arts / DICE
Need for Speed Payback tried to be the Fast & Furious of video games but ended up feeling more like a direct-to-DVD knockoff. With a story mode filled with cringeworthy dialogue and characters flatter than a deflated tire, it was hard to stay engaged. The real kicker? The progression system was tied to random loot boxes, making car upgrades feel more like gambling than skill-based rewards. It’s as if the developers took a wrong turn and ended up in a casino instead of a racetrack. Players were left hitting the brakes, wondering where their beloved franchise had veered off course. | © Electronic Arts / Ghost Games
Fallout 76 was Bethesda's ambitious attempt to take the beloved post-apocalyptic series online, but instead of a brave new world, players were met with a wasteland of bugs, glitches, and questionable design choices. The absence of human NPCs made the world feel eerily empty, like a party where no one showed up. Add to that a series of PR disasters, from overpriced nylon bags to leaking personal information, and you had a launch more catastrophic than a nuclear meltdown. It was a stark reminder that sometimes, what happens in the Vault should stay in the Vault. | © Bethesda Game Studios
Battlefield 2042 aimed to catapult the series into the future but ended up tripping over its own ambitions. With massive maps that felt emptier than a soldier's canteen and a plethora of technical issues, players found themselves battling glitches more often than enemies. The removal of staple features like a traditional scoreboard left fans scratching their heads, wondering if they had enlisted in the right game. It was a sobering lesson that bigger isn't always better, and sometimes, innovation needs a solid foundation to stand on. | © Electronic Arts / DICE
Dragon Age: The Veilguard was supposed to be BioWare's triumphant return to form, but instead, it felt like a dragon that had lost its fire. While some praised its graphics and level design, others found the combat repetitive and the story lacking the depth that once defined the series. The companions, usually a highlight, were seen by some as lacking nuance and individuality. It was as if the game had all the ingredients for a feast but ended up serving a lukewarm soup. Fans were left yearning for the rich storytelling and character development that had once made the franchise a legend in the RPG realm. | © BioWare / Electronic Arts
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Every legendary video game franchise has its highs and lows. While some titles define generations, others leave fans scratching their heads in disappointment. Whether due to rushed development, poor gameplay mechanics, or misguided creative decisions, even the most beloved series have their missteps.
In this list, we explore 20 of the worst video games from great franchises – titles that failed to live up to their legacy and left players frustrated. From disappointing sequels to misguided spin-offs, these games remind us that even the biggest names in gaming aren't immune to failure.
Let’s dive in and take a look at the most infamous failures from iconic franchises.
Every legendary video game franchise has its highs and lows. While some titles define generations, others leave fans scratching their heads in disappointment. Whether due to rushed development, poor gameplay mechanics, or misguided creative decisions, even the most beloved series have their missteps.
In this list, we explore 20 of the worst video games from great franchises – titles that failed to live up to their legacy and left players frustrated. From disappointing sequels to misguided spin-offs, these games remind us that even the biggest names in gaming aren't immune to failure.
Let’s dive in and take a look at the most infamous failures from iconic franchises.
