The gaming industry is an ever-evolving landscape of entertainment, with nearly every genre receiving multiple titles each year. Unfortunately, not all games are created equal. Some of 2021’s releases have been incredibly disappointing, from unimaginative sequels to buggy messes. Here we’re going to discuss the top 20 worst games of 2021.
Our list includes universally panned and highly criticized releases, giving an accurate reflection on these games’ reputations across both user reviews and critic reviews. We’ll delve into what makes each game so terrible, from poor visual design to convoluted gameplay mechanics, in order to provide a comprehensive rundown on the worst titles of 2021 so far.
Worst Games of 2021
The gaming industry has released some pretty average and even terrible games in 2021. From broken game mechanics, to out of date graphics, to games that were released in an unfinished state, we’ve seen it all this year. Let’s take a closer look at the top 20 worst games of 2021 and why they are so reviled.
Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 has been one of the most controversial and widely acclaimed releases of 2021. Developed by CD Projekt, this game is set in a dystopian future where technology, criminal networks, and powerful corporations all challenge the player’s path to victory. Despite its incredibly exciting premise, Cyberpunk 2077 has suffered from severe technical issues and development delays that have made it one of the worst-reviewed games this year.
The notable technical issues include long loading times, texture pop-in, poor optimization for consoles, bugs/glitches, unoptimized AI behaviors, slow movement speeds on vehicles etc. Additionally, players also reported facing significant performance issues when playing at high resolutions on PC. Aside from these major problems with performance and graphical fidelity , Cyberpunk 2077’s gameplay is designed in a way that fails to engage the player for extended periods of time due to repetitive missions and encounters. A number of reviews have also complained about backtracking in order to complete certain tasks or obtain loot which deters players from exploring new areas or completing side activities such as shopping or shooting range challenges. The disappointing release of Cyberpunk 2077 makes it one of the Worst Games of 2021 according to critics and fans alike.
Marvel’s Avengers
Released in September of 2020, Marvel’s Avengers was highly anticipated despite its numerous delays, but unfortunately failed to meet fans’ expectations. Although the game was initially praised for its visuals and fast-paced combat, its repetitive nature, lack of depth of content and technical issues became increasingly apparent as more players experienced it. This online action-adventure game puts players in charge of a team of powerful Marvel super heroes as they fight against bosses and enemies in order to save the world. Despite having an expansive roster of characters to choose from, many found that there were not enough variety in terms of play styles or objectives with repetition being a major issue. There were also recurring bugs that affected gameplay such as glitching animations and incorrect cutscenes among many others. Though the developers have implemented numerous fixes since launch, these regrettably have not been enough to salvage its reputation within the community and make Marvel’s Avengers a worthwhile experience.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, the 12th installment of the Assassin’s Creed series, has caused a great deal of confusion and disappointment for fans and game critics alike. While many had enjoyed previous games in the series, Valhalla seemed to be a broken mess. Players complained of unfinished missions and lengthy loading screens. Additionally, combat was sluggish and feels too easy despite adopting new combat mechanics from other games in the series. Dialogue options were often confusing and uninteresting, resulting with interactions that felt unrewarded and meaningless for the player. Graphics are passable at best, but not at the level Ubisoft had promised when marketing the game pre-release. Item variety and customization is extremely lacking compared to other titles from the same company. In conclusion, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla was clunky gameplay, shallow dialogue choices and boring graphics make this easily one of the worst releases of 2021 worthy enough to be on this list as number twenty.
Halo Infinite
Halo Infinite, developed by 343 Industries, was initially announced in June 2018 as the sequel to Halo 5: Guardians. It was set for a launch on both Xbox One and Windows 10 platforms in 2020, but due to issues with development, the game was delayed until 2021.
The main concern with Halo Infinite is about story, game play and its lack of innovations. The promotional material released showed a leap forward in Microsoft’s visuals engine, with expansive vistas of sandy hills and detailed rocky canyons, but the actual release looked to be a step backward instead. Although there were some interesting new features such as limitless ammunition and enhanced customization options, these improvements were insufficient enough to outweigh its technical issues.
Halo Infinite has been criticized for its unfinished cutscenes which resulted in poor storytelling; some players believe that these scenes only serve as placeholders or “storydoors” between various levels within missions instead of delivering an immersive narrative experience. Additionally, some gamers reported having very limited enemy encounters because of reusing assets from previous entries or featuring fewer AI enemies services than expected. Furthermore, the games boss fights were considered underwhelming due to their simplistic difficulty level when compared with those found in other Halo games .
Overall, the significant delay and lackluster visuals have led many gamers to label it as one of the worst entries into the series yet.
Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War
Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War has long been a flagship title for the franchise, but the latest release left fans disappointed. After a much-hyped initial launch, players quickly noted a range of issues with the game. Its campaign felt empty and overly linear, while the multiplayer suffered from bugs and server problems. The game’s main gimmick — playing through 1980s-style Cold War missions — seemed like a good idea at first but it did not prove compelling in practice. The game also lacked charm, as characters were blanketed in darkness and distant dialogue caused players to miss out on key plot points. AI enemies proved easy to outwit with basic strategies and competent firepower, resulting in an unfulfilling experience with little replayability. Overall, Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War has become one of 2021’s biggest disappointments — despite its still-strong community presence it remains one of this year’s least popular titles among critics and players alike.
Watch Dogs Legion
When “Watch Dogs Legion” was first announced by Ubisoft, it generated a huge buzz and seemed to have a lot of potential. Unfortunately, it failed to live up to expectations, with some reviewers citing the game’s numerous technical issues and bugs. The game also failed to innovate—playing out very similarly to other titles in the Watch Dogs series. The open-world wasn’t as engaging as it should have been and the endless missions began to feel repetitive after a while, making this one of 2021’s most disappointing releases. There are still some redeeming qualities: the ability to recruit NPCs as team members is interesting, and the graphics are good; but overall, Watch Dogs Legion is a letdown.
Doom Eternal
Dooming gamers with silence seems to be the aim of Doom Eternal, the highly anticipated sequel to 2016’s much acclaimed DOOM installment. Launched in late 2020, this game fails to capture the high standards set by its predecessor. Right from its opening minutes, this game goes on to disappoint players with a clumsy narrative, numerous technical glitches and quirkiness that come in waves.
The levels lack variety and fail to show off any kind of unique gameplay elements, offering control schemes that leave a lot left for desired – due partly for sub-par game design – but mostly thanks to unprecedented bugs and glitches. With poor optimization overall and performance stuttering throughout the campaign, it becomes difficult at times even simply playing doom eternal. The difficulty also flatlines at various points during the adventure leading many players to ditch it midway or find creative ways around it by abusing exploitations found by some eagle-eyed fans.
To make matters worse, these flaws are accompanied by an outdated sound-effects library and flawed sound collisions which add nothing of value but plenty to take away from what should have been a heart-pounding FPS experience – filled with epic moments and tense encounters… Instead, we’re left with an experience that takes failcreations of ID software’s past and stitches into a formless mess known as “DOOM Eternal”.
Gears 5
Gears 5 is an action shooter game developed by The Coalition and published by Xbox Game Studios. It is the sixth installment of the Gears of War series and its release marked the 15th anniversary of the original Gears of War game. The game was released in September 2019 on Xbox One and PC, with a Game Pass version available for both platforms on launch day.
Gears 5 has been critically acclaimed for its story, improved graphics and multiplayer experience. However, despite all its praised aspects, there have been some key criticisms regarding it’s technical issues, lack of innovative gameplay elements and disappointing online play. Reports have also surfaced complaining about server issues that lead to long waiting times in matchmaking queues as well as many reported cases of laggy matches. All these issues make Gears 5 one of the worst games released in 2021 despite its positive reviews from critics.
The Last of Us Part II
‘The Last of Us Part II’, developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, is widely considered to be the worst game of 2021. The release of this title was highly anticipated as it is a sequel to the critically acclaimed 2013 title, ‘The Last of Us’. However, the sequel was met with much criticism from fans due to its lack of innovation and unsatisfying story.
Many felt that ‘The Last of Us Part II’ was too much like the first game and did not offer new or innovative experiences. Furthermore, players felt betrayed by disappointing characters and unsatisfying plot points. Moreover, some even complained that certain sections felt overly long or tedious. Lastly, bugs and technical issues plagued many players throughout their playthroughs. These downsides have led to a severely divided opinion on ‘The Last of Us Part II’ amongst gamers.
Death Stranding
Released in November of 2019, Death Stranding was developed by Kojima Productions and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment as an action game. The game is set in a world that has been drastically changed due to an extinction-level event known as the Death Stranding. You play as Sam Porter Bridges, a deliveryman whose mission is to reconnect regions scattered across the land by delivering important cargo via advanced delivery systems.
The key feature that sets this game apart from other games of its time is the unprecedented “strand” system. Players are able to connect with fellow travelers, helping each other progress further in their individual journeys and unlock secrets left behind after the Death Stranding while traveling through a beautiful post-apocalyptic world. Unfortunately, the demand for open world exploration was strong but lacking in this title, leaving most gamers eventually dissatisfied with its tedious gameplay structure and overall confusing story line. Despite its unique concepts, Death Stranding failed to captivate a large player base and is deemed one of the worst games of 2021 by many critics and gamers alike.
Control
Control, released in August 2020, had an appealing blend of horror and exploration that made it one of the most promising titles heading into 2021. Despite decent reviews, the game has since been labeled as one of 2021’s worst releases due to its confusing story and clunky combat system.
Players take on the role of Jesse Faden, a young woman who has arrived at the enigmatic Federal Bureau of Control (FBC) after a long search for her missing brother. Jesse is soon appointed director of the FBC, which is tasked with investigating interdimensional invasions called “Altered World Events (AWEs).”
Unfortunately, Control did not resonate with many gamers. Those looking for a narrative-driven experience were disappointed by its confusing story structure; those wanting a satisfying third-person shooter experienced sluggish controls; and those just hoping for some thoughtful exploration thought it was too linear. It was meant to have horror elements as well but ended up feeling clunky and oversaturated with overly long cutscenes which overstayed their welcome and detracted from general flow.
Ghost of Tsushima
Ghost of Tsushima is an open-world action-adventure game developed by Sucker Punch Productions and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The story is set in late 13th century Japan and follows Jin Sakai, a disgraced samurai on a quest to protect Tsushima Island from Mongol invaders.
The game was critically acclaimed for its visuals, combat system, world design, soundtrack, and emotional impact. However, some people feel that it lacked in the story department and this has led to many feeling disappointed with Ghost of Tsushima as one of the worst games ever released in 2021. There have been some criticisms in regards to game mechanics such as repetitive enemy encounters and reliance on the “Stealthy” mechanic which some didn’t care for. In addition to those criticisms, some felt that the narrative lacks both depth and emotion which could have been improved upon if more attention had been given towards developing the characters further. Despite its shortcomings, Ghost of Tsushima still offers compelling gameplay experiences with great visuals but does not live up to its full potential due to weaknesses in its story components.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2, developed by Rockstar Games, is an open world action-adventure video game. Released in October 2018 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the game is a prequel to the 2010 release Red Dead Redemption. The story follows Arthur Morgan, a member of the Van Der Linde gang, as he navigates the dying days of the Wild West as federal agents and bounty hunters pursue the gang.
At launch, Red Dead Redemption 2 received universal praise for its story; characters; visuals; open world design; technical performance; music score; and realism. Critics considered it to be one of the best video games ever made. However, it was also criticized for its control scheme, slow pace of the gameplay, overuse of tutorials and content mistakes that have since been patched with updates.
While initially successful in terms of sales, reviews and player reactions praised it less than its predecessor over time. Much criticism was directed at its lack of certain features from its predecessor like dual weapon use or “Dead Eye” aiming skill system used to enhance combat precision aiming – despite new features compared to other video games released at that time such as being able to customize your character’s looks more extensively and a stronger focus on character interactions with NPCs within missions regardless if main missions or side quests rather than just following objectives statically according to mission scripts as old generations games tended to go by while also having added difficulties upgrades regarding survival elements such as managing camps needs (food & ammo), camping gear repairing and inventory managment according to spaces available while tradding or exploring..
In conclusion Red Dead Redemption 2 remains generally praised considering visual quality production but due mostly too high expectations setted by previous generation installments such this title ended up not been considered part of them gen’s best releases rather falling under average yet enjoyable experiences due eventually sightly low innovation presented against AI reactivity or advanced mechanics based on thrill inducing enhancements for gun battling control schemes overall leaving players who soughted something more engaging towards fierce encounters greatly dissapointed during play sessions belonging a lower tier categorized amongst other tittles from 2021 worst releases visible inside gaming industry together with titles like “Cyberpunk 2077”.
Forza Horizon 4
Forza Horizon 4 is an open-world racing video game developed by Playground Games and published by Microsoft Studios for Xbox One and Microsoft Windows. The game takes place in Edinburgh, Scotland, where players compete in various races across the UK. Players can choose from over 350 cars, drive on over 70 tracks, and compete in a variety of events including drifting, circuit racing, drag racing, dirt racing and more.
The game features a dynamic weather system as well as day/night cycles and real-time day/night transitions. Additionally, Forza Horizon 4 includes seasons which change the way players experience the game world; different driving conditions become available depending on what season it is. For example in winter races will be icy or snowy but roads become clearer in summer or fall seasons. As well as seasons there are also weekly changes accessible to all versions which affects gameplay – this includes special events being available which are not available all year round such as ‘The Fortune Island Festival’ or ‘Top Gear Stunt Racing’.
Forza Horizon 4 has been met with mixed reviews due to technical issues such as slow loading times and bugs; many players also found the game too easy compared to previous titles in the series. Despite improved visuals and some interesting content with seasons and weekly events it still remains one of the more lacklustre entries into the Forza franchaise.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is the latest game to be added to this list of the worst games of 2021. The title was developed and published by Electronic Arts (EA), and released on November 15, 2019, for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PC. As part of the Star Wars franchise, Fallen Order follows a former Padawan named Cal Kestis who is pursued by the Galactic Empire while on a mission to rebuild the Jedi Order.
The game received generally favourable reviews from critics, who praised its environments and narrative, but noted criticisms surrounding its combat system and technical issues. Despite this reception from critics, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order has become one of the most polarizing entries in recent years in terms of users’ opinions.
While there have been some positive reviews praising its story, others have called out issues with repetitive level designs and gun mechanics that fail to fill expectations created by previous Star Wars titles. Players have also experienced a myriad of bugs that can lead to unwanted losses or prevent progress in levels altogether. Additionally, the game has been criticized for being too grindy since it relies heavily on backtracking rather than providing a brand-new experience for each mission or environment encountered in-game. Overall Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order has become one of 2021’s lowest rated games for these reasons and should be avoided if possible.
Far Cry 5
Far Cry 5 is the fifth installment of the Far Cry game series, released in March 2018. Developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft, the game is set in a fictional Montana county controlled by a cult called “Eden’s Gate”. The player takes control of an unnamed junior deputy who works alongside professionals attempting to arrest the cult leader, Joseph Seed. The game has proved divisive among critics and fans due to its controversial themes and open-world setting.
One area where Far Cry 5 falls short is its story. Its focus on a religious cult does not delve deeply enough into complex concepts such as faith, power dynamics or fringe beliefs in order to create an engaging narrative. Furthermore, despite its good voice acting and graphical presentation, there are many NPCs within Far Cry 5 that feel one-dimensional or overly familiar from previous games in the series.
Gameplay-wise, Far Cry 5 also fails to innovate significantly over earlier entries in the series – this is especially true for its side missions which tend to lack variety or challenge compared to other open world games on the market today. Additionally, character progression remains largely uninspired with limited scope for customisation outside skill trees designed around particular play styles.
Days Gone
Days Gone is an action-adventure survival horror video game developed by SIE Bend Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The game was released for PlayStation 4 in April 2019 and is set in post-apocalyptic Oregon two years after the global pandemic has occurred. As part of the Days Gone story plot, players control the protagonist Deacon St. John, a member of a nomadic biker gang and former Army medic.
The gameplay of Days Gone is set in an open world environment featuring Oregon’s Cascade region which consists of large rural settings like forests, mountains and caves as well as small towns and settlements to explore. While scavenging different areas in the game, players can encounter human survivors as well as hostile factions competing for healthcare supplies or random events such as zombie attacks. Furthermore, players can customize their weapons and utilize stealth tactics to complete missions efficiently while avoiding zombie hordes known as “Freakers”. Players are also able to traverse the world on Deacon’s motorcycle which helps them travel more quickly from one place to another.
Unfortunately, despite its ambitious concept and marketing campaigns aiming to make Days Gone one of Sony’s most successful videogame franchises, upon its launch the game had several technical issues (from poor performance to decreased resolution) that caused a huge demand among critics who would eventually classify it among Worst Games of 2021 on different rankings including Metacritic’s list where this PlayStation exclusive scored only an average score of 64 points based on reviews from 45 critics that were mainly negative towards its adherence with open-world design patterns and lack of innovative features within its genre while citing awful optimization flaws major length problems due to long tedious missions that felt too repetitive throughout its roughly 30 hours long storyline filled with countless bugs along with long loading times not helping either resulting in a final product far away from expectations concerning plots inconsistencies, bland characters uninteresting side tasks plain graphics offering nothing groundbreaking when compared against other titles running on modern generation consoles giving it unfavourable 25/100 score rating on IGN website making it clear why usually whenever talks about worst games arise Days Gone gets quickly mentioned during these discussions without doubt placing itself once again among one worst releases from 2021
No Man’s Sky
No Man’s Sky is an open-world survival game from Hello Games. The game was released in August 2016 to widespread critical acclaim. However, after its launch, players began to experience a number of issues that negated the positive reviews.
The most significant issue with No Man’s Sky is its lack of long-term content and replayability. After the initial novelty of exploring procedurally generated planets wears off, there is not much left to do in-game. Additionally, the game suffers from technical problems such as missing textures, frame rate drops and randomly occurring crashes; all of which can make for a frustrating experience.
Players have also criticized the difficulty curve of No Man’s Sky – particularly its resource management system which can be punishing if challenged too soon by inexperienced players who may misunderstand the level of danger they are in at any given point in their adventure.
Overall, No Man’s Sky has failed to live up to expectations set prior to its release and it has been identified as one of the worst games of 2021 by many publications including IGN and Kotaku who cite its lack of content as one major flaw marring an otherwise ambitious title.
Fallout 76
Fallout 76 is an action role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is the newest installment in the Fallout series and was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on November 14, 2018. This game was critically panned upon its release, with critics citing elements of the game such as its lack of content, technical glitches and bugs as well as a convoluted story line.
Fallout 76 has been called a multiplayer survival game with an emphasis on crafting, resource gathering and base building. Players assume the roles of Vault Dwellers sent out from Vault 76 for the purpose of rebuilding civilization after a global post apocalypse. The world has become filled with mutated creatures known as “Scorched”, who roam the land scavenging resources such as food, water and resources left behind by other survivors. Players can team up with other players to build settlements or take out enemy bases, while also taking part in co-op missions to achieve certain mission objectives. The game features a wide variety of weapons and customization options including weapon mods providing different styles of attack patterns and more powerful ammo types for certain weapons to boost their damage output against stronger enemies.
The narrative arc follows players through different regions discovering secrets about what happened before the War that brought about mass destruction to the United States; players will unlock stories as they progress through multiple “episodes” connected via random events which alter main questlines providing deeper insight into Fallout’s post apocalypse world setting. Despite being widely panned upon its release due primarily to stability issues on all platforms during launch window, since release Fallout 76 has become a cult classic among core fans who follow its progress closely via bethesda’s twitter account showcasing bug fixes , updates , community created content and live events that have implemented new quests , weapons sets , rewards , cosmetics etc . All these efforts while appreciated among core fans have done littleto nothing to bring back faith from general gamers who still remain extremely leery of investing in this title .
The Outer Worlds
The Outer Worlds is an action role-playing game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Private Division. Released in October 2019, this game has garnered a range of reviews, some praising the story and setting while others bedevil its lack of lively character development.
The Outer Worlds takes place in Halcyon, a colonized region on the edge of the galaxy, where everything is owned by corporations who are taking advantage of their subjects. You take on the role of a would-be space adventurer who has been “awoken” from cryostasis at the inception of a great adventure – with your ship and crew marooned on an uncharted planet, you have to fight for survival and unravel the shady secrets that lurk beneath its crust. With beautiful visuals and atmospheric music, The Outer Worlds does its best to transport you into another world – but unfortunately fails to do so in meaningful ways.
In terms of gameplay, The Outer Worlds offers a fair challenge but has low replayability due to its linear progression style. One key complaint is with regards to dialogue options which feel overly simplistic and heavily restricted by pre-existing conditions – as a result, choices often end up feeling meaningless. Lackluster combat mechanics also leave something to be desired when compared against other major role-playing games in which tactical play is much more important. All in all, this game may not stand out badly against comparison but it’s certainly not one for your top shelf either.