The Xbox version suffered technical and performance issues.
Within the gaming industry, each year brings forth a diverse array of titles, from groundbreaking masterpieces to those that, unfortunately, miss the mark.
As we bid farewell to 2023, it’s only fitting to take stock of the releases that failed to live up to expectations and, in some cases, left players downright disappointed.
We explore the worst video games of 2023, a comprehensive overview of the titles that fell short in various aspects.
This includes technical issues, misguided design choices, or a failure to capture the essence of their respective genres.
From broken promises to lacklustre executions, this list will shine a light on the worst video games of 2023.
Atomic Heart
Initially appearing as the spiritual successor to the BioShock series, Atomic Heart ended up becoming one of 2023’s worst video games.
The game unfolds in an alternate reality Soviet Union of the 1950s, where players confront rebellious robotic and biomechanical experiments within the confines of Facility 3826.
Despite its intriguing premise, both players and critics agreed that Atomic Heart failed to match the heights achieved by BioShock.
The combat and progression systems, in particular, left much to be desired when compared to other titles in the same genre.
The Xbox version suffered technical and performance issues.
Furthermore, the protagonist, Major Sergey “P-3” Nechayev, failed to resonate with audiences, often resorting to profanity and clichéd dialogue that felt awkwardly placed within the narrative.
A significant source of player dissatisfaction stemmed from the open-world segments, which bridged the more focused dungeon-style levels.
These open-world sections seemed more like filler, serving to extend the game’s overall duration with constantly respawning enemies and lacklustre boss encounters.
Overwatch 2
After nearly a whole year, Overwatch 2 shed its Early Access designation with the arrival of Season 6 on August 10, 2023.
Despite transitioning to a full release, the game continued to lack several crucial quality-of-life features, faced concerns regarding its competitive aspect, grappled with bugs and maintained a stance on aggressive microtransaction practices.
Notably, the release of Diablo 4-inspired skins during Season 7 stirred significant controversy.
Season 6 introduced the much-anticipated PvE missions, but the feature did not align with Blizzard’s initial promises.
The mode underwent downscaling, with certain aspects outright removed, leading to frustration among fans.
But most of the criticism centred on placing these PvE missions behind a paywall, obliging Overwatch 2 players to purchase the first three missions for $15 (£11).
Fans were also disappointed over the abandonment of Hero Mode, along with the unfulfilled pledges of character talent trees and highly replayable missions.
Forspoken
When it was first announced, there was great promise for Forspoken.
However, the game’s development encountered numerous challenges, marked by multiple delays and other issues leading up to its launch.
Co-writer Gary Whitta said Forspoken‘s narrative underwent extensive edits and revisions during development, ultimately diverging significantly from the original pitch.
The warning signs became evident with the pre-release demo, leaving many players unimpressed by a lacklustre and uninspiring open world and drawing criticism for Forspoken‘s dialogue.
Critical reviews revealed a mixed reception, with commendations for the combat and traversal abilities.
However, these were overshadowed by significant technical and performance flaws that marred the overall experience.
A few months post-launch, Square Enix revealed that the game fell short of sales expectations, leading to the decision to absorb Luminous Productions back into the company.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
As the Call of Duty franchise continues to be lucrative for Activision, Modern Warfare 3 encountered more significant stumbling blocks than usual upon its launch.
The initial letdown began when fans gained early access to the Modern Warfare 3 campaign, which generated considerable anticipation with promises of a face-off between Task Force 141 and the return of the iconic Modern Warfare antagonist, Vladimir Makarov.
But the campaign left many gamers disillusioned, as a substantial portion of it heavily relied on content borrowed from Warzone and ultimately delivered a disappointingly brief four-hour experience.
The introduction of Open Combat missions also drew criticism, as it removed many of the tense, action-packed set pieces that had become a hallmark of Call of Duty campaigns.
While the multiplayer aspect of the series has had a more positive reception, there were launch-related issues that impacted the community, such as problematic spawn points in certain game modes.
Despite featuring 16 maps, it’s worth noting that these are not original, as they are recycled from 2011’s Modern Warfare 2, albeit with visual enhancements and some adjustments.
Nonetheless, given the premium price tag of the game, some players found it challenging to accept, especially considering that the launch version of Modern Warfare 3 felt more like an expansion.
Redfall
Developed by Arkane Studios, Redfall looked to be another triumph for the studio.
However, it ended up becoming one of 2023’s worst games.
Despite several delays, the game’s launch met with overwhelmingly negative reviews from both critics and fans.
Amid a slew of bugs that marred the gaming experience, players encountered inconsistent AI behaviour, superficial gameplay mechanics and a limited arsenal of weapons.
Beyond the absence of a 60FPS option at launch, criticisms extended to the dull implementation of looter-shooter elements, character abilities and RPG mechanics.
Despite a dwindling player count in the months following its release, Arkane has persisted in releasing updates to enhance Redfall.
Cities: Skylines 2
As a sequel to a beloved city builder, players naturally anticipated that Cities: Skylines 2 would debut with a wealth of features, building upon the foundation laid by its predecessor.
Regrettably, expectations quickly soured when players realised that the game lacked certain content, such as airports, that had been introduced to the original title in subsequent post-launch updates.
Adding to the disappointment, the shift from Steam Workshop to the Paradox Mods library was a significant departure from the previous game, leaving many players dissatisfied.
When it was launched, Cities: Skylines 2 faced substantial technical challenges, with developer Colossal Order acknowledging that the game would not achieve its optimal performance benchmark.
Some gamers also felt the sequel’s aim for realism came at the expense of the game’s overall presentation and charm.
PlayStation and Xbox versions suffered an unexpected delay. It is now targeted for a Spring 2024 release.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum
Despite the initial excitement surrounding a game featuring the iconic Lord of the Rings character Gollum, the outcome turned out to be unexpectedly disastrous.
Much of the disappointment came from the array of technical and gameplay-related issues, with graphics that fell below the standard set by many classic, older games.
The technical problems extended to frame rate drops and random character animation glitches, exacerbating the subpar visual quality.
The camera seemed to work against players and the animations felt clunky.
Regarding gameplay, it was rudimentary, with Gollum engaging in basic tasks layered on top of poorly executed stealth and platforming mechanics.
To make matters worse, revelations surfaced about a toxic work environment, unpaid overtime for employees, and leadership mismanagement, ultimately leading to the complete shutdown of the studio.
Unsurprisingly, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum swiftly earned the dubious distinction of being one of the worst games of 2023.
Payday 3
Payday 3 marked the latest instalment in the beloved bank heist franchise and aimed to extend the crew’s story following the events of the previous game.
The game’s setting was more contemporary, delving into cryptocurrency.
However, the anticipation quickly dwindled as the game experienced a tumultuous launch.
Introducing an always-online requirement, even for solo play, the servers buckled under the influx of new players, resulting in a deluge of errors and technical glitches.
The situation became so dire that Starbreeze publicly apologised, ultimately rectifying the majority of server issues a week and a half after the game’s release.
Payday 3 also faced gameplay-related issues, including a notable lack of content, a clumsy progression system and a basic narrative.
A month after launch, there was a decline in players.
In November 2023, Embracer Group confirmed that Payday 3‘s sales had fallen short of expectations, casting doubt over the future of this gaming franchise.
Skull Island: Rise of Kong
Skull Island: Rise of Kong already had low expectations but players could not imagine it being even worse than expected.
Allowing fans to step into the shoes of the iconic King Kong as he navigates Skull Island, Rise of Kong entered the scene with minimal marketing or excitement.
Reviews were overwhelmingly negative, with both critics and fans highlighting a plethora of bugs, subpar graphics, and ultimately, uninspiring gameplay.
For many, the game even rivalled The Lord of the Rings: Gollum for the unwanted title of the worst game of 2023.
The main letdown with Skull Island: Rise of Kong lies in its squandering of a beloved franchise.
The franchise has enjoyed renewed popularity thanks to recent blockbuster Kaiju film adaptations like Godzilla vs Kong and the Apple+ series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.
Adding insult to injury, the game also fails to live up to the legacy established by earlier King Kong games, notably the 2005 title based on Peter Jackson’s film.
The Walking Dead: Destinies
The Walking Dead: Destinies initially appeared as a compelling concept – an opportunity for players to effectively reshape the series’ narrative by altering character fates, alliances and behaviours.
Unfortunately, the actual execution fell significantly short of expectations.
Similar to The Rise of Kong, The Walking Dead: Destinies found itself ranked among the worst games of 2023.
This third-person action game features an array of iconic characters like Rick Grimes and Daryl Dixon, revisiting pivotal moments from the early seasons of the AMC show.
However, the majority of other aspects of the game are subpar.
Combat is clumsy, often featuring boss battles with enemies exhibiting bullet-sponge tendencies and character animations come off as awkward and rigid.
Cutscenes portray characters in static positions akin to action figures arranged by an unseen hand offscreen, accompanied by graphics that appear outdated by a decade.
For many players, the most disheartening aspect of The Walking Dead: Destinies is the squandered potential in using such a well-known franchise.
In reflecting on the tumultuous landscape of gaming in 2023, these titles are unfortunately considered the worst video games of the year.
From technical glitches and lacklustre graphics to uninspiring gameplay mechanics and squandered potential, these releases left players and critics alike questioning the decisions behind their development.
As we bid farewell to 2023, it’s important to know that while there have been some bad games, there has also been an array of masterpieces.
As we go into 2024, let us anticipate some of the innovative games coming out in the upcoming year.