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The biggest Video Game disappointment of 2025
- Thread starter VGA-Games
- Start date
MiguelItUp
Member
I'm surprised by the DS2 talk cause, I mean, what'd you expect? Lmao. It's more of the same, with some minor changes and adjustments. I haven't gotten to finish it, but I think I love it more than the first, personally.
I guess I did pretty good this year as it's hard to think of what the biggest disappointment this year was. The first thing that comes to mind is Black Ops 7, but then again, it's COD, so that doesn't really feel too surprising, lol.
I enjoyed DOOM The Dark Ages, but I did still feel let down by it, and I'm always super hyped about a new DOOM game. So maybe that's a better answer.
I guess I did pretty good this year as it's hard to think of what the biggest disappointment this year was. The first thing that comes to mind is Black Ops 7, but then again, it's COD, so that doesn't really feel too surprising, lol.
I enjoyed DOOM The Dark Ages, but I did still feel let down by it, and I'm always super hyped about a new DOOM game. So maybe that's a better answer.
Magic Carpet
Gold Member
I'll throw my hat in and shame the Switch 2 as well.
I feel a bit suckered, I paid for welcome tour and spent the money to upgrade BOTW. Have not played much of either, Nintendo saw me coming.
I did get to finally trade in the ole Wii-U versions of Mario Galaxy 1&2 for Switch version so that was nice.
I feel a bit suckered, I paid for welcome tour and spent the money to upgrade BOTW. Have not played much of either, Nintendo saw me coming.
I did get to finally trade in the ole Wii-U versions of Mario Galaxy 1&2 for Switch version so that was nice.
DenchDeckard
Moderated wildly
its gotta be prime 4 isnt it?
You would expect it to be an absolute banger after the years spent on it and its supposed to be a bit meh, or fine but thats what ive read. Yet to play it.
You would expect it to be an absolute banger after the years spent on it and its supposed to be a bit meh, or fine but thats what ive read. Yet to play it.
RCX
Member
GPU prices finally seemed to stabilize and then Altman arrived to fuck up the RAM (and by association, storage) industry entirely.
PC gaming is now out of reach for a lot of customers. I'm still fortunate to be able to afford these prices but I just refuse to pay them. I won't be doing any upgrades until some sanity returns. And yes, I understand those are "famous last words". I may be waiting for a long-ass time. I just can't justify any of it.
PC gaming is now out of reach for a lot of customers. I'm still fortunate to be able to afford these prices but I just refuse to pay them. I won't be doing any upgrades until some sanity returns. And yes, I understand those are "famous last words". I may be waiting for a long-ass time. I just can't justify any of it.
Sintoid
Member
My 2025 delusion is Bananza
But let's go point by point
Digging mechanic is boring as hell, you only have to find three kind of objects hidden mostly in the same ways. Digging controls are bad, camera is awful
Bananzas - Come on, they're Mario Costumes with zero dept in gameplay but a lot of wonder for babies screaming:"Wow a new transformation!!!"
Level design - Are we going to discuss how uninspired are all the sub levels? Do I have to tell something about a cavern near the core of the planet where you cook a giant.... Please...
Story and characters - Ok this is not an adventure game, it is not Kingdom Come... but Holy Jesus I want to sing but I'm shy? The power of music that awakens what??
And I hate all the stupid faces DK now does in favor of camera just to make laugh the babies while playing
But let's go point by point
Digging mechanic is boring as hell, you only have to find three kind of objects hidden mostly in the same ways. Digging controls are bad, camera is awful
Bananzas - Come on, they're Mario Costumes with zero dept in gameplay but a lot of wonder for babies screaming:"Wow a new transformation!!!"
Level design - Are we going to discuss how uninspired are all the sub levels? Do I have to tell something about a cavern near the core of the planet where you cook a giant.... Please...
Story and characters - Ok this is not an adventure game, it is not Kingdom Come... but Holy Jesus I want to sing but I'm shy? The power of music that awakens what??
And I hate all the stupid faces DK now does in favor of camera just to make laugh the babies while playing
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Interfectum
Member
Damn I hate to pile on but my disappointment of the year is most definitely: Nintendo
- Switch 2 hardware is fine, nothing really exciting about it
- Donkey Kong, again, fine but I was over it about halfway through the game
- Metroid Prime 4... I mean... lol
- Mario Kart World - Seriously was bored with it after 2 days. Not deserving of the "World" title imo.
Overall just a pretty meh year for them which is surprising considering how much shit they released.
- Switch 2 hardware is fine, nothing really exciting about it
- Donkey Kong, again, fine but I was over it about halfway through the game
- Metroid Prime 4... I mean... lol
- Mario Kart World - Seriously was bored with it after 2 days. Not deserving of the "World" title imo.
Overall just a pretty meh year for them which is surprising considering how much shit they released.
RedC
Member
Black_Mamba
Member
Death Stranding 2. Kojima's games tend to have that 10% of cringe/bad taste/nonsense elements while still being brilliant overall, but this one is like 90% of his worst. And it seems like it's a sequel made for people that hated the first game.
simpatico
Gold Member
For me it's just another year in the gen of no AAAA masterpieces. Sony still hasn't dropped a game this gen, despite having 3 console SKUs available. iD dropped a greasy shit instead of a follow up to Eternal. Starfield managed to be worse than already rock bottom expectations. The lower budget stuff is very healthy, indies have never been stronger, but there's a piece of me who always loved the true blockbusters. It's been such a long time since we got one.
Uncle Moe
Member
So gratifying to read this. I often felt as though I were playing a different game than the one praised by so many reviewers.
As Kong, your freedom of movement is initially thrilling. DKB probably makes a better introduction of itself than any other game I played this year. Before 10 hours of play have elapsed, however, the game becomes suspiciously reminiscent of work. Are you, in fact, a janitor, hired to clean the world of banandium litter? Thank goodness for the self-contained challenge courses, without which the game would indeed be little more than a collect-a-thon slog.
Shuttling back and forth between planetary layers to find collectibles isn't just boring (because ease coupled with frequency makes rewards, well, unrewarding), it fractures any sense of a quest, a journey, a progression through the biomes of a distinct and definite and interconnected place. The best thing I can say about DKB is that you can play it while listening to a podcast.
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Black_Mamba
Member
So many problems. First, the lack of challenge and how it changed the core gameplay. The first game felt tense from the first scene, the BTs were scary and mysterious, the terrain was challenging, the tools and weapons were useful and you felt like you had to prepare for every journey. It was an interesting and original concept that I enjoyed a lot. Many didn't and it seems like Kojima tried to appeal to people that hated the first game, eliminating all the friction and turning it into a dumb game.
Other problems: horrible characters (Rainy, Tomorrow, The Joker/Higgs); the story, which had already started to spiral into complete Kojima nonsense at the end of the first game, turned into a complete mess; not a single original idea, just a repetition of what existed in the first game.
Uncle Moe
Member
Good summary of the weird state the industry is in. To judge by the majors, gaming has never been so safe, so stagnant, so underwhelming. The indie scene, on the other hand, is as vibrant and fresh and appealing as it's ever been. I'm a longtime console gamer dismayed by the state of the Big Three, each of which, in its own way, has betrayed its legacy and wasted the goodwill of its most ardent fans. Where Switch 2 is concerned, I'm strongly tempted to cut my losses and sell it to help pay for a Steam Machine.
Signalis
Member
There's something those 2 games have in common.
Clear
CliffyB's Cock Holster
Its only even more of the same in the sense that it doesn't change the game into something completely different! Which is a complete non-argument imho.
It does everything the original game does, but better, and has a metric fuck-ton of additional mechanics and side-content. But apparently that's not good enough for some people... which is really strange considering the type of sandbox game it is.
Uncle Moe
Member
I'm playing a game that's almost 20 years old (Super Mario Galaxy). After which I'll play Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze (2018) and Pikmin 4 (2023).
touchfuzzy
Gold Member
Damn a lot of people shitting on DK Bananza in this thread -- I thought we pretty much all liked it? At least that's how the review thread and OT looked. I thought it was awesome, definitely in the running for my GOTY.
Metroid Prime 4 is fair though and probably my answer. After all this time it's just kind of... there. Metroid Prime Remastered is a far better game.
Metroid Prime 4 is fair though and probably my answer. After all this time it's just kind of... there. Metroid Prime Remastered is a far better game.
Idleyes
Gold Member
Right now I'm mostly playing FF9 and Tears of the Kingdom on Switch 2. I bought Metroid Prime and still haven't touched it, and while Donkey Kong Bananza is a solid game, it's not a system seller. I bought Switch 2 for the marginal performance upgrade over Switch 1, not because of any must-have next-gen Nintendo releases, which at this point are arguably close to nonexistent. Right now what the Switch 2 does best is run older gen games better. I DGAF about people feeling like my opinion is dishonoring there girlfriend or wife, that's what my experience is.
Edit: To be clear, I meant it's not a system seller for me personally, not for Nintendo or anyone else.
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MiguelItUp
Member
Couldn't agree more. I guess some folks really thought it was going to be a LOT different than the first. But I mean, it's a sequel, of course parts are going to remain in tact.
nowhat
Member
At least for me, it's because it didn't really improve on the core mechanics. If anything, it made them more streamlined and easier. Yes, the first game was pretty awkward in many aspects, but that's what made it what it is. Not everyone's cup of tea, but something different. Also, some of the plot points just didn't make any sense. And I say this fully realizing that "plot", "Kojima" and "sense" don't really go hand-in-hand.
Having said that, the game looks incredible, and towards the very end there's one boss battle that's so insane, one simply has to appreciate it. I'm not saying it's good from a gameplay POV, but it's just something pretty much only Kojima could come up with, so kudos there.
DirtInUrEye
Member
The first available map environment of Grounded 2.
Plague Doctor
Member
Don't get it but Vtm b2. The first one is ranked in one of my fav of all times and what they did to that IP is a war crime.
Plague Doctor
Member
I'd kill for a new hexen game that followed the old games but new graphical fidelity and speed. Three classes. The works.
Kinda miss my doom in space and fighting demons with guns and not an array of wacky weapons and shields.
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supersale88
Member
New Nintendo games may be dissaponting, bat at least they are more expensive.
Hunter 99
Member
EternalSunshine1976
Member
Metroid Prime 4 for sure... so disappointing that I've turned to playing Metroid Prime Remastered, and enjoying that game and dreaming about what could have been, had Retro decided against a "open world" design.
xrnzaaas
Member
It's good that they're responding even though it sounds like story mode and not proper normal difficulty, we'll see.
Durin
Member
Easily Monster Hunter Wilds for me.
My favorite co-op franchise, only AAA game I bought day one this year...and it's only now at the tail end of the year getting the patch that makes it playable to me.
Most of the year was a broken ass product (especially on PC), but even on a base PS5 ran at sub 1080p, and large fights dip below 60fps.
I also think they took it too far in trying to make the game accessible, diluting out the need to track or use traps on monsters, and just the general gearing progression is too easy until a late game that also felt undercooked. I've heard they made improvements, but Rise and World did a better job sucking hours out of my life. Best I can hope for is that it becomes a good 2026 game, and the inevitable expansion can maybe push it higher.
My favorite co-op franchise, only AAA game I bought day one this year...and it's only now at the tail end of the year getting the patch that makes it playable to me.
Most of the year was a broken ass product (especially on PC), but even on a base PS5 ran at sub 1080p, and large fights dip below 60fps.
I also think they took it too far in trying to make the game accessible, diluting out the need to track or use traps on monsters, and just the general gearing progression is too easy until a late game that also felt undercooked. I've heard they made improvements, but Rise and World did a better job sucking hours out of my life. Best I can hope for is that it becomes a good 2026 game, and the inevitable expansion can maybe push it higher.
MagusMajul
Member
Doom The Dark Ages. Doom Eternal is one of my favorite games of all time compared to this Dark ages was slow, boring, and way too easy. I hope the next id game will be better
falconhoof
Member
Zephyranthes
Member
Metroid Prime 4 for me. It's not even a bad game, but I was hoping for something more than being merely decent after not having a Prime entry in nearly 20 years.