Worst Video Games Of 2020

 

2020 was one of the worst years in recent memory. But it was also, ironically, one of the worst years for bad video games. Or maybe I just managed to avoid them.

Either way, here is my rather short list of the worst games I played in 2020.

 

Overpass

Developer: Remedy Entertainment

Publisher: Bigben Interactive

Systems: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, Switch

While I appreciate games that do something different, you have to make sure that “different” is still fun. Take this off-road racing game, in which you have to drive ATVs and UTVs through mud- and hazard-filled tracks in an attempt to beat the clock, but really feels more like you’re beating your head against the wall since these top-heavy vehicles have weak engines and bald tires, and the tracks are just as badly designed. Hence why you spend more time stuck or face planting than you do actually driving.

SCORE: 2.0/10 (Click here to read my full review.)

 

 

The Academy: The First Riddle

Developer: Snapbreak Games

Publisher: Snapbreak Games

Systems: iOS, Android

As Dirty Harry once said, “A man’s got to know his limitations.” And the same is true of mobile game developers, as evidenced by this puzzle-based adventure game. Not only did it have puzzles that clearly weren’t thought through — including one where there were two correct answers but only one was right in the eyes of the game — but it also had awkward joystick controls that made me wonder if the dev team didn’t realize they weren’t making a game for consoles until it was too late (though, to be fair, it also had point & click controls, which worked far better).

 

 

Cyberpunk 2077

Developer: CD Projekt Red

Publisher: CD Projekt

Systems: Xbox Series X / S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC, Stadia

If you’re lucky enough to play this futuristic and first-person Grand Theft Auto V on Xbox Series X or S, PlayStation 5, or a really good PC, you’ll enjoy one of the best games of the year (hence why I also included it in my Best Games Of 2020 piece). But if you try to play it Xbox One or PlayStation 4, well…good luck with that. Those versions were so buggy — and not funny buggy, either — that they rendered those versions practically unplayable. And while yes, the developers are fixing these issues (the first major patch is due in January, a second in February), as it stands right now, this does not work.

 

And that’s a wrap on 2020. Here’s hoping 2021 will be a better year…and a better year for bad games lists.