The 15 worst-reviewed games of the past 15 years

Everyone remembers the names of the great… the games that sold, inspired or won over millions. We still recall them with nostalgia and discuss them with reverence. We still play their sequels, their prequels and their remakes. We still celebrate their achievements in countless countdown articles.

But what about the opposite extreme? What about the worst of the very worst? Shouldn’t their names be equally famous, if only so that we may study their sins and promise never to repeat them?

What follows are the 15 games with the absolute lowest review scores, based on averages taken fromMetacritic andGameRankings. Just to put things in perspective for you, here are some of thetitlesthat ended up being too good forour list:

Are you sure you’re ready for this? Then let’s begin.

#15 Charlie%26rsquo;s Angels

Platforms: GameCube / PS2 (Europe only)
Average Review Score:23.5%

What the press release promised: “Players will strike without warning, as they use clever disguises, tactical espionage and acrobatic martial arts to ensure a successful mission and the ultimate Charlie's Angels™ experience. The movie cast unites to lend their likenesses, personalities and voices to the overall gaming experience.”

What the game actually delivered: The foul hell beasts pictured above, to start with. Sure, you can kind of make out Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu and Drew Barrymore’s likenesses somewhere in thatterrifying mess, but only in the same way you can sorta recognize that Michael Myers is wearing a William Shatner mask in Halloween. The graphics are hideous.

No surprise - so is the gameplay. Charlie’s Angels features repetitive combat, amateurish level design, stiff animation, broken camera angles and laughable bullet-time sequences that, while described as “movie-style” by the publicity, really only succeed in slowing down the moronic enemies by a barely noticeable fraction.And movie tie-ins are usually so good, too…

The nicest thing anyone had to say: “The control system works.” – IGN

The most scathing review quote: “This is the kind of game that's given away when you order a large pizza and get the second one for half price.” – GameCritics

Charlie Barratt
I enjoy sunshine, the company of kittens and turning frowns upside down. I am also a fan of sarcasm. Let's be friends!