The Worst Reviewed Games of 2023

ign.com:

2023 has been full of big name games making big splashes, from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom to Baldur’s Gate 3 to… Redfall. That’s right, while this year might have had some huge hits, it was also one full of truly eye-popping misses – in fact, IGN published more game reviews with a 4 out of 10 score or below in 2023 than any year since we switched to the 10-point scale by more than double, including our first 1 in about a decade. High highs were coupled with low lows, and all those nostalgic remakes and sequels came alongside a different sort of blast from the past thanks to a slew of underwhelming licensed games, be that The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, Skull Island: Rise of Kong, or The Walking Dead: Destinies.

So with the paradox that was 2023 in mind, here is every game that scored a four or below on IGN this year.

As someone who considers themself an action game buff, Wanted: Dead let me down on just about every front. Its combat may be fun for a few hours, but eventually I realized that it was just a pool of shallow water to splash around in. The fights never evolved in any interesting or meaningful way, the minimal enemy variety never challenged me to change up my tactics, and worst of all I always felt weak, even when I fully maxed out the skill tree. Add on bland visuals, a distinct lack of personality and charm, and frequent crashes, and it all amounts to one of the first big disappointments of 2023. - Mitchell Saltzman, February 14

Crime Boss: Rockay City is an overly ambitious air ball on all fronts, from its sloppy moment-to-moment gameplay to its largely abysmal voice acting – the worst of which sound like single takes spliced in with mistakes intact. There’s an earnestness with which Crime Boss