2019 was a pretty good year for video games. We got the likes of the brilliant Resident Evil 2 remake, Monster Hunter: World - Iceborne, Sekiro, Devil May Cry 5, and The Outer Worlds, not to mention the multiplayer juggernauts Apex Legends and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
However, the year was also filled with its share of disappointments (like every year, we suppose). Some people have criticized 2019 for being a little slow, as we didn't receive many AAA titles. But it's also been criticized for being, well... disappointing. These are the ten biggest console bombs of 2019, according to Metacritic.
10 Shenmue III - 69
After four long years of anticipation and promise, we finally received Shenmue III. And it was... well, a little disappointing. The game raised over $6 million through Kickstarter, indicating that there was intense interest in the game.
However, the game received middling reviews upon release, and critics complained about its similarity to past games and outdated gameplay mechanics. In the end, very few people outside the Kickstarter backers actually played the game, and it entered the UK charts at a dismal #17.
9 Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts - 65
Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts is similar to the more well-known Sniper Elite series. The game takes place in Siberia and sees you controlling a professional sniper as they look to complete various hit contracts. The game certainly wasn't BAD, as it holds a 65 Metascore and a 6.2 user score.
However, it was utterly forgettable in almost every way. The game was criticized for its relative lack of content, clunky gameplay, and unengaging story. And do you remember this game even coming out? Exactly.
8 Blair Witch - 64
We weren't exactly clamoring for a Blair Witch game, but it could be a lot of fun in the right hands. After all, Slender became a phenomenon, and that little game consisted of little more than wandering through some poorly-textured woods. But Blair Witch was not a Slender killer (you know, if Slender was still relevant).
The game was praised for its atmosphere and immersive sound design, but criticized for its over-reliance on jump scares, poor pacing, and boring, predictable story. It came and went and left everyone staring into a corner. Probably because it was more fun than playing this game.
7 Doctor Who: The Edge Of Time - 52
Yes, there was a Doctor Who video game released this year! It was called Doctor Who: The Edge of Time, and it came and went without a second glance. Part of the problem is that it's a virtual reality game, and let's be honest, no one actually plays the PSVR.
Another problem is its puzzle mechanics, as very few puzzle games actually manage to breach the mainstream. Unfortunately, this game contained horrible puzzles and painful loading times, and it was terribly short to boot. All but the most ardent Doctor Who fans ignored this one.
6 Ice Age: Scrat's Nutty Adventure - 49
For some reason, the world hasn't moved on from Ice Age. And for some bizarre reason, Outright Games thought that the world needed another Ice Age game -- so we got Ice Age: Scrat's Nutty Adventure! It was released for the PS4 and Switch, and it consisted of little more than wandering around bland levels and looking for acorns.
It's relatively harmless, and it may prove fun for some children just starting out in the wide world of gaming. But for older kids, this is nothing they haven't seen or experienced before.
5 Terminator: Resistance - 47
Did you know that there was a new Terminator game? Of course you didn't! It was developed by Teyon and published by Reef Entertainment, and it was absolutely dreadful. The game is a first-person shooter and sees you controlling a Resistance member named Jacob Rivers.
If there's one thing Terminator fans love, it's playing as some random nobody in the dreary and visually unappealing post-apocalyptic future! It was a cheap game, filled with bland graphics and archaic gameplay. It could have been a fun game in 2004. But not in 2019.
4 Bee Simulator - 47
Don't ask us why we needed a bee simulator, because we truly do not know. According to the brilliant summary, you can "take part in bee races, collect pollen from rare flowers and defy dangerous wasps." Yay? Also, bee races!? We didn't know bees partook in races during their downtime.
Critics agreed that the game had good intentions, but they couldn't ignore the painfully simplistic gameplay and wretched flying controls. When you can't even control your character, it's safe to say that a game is a flop.
3 WWE 2K20 - 42
WWE 2K20 is probably the biggest mainstream bomb of 2019. Wrestling remains incredibly popular and prosperous, but it won't be for long if they keep pumping out garbage video games like this!
This game was absolutely eviscerated by critics, most of whom regarded the game as unfinished and unplayable. You see, that's what happens when you rush a game to completion. WWE 2K20 made for some good laughs on various glitch compilations, but as a functioning video game, it was a complete and utter failure.
2 Narcos: Rise Of The Cartels - 41
Did you know there was a Narcos video game? Yeah, we didn't either. It's called Narcos: Rise of the Cartels, and it was even released for the Switch! It takes the form of a turn-based tactical game, but it fails in nearly everything it sets out to do.
It has little connection to the beloved show, the gameplay is boring and uninspired, and the artificial intelligence is laughably bad and unengaging from both a gameplay and intellectual perspective. We didn't think a Narcos game needed to exist. Let's continue believing that it doesn't.
1 Zombieland: Double Tap - Road Trip - 39
Zombieland: Double Tap is a bit of a weird franchise. For one thing, the movie is about nine years too late. For another, did we REALLY need a top-down, twin-stick shooter tie-in? Apparently we did because the gorgeously named Zombieland: Double Tap - Road Trip exists.
As you can imagine, the game was little more than a cheap movie tie-in meant to cash in on both the brand and the craze of top-down twin-stick shooters. Add in a high price, painfully short playtime (2-3 hours), and annoying dialogue that tried way too hard to be funny, and you have yourself the biggest console bomb of 2019.