2017 may eventually be remembered as one of the best years in video game history, but it wasn’t all sunshine and digital roses. Amongst the presence of some truly great games were a few titles that left you wondering if your time and money was better spent on other hobbies.
These are some of the absolute worst games of 2017.
Runner-Ups
Mass Effect: Andromeda
For years, the Mass Effect name was synonymous with greatness. BioWare’s space epic took elements from popular works like Star Trek but forged its own destiny by virtue of the game’s incredible characters, epic storylines, and memorable worlds. Sure, Mass Effect 3 ended the franchise on a bit of a low note, but most Mass Effect fans were thrilled to hear that BioWare was returning to this universe once more with Mass Effect: Andromeda.
Then they actually played the game. Andromeda caught a lot of negative attention due to the game’s incomplete animations and various technical issues, but the fact remains that Andromeda‘s writing, characters, and general design were nowhere near as great as what came before. This was a phoned-in epic that should have been something very special.
1-2 Switch
1-2 Switch is a lot like Wii Sports and Nintendo Land before it. Each of those titles features a variety of minigames designed to show off the systems’ unique capabilities. For 1-2 Switch, that means a variety of little games that take advantage of the Switch’s portability, versatility, and HD rumble features. It’s actually quite neat and fairly enjoyable in small doses.
The problem is that 1-2 Switch is a full price game whereas Wii Sports and Nintendo Land were included with their respective systems. If 1-2 Switch had been a free game, it would have been a forgivable and forgettable little add-on. The fact that this is a full retail title, though, feels especially insulting. There’s not nearly enough content here to just justify the game’s full price and there are too many other quality multiplayer titles available for the Switch. The good news is that this is one of the Switch’s few low points.
Troll and I
If you haven’t heard of Troll and I, then you should consider yourself one of the lucky ones. This game wants you to believe that it’s a heartfelt adventure title that allows you to form a bond with a digital creature. Actually, it looks quite interesting on the surface. Unfortunately, Troll and I falls apart the very minute that you start playing it.
This might very well be the most broken game of 2017. Nothing in this game works as it should, which is actually quite alright when you consider that the game barely runs long enough for you to even notice the glitches. This game looks like it was designed for the PlayStation 2 and slightly upgraded to run on the PS3 by a team of developers who had no idea what either of those consoles was. It’s more of an abomination than the troll main character.
Vroom in the Night Sky
When you hear a phrase like “The lowest rated game of 2017,” your mind surely begins to conjure a certain image. We can assure you, though, that your mind is not capable of imagining the horror that is Vroom in the Night Sky.
First off, we’re not sure if the developers were going for a “retro” look or if they simply couldn’t do any better, but this is one of the worst looking games ever. Even if this game were a visual stunner, though, you’d have no reason to play it. We suppose that Vroom is a racing title, but it’s so hard to tell what you’re actually supposed to be doing that it might as well be anything. You opponents’ A.I. is almost non-existent and the sound design alone will make you want to throw your Switch in the garbage.
“Winner”
Star Wars Battlefront II
Star Wars Battlefront II is not the absolute worst game on this list. It’s actually quite enjoyable in certain respects. What it is, though, is a game that costs millions of dollars to make (many millions when you factor in EA”s deal with Disney) that ultimately feels like it was made for as cheaply as possible and as quickly as possible by developers that could have accomplished so much more.
Battlefront II is designed to take as much of your money as possible while offering as little as possible in return. It’s a travesty of an experiment in greed that insults everyone who has ever loved Star Wars or video games.
