10 Action Games You Should Never Play

Considering the sheer number of video games released throughout the interactive medium's history, it's only natural that many of them aren't particularly great.

While even the most unfortunate titles can find their audience, certain games manage to generate a consensus regarding how undesirable they are, although this is certainly an anomaly.

Thus, sporadically, the stars align so that the majority of opinions agree on how undesirable it is to experience a certain video game, though this hasn't stopped me from trying them anyway.

Precisely for this reason, I've experienced firsthand the bittersweet taste of adventures that are best bypassed, so I invite you to read about these ten action games you should definitely avoid.

10 Devil May Cry 2

The Stain of a Generational Franchise

Unless you're a curious gamer like me, interested in the evolution of video games and the franchises that comprise them, there's absolutely no reason to play Devil May Cry 2.

I only played it to continue following the IP's launch progress, hoping to see if all the criticism, memes, and insults it received were right, and I think the community fell short in relegating this title to oblivion.

Even if you're a player who pays close attention to gameplay, story, graphics, movement, bosses, characters, or whatever else you can think of, there isn't a single aspect in which Devil May Cry 2 is decent, as it's a sequel that completely misinterprets its predecessor.

It's, by far, among the worst video games I've ever played, but I'm placing it tenth because I think there's value in trying it to join the fanbase in vehemently hating it.

9 Biomutant

Omnipresent Annoyances

Biomutant is one of the most disappointing cases in the genre over the last decade, as I think few projects have held my attention for so long only to underperform in every aspect.

Perhaps it's simply a bad game rather than an infamous disaster, though the difference lies in the promises and projections made in the first place, the failure of which makes the fall from grace all the more painful.

From the flat combat to the bland story, the unbearable dialogue, and the empty exploration, playing Biomutant often feels like staring at a blank wall for hours, as it has little substance and none of its systems are ever worth exploring.

You can enjoy it sporadically, mainly because of the beauty of its landscapes, but beyond that, it's a disappointing title that will leave you with a worse taste in your mouth than if you simply remained curious about what it's like.

8 Ninja Blade

Don't Be Fooled by FromSoftware's Seal

As a FromSoftware fan in its recent history, I've always been intrigued by their release history before the Soulsborne games, which included the unfortunate Ninja Blade.

Despite what the cover might suggest, it's merely a clone of the era's leading hack-and-slash titles, failing to grasp what makes each one great, thus ruining the inspiration behind series like Ninja Gaiden, Devil May Cry, and God of War.

With its obscene reliance on quick-time events, bland and monotonous combat, recycled content, and disastrous technical aspects, it's an experience that's unenjoyable even from the outset, because it has virtually no original ideas.

It's difficult to believe it was released the same year as Demon's Souls, and nothing makes me happier than the fact that the company chose to pursue the latter IP because, otherwise, we would not only have missed out on one of the century's best subgenres but would have also been subjected to even more misfortune in the form of Ninja Blade sequels.

7 Saints Row

A Completely Lost Soul

Speaking of sequels that entirely fail to uphold their predecessors' legacy, the latest Saints Row is a thorough tragedy, one that pains me to even talk about.

Even if we disregard its launch state, which is among the poorest and most flawed technical releases I've ever seen, it's an uninspired successor that feels more like a chore than a genuine desire to continue the series.

The writing is so awful it's embarrassing, the design of both the open world and the missions is stuck in the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 era, and it suffers from a constant sense of repetitiveness that never lets up, making the experience terrible from start to finish.

Saints Row is among those cases where I'd genuinely be surprised to find someone who actually liked it, which hasn't happened in almost five years since its release.​​​

6 God of War: Sons of Sparta

Tortures Difficult to Describe

While it was a revelation that thrilled me immensely, especially since the Metroidvania genre has become one of my favorites in the last couple of years, God of War: Sons of Sparta takes the title of worst game in the franchise with ease.

Although I greatly appreciate the effort to follow in Prince of Persia's footsteps and expand the game's universe through a different gameplay style and story, it adds nothing to the IP's universe in any imaginable way.

In fact, due to the flat combat, the bland Metroidvania mechanics, and even the basic art design, playing it almost ruins your overall impression of God of War, because it lowers its average quality.

Curiosity can be as strong as wanting to try it, no matter how bad it might be, but let me tell you that, compared to Sons of Sparta, God of War: Ascension goes from being quite good to an unparalleled masterpiece.

5 Umbrella Corps

An Insult That Shouldn't Exist

Unlike the previous entry, where at least there was a glimmer of an attempt to do something interesting with an established franchise, Umbrella Corps stands out among the most insulting examples ever seen of an IP the size of Resident Evil.

I have rarely seen such a blatant attempt to release a title whose sole purpose is to exploit the name behind it to squeeze as much money as humanly possible from the fanbase, and that's the only thing this game does.

Riddled with microtransactions, genre combinations that clash horribly with the Resident Evil survival formula, abominable technical aspects, and so little content that it offers no enjoyment even if you try hard, Umbrella Corps is simply detestable.

To be honest, I'm genuinely surprised Capcom still allows the game to be purchased, given it's a textbook example of a product so bad that it's almost better to leave it out of digital preservation efforts.

4 Wolfenstein: Youngblood

A Ruined Legacy

Following in the footsteps of ruined legacies, few projects have hurt me as much as Wolfenstein: Youngblood, especially since MachineGames was on an impressive run with the series' reboot and seemed poised to conquer the world.

When you consider they had the support of Arkane Studios, my favorite developer of the century, alongside FromSoftware, it makes the disappointment of their downfall even more resounding.

Whether you see it as a Wolfenstein representative, a shooter, an RPG, or an immersive sim, what you're left with is a poor title with disastrous AI and trim inspiration, which seems like the result of just combining market trends under the franchise's name.

Nothing works: not its games-as-a-service format, not its cooperative mode, not its emphasis on grinding, not its nonexistent story. Wolfenstein: Youngblood is a complete failure, and all I can do is hope it wasn't so disastrous as to prevent the saga from continuing.

3 Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

A Senseless Service

Games as a service are definitely among the easiest ways for me to boil my blood, though playing Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was like having it completely evaporated.

Without being a fan of DC's work, this product is so soulless that I'd like to say I can barely believe it exists, but it's truly one of the most predictable outcomes from a sector of the industry that only cares about money.

It baffles me that Rocksteady was able to create something so generic, repetitive, excessively gun-based, game with a terrible plot, and such aggressive monetization that it seems like it was created by a venture capital fund rather than a video game developer.

I sound pretty annoyed, and that's because Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League really does annoy me. It's an insult to the DC universe, to the studio that created the Batman: Arkham games, and to the superhero genre, so it ticks all the boxes on my list of things that irritate me.

2 Skull Island: Rise of Kong

Nothing Good to Salvage

I always try my best not to get my hopes up about modern licensed games, since they're light years behind the quality of those from a couple of decades ago, yet I always end up falling for illusions like Skull Island: Rise of Kong.

As much as it pains me to admit it, since it comes from a Chilean studio and my regionalism comes out now and then, this is a game that feels like it was made by amateurs with no experience in video game development, when in reality it's quite the opposite.

Skull Island: Rise of Kong is an anomaly where, despite the evident talent of its creators, nothing works: fights, cinematics, progression, animations, environments, art design, dialogue… Think of anything that makes up a video game, though you won't find anything here worth salvaging.

As much as you might like games based on movies or books, this is a clear example of how not to adapt any work to the interactive medium, and I swear that no matter how much I consider it, I can't think of any dimension in which I could recommend the game to anyone, no matter how particular they may be.

1 Skull and Bones

The AAAA Failure

After so many delays, promises, and brags about the title's supposed 'AAAA' quality, Skull and Bones is a clear contender for the most disappointing game in history and among the most blatant falsehoods ever conceived.

Leveraging Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag's glorious naval combat, Ubisoft promoted a title that would take its tremendous gameplay system to another level, but all it did was demonstrate it had ceased being the developer that understood the community's desires many years ago.

Between rampant monetization, broken promises, poor quality and quantity of content, unpolished experiences, the sensation that you're doing the same thing over and over again, and the lack of mechanics that truly make you feel like a pirate beyond using ships, it's a disaster in every sense.

Considering it was released at the price of a standard AAA title, yet boasted the creative and technical quality of an indie game made by someone who's never touched a computer in their life, it's easy to comprehend why it tops the list of games you should avoid.

I understand the intrigue surrounding the full extent of the cataclysm, but I've been there, and it's not worth adding another copy to the game's sales just to confirm what everyone is saying and what's obvious from miles away.