Paying actual money for in-game stamina is an all-time low.
2024 may not even be halfway through yet, but we already have some Game of the Year contenders: Tekken 8 was a massive success, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth was universally praised despite having to live up to some daunting expectations, and WWE 2K24 was a massive success, saving the woefully broken WWE 2K20 (well, almost. It was pretty awful).
But where there are winners, there must also be losers, and sadly, there have been some real failings this year.
Despite a decade in development, Skull & Bones was a total flop, skepticism towards Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was at an all-time high, but no one expected Rocksteady to screw up the IP to this extent, and, believe it or not, there was another game this year that was even worse than those two duds.
Nobody expects video games to be perfect, but there's no excuse if an IP has minimal content, game-breaking bugs, or a pay-to-play format.
The titles on this list aren't just bad: they're shamelessly offensive and bordering on unplayable, which is why you should avoid these failures at all costs.
10. Silent Hill: Short Message
With the highly anticipated Silent Hill 2 remake still in development, fans will likely have to make do with the latest spin-off, The Short Message.
Konami's paranormal series is known for its focus on atmosphere and subtle scares, but The Short Message ignores all of that: with its clumsy plot, bold twists, predictable ending and gratuitous violence, it feels like Silent Hill in name only.
While the series often tackles heavy issues in thought-provoking ways, the way The Short Message explores mental illness and suicide comes across as dry and cheesy.
Additionally, the gameplay is excruciatingly shallow. Most of the campaign consists of mindlessly wandering around or engaging in infuriating chases. Pursuit sections rely less on strategy or skill and more on guessing the correct route. Even if you've memorized the route, the lack of light and frantic pursuits make these sequences frustrating.
Book of Memories had a tough fight to claim the title of worst Silent Hill game, but The Short Message might just beat it out.
On the plus side, at least this whole fiasco is free.
