3 Most Overhyped Video Games of 2025 You’re Better Off Avoiding

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Regrettably, it’s quite common for video games to fall short of their promised potential rather than exceeding it. Frequently, the marketing for these games creates an incredible buzz, showcasing the most impressive aspects in trailers. This excitement builds anticipation among fans, leading them to expect more and more as the release date approaches. Unfortunately, this heightened expectation can often lead to disappointment when the game doesn’t meet those high standards.

2025 has been a year filled with excitement and anticipation for many gaming enthusiasts like myself, yet it’s also been a time when some highly anticipated games didn’t quite live up to their hype. Titles from renowned franchises such as Assassin’s Creed, while boasting significant changes, have fallen short of expectations. Therefore, if given the chance, here are the overhyped games from 2025 that it might be wiser to bypass.

3. Elden Ring Nightreign

The game Elden Ring became a worldwide sensation, and when Nightreign was initially introduced, much of the excitement from Elden Ring was transferred to it. Since every game developed by FromSoftware is highly anticipated, and the spin-off of Elden Ring only added to this expectation, many believed that Nightreign would be the next big hit. The anticipation for Nightreign was enormous. However, now that it has been released, it doesn’t live up to the expectations of many.

As a devoted gaming enthusiast, I’ve found myself immersed in “Nightreign,” a multiplayer title that initially garnered high anticipation. However, my personal experience hasn’t quite matched the expectations. It masterfully blends the multiplayer aspects and fundamental mechanics of “Elden Ring” into a comprehensive roguelike cooperative game. The gameplay unfolds over multiple in-game days, and the world, fascinatingly, is procedurally generated.

Although Nightreign lacks the rich narrative and immersive world-building that Elden Ring offers, its single-player format significantly reduces the appeal of the original game for those playing solo. If you don’t have a committed group of friends to join you in Nightreign, it may be more rewarding to focus on games where you can play alone.

2. Avowed

As the countdown to its release in 2025 approached, there was considerable excitement surrounding the upcoming RPG, Avowed. It was highly touted as one of the top RPGs expected that year, boasting a vast open-world setting, intriguing magic combat systems, and interactive quests. The buzz surrounding it made many believe that Avowed was shaping up to be the next mainline installment in the Elder Scrolls series. Naturally, this heightened anticipation led people to expect a fantastic journey from start to finish. Unfortunately, it turned out that Avowed fell short of these high expectations.

As a dedicated fan, I have to admit that my anticipation for Avowed didn’t quite match the reality of playing it. The storytelling and rhythm felt lackluster, which left its narrative lacking. The visuals, particularly in cutscenes, are somewhat below par, with some animation issues that make certain scenes less than ideal. Gameplay-wise, it didn’t offer much excitement. The magic and melee combat are standard fare and can get repetitive quite quickly. There’s a sense of familiarity about the whole experience – like I’ve played this game before. To add to my disappointment, technical issues associated with Unreal Engine 5 were prevalent at launch, contributing to a wave of negative sentiment among players.

The advancement systems in Avowed offer limited flexibility for character building, which can be disheartening given the game’s extensive scope for an RPG. Despite this, Avowed is still a decent role-playing game, excelling in many aspects, but falls short due to lacking innovation. Unfortunately, the excessive hype surrounding it has set expectations so high that its performance ultimately fell short, resulting in a more significant disappointment than necessary.

1. Assassin’s Creed Shadows

In essence, the issue with “Assassin’s Creed: Shadows” mirrors the problem that has persisted in most “Assassin’s Creed” games over the past decade. Essentially, these games have come to symbolize a checklist approach to gaming. Despite Ubisoft trying to revamp the series with “Shadows,” they haven’t quite nailed down what works effectively yet. The excitement surrounding “Shadows,” which promised a unique setting in 16th-century Japan, made fans hope for an extraordinary aesthetic, groundbreaking stealth mechanics, and a captivating open world. Regrettably, these expectations were not entirely met.

In terms of visual appeal, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows certainly did not disappoint. However, similar to its predecessors, it fell short in the gameplay department. Despite being marketed as introducing a novel parkour system, the parkour in Shadows is barely distinguishable from previous games – while it has been streamlined, the difference is minimal. The enemy AI in stealth sections also presents little challenge and hardly functions as a threat. Moreover, Shadows over-emphasizes action RPG elements, which gives the impression that the franchise is losing its original charm.

In my perspective as a fan, Assassin’s Creed: Shadow felt like a much-anticipated return to the series’ roots – rekindling memories of narrative-driven stealth adventures. However, what I found was essentially the same Assassin’s Creed game we’ve been playing for over a decade, but this time set in Japan. If you’ve played any Assassin’s Creed title since Assassin’s Creed: Origins, then you’re familiar with what Assassin’s Creed: Shadow has to offer. So, if you’re not yearning for more of the same gameplay, I’d advise giving Assassin’s Creed: Shadow a miss.

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2025-09-10 20:43