Sometimes, it can be easy to forget that gaming should, at the end of the day, be about having fun. Nobody lives within a vacuum, and while gaming serves as a vital escape from reality at the worst of times, the way you approach a game is crucial in shaping that experience. The gaming industry can be volatile, and so much discourse is fueled by opposing extremes shouting at each other until the point of exhaustion. Depending on who you ask, 2025 was either a conveyor belt of triumphant success stories or a major disappointment defined by mediocre masterpieces.
I have played many great recent releases that rest deep within the corners of my mind, but the month I look back most fondly on consisted solely of "bad" games from yesteryear... Games that have been sitting in my Steam library for approximately a decade, mostly forgotten but still hoping for their moment. While modern titles come with pre-installed expectations, these games promised nothing but a way to fill time, and that was enough when burnout set in. I played them because I wanted to play them and continued them because I wanted to continue them, and for no other reason.
So, why does this article exist? Honestly, I just want to talk positively about these games for a few thousand words.
Just some notes and things I want to mention.
- "Terrible" is a bit tongue-in-cheek, hence the quotation marks. Still, I believe this descriptor matches the games' reputations, to an extent.
- This is NOT a recommendations list. I am not reviewing the games either. That said, if one of these titles looks like something you might enjoy, great! Give it a whirl, and most of these are cheap to pick up. If you have been hoarding Steam games for most of your life (like I have), then you might own some of these already. Or, try some other game that has been calling your name for years.
- The games are listed in the order they were played and completed.
- Five main games are spotlighted, along with a few extras that were part of the journey but do not fit the title's criteria in some form or another.
- All the gameplay screenshots were taken from my play sessions. Each main game ends with a gallery that goes through most of the campaign, so skip that if you intend to play one of these.
Awfully Fun Game 1: Inversion
A Brief Diversion Turns Into A Great Month
- Played on Steam
- Playtime: 8 Hours
- Genre & Theme: Cover shooter... Gears of War, but with gravity.
- Number of Crashes: 20+. After each one, I rebooted my PC, logged into Steam, and jumped right back into Inversion.
- Does Inversion Have A Turret Sequence? Yes, multiple! You tear down a building at one point. They are great.
- Why I Have This Game: Seems like I picked it up for like $3 in 2017, not that I remember that. Still, I'm glad I did, as Inversion is no longer available to purchase in my region.
Remember when cover shooters were everywhere? Those were the days. This subgenre has been all but dead for a decade, with Gears of War having to carry the mantle almost single-handedly. Inversion came out at the tail-end of the cover shooter boom, earning a justified "derivative" label as it slipped quickly into obscurity. In 2012, Saber Interactive's third-person shooter felt unnecessary, and its gravity mechanic was the only thing that set it apart from Gears of War. Even then, it was not used to great effect.
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When I downloaded Inversion, I fully expected to play it for an hour before getting bored and moving on to something else. Then, the weirdest thing happened: The game started with a turret section. In one instance, Inversion teleported me back to 2012 when brown was the IT color, AA projects were booming, and gaming was simpler (at least, to me). The PS3 era will always be my favorite, and Inversion tapped into that nostalgia in an instant.
Then, the game crashed my PC and forced a reset. OK, things happen, so let's give it another go. 10 crashes later, and I started to wonder if maybe there was an issue. Fortunately, Steam's community can be relied upon to provide fixes or workarounds for all manner of bugs, saving abandoned games from being totally unplayable. They are the true heroes, and I would never have finished Inversion without them.
They are the true heroes...
Inversion is ultimately just a worse version of Gears of War, but we do not get these games anymore. Consequently, what might have been tired in 2012 feels oddly fresh in 2025. Suddenly, it was exciting to once again awkwardly run forward and hide behind cover, tanking shots along the way while your gruff partner repeats the same few one-liners. Inversion is a time capsule that felt specifically created for me, and I yearned for more.
Side Quest 1: Dark Sector
It Wasn't A Fluke, Bring On The Cover Shooters
- Played on Steam
- Playtime: 6.9 Hours
- Genre & Theme: Cover shooter... Warframe before Warframe
- Number of Crashes: None, I believe
- Does Dark Sector Have A Turret Sequence? Yes, multiple! They are not great, to be honest. The turret is a bit too unwieldy and doesn't feel that powerful.
- Why I Have This Game: Steam gave Dark Sector away for free in 2024. I had no real intention to play it, but free is free.
- Why Is This A Side Quest: Dark Sector is pretty well regarded for the most part.
Dark Sector was only booted up because of Inversion, as I simply wanted another cover shooter. Digital Extremes is primarily known for Warframe nowadays, but some of that game's ideas were initially explored in this 2008 release. Dark Sector's combat revolves around standard third-person shooting and a Glaive weapon that can tear down enemies if used correctly (along with serving other uses). Although a bit awkward at times, the gameplay becomes satisfying once you grow familiar with the Glaive. Give this a try if you are looking for a short single-player game with decent combat, some rough edges, and a very 2000s protagonist.
Awfully Fun Game 2: Devil's Hunt
Finding The PS3 Spirit In A 2019 Game
- Played on Steam
- Playtime: 6 Hours
- Genre & Theme: Hack & Slash... Yeah, this isn't Devil May Cry, but that's okay.
- Number of Crashes: A handful of times, but nothing too major
- Does Devil's Hunt Have A Turret Sequence? Sadly, no.
- Why I Have This Game: Purchased for about $2 from Green Man Gaming earlier in 2025.
Don't worry, this article is not just about cover shooters, although that is entirely down to a lack of options rather than a lack of desire. Devil's Hunt tells the story of how Desmond, an underground fighter, ends up demonically gifted and part of a conflict that involves both Heaven and Hell's forces. Oh, and this game really doubles down on the "tells the story" part, as it comes with more than an hour of cutscenes. That should be way too much, but they exude such earnestness that they become difficult to hate. Despite starring in a 2019 game, Desmond is the most "2010 gaming protagonist" imaginable, and I mean that as a compliment.
Now, Devil's Hunt is a hack-and-slash that has the bones of something great, but not necessarily the skin and muscles. At first, the combat seems to consist of just a handful of basic attacks and skills, but you gradually unlock different color-coded trees with unlockable combos and special abilities. The developers might have been better off limiting unlockables to only timed skills, as the lack of combo variety really drags down the game's first few hours.
Full disclosure, I almost dropped Devil's Hunt a couple of times, just because I could not get rid of a stutter during combat. Going by the Steam community hub, a few other people also had this issue, so it does not seem like an isolated case (and seems unlikely to be fixed at this point). Still, I pushed through as I loved the story's unapologetic seriousness and unintentional silliness, and tolerated everything else. The game also looks pretty good, at least for a smaller production.
Side Quest 2: Bionic Commando
I Have My Limits
- Played on Steam
- Playtime: 2 Hours
- Genre & Theme: Third-Person Shooter... Spider-Man?
- Number of Crashes: None
- Does Bionic Commando Have A Turret Sequence? Maybe? I really don't know. It seems like it would.
- Why I Have This Game: Humble Bundle's Humble Capcom X SEGA X ATLUS Bundle (2017)
- Why Is This A Side Quest: Didn't finish it.
Out of all the games in this article, Bionic Commando is the only one that I dropped. As much as I appreciate Nathan Spencer's impression of an edgy '90s comic character, the game wasn't hitting the mark, and time spent gaming while not having fun is time wasted. That said, the bionic arm's swinging felt pretty good at times, so I might return to this in the future.
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Awfully Fun Game 3: Legendary
No Caveats, Legendary Is An Awesome FPS Game
- Played on Steam
- Playtime: 6 Hours
- Genre & Theme: A First-Person Shooter Monster Movie
- Number of Crashes: Twice, if my memory isn't failing me.
- Does Legendary Have A Turret Sequence? Believe it or not, it doesn't. Yeah, I was shocked and disappointed too.
- Why I Have This Game: Honestly, I don't know. Maybe it was part of a bundle, or maybe it was dirt cheap and easy to justify. Whatever the reason, I'm glad I have Legendary.
Legendary was the biggest surprise from all the games played during this period. While my mood greatly impacted my enjoyment of every other title, I would have loved Legendary even if I played it when I had no patience left to spare. Why has this been forgotten by time? We are talking about an FPS shooter that plays out like an over-the-top B-movie, including large-scale urban war zones that showcase a rampaging kaiju made of building parts. You take on werewolves, golems, spiders, tentacles, a griffin, and these really creepy fairies (called Nari). At one point, a Kraken destroys London's Big Ben. Legendary even has invisible werewolves!
Legendary's short campaign moves at a relentless pace, features numerous outlandish set pieces, and has enough location variety to keep things fresh. Although nothing too amazing for its era, the gunplay feels good and benefits from a decent range of weapons, along with a mythical ability that grants you telekinesis and the ability to heal. The sound effect for the guns could be a bit punchier, but that is it for complaints. I don't know, maybe the multiplayer sucked back in the day, but Legendary's single-player is an absolute blast to play through. Well, I had a blast.
Side Quest 3: Quantum Theory
The Bottom Of The Cover Shooter Barrel... Has Its Moments
- Played on PS5
- Playtime: 6.5 Hours
- Genre & Theme: Cover Shooter... And fantasy Gears of War...
- Number of Crashes: Technically, none. That said, I'm pretty sure I gave my DualSense stick drift from playing Quantum Theory.
- Does Quantum Theory Have A Turret Sequence? Yes, multiple! They are fine. Better than the game's regular gunplay.
- Why I Have This Game: PS Plus Premium, and PS3 streaming works OK for me.
- Why Is This A Side Quest: I didn't like Quantum Theory as much as the others, and images were a pain since PS Plus doesn't let you take screenshots of streaming games (sorry for the above image quality, as I had to use my phone).
While I want this article to be driven by positivity, I also do not want to lie at any point. Quantum Theory is not good, and adding a slight input delay via PS Plus' streaming service, shockingly, makes it worse. The guns feel weak, the enemies are bullet sponges, the difficulty spikes are cheap, the environments are repetitive, and the characters are dumb.
Honestly, PS Plus' streaming worked fairly well, but it will always have limitations.
However, I refuse to hate a game that allows you to pick up your partner and hurl them at your enemies. Your female sidekick, Nyx, is the best weapon in Quantum Theory. Gears of War would be infinitely better if Marcus could torpedo Dom across a battlefield like a human spear. The Coalition, please make it happen.
Gears of War would be infinitely better if Marcus could torpedo Dom across a battlefield like a human spear.
Awfully Fun Game 4: Blades Of Time
Revisiting The Past In More Ways Than One
- Played on Steam
- Playtime: 10 Hours (Including 1 Hour DLC)
- Genre & Theme: Hack & Slash... Well, it is no Bayonetta, but that's okay.
- Number of Crashes: A few times.
- Does Blades Of Time Have A Turret Sequence? No, but I wish it did.
- Why I Have This Game: Don't remember buying this at all, but Blades of Time has been ridiculously cheap forever.
From all these games, Blades of Time was the only one that I had played previously, albeit for less than an hour. Made by the same developer responsible for X-Blades, another game that waits patiently in my Steam library, Blades of Time does not leave a great initial impression. At first, Ayumi only has a few basic melee combos, a weak gun, and a frustrating time-reversal mechanic that comes with a steep learning curve. Sure, she has a British accent going for her, but that can only take you so far. I get why my younger self dropped Blades of Time pretty quickly, despite my eternal love for hack-and-slash romps.
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However, seemingly aware of its shortcomings , Blades of Time tosses fresh skills and upgrades at you at a blistering pace during the first few hours, to the point that you select a new one every 15 minutes or so. These unlocks are paced weirdly, too, as they just stop happening for roughly 4 hours before starting again during the campaign's final act. While the core combat is shallow, it hides a surprisingly varied set of skills that include gratifying AOE attacks, passive improvements, and elemental tweaks. The hacking and slashing never reach new depths, but they at least evolve into a much wider puddle. Also, surprise, but Blades of Time is also a third-person shooter with a respectable arsenal of weapons.
After maximizing the upgrade path of the AOE attacks, unlock the fire and ice elements for Ayumi's blades. They have their practical uses, but they also make the combat far more stylish, which is more important in a game like Blades of Time.
Blades of Time reinforced just how expectations impact experiences. When I started it long ago, its reputation meant that I was fully anticipating a bad time, and I dropped it the second those suspicions were seemingly confirmed. Now, I went in with a slightly more open mind, and I was ready to give it a chance, but also prepared to move on if things never clicked. Did Blades of Time become one of my favorite games? No, and I have no intention of playing it ever again. However, I loved the time spent with it, even if I didn't love the game itself. Heck, I even completed the "Dismal Swamp" DLC that lets you play as Ayumy, who is basically a worse version of Ayumi. It was fine.
I loved my time spent with Blades of Time, even though I didn't love the game itself.
Side Quest 4: Hunted: The Demon's Forge
Back To The Cover Shooter Well For One Last Time, And Now With Elves
- Played on Steam
- Playtime: 10 Hours
- Genre & Theme: Cover shooter AND Hack & Slash
- Number of Crashes: Once.
- Does Hunted: The Demon's Forge Have A Turret Sequence? Yes, multiple! Well, ballista sequences rather than turrets. They are kind of fun, but a bit too frequent. The bolt thrower was the best.
- Why I Have This Game: Purchased via Steam for around $1.50 (2017).
- Why Is This A Side Quest: Although not beloved, Hunted: The Demon's Forge is mostly regarded as average.
Bethesda published some strange stuff in the 2010s, and this one is particularly bizarre considering Hunted: The Demon's Forge is a fantasy shooter/melee hybrid by the developer behind Torment: Tides of Numenera, The Bard's Tale, and Wasteland 3. How did this happen? Anyway, this game's biggest selling point is its two playable protagonists, E'lara and Caddoc, who you can swap between at certain intervals. The latter emphasizes Hunted's hack-and-slash action, while the former excels at ranged combat and, yes, shooting from behind cover. The campaign feels like it lasts forever and has a habit of throwing endless waves at you, but the gameplay is all-around solid. I mostly used E'lara, as headshots are more satisfying to pull off than slicing through goblins, but they both have their strengths.
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Awfully Fun Game 5: Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood
Ending Things On A Bloody (And Singular) Note
- Played on PS5
- Playtime: 7 Hours
- Genre & Theme: Gory Hack & Slash, but with claws rather than blades.
- Number of Crashes: None
- Does Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood Have A Turret Sequence? Who needs a turret when you are a werewolf?
- Why I Have This Game: PS Plus
We made it – the final adventure. Except for Quantum Theory, Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood was probably the worst game I played during this month. Conversely, it was also the only one that I finished in a single day, and not due to its length. Based on a great tabletop RPG with quite a bit of lore, Earthblood throws most of that away in favor of gore, angst, and sterile environments. Be it a research center, an oil rig, or a prison, all the primary stages look almost exactly the same. By the end, I was impressed by the game's refusal to shake things up. You need true dedication to be this repetitive.
I can summarize Earthblood's loop in one sentence: enter a room, turn into a werewolf, slaughter everything, and repeat. Sometimes you might transform into a wolf so you can move a bit faster, but this form is not viable in combat. The opening mission has a compulsory stealth section as a tutorial, but after that, you are given the option to either sneak around and take out enemies one by one or immediately transform into a werewolf and kill everyone in a fit of blood and body parts. I always went with the latter, because why wouldn't I? As mind-numbing as this campaign gets, the combat is entertaining in the same primal way as a Musou game, and there is a lot of it.
After this 7-hour binge led to a night filled with dreams of werewolves and military facilities, I was done. The burnout had healed, and I suddenly had hundreds, if not thousands, of new games to play that I would not have looked at twice before. Bring on Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z, Haze, Mindjack, and Duke Nukem Forever. I will find a copy of Wanted: Weapons of Fate.
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