10 Recent Video Games Critics Hated (But Players LOVED)
9. The Ascent
Cyberpunk-themed action-RPG The Ascent sure looked like an absolute blast pre-release, but reviews were ultimately disappointingly middling, with Metascores of 68 on Xbox Series X and a somewhat sunnier 74 on PC.
For a game which Microsoft marketed fairly heavily and pushed extensively in their various livestreams, it was undeniably a letdown, with many critics lambasting The Ascent's mediocre shooting mechanics, nothing story, repetitive mission design, and especially its abundance of bugs.
Players were far more enthusiastic, however, with the game landing 7.9 and 7.8 scores on Xbox Series X and PC respectively. Its Steam rating is also "Mostly Positive" from over 11,000 customers.
This gulf of opinion can be somewhat easily explained - the version of The Ascent played pre-release by critics was riddled with bugs which had been patched out by the time much of the general public got around to playing it.
A large chunk of regular players therefore got a considerably more hassle-free experience, which likely aided them in being less-bothered by its repetitious aspects.
That and the fact that many played it for "free" on Xbox Game Pass, which is certainly going to make otherwise objectionable elements a little easier to accept.