12 Worst Video Games Of 2022
4. XEL
Because of the aesthetic, puzzles, and focus on exploration, XEL has The Legend of Zelda clone written all over it. (The Time-bending mechanic was also unsubtly stolen from Skyward Sword.) Even though XEL is an obvious copy of the beloved Nintendo property, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Death's Door and Tunic also heavily borrowed from Zelda and yet, received glowing reviews.
The problem with XEL is how flagrantly unfinished it is. Being one of the buggiest titles of 2022, it's bewildering to believe the game-testers thought this was ready to launch. Considering how simple the graphics are, the frame-rate and loading times are unjustifiably awful. The camera is so far away, you can barely see your character half the time. You get stuck in walls with such regularity, you'd swear it was a deliberate obstacle. Without exaggerating, you will probably spend more time looking at loading screens and dealing with glitches than playing the game.
Even though XEL is borderline unplayable, it feels like it would be quite fun if it received about a patch... or two... or 14. But because there's no word of the game receiving any updates, it's impossible to recommend XEL.