10 Video Games With the WORST Writing

10 Video Games With The Worst Writing

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re being pretty judgemental, but I’m alright with it. Whether they shoehorn in exposition like they forgot to butter an already made sandwich, or they write dialogue like a third grade fiction assignment, these are 10 Video Games With The Worst Writing. Let’s go!

“The Quiet Man” (2022)

“The Quiet Man” tries to present itself as an experimental story-driven game by removing most of its dialogue. And I know what you’re thinking, how can you be badly written when you have no dialogue? Well, that’s just how s**t it is. For the majority of the experience, characters speak without sound, forcing players to interpret the plot through body language, facial expressions, and exaggerated gestures, but all this does is expose how disjointed the narrative really is, and trust me I can say that, I took one unit of creative writing and Australia’s 9th best university… I failed. Scenes jump from confrontation to confrontation with little explanation, leaving players confused rather than invested. Ironically, the truth becomes clear in New Game Plus, where the game finally includes audible dialogue. Instead of revealing hidden depth, the spoken lines highlight the real issue: the writing sucks farts.

“Atomic Heart” (2023)

Was anyone else really, really excited for 2023’s “Atomic Heart”? Yeah, everyone. Promising a stylish blend of first-person shooting, puzzles, and retro-futuristic worldbuilding. In many ways, it delivered. Unfortunately, the experience is dragged down by its writing, particularly the dialogue of the main character. Throughout the game, P-3 constantly mutters strange one-liners and catchphrases that feel awkwardly inserted into otherwise serious moments. Lines like “crispy critters” are repeated so often that they become distracting rather than charming. The timing of the voiceovers is also strange, with P-3 sometimes talking over important story beats or reacting in ways that feel disconnected from what’s happening on screen. The problem here is that the dialogue undermines the game. Bad idea.

“Twelve Minutes” (2022)

“Twelve Minutes” sets out to be a tense, cinematic thriller built around a time-loop premise. It’s also a crap pile of crap, built around crap. Okay! I got that off my chest. I’m being an a**ehole, the game was reviewed average, but some people still liked it, so I apologise. With voice performances from high-profile actors like James McAvoy and Daisy Ridley, the game clearly aims for emotional weight and dramatic storytelling. The central mechanic traps the player in a repeating twelve-minute cycle where a mysterious police officer breaks into an apartment and violently confronts a husband and wife. Each loop reveals new pieces of information, gradually exposing deeper secrets behind the situation. In theory, this structure should create a gripping mystery. Here’s the problem, and some writers still struggle to grasp this: If you’re going to take the risk of taking your story to some really uncomfortable territory, you need to handle it thoughtfully. Domestic abuse and incest are introduced as major twists, with all the impact of a punch in the face. These elements often feel inserted purely for shock value, and that is something viewers pick up on straight away.

“Metroid: Other M” (2010)

The “Metroid” series has traditionally relied on simple, atmospheric storytelling. “Metroid: Other M” took a very different approach, attempting to deliver a far more cinematic and character-driven story. Unfortunately, that shift is exactly what caused so much backlash. The game features long, unskippable cutscenes filled with awkward dialogue and repetitive narration, which many players felt interrupted the flow of gameplay. But, the biggest criticism centers on its portrayal of Samus herself. In previous games, she is depicted as calm, capable, and fiercely independent. In “Other M,” she is often written as hesitant, emotionally fragile, and overly dependent on the approval of her former commanding officer, Adam. BOOOOOO!

“Forspoken” (2023)

Much like “Atomic Heart,” “Forspoken” arrived in early 2023 carrying a great deal of hype. Unfortunately, while Atomic Heart still managed to impress players with its combat and presentation, Forspoken impressed nobody. The biggest point of criticism quickly became the game’s dialogue, particularly the lines delivered by its protagonist, Frey. Throughout the story, Frey constantly fires off sarcastic remarks and attempts at witty one-liners. The problem is that many of these lines feel forced rather than clever, coming across as awkward attempts at humor. Instead of making Frey feel charismatic, she sounds dismissive of EVERYTHING around her. It feels like if she came across an alien handing her billions in gold, she’d say “this better be real green, boy.”

“Duke Nukem Forever” (2011)

Speaking of bad one liners: “Duke Nukem Forever” leans heavily into the crude, exaggerated personality that defined the character in earlier games. Duke himself has always been portrayed as an over-the-top action hero, the kind of character that worked in the ‘90s, and could have worked in the 2010s as satire, poking fun at the macho clichés of action movies and video game heroes. But the game rarely does anything interesting with the concept. Rather than commenting on Duke’s behavior or using it for clever parody, the game mostly repeats the same jokes and attitude over and over again. The result feels like a celebration of the very stereotypes it could have been mocking.

“Indigo Prophecy” (2005)

“Indigo Prophecy” begins with the setup of a tense supernatural thriller. The opening chapters focus on a mysterious murder, a possessed protagonist, and two detectives slowly piecing together what happened. It’s grounded, eerie, and full of suspense. Unfortunately, the story eventually abandons that tone entirely, like sooooo many interactive story games do. As the plot progresses, the grounded mystery suddenly explodes into ancient conspiracies, secret cults, AI-like oracles, and world-ending prophecies. The shift happens so abruptly that it feels like two completely different scripts were stitched together during development. Characters begin acting according to whatever the new plot demands rather than motivations that the beginning tried SO hard to set up. Dialogue becomes increasingly heavy with exposition, and that seals its fate. The game is praised as a cult classic, but has never risen to the status of regular classic for a reason.

“Sonic the Hedgehog” (2006)

“Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)” is often remembered not just for its technical problems, but for how strange and uncomfortable its story became... Anyone remember that kiss? Just me in my nightmares. The game tries to push the traditionally lighthearted Sonic series into a darker, more serious direction, focusing heavily on tragedy, sacrifice, and a really uncomfortable kiss... Remember guys? Anyone? The writing and presentation struggled to support these new themes. Dialogue is often awkward, scenes drag on with melodramatic delivery, and the plot becomes increasingly confusing as multiple timelines and characters overlap. Also, Princess Elise kisses Sonic and he’s a hedgehog and she’s a “people”, did I mention that already?

“Resident Evil” (1996)

The “Resident Evil” series has evolved dramatically since its debut in the late ’90s, growing into a massive franchise with numerous games, films, and a tv adaptation. Modern entries and remakes, such as the 2023 version of “Resident Evil 4,” tend to smooth out the more awkward elements of the older titles, unfortunately “Resident Evil” was a testing ground for a lot of the elements that need ironing, and love it or hate it, it has some of the worst dialogue ever put in a game. “Jill Sandwich”, “Master of Unlocking”, the list goes on. I will say, unlike other entries on this list, rather than resenting it, many players look back on moments like this fondly, since they contribute to the slightly goofy, campy tone that helped make the original game so memorable.

“Ride to Hell: Retribution” (2013)

Few games demonstrate storytelling failure quite like “Ride to Hell: Retribution.” The premise is simple enough: a gritty biker revenge tale filled with betrayal, violence, and outlaw drama, however, the narrative quickly falls apart. Characters appear and vanish with little explanation, major deaths happen without emotional buildup, and the story often jumps between scenes with no clear transition. It frequently feels as if entire segments of the script were cut during development. The protagonist, Jake Conway, barely reacts to the events unfolding around him, which drains any tension from the plot, and moments that should feel dramatic instead come across as strangely lifeless. Dialogue doesn’t help matters either. Much of it sounds like a collection of recycled tough-guy clichés, delivered in conversations that repeat information the player already knows. It’s hardly Days Gone, it’s more Days Drag.