Just weeks into 2026, TeamKill Media's Code Violet has earned the dubious distinction of being the year's worst-reviewed video game. The PlayStation 5 exclusive, intended as a spiritual successor to Capcom's Dino Crisis, has received scathing criticism for its poor execution. With aggregate scores well below historical lows, it stands out amid an otherwise promising lineup of upcoming titles.
The year 2026 began with high expectations for video games, featuring anticipated releases such as Resident Evil Requiem, Fable, Marvel’s Wolverine, and Grand Theft Auto VI. However, Code Violet, developed by TeamKill Media and released exclusively for PlayStation 5 at the start of the year, has quickly overshadowed these prospects with its dismal reception.
Described as a horror-action game, Code Violet casts players as the protagonist Violet, who explores a mysterious compound teeming with prehistoric dinosaurs and hostile forces. Announced the previous year with some initial buzz, the title aimed to revive elements of Capcom’s Dino Crisis series. Yet, its delivery has fallen short, leading to widespread disapproval.
Critics have been particularly harsh, assigning an aggregate Metacritic score of 27 out of 100, derived from 14 reviews. This mark places it among the lowest-rated games in recent memory. For comparison, it underperforms even 2025's most criticized title, MindsEye, which scored 37 out of 100. Over the past decade, Code Violet's rating trails infamous flops like The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, Postal 4, Past Cure, and The Quiet Man. The sole game with a worse score in that period is 2017's Road Rage, at 26 out of 100.
User feedback echoes this sentiment. On Metacritic, players average a 2.5 out of 10, while PlayStation Store ratings sit at 2.92 out of 5. These figures suggest Code Violet could cement its status as the nadir of the current console generation, barring any further disappointments. While Metacritic scores are not infallible, they underscore the game's negative impact early in 2026.
