The Games Xbox Series X|S Fans Say They Regret Buying

Owning an Xbox Series X|S console also means needing to buy some games to test out on it. Plenty of players tend to have massive libraries of games, some of which they'll never play. While this can just be due to a lack of time, the culprit might be the game itself. Some owners of Xbox consoles shared their thoughts on some games they regret buying, and there are some quite surprising titles on the list.

There's a large library of available games for both consoles, and Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass supplements that library nicely. Instead of simply buying each and every game, users are able to pay for a subscription and play some games for free — as long as they remain in the library.

While Xbox Game Pass is pretty great, lots of games are still sold outside of it. Recent AAA titles usually need their time in the spotlight before becoming part of a subscription service. As a result, Xbox gamers spend a pretty penny on making sure their game collections are filled to the brim, but many of them have some buyer's remorse. Here are some of the games that Reddit users regret buying.

Big games are surrounded by hype for a long time before they launch: one such example is "Cyberpunk 2077." When a game is able to generate so much excitement even before it hits store shelves, many gamers are eager to jump in as soon as they can. 

The problem is that, even though the release date has come and gone, the developers may not have had time to iron out all the bugs and issues. This makes for a subpar gaming experience and might lead to some regret for the buyer, especially when you consider that AAA titles for Xbox often cost between $40 and $70.

"Cyberpunk 2077" is the prime example of such a game that may have launched a little too soon (despite years of development), because at launch, "Cyberpunk 2077" was riddled with bugs. One user in the Reddit thread (u/ca77) said they regret their purchase because of "how not-ready-for-release that game was when it was first available."

Another game that people regret buying on launch day is "Battlefield 2042." The game left a bitter taste because of how unoptimized it was when it first launched, and even a zero-day patch wasn't able to fix the problems. "Marvel's Avengers" and "Biomutant" also make the cut as regretful launch day purchases for many, citing similar grievances.

There are games people regret buying because of the state of the game, but there are also lots of games that are universally loved, but just didn't suit certain people. Even if you're a fan of a particular genre, that might not be enough — some games just don't work for everyone. One such franchise is "Dark Souls."

The "Dark Souls" games are notoriously hard. Failing to kill a boss in the game and having to try over and over again is not uncommon, and dying also has consequences. Your character gathers "souls" for defeating enemies, and those souls are then used to level up. However, when you die in the game, your souls fall to the floor and you have to recover them if you don't want to lose them. This means having to go back to the exact same place and fight the same enemy again, no matter the frustration.

This gameplay model might be the reason why the "Dark Souls" series was quoted as a regretful purchase. One user admitted to buying it because of the hype, later finding the game stressful. Although "Elden Ring," a game from the same studio and with a similar premise, is also difficult, it doesn't appear in the comments at all. No wonder — it was one of the best games in 2022.

Aside from "Dark Souls," Reddit users also regret buying "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order" and "Cuphead" due to similar difficulty concerns.

Some players regret buying certain Xbox Series X|S games for various reasons that don't fall into either of the two categories listed above. This could be anything from personal preference, to poorly optimized gameplay. There are plenty of such games, which shows us just how diverse the Xbox player base is — one gamer's trash may be another gamer's treasure.

One user said that "Anthem" was very poorly done, and it appears that the general audience agrees. According to Metacritic, the game only received an average score of 59 out of 100 based on critic reviews, and a user score of 4 out of 10. "Mass Effect: Andromeda" is also cited as an unfortunate purchase, although it fared a little better in reviews.

The list continues with some of the most popular games of the last few years, including "NHL 21" and "NHL 22," "Cities: Skylines," "The Witcher 3," "Saints Row 2022," and "Lego Star Wars: Skywalker Saga." Older titles make an appearance too, including the acclaimed "Civilization VI."

If you, too, have some games you wish you hadn't bought, remember that Microsoft has a refund policy for digital Xbox games. However, you can only request refunds if you haven't accumulated a lot of playtime, so the choice will need to be made quickly if you want to get your money back. Games bought in brick-and-mortar stores can often be returned too, but this depends on the retailer.