TOP 10 – 2025 was an exceptionally crowded and competitive year for video games, making it far from easy to rank the standout releases. Major franchises returned, long-awaited sequels arrived, and bold new IPs entered the conversation. This list brings together the titles that, in our view, defined the year most clearly.
The selection below is not meant as an objective measurement, but as an editorial snapshot. Some games stood out through technical achievement, others through storytelling, atmosphere, or sheer gameplay intensity. What they all share is that each left a lasting impression on the landscape of 2025.
10. Cronos: The New Dawn
After delivering a striking remake of Silent Hill 2 last year, Bloober Team demonstrated with Cronos: The New Dawn that it is just as confident when creating entirely original worlds. The game feels like a collision between Dead Space and a cult-style 1980s time-travel dystopia, blending sci-fi concepts with sustained psychological tension.
Its science-fiction horror keeps players constantly alert, throwing enemies at them that force split-second decisions between fighting and fleeing. The world itself is hostile but deeply inviting, encouraging thorough exploration despite the danger. Elevating everything further is one of the year’s most memorable soundtracks, driven by catchy, synth-heavy compositions.
9. Ninja Gaiden 4
Sometimes it is refreshing to play a game that fully embraces excess, and Ninja Gaiden 4 does exactly that. Among the three Ninja Gaiden releases this year, this new 3D entry pushes speed and brutality to new extremes, thanks to the combined efforts of Team Ninja and PlatinumGames.
The story centers on Yakumo, a new member of the Raven Clan tasked with liberating Tokyo’s Sky City from the endless toxic rain caused by the remains of the defeated Dark Dragon. His mission inevitably brings him into conflict with series icon Ryu Hayabusa, who is unfortunately playable only for a short time. While that choice feels questionable from a marketing perspective, the rest of Ninja Gaiden 4 is an unapologetic blood-soaked spectacle. At a time when many action games favor measured, deliberate combat, this former gold standard reminds players that restraint is optional—especially when drilling your way through a dragon’s stomach.
8. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
Early-year releases can easily fade from memory, particularly in a packed year like 2025, but Kingdom Come: Deliverance II refused to do so. Its immersive design and powerful atmosphere kept it in constant discussion among critics and players alike throughout the year.
Nearly every component is executed with remarkable care. The cutscenes, writing, visual presentation, and core gameplay all showcase what a modern role-playing game can achieve when authenticity and detail are prioritized. For players drawn to grounded storytelling paired with deep, believable systems, this sequel is impossible to ignore.
7. Mafia: The Old Country
Mafia: The Old Country avoids the usual explosive opening scenes of car chases and gunfights. Instead, it begins in a mine. Enzo Favara lives the harsh reality faced by many Sicilians in the early 1900s, laboring under dangerous conditions for an abusive overseer. It is a slow and exhausting introduction that replaces instant thrills with relentless routine.
This deliberate pacing is a bold move for an action-adventure series, yet it is precisely what gives the game its strength. Rather than immediately offering a criminal power fantasy, it forces the player to yearn for escape. Knife fights and fast cars become tempting symbols of freedom from a social and political environment shaped by poverty and worker exploitation. The narrative is less concerned with glorifying the mafia and more focused on explaining how so many desperate people were drawn into its world.
6. The Outer Worlds II
The Outer Worlds II improves on its 2019 predecessor in nearly every imaginable way. Environments are larger, non-player characters are more visually distinct, and movement options have been expanded to include sliding, double jumps, and aerial gliding.
Its greatest strength, however, lies in its companions. They are not simple archetypes: while some react negatively to senseless violence, each has unique motivations, emotional responses, and personal goals that shape how they interact with the player’s choices. The game even allows for a morally extreme playstyle without immediately alienating every ally—though it certainly does not encourage it.
5. Silent Hill f
For fans of horror games, the Silent Hill name still carries considerable weight. After last year’s Silent Hill 2 remake restored much of the series’ former prestige, publisher Konami continued that momentum with an entirely new entry. Silent Hill f delivers its horror with uncompromising intensity.
Rather than revisiting contemporary American settings, the game transports players to 1960s Japan, in the fictional rural town of Ebisugaoka. The story follows teenager Shimizu Hinako, whose personal conflict with her parents coincides with the arrival of the series’ iconic fog, signaling the onset of psychological and bodily horror. Drawing heavily on themes of familial trauma, Hinako’s fragile mental state makes her a classic Silent Hill protagonist, while her adolescence provides a fresh perspective. The combat can feel uneven, but the atmosphere makes Silent Hill f the most disturbing horror experience of the year.
4. Hades II
When Hades II arrived in 2025, the gaming world collectively held its breath, and Supergiant Games delivered once again. After its early access period, the sequel confidently expands upon everything that made the original so beloved.
A new protagonist, a richer setting, and deeper layers of mythology all contribute to a more ambitious experience, while the moment-to-moment gameplay remains as sharp and addictive as ever. Combat, progression, and storytelling flow together seamlessly, giving every run a sense of purpose. By balancing familiarity with innovation, Hades II manages to feel both comfortable and surprising.
3. Ghost of Yōtei
Few publishers rival Sony Interactive Entertainment when it comes to cinematic single-player experiences. Series such as God of War, The Last of Us, and Horizon rely on cutting-edge motion capture and visual fidelity to create performances that feel strikingly real. Ghost of Tsushima exemplified this approach in 2020, drawing heavily from samurai cinema, particularly the films of Akira Kurosawa.
Its sequel, Ghost of Yōtei, pushes these ideas even further. The game is more visually impressive, more overtly cinematic, and inspired by a broader range of both Japanese and Western film influences. Atsu’s story is darker and more tragic than Jin Sakai’s, delivering a revenge tale reminiscent of Lady Snowblood and Kill Bill without becoming a mere imitation. The most significant improvements come through gameplay variety, as Atsu’s role as a mercenary frees her from rigid samurai conventions and opens the door to a wider range of abilities in a more dynamic world.
2. Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
Very few creators in the video game industry possess a vision as instantly recognizable as Hideo Kojima’s, and Death Stranding 2: On The Beach may be the clearest expression of that vision to date. At first glance, it can be mistaken for yet another atmospheric, delivery-driven “walking simulator,” sending players across vast landscapes with cargo strapped to their backs, but that surface impression barely hints at the depth beneath.
Building on the foundations of the original, the sequel introduces more complex systems, broader opportunities for exploration, and a stronger focus on improvisation and survival. Once again, Kojima centers the experience on human connection and the lengths people will go to create and preserve it. Every mechanic, from traversal to cargo management, serves a narrative function, supported by a cast whose performances rank among the strongest of the year.
1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Explaining why Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 stands as the game of the year is difficult—not because the reasons are few, but because they are abundant. This turn-based fantasy RPG combines a striking Belle Époque-inspired aesthetic with an emotionally charged story, while simultaneously redefining what modern turn-based combat can achieve.
Its combat design, world-building, and visual identity come together in a way that feels both fresh and timeless. It is rare for a debut project to display this level of confidence and polish, yet Sandfall Interactive accomplished exactly that. The French studio created an experience that is bold, beautiful, and unforgettable, and its record-breaking number of nominations at The Game Awards speaks for itself.
