1UP Vault's Top 12 Games of 2025
My favorite games of 2025
Note: I am basing this list on the 16 games I’ve played released in 2025. While this could change with any future play sessions, this is my 2025 favorite games list as of this article's publication. Also, this was an incredible year in gaming, a game may be lower than you expect, but really this was just a great year to be a gamer with lots of good stuff to play.
There will be MAJOR SPOILERS
12 - Mario Kart World
Nintendo
Mario Kart World was the big launch title for the Nintendo Switch 2 launch, a launch that did get criticism for its higher than expected prices and MK World’s eye-popping $80 price point if you didn’t get the bundle. That said, I had high hopes for Mario Kart World and expected another solid Mario Kart experience. Well… that’s exactly what I got, another solid Mario Kart experience, for better or worse. This game could and should have been a much bigger risk and evolution for the franchise, but I also can’t deny that it’s still that easy pick-up and play gameplay that makes it so easy to pour hours into, especially when facing other players. To make it even more of a special experience, this is the first game I’ve had several sessions with my daughter, and that in itself feels special enough to put it on the list. Does Mario Kart World change the formula in a new way? No. Is it still that same fun kart racer that’s easy to get lost in against family and friends? Absolutely.
11 - Doom: The Dark Ages
Bethesda, id Software
The modern Doom trilogy’s final game is a prequel set before the events of Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal. My hype meter for this one was off the charts, and when I got my hands on it, it was back to destroying demons, ripping and tearing, just like old times. Personally, I think this is the weakest entry of the three, but it’s still a heart pumping experience, with the music in the background, the onslaught of demons rushing towards you, and the ridiculous weapons. This time, we have a theme around medieval times that feels cool. Instead of a horse, you got a mech and a dragon. You also have a shield that later comes with chainsaw blades for bashing and parrying. There’s a nice touch of weapons with medieval settings, such as a flail, and the BGF is a bow! The story is better than expected, with a cast of side characters and a solid villain in Prince Ahzrak. Every step you take is that badass Doom action that oozes 1980s male dominated blockbuster feel that has made the franchise so fun to play.
10 - Avowed
Xbox Game Studios, Obsidian Entertainment
Set off to the Living Lands as the Envoy, a special messenger and investigator for the Empire. Tasked with dealing with the Dream Scourge, a plague that has spread in the new region, you’ll immediately have to deal with politics, imperialists, wildlife, and a mysterious voice inside your head. There are also several companions that join your quest and a number of different ways to deal with your enemies. Avowed’s story is pretty basic, and the companions’ quests are hit and miss, but what made Avowed for me is that it feels like a fantasy Fallout when it comes to exploring and looting. The world isn’t an open world, it goes for an open zone map. As you explore, you can bump into random encounters and places, and like Fallout, those stops can get interesting. The combat is also top notch, as you can dual-wield weapons and magic, which can be used for some unique attacks. While it did feel like there was more potential to be had by the end, I really liked my time with Avowed, and I hope Obsidian isn’t done with it yet.
9 - Hollow Knight: Silksong
Team Cherry
I haven’t had a love-hate relationship with a game like this since 2019’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. The one thing I will say is that Sekiro’s worst moments for me are because I struggled to understand the parrying gameplay, while Silksong is more of a case, in my opinion, of straight-up bad design. The flying enemies are practically broken, the run backs are abysmal, and the majority of bosses have too much HP and always add a move or two that is as cheap as they come. I nearly rage-quit this game, yet I made it all the way and beat it, even pulling off the optional Act 3.
Silksong’s best moments are in the exploration and combat when you’re not dealing with the flying enemies and most bosses. It has that same quality I loved in Hollow Knight, and while there were moments I HATED this game, there were also plenty of moments I loved it. The story has a good message in there about corrupt faith vs the faith of the pilgrims, Hornet is more interesting than she looks, Lace is a phenomenal character, Pharloom and your allies have personality, it’s beautiful to look at, and the bosses that didn’t make me want to throw my controller across the room are genuinely fun and interesting. Silksong ultimately tells the story of the weak becoming powerful, and Hornet’s quest to uplift Lace by the end. I should love it and have it as high as I did with Hollow Knight; I just wish the difficulty let me love it to that level.
8 - Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
Nintendo, Retro Studios
Metroid is my favorite video game franchise. If you had told me that the highly anticipated Metroid Prime 4 wouldn’t at least make my top five, I would call you a liar. Well, it’s my number eight. Now, there are several factors for this, such as the absolutely incredible year for games, and the fact that Metroid Prime 4 is (in my opinion) only higher than part 2 in the Prime series. The game’s open hub desert has its bright spots, like the awesome motorcycle, but it’s also barren and has so much backtracking that it makes your head spin. The Federation troopers are polarizing, and the lack of nostalgic callbacks like a Ridley brings the high moments down. With all that being said, I still freaking loved this game.
Being back in the shoes of Samus Aran in the first-person shooter adventure style that made me fall in love with the franchise is everything I had been waiting nearly two decades for. The game is surprisingly beautiful despite being made with the aging Nintendo Switch in mind, the boss fights are your typical fun Metroid battles, it still feels great to find powerups, and the music is absolutely killing it (I’m looking at you Volt Forge theme). The story controversially focuses a lot on a group of Federation Troopers, and frankly, I actually liked them. That’s not to say there aren’t “corny” moments, but I liked the personality and moments of levity that they brought, and I cared enough that I felt for them when they sacrificed leaving the planet to stop Sylux. It may not be a Metroid game in the level of Super Metroid or the original Metroid Prime, but it is a damn good entry into the series. Until next time Samus.
7 - South of Midnight
Xbox Game Studios, Compulsion Games
Hazel Flood’s journey through the south and the reimagined telling of folklore related to the region was the first game of the year that I just sat there after finishing, taking in how much I loved it. After a hurricane washes her mom and her house away, Hazel sets out to find her and ends up in a classic fish out of water story. Hazel is a Weaver who uses strands to take on Haints and fix torn souls. Along the way, she meets allies like the talkative Catfish, the voodoo-doll Crouton, and a cast of human characters who are all dealing with traumatic backstories. Hazel is also dealing with mythological beings, some good and some bad, like Two-Toed Tom, Hugging Molly, Rougarou, Altamaha-ha, Shakin’ Bones, Kooshma, and more. It also has great villains in Hazel’s grandmother, Bunny, and the charismatic Roux.
South of Midnight is a story and game that revolves around unique art and music. The art direction uses stop-motion animation alongside an interesting handcrafted storybook style. The music has original songs, each tied to a mythological creature, and they play at well-placed moments, a nod to some great game direction. That all comes together to give a story with beautiful art, great music, and some of the most memorable cast of characters of the year. And while I will admit the actual gameplay portions and combat are extremely generic, the rest makes up for it. It really does stand on its own as a beautiful game in so many ways. It’s a musical folktale.
6 - Dispatch
AdHoc Studio
Dispatch has my favorite character ensemble of the year, so much so that I had to cheat in my top 20 heroes list and bunch up the Z-Team together. In this choose your own adventure like game, you play as Robert Robertson III, a man who recently took over the superhero duties of piloting Mechaman. However, after a failed mission to bring down his father’s killer, he takes up an offer to join a dispatch network for heroes while they build him a new Mechaman. The problem for Robert is that he has to manage a team of former villains trying to reform. From there, he has to manage his job and his relationships with the Z-Team, former family friend Chase, and potential love interests, the superstar hero Blonde Blazer and Invisigal, who doesn’t believe she can be a hero.
Dispatch is ultimately a story about Robert being lifted up by the people around him, as he lifts up the members of the Z-Team. The team is constantly screwing up, mostly for comedy, but as the game progresses, there is real heart to this story. This is a cast of characters you grow to love, and they never get lost in the shuffle. Many modern TV shows can learn a lot from this. In the end, Robert turns the villains good, and your decisions can help Invisigal see that she is a hero. What Dispatch does right for me is show the true measure of what the superhero genre and story are about. It shows when Chase asks you why superheroes do what they do, and I answer, “It’s just the right thing to do.”
5 - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Kepler, Sandfall Interactive
The game that took the video game industry by storm, Expedition 33 is a game that is best described for me as my video game version of Game of Thrones or How I Met Your Mother, in that I loved the journey those stories told, but I wasn’t crazy about the ending, which did impact its placement on the list. Now, that doesn’t mean I hate the ending, I see it as an artistic bittersweet ending. No matter which you pick, I just don’t like those endings in any story. Biggest criticism out of the way, let’s talk about why, despite not being a fan of the ending, I still have it this high on my list. For starters, this game is gorgeous from art direction to graphics to the tone. It really shouldn’t shock us that the twist was that the world is a painting, because it literally feels like you are indeed inside a painting. The combat is incredible, blending the popular parrying mechanics of Soulslike titles with traditional turn-based RPG combat. I know this led to a lot of debates, but all I’m going to say is that the decision to add more to the turn-based combat makes it a little more interesting for gamers who aren’t fans of that genre.
The real winner of this game, however, is the cast of characters, the boss fights, and the music. This game has characters that will stand the test of time, alongside ensembles like Final Fantasy VII, Chrono Trigger, GTA V, Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Mass Effect. Verso and Maelle are going to take up a lot of younger gamers’ mindshare when they think of great RPG characters, the way my generation does when they think of Cloud. You can feel their emotions, and you laugh with them and cry with them. The boss fights are incredible, not just in the combat but in the spectacle they bring. Last but certainly not least is the music. I have the soundtrack for this game up there among the elites of my favorite video game soundtracks. I’m talking Final Fantasy VI, Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, Chrono Trigger, Super Mario RPG, Persona 5, and so on. The final boss score is up there with Dancing Mad as my pick for the greatest video game song of all time.
I may not be crazy about this game to the extent others are, but I still loved my journey through this world, the characters, the boss fights, and the awesome music. I’ve said this before, this will go down as a consequential game and is the equivalent of being there when Chrono Trigger was released. For those who come after.
4 - Donkey Kong Bananza
Nintendo
In a twist on the original 1981 classic, Donkey Kong Bananza has the big ape team up with Pauline rather than kidnap her. This time, Pauline is an aspiring teenage singer who is targeted by Void Kong, the leader of VoidCo, for her powers. The unlikely pair makes a journey to the center of the planet for the Banandium Root, which grants any wish you want. As a Nintendo and platform genre super fan, I freaking loved Donkey Kong Bananza. The game’s core mechanic is Donkey Kong’s ability to punch and break through everything you can see, which can be used in ways to get giant Banana gems and hear that sweet, “Oh Banana!” sound effect. It’s a new and well deserved formula for Miyamoto’s first real star.
However, where Donkey Kong Bananza really reaches the stratosphere and becomes an instant classic for me is the final act. Just when you think you’ve reached the end and it’s game over, the surprise of the decade happens as King K. Rool, long thought to be dead as far as Nintendo was concerned, makes his triumphant comeback to a mainline Donkey Kong game. Not just that, but the final level has the Kremlins come back, and man, it just becomes a bucket of nostalgia dumped on the player. It all ends in a climactic battle against DK’s nemesis and even a callback to the infamous fake-out ending from Donkey Kong Country.
This is the game Gen Alpha will be talking about as one of their childhood memories. It’s Donkey Kong, with solid level design, good art style, fun bosses, memorable moments, and a nuts in all the best ways finale. It’s Nintendo doing what Nintendo does best, create moments.
3 - and Roger
Kodansha, TearyHand Studio
There wasn’t a game that has made me as emotional as and Roger did. It’s hard to put into words what makes this game so special. You play as an unknown female character who seems to be confused and doesn’t seem to know what she’s doing. Along with that, she’s dealing with a mysterious man who she thinks is trapping her. However, as you play, you realize your character is dealing with dementia, and the titular Roger is your husband who is struggling to take care of you. This is a deeply moving game that tackles dementia and the struggles it has on the sufferer and the people around them. However, I would argue that it’s really a story about love. Roger is shown to be struggling to deal with his wife’s disease; we see him pray and try his best to do what’s right. We even see him give up and despair. In the end, Roger comes back even when she doesn’t recognize him. I can’t tell you how many times I had to put my Switch 2 down to prevent myself from just losing it and crying my eyes out. This is one of those games that you provide to show that this genre is art and can move you and inspire you.
2 - Ghost of Yotei
Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sucker Punch Productions
The sequel to my 2020 favorite game, Ghost of Yotei follows the story of Atsu on her quest for revenge after her family was slaughtered by the Yotei Six, led by Lord Saito. This game plays similarly to its predecessor but, in my opinion, has a better story and cast of characters. Atsu’s arc is about letting go of revenge and accepting the possibility of a new life, moving beyond the demons of her past. There are also other great allies, like Jubei, Atsu’s thought to be dead brother who is now a samurai; Oyuki, the former Kitsune; Kiku, Atsu’s similar-in-spirit niece; and a ton of people helping, all unique in personality. The Yotei Six are formidable villains, with the Spider coming out as the most interesting to me, although Saito makes a strong mark, and it feels good to take him out at the end
Where Ghost of Yotei becomes an instant classic for me is the evolution of Atsu, whom I named my 2025 Hero of the Year. She starts out obsessed with revenge, almost an addiction. However, you also see that heart of gold that comes from her upbringing, even letting some bounties escape or understanding what happened to them. Atsu also learns about forgiveness, something that’s hard for anyone to do, with some major story arcs around it involving Oyuki and The Spider. The open world gameplay is addicting for those who can get lost in open world survival style games, which I absolutely am one of those people. The combat hits a little bit harder than Ghost of Tsushima, with varying stances and weapons, but it is a bit harder in difficulty and has more story related to an optional wolf ally.
Atsu’s story of revenge may be predictable, especially among today’s PlayStation exclusives, but its execution and story nailed it for me. We see Atsu go from an Onryo looking to kill anything in her way to a new role as an aunt to her orphaned niece. Jubei’s words are the central message of the game - to fight for the living.
1 - Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Sony Interactive Entertainment, Kojima Productions
Admitting something here, I didn’t personally play the original Death Stranding. I watched one of my favorite Let’s Players on YouTube at the time play through the game, and I loved the story and found the gameplay to be interesting. The moment a sequel was announced, I knew I would pick it up. Man... I’m glad I did. We pick up nearly a year after the events of Death Stranding, with Sam and Lou living alone. Fragile approaches Sam with an opportunity to connect Mexico, and when he completes the mission, Fragile and Lou are hunted down by a mysterious group that proceeds to kill Lou. After going into a state of depression, Sam goes on a journey to connect Australia, led by the new President. On his journey, Sam connects with allies such as Rainy, who has a healing version of Timefall; Dollman, who acts as a guide and psychiatrist; Tomorrow, a mysterious girl from another world; and old allies such as Heartman.
The gameplay was new for me since I’ve never actually got my hands on it, and I liked it. Now, I know this one helps you with your deliveries more than the original did, at least early on, but I liked the vibe of just going for a walk and hearing music in the background. Sure, you still need to watch out for other humans and the ghostly BTs, but there was a vibe to every delivery, especially when you had to think about how to deal with various tough terrains and constant timefall rain. The combat is underrated, with pretty good gunplay and weapons, and the game is more forgiving than the first by giving you weapons where you don‘t have to worry about killing humans and triggering BTs.
Like any Hideo Kojima game, Death Stranding 2 is ultimately about its story more than anything, with a focus on unique (and sometimes crazy) characters. Higgs makes a comeback here, and I am serious when I say this may be the best performance that Troy Baker has ever given. He’s the same Higgs, but he’s a little crazier and has a Joker aspect to him, without it feeling like a clone. Every moment he’s on screen, he dominates it as one of the decade’s best villains. It all comes to a head in a climactic battle as Sam faces Higgs on the Beach in one of the craziest boss fights ever. You’re using a guitar that shoots out lightning and engaging in a musical battle against Higgs to stop him and save Tomorrow. It’s ridiculous, but it’s also freaking awesome.
Death Stranding 2 asks us from the get-go if we should have connected. Human connection is a big part of this game. The answer to the AI-like APAS is Die-Hardman doing a silly dance, but that silly dance is the symbol of the human soul over a machine-like entity. Higgs believes in a nihilistic world that should end, where we should NOT have any human connection. However, Sam, despite everything he’s been through and his introverted personality, chooses that we SHOULD have connected and saves humanity from a stranding event yet again. When we grow and connect, we open ourselves up to evil people and evil things; as the President says, the more ropes we use, the more sticks become important. Despite this, Kojima’s message is that even with the potential for evil, we should connect. We need human connection to grow, learn, and live life.
Death Stranding 2 is a game about connection, and by the end, it has an ending that hits incredibly hard if you’re a parent. The symbolism in this game is too much to count and explain in one post. It’s a human story, but also about a father and daughter, a woman who acts like a mother to many, and a man seeking redemption. It’s one of the more human stories I’ve seen in gaming. Should we have connected? Yes, and that’s coming from someone with social anxiety.
I had never heard of and Roger, but your description of it reminded me of a film called The Father which was about the same subject matter. I'll think about playing that one.
Excellent rundown and great synopses for the games!