And so passes another year of a very exhausting time period in which to be alive! Though everything seems sort of awful almost all the time, many exceptional video games were released to help keep me and many others sane as we push through this wacky little blip in human history. As I often say, “a Dragon Quest a year helps the melancholy clear.”
10 – Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
I had sort of assumed that Metroid Prime 4 would never come out, so I was almost surprised that it did. Still, I’m glad it came out, as, despite some pacing issues towards the end and a more linear structure, there’s a lot of atmospheric excellence present in the final product. I’m certainly curious about past versions of the game, but I think the game we got is still worth your time if you’ve been waiting for it. Now we can hopefully get more Metroid Prime titles with a bit more frequency.
9 – Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
It goes without saying that I love Sonic the Hedgehog, though I’m, admittedly, not a huge racing game fan. That being said, something about the manic and colorful racing that Sonic Racing CrossWorlds peddles is too exciting for me to pass up. Dashing through all sorts of memorable Sonic areas with a huge range of memorable characters from throughout the series is delightful, as is the pre-race banter between the whole roster.
I’d love to see the game expand into a more general Sega direction, but even just sticking to the Sonic stuff, this is a fantastic kart racer that really focuses on its own strengths rather than lazily aping Mario Kart, as so many others do. As long as you’re okay with a lot of visual stimulation, you should really check out Sonic Racing CrossWorlds.
8 – Pokémon Legends: Z-A
Though I do think Game Freak could certainly do more when it comes to Pokémon in general, Pokémon Legends: Z-A did pleasantly surprise me with a lot of its features. I really dug the previous Legends game, and though the move to a single city concerned me, I did find it to be quite enjoyable to explore every nook and cranny while hunting wild Pokémon. The faster gameplay was also a neat change-up, making it more in-line with the anime.
Additionally, hunting shiny Pokémon has gotten more straightforward than ever, as has making your party’s natures, moves, and abilities exactly the way you want. I was also surprised by how much I enjoyed the narrative, which picked up on a lot of threads from Pokémon X and Y. I’ll probably be returning to Z-A for a good while, or at least until Gen 10.
7 – Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
I fear the day when a Yakuza title comes out and doesn’t make it on my GOTY list, though I can’t imagine such a vile thing ever happening. This is especially true when these Like a Dragon games embrace such insane ideas as making Majima an amnesiac pirate. Truly, the series is the gift that just keeps giving, between the turn-based RPGs and beat-em-up entries.
As always, the delightful mix of melodrama and comedy works wonderfully, and being able to sail the seas with your motley crew of weirdos feels both incredibly goofy and perfectly in-line with the world of Yakuza. I love getting these smaller games between the big releases, and I hope we keep getting such adventures for years to come.
Credit: Aniplex
6 – The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy
Having 100 endings to any game is already pretty nuts, but having an entire, fully-formed game that combines tactical gameplay with a visual novel – filled with memorable characters – makes the whole venture even more impressive. There’s lots of DNA from both Danganronpa and Zero Escape, showing off both Kazutaka Kodaka and Kotaro Uchikoshi’s talents.
I think the greatest strength of The Hundred Line, which helps make the 100 endings so impressive, is the cast. Each character is so unique and able to stand out even amongst numerous similarly wacky foils, and the way that the story develops as you undertake numerous playthroughs is an impressive feat. It’s certainly one of the most unique games of 2025, and I hope Too Kyo Games gets to do more with the series, should they choose to.
5 – Silent Hill f
Unlike 2024’s Silent Hill 2 remake, I was not experiencing any form of depressive episode while playing Silent Hill f, but I still had a wonderfully spooky time! Seeing a Silent Hill game that is unapologetically Japanese in both its narrative themes and horror was fascinating, as I’m so accustomed to the series’ takes on more American culture. Hinako and her friends really grew on me as I took on two playthroughs, making every plot development more tragic than the last.
Combining the societal pressures that women in 1960s Japan faced with the blood-curdling horror that Silent Hill is so known for was a genius move, and it pays off so incredibly well. I’m looking forward to doing more playthroughs later on to get more of the endings, even if they all end up being similarly tragic. It was also wonderful to get a new, fully original Silent Hill game after all this time. I hope the series continues with fresh installments like Silent Hill f going forward, and that this renaissance of Konami releases continues on for a good while.
4 – Donkey Kong Bananza
I’ve played Donkey Kong games since the Donkey Kong Country series as a kid, so I have quite the connection to the big ape and his many companions and foes. I even loved the janky, weird, and very memorable 3D-animated show (truly, one of the greatest things my beloved country of Canada was ever involved in). Donkey Kong Bananza was a wonderful celebration of all that came before that simultaneously embraces fresh new ideas for Donkey Kong as a series – a tricky balance to pull off.
Bonanza ended up being one of the most purely fun games of 2025, mixing chaotic and satisfying destruction mechanics with open-area exploration and platforming that I simply couldn’t get enough of. Sure, I’d love to see more of the many, many, many Kongs show up (Swanky Kong, my beloved), but the new characters (and new-ish one, Paula) work well as their own things, and the final boss is simply perfect. And the soundtrack? Holy moly. This was the game that really made the Nintendo Switch 2 feel like a worthwhile early purchase, and I imagine it’ll stay that way for a good while yet.
3 – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
While I disagree with the bizarrely popular sentiment that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 means that “RPGs are back” (I promise you guys, they never left, we get multiple excellent ones a year), the game that’s the subject of that thought is indeed brilliant. I read that Sandfall Interactive was heavily inspired by Final Fantasy X, and it shows in a lot of swell ways. From the bittersweet narrative to the sharply refined turn-based gameplay, Clair Obscur is packed to the gills with many boons that parallel Final Fantasy X.
The entire cast is so likeable that the tragedy they face down feels far more threatening, while the little upbeat things like Esquie and the dynamics between the core group keep things from ever feeling overwhelmingly dour. Once I got used to the timing of the parry system, I had a blast trying to avoid every hit I could, and I like that this more active element simply complemented the slower, turn-based combat. I can’t wait to see what Sandfall does next, as this is a wildly great first showing.
2 – Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake
I mean, of course, these are on here. I live and bleed for Dragon Quest, and will do so until I’m buried in this beautiful, awful Earth! This applies to remakes, too – especially ones as meticulously made as Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake. I loved playing the remake of III in late 2024, and couldn’t wait to experience the rest of the Erdrick Trilogy in a similar form. Thankfully, I got even more than I could have wanted.
Though Dragon Quest I receives plenty of loving upgrades that make the story more robust and the gameplay more varied, the lion’s share of sheer, crazy upgrades go to Dragon Quest II. I struggled to get into the original in a way I never did when playing Dragon Quest I, so experiencing this remarkably definitive version of II was like playing a whole new game. The characters are far more fleshed out, the gameplay is much smoother and more enjoyable, and the story feels epic and emotional in a new way. Genuinely, it’s like an entirely new game, as what was achieved with Dragon Quest II in this package is nothing short of top-notch.
1 – Digimon Story: Time Stranger
And there it is – the best game of 2025 in the objective and always-true eyes of Spencer P. W. Legacy: Digimon Story: Time Stranger. I’ve been a Digimon stan for exactly as long as I’ve been a Pokémon one, as the late ‘90s were a wonderful time to be a child who enjoyed creature-collecting franchises. Though the Cyber Sleuth games were a blast, seeing the Digimon Story series take such a huge step forward with Time Stranger has truly done my heart good.
And that step was certainly enormous! There are so many Digimon to get and use – each with their own voices and special attack animations – that I was in heaven for the entirety of my playthrough. Maybe it’s partially because I played the game a ridiculous amount in a week for the review embargo, but I was legitimately seeing Digivolution charts when I closed my eyes. I’d go back and forth with my Digimon to make them all the craziest Megas I could, creating a team of my favorites that simply blasted through most foes.
The way that the Digimon franchise often handles more mature stories continues to be a pleasant contrast to the equally enjoyable and more straightforward Pokémon stories, so this year was truly a stacked one for someone like me. Seeing Time Stranger take on ideas like the depressingly realistic issues that would come with trying to integrate a new lifeform into society was surprising, but pulled off quite well. So many different Digimon throughout the story charmed me and made me care about their circumstances, so I never got tired of the pretty lengthy narrative. I can’t wait for the next Digimon Story game, and I’ll be digging into all of Time Stranger’s DLC in the meantime.
