The Top Ten Games of 2025

Split Fiction was released during a strange period for Game Informer, as we were in the midst of our relaunch and were unable to give developer Hazelight’s latest co-op adventure a proper review. But that doesn’t mean we ignored it, and it’s finally time to give this excellent co-op adventure its due. Split Fiction is the exclamation point of Hazelight’s trilogy of two-player adventures, boasting the incredible depth of gameplay styles of its predecessor, It Takes Two, and, somehow, expanding it.

The premise of two fiction authors exploring virtual worlds themed after their chosen genres – science fiction and high fantasy – lends itself to twice the gameplay variety as players weave in and out of these disparate genres in endlessly exciting ways. From a brilliant mission tasking one player with driving a gravity bike while another navigates cellphone captcha systems to disarm obstructing bombs to a cheerful farm romp as pigs that takes a humorously dark turn, we struggle to think of co-op mechanics more consistently creative and inventive. And just when you think the game couldn’t possibly have any more ideas up its sleeve, a fantastic final act manages to flip everything you thought you’d mastered on its head.

Split Fiction’s story is also worth highlighting. Despite its cliched setup, with the affable fantasy-loving Zoe and reserved sci-fi enthusiast Mio butting heads as they try to find common ground, the story gradually peels back their layers to reveal surprisingly effective emotional cores. While It Takes Two stumbled in handling its narrative’s subject matter, Split Fiction does a better job with its heavier themes.

Split Fiction is a blast, and the fact that you can share its thrills with a good buddy makes it all the sweeter.

Split Fiction

Platform:

PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, PC

Release Date:

March 6, 2025 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC), 

June 5, 2025 (Switch 2)

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In a year of exceptional mystery titles, the first to utterly consume us was The Roottrees Are Dead. When the CEO of a wealthy candy corporation perishes in a plane crash alongside his family, it ignites an engrossing mystery centered on finding every blood relative to fill an expansive family tree. This search for answers hooked us for hours and became our first obsession of 2025.

Using a late ’90s search engine to uncover relatives’ names, occupations, and relationships is a nostalgic and compelling treat. Inspecting numerous periodicals chronicling the Roottrees’ family dynasty, a tell-all book from a disgruntled family member, and even musical tracks, is consistently rewarding because every sentence, photo, or lyric can contain vital clues hiding in plain sight. The game excels at laying well-connected breadcrumbs that encourage critical and creative thinking, engendering countless “a ha!” moments without ever being too obvious. You earn every revelation, and few games match the dopamine high that comes from nailing an educated hunch.

Even when we were stumped, our fascination with the Roottrees as personalities kept us going. From the Olsen twins-esque celebrity sisters at the story’s center to a classic Hollywood starlet to a televangelist, learning about each family member and their often contentious relationships with each other is fascinating. And just when we thought we were done, the emergence of an entirely new, more challenging second campaign felt like opening a surprise Christmas gift.

The Roottrees Are Dead was the first surprise in a year defined by them. We’ve spent months singing its praises, and we’ll say it again: don’t sleep on this captivating mystery, especially those who fancy themselves puzzle fans.

The Roottrees Are Dead

Platform:

PC

Release Date:

January 15, 2025

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The reemergence of the Shinobi franchise proved extraordinarily successful as Streets of Rage 4 developer Lizardcube brought its signature hand-drawn aesthetic and tight gameplay to the fast-paced action-platforming genre. The collaboration with Sega proved fruitful, delivering one of the best ninja games of all time. Taking on hordes of formidable foes and beastly bosses feels incredible thanks to an outstanding rollout of powerful ninja abilities and customizable loadouts that let you equip the powers you find most effective.

Those loadouts aren’t just for show, as Shinobi: Art of Vengeance will push your skills to the limit. Thanks to superb mobility and a sophisticated combo-driven combat system, even the most white-knuckled encounters avoid feeling insurmountable. That is especially true for the sometimes absurd boss battles, which often challenge your pattern recognition skills and reaction times in memorable ways. Every hard-fought victory feels like a personal triumph, while every bitter defeat – of which there will be many – is a personal failing you can learn from and immediately apply to your next attempt.

En route to those encounters and boss fights, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance’s elevated level design perfectly balances the core linearity with meaningful exploration that constantly pulls you off the beaten path in pursuit of skill-enhancing collectibles, upgrades, and challenge rooms. No matter what reward awaits you at the end, the platforming challenges, exciting encounters, and absolutely gorgeous visuals make the journey worth it.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance brings series protagonist Joe Musashi back with, well, a vengeance, thanks to eye-popping visuals, adrenaline-pumping music, rewarding exploration, brilliantly designed stages, and some of the best 2D combat in recent memory. The series has been dormant for over a decade, but this long-awaited revival doesn’t miss a single beat. In a year full of both ninja games and 2D action titles, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance stands out in the crowd and easily earns a spot alongside the other best games of 2025.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance

Platform:

PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC

Release Date:

August 29, 2025

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Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is both the ideal sequel, improving on its predecessor in nearly every way, and one of the most immersive RPGs ever made. Though its cinematic setpieces might tease a more traditional Western RPG adventure to an outsider looking in, KCDII is actually an immersive sim that breaches into digital LARP territory in fantastic fashion. It is difficult, challenging, and begs you to pay attention to the details. There is much to learn in the game, but the tough lessons it doles out throughout its 65 hours all serve the greater purpose of creating a true epic.

Every single thing you do in the game is intrinsically tied to its various other systems, creating the ultimate role-playing experience. Though you don’t create the protagonist, your Henry will vastly differ from ours, and your every action determines that. If you want to be a better swordsman, use swords; if you want to perfect alchemy, make more potions; if you want to be a better blacksmith, head to the anvil; and if you want to be a smooth-talking, charismatic knight looking to turn his recent bad luck around, well, you can do that too.

Deliverance II is an adventure of tantalization that rarely fails to meet the moment, allowing us to densely fill in the pages between the in media res opening and the events surrounding it. We were challenged and impressed with how confidently developer Warhorse Studios wields its RPG prowess throughout KCDII. And the rest of the package, from the painterly visuals to the invigorating score to its wide-ranging cast of characters, deftly rises to the occasion to match it, just as the world surrounding Henry did with whatever plans we concocted. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II demands a lot from the player, but rewards them in kind with an unforgettable journey that pushes the genre forward.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

Platform:

PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC

Release Date:

February 4, 2025

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2016’s The Division was a successful shooter in its own right, but one of its most celebrated innovations was the inclusion of a “Dark Zone” where players sought to retrieve high-end rewards while risking danger and loss from fellow exploring player teams. Alongside titles like Escape From Tarkov, other games have attempted to capture the magic of the extraction shooter concept, but few have zeroed in on the potential fun in the same way as Arc Raiders.

Arc Raiders reveals its quality early on, boasting gorgeous visuals and smartly paced action, which balances stealth exploration with the tense punctuation of high-octane gun and melee combat. Players take on the role of human survivors after a disaster has sent everyone into hiding underground. The only way to obtain resources is to brave the dangers of a surface world overwhelmed by AI-controlled robots, alongside other human survivors played by real people, also seeking to snag the best loot – potentially by taking it from you.

The third-person combat is tense and fast-paced, demanding you make careful use of limited ammo and other weapons to come out on top. The different locations you visit are also visually distinct and compelling, ranging from a fascinating spaceport to a vibrant, lush valley of trees. A thoughtfully crafted questing and progression system also ensures a rewarding experience when played in the long term.

But above all of that, it’s the emergent nature of Arc Raider’s individual excursions that make it so memorable. The PvE elements are heightened by an incredibly sophisticated approach to enemy AI; the robotic constructs you must face have an uncanny ability to track and work together to bring you down. The PvP component is equally fascinating, since the game offers plenty of big rewards for players who choose to forego shooting each other in favor of tense alliances to retrieve the good stuff. Of course, the frequent betrayal of those alliances is all part of the tension and danger. When combined, it’s a slick and intense formula that is hard to deny.

Arc Raiders

Platform:

PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC

Release Date:

October 30, 2025

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After a seemingly interminable wait, the long-anticipated sequel to Hollow Knight arrived in September, offering ample support to the old adage about good things coming to those who wait.

Building on its predecessor, Silksong is a masterful presentation in rewarding exploration, precision combat, and epic world-building. It’s also incredibly challenging, demanding that its players nail split-second reaction times in battle, learn complicated jump-run sequences, and confront devastating bosses that can take dozens of tries to surmount.

For those willing to brave the difficulty, Hollow Knight: Silksong extends out as a truly sprawling adventure. Even after reaching the first ending of the game – which can be a grueling but intensely satisfying path in its own right – many dozens of hours still lie ahead of new bosses, zones to discover, and additional lore to uncover.

No matter what your level of commitment to full completion, Silksong keeps players motivated with a steady drip of new abilities, locations to visit, and storytelling to witness. When you finally acquire a double jump, or push past into the Citadel that has been just out of reach for the early hours of the game, you know that you’ve earned the privilege because of the tasks you undertook to get there.

Hollow Knight: Silksong may be difficult, but it’s a game that feels crafted and intentional from beginning to end. The adventure of a little bug named Hornet somehow injects more emotional depth, sense of history, and pathos than many dozens of other games that try to do so with more traditional human settings and characters. If you’re ready to get lost in the enchantment of this dark but beautiful kingdom, and you have the patience to persevere in the face of a tough road, few games can match the sense of accomplishment and discovery.

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Platform:

PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC

Release Date:

September 4, 2025

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There isn’t another game like Blue Prince. Combining the best of roguelikes, puzzle games, and adventure games, it has players explore a 45-room mansion to find a mysterious 46th room. The catch is that the rooms randomize each day. When you come to a door, you’ll have to choose one of three floor plans to draft in order to form a path to the end of the manor. Since each room has varying numbers and positions of exits and entrances, it’s kind of like building a maze as you search it. Each room, however, has puzzles of its own, either rewarding the player with resources to get to later rooms or providing clues to the game’s overarching mystery.

While the basic drafting gameplay is both fun and engaging, it’s that larger puzzle that truly makes Blue Prince one of a kind. It’s a game in which you’ll need to take notes while playing, but one that rewards you heavily for doing so. Completing puzzles makes you feel like an obsessed detective in a noir film with a board covered in red string. When the stars align and you solve one of the game’s mysteries, it’s a triumph, making the player feel like an actual genius. It’s immersive in the truest sense of the word; you, the player, are the one solving mysteries.

The downside is that many puzzles are reliant on luck. If you set out to search for one specific mystery, odds are you’ll find yourself frustrated by the whims of fate, but Blue Prince has so many overarching puzzles that dedicated players will always find something new to investigate if they pay attention. Pair that with a haunting atmosphere and soundtrack, a clouded family history, and a buried tale of revolution, and Blue Prince becomes a sprawling epic disguised as a humble puzzle game. No matter how you perceive it, it’s one of the most memorable games of the year.

Blue Prince

Platform:

PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Mac

Release Date:

April 10, 2025 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC), 

December 15, 2025 (Mac)

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When Sucker Punch Productions announced that its follow-up to the excellent 2020 Ghost of Tsushima would take place hundreds of years later and be fully disconnected from Jin Sakai’s story, we were surprised but understanding. Ghost of Yōtei follows a new protagonist, Atsu, in a new section of Japan, Ezo, and the separation from the previous game allowed us to fully immerse ourselves in her narrative without any baggage from the last game, to significant effect.

Atsu’s story of revenge against the people who took her family from her when she was a child is not an unfamiliar one within the samurai genre (or even other Sony games), but it is so expertly executed that we quickly became fully invested. Moving back and forth between Atsu’s past and present to understand how her childhood experiences shaped the adult she became is moving, and seeing her journey unfold is heartbreaking, satisfying, and exciting.

Fighting as Atsu is equally impressive, thanks to a smart system of weapon swapping that ensures you’re constantly changing up your approach and paying attention, without making the challenge overwhelming or unfair.

And when you’re not focused on the story or fighting, as any good open-world game allows, exploring Ezo is thrilling and always surprising. Few sidequests feel the same, and the way it constantly puts interesting distractions in front of you is a showcase of innovative game design. And on those occasions where you do want to avoid distractions, fast-travel is instantaneous, meaning there is never a loading screen to slow you down.

It all adds up to an expertly paced experience that is difficult to put down once you start playing.

Ghost of Yōtei

Platform:

PlayStation 5

Release Date:

October 2, 2025

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Hades II is the sequel to one of the most acclaimed roguelikes of all time, but it takes more than that to be recognized as one of our favorite games of the year. At every turn, it iterates and evolves past its predecessor’s formula, somehow offering even more content with a finer level of detail. Combat feels better, with a magic meter and omega moves that promote greater build diversity. It offers a broader perspective on Supergiant’s interpretation of Greek mythology, expanding the lore about the universe’s past and present. Hades II even looks better, both from the isometric camera overseeing battles and in the stunning character designs seen in dialogue. It’s got a fantastic soundtrack, inventive bosses, and even stellar voice acting, but none of those facts are why the game is so special.

What sets Hades II apart is how rewarding it is over time. Every run, every boss fight, every chamber, and every attack Melinoë attempts is expertly crafted to excite and engage the player. Even runs that end in death quickly spin into rewards, allowing the player to see more of the story and redeem their upgrades gathered in their journey into the Underworld. Players in Hades II gather multiple currencies, gifts to raise relationships, new weapons, resources to upgrade those weapons, fish, plants, familiars, and more, and it’s all presented in a way that’s not overwhelming, but endlessly engaging. There is always a reason to play another run, to try a new build, to take a new risk, and no matter the outcome, any potential frustration is promptly dashed away by shiny new toys and upgrades.

To do all of this at a step above the original Hades, Hades II not only earns a spot as one of the best games of the year, but a seat amongst the pantheon of the greatest roguelikes of all time.

Hades II

Platform:

Switch 2, Switch, PC

Release Date:

September 25, 2025

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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 feels like it came out of nowhere. Built by a comparatively small team considering the scale of the game, Clair Obscur hooks you in during its opening minutes by showcasing a wonderfully realized world grappling with an impossible situation. And it doesn’t hurt that its art direction is also beautiful. We were optimistic about the game when it was first revealed, but we did not expect it to enthrall us so thoroughly throughout its RPG experience.

The citizens of Clair Obscur are waging an arduous war against The Paintress, who, for years, has been dictating what age everyone dies. The number keeps getting smaller with each passing year, and every expedition to combat her never returns. Yet, despite this incredibly dour world, Clair Obscur’s excellently performed cast delivers a delightful adventure that explores the spectrum of human emotion, from joy to depression. Its twists are earned and wholly affecting, its conclusion is thrilling and surprising, and its combat is a blast.

Even if the story doesn’t pull you in, which is unlikely, facing enemies is always exciting and incredibly rewarding. Players uncover an RPG where you can grind and level up to make your party unstoppable, but you can also rely on your wits and counters to stay alive, or kit out your crew to exploit whatever loopholes you manage to find.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the kind of experience that defines the year it was released and if you see it to the credits, you won’t soon forget about it. Its themes of sacrifice and of appreciating the world around you are relevant and fulfilling; its characters are easy to fall in love with; and its soundtrack is fantastic. It has been an amazing year for video games, but Clair Obscur managed to stand out from the competition.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Platform:

PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC

Release Date:

April 24, 2025

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