I've played 35 new releases this year, but I've spent a lot of time doing stuff I didn't think I'd like. I've tried a lot of games that ended up not being for me (sorry Dragon's Dogma 2), but there are currently three games in my top ten that I was sure I wasn't going to get much out of when I launched them. first time up.
If you take the time to read my list (or the rest of TheGamer's here), I implore you to play something new in 2025, even if you're sure it won't be your thing. who knows You might be wrong and find out how good Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is. Or maybe you'll be proven right, I totally called it Dragon's Dogma again.
10
Marvel Rivals
Is it weird to put on a top ten list because it only came out a week ago? Probably, but it takes up all my gaming time in December, so I think Marvel Rivals something right. It's amazing how capturing the appeal of Overwatch is as simple as doing exactly what Overwatch did eight years ago (we're all old, trust me, I know), without any of the tweaking that Blizzard ended up doing to destroy its cash cow .
It remains to be seen if Marvel Rivals will stand the test of time – Overwatch certainly won't for me – but I'm having fun with it right now, which just so happens to be writing this list. If you're the main Iron Fist, you're going to hell.
9
Silent Hill 2 (New)
I had Silent Hill 2 as my most anticipated game of the year in 2024, but not because I expected it to be good. I've been eagerly anticipating the Silent Hill 2 remake because I have a morbid fascination with car wreck games – games that are disasters that I can't help but overanalyze in YouTube videos.
To my surprise, Silent Hill 2 is an extremely thoughtful retelling of the original game (an already thoughtful exploration of pain and self-sabotage.) I don't know if it's a remake that adds something essential that the original game lacked, but it certainly sets the tone, and I believe that Luke Roberts as James is the best performance of the year.
8
1000x Res
There were a few games this year that got better the more time I spent away from them. 1000xResist is a meditation on, well, many stuff, but even though it's a sci-fi game with some Christopher Nolan-worthy ideas, the sections that resonated with me the most had nothing to do with replicants, time travel, or anything like that.
They were small, self-reflective moments about motherhood and how we often see our biggest faults passed down from our parents, who got them from their own parents. I'm still working on unpacking all of this and how it applies to my own life.
7
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is an action-tactical tower defense game that—no wait, stop driving—is really good! This was one of those games I tried that I knew I wouldn't like, but turned out to absolutely love. It's a really great example of what kinds of great mechanical ideas can be created when you let a big studio like Capcom work on something smaller that isn't related to one of its mega franchises.
Despite the fact that they couldn't be more different, Kunitsu-Gami reminds me of HiFi Rush in this regard. More stuff like this! More new ideas from triple-A studios! I want the games to be weirder!
6
Balatro
I think I would put Balatro higher on this list if I was good at math. Unfortunately, my real-world knowledge (or rather lack thereof) of order of operations and how exponents work means I can't even understand the high-level Balatro runs I've seen circulating on Twitter, but that doesn't make sense to me. Doesn't mean I didn't have fun with it.
That's one of the things I like most about Balatra, high level endless runs are good and good for people who understand the deeper “programming” you can do with different Jokers to exploit the system with math, but for big stupid idiots like me, I can be content knowing that the Wheel of Fortune one in four card is a complete scam.
5
Animal well
The less you know about Animal Well, the better time you'll have. It's a puzzle platformer that has a depth that is completely hidden to anyone who isn't looking for it. It's a game where you really have to want to dig deep to even begin to understand what the puzzles are asking of you, as many of them aren't obvious unless you think outside the box.
I think one puzzle literally prints something from your physical printer (if you have one, I assume), but you might never know it's that deep if you're only playing the games for the sake of throwing credits. If you are going to try Animal Well, take your time, give it the time it deserves.
4
Mouth rinse
Mouthwashing is the best written game of the year. Based on a tried and true premise (a small cast of characters stranded in a spaceship with no hope of rescue), it tells a mature story about the pain we inflict on each other and how action, and often inaction, can be the catalyst for complete disintegration. relationships.
The real story is told through implication and deduction in a way that needs to be taken apart to be understood, while threading a thin needle that it isn't convoluted. It took me about two hours to finish and once it was over I sat in silence with my mouth hanging open for what felt like the next two.
3
Persona 3 Reload
To be completely honest, Metaphor: ReFantazio just didn't do it for me, and I can't really explain why. As disappointing as it was, I could take solace in the fact that Atlus fed me another deliciously tasty 80-hour JRPG earlier in the year in Persona 3 Reload.
While I wish it could work around some of the issues that have been present in previous versions of Persona 3 (like the fact that there can be a point in the game where there is literally nothing to do at night), this seems like a great way to go. for newer fans to experience a more classic entry into the Persona series. I haven't stopped listening to the remastered soundtrack since the game came out, I think it has some of the best intimate stories in the series and a killer ending that really drives home the point of the whole game.
2
Helldivers 2
Every match in Helldivers 2 feels like the climactic ending of another video game. It's designed to feel like every single thing is going to go wrong at every single moment, and that the only way out is to find a bomb big enough to wipe you out as well as a legion of bugs or mosses that endlessly knock you off the map. And it's beautiful.
I've never laughed more playing games with my friends, and even though our sessions have slowed down in some cases, it's still a game that whenever I revisit it, I understand what makes it so special. Helldivers 2 is all about making huge mistakes and saving yourself from them by making even bigger mistakes with even bigger bombs.
1
Lorelei and laser eyes
My favorite kinds of games are the ones that demand the player's undivided attention, and Lorelei and the Laser Eyes requires just that. It's a puzzle game that encourages you to play with pencil and paper, and honestly, I don't see how anyone could finish this thing without it. The chilling atmosphere and booming soundtrack raise every hair on my body every time I finish a puzzle and a faceless man in a suit appears to give another eyebrow-raising piece of advice. While I won't spoil it for you here, the final puzzle of this game is one of the best ending sequences in any game I've ever played.
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes basically looks at the player right across the screen and says, “Do you have it all? Well, it's time to prove it.” I cannot recommend this game enough to anyone interested in taking logical deduction seriously. In my mind, it stands on a high pedestal next to Return of the Obra Dinn, the puzzle game by which all other games in the genre will be judged .The only criticism I have of the game is that it doesn't have an ending at all and it's not just an endless series of quality puzzles that I can spend the rest of my life solving.