2025 wasn’t the greatest year of all time, but at least I had some video games to distract myself. Video games can be pretty neat! Here are my top ten favorites from this year, and why it’s the case. Hope your 2025 was okay too!
10 - Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
A bit surprised about how quickly that spinoff got out the door; playing as an amnesiac Majima in the open seas (with fun boat combat) and in Hawaii was a good time. Managed to do pretty much everything in the game and had some good laughs here and there. The fact this this was “just” a side story that didn’t advance any real narrative in a meaningful way on the grand Yakuza timeline did dampen my amusement just a little!
9 - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
I’m a huge fan of turn-based RPGs and there should be everything for me in Expedition 33; With an interesting setting, diverse characters with unique gameplay systems, a mechanic to learn new passive skills that reminds me of FF9, good music and a lot of stuff to do, it really was a shame that I couldn’t get the hang of parrying (or any defensive action) at all. For a game where your attacks are timed with clear on-screen prompts, having your defenses be a mess of reading animations and getting absolutely bodied - at least, for certain challenging encounters - if you’re not good at that kind of thing, it ended up being a frustrating let down on that front.
8 - No Sleep for Kaname Date – From AI: The Somnium Files
Suffering a bit from the same narrative issue as Pirate Majima, this entry in the Somnium Files franchise is slotted between two games as a side thing, so nothing of deep story significance can happen; Spending some time with Date, Ryuki and the gang is pretty fun, and the puzzles had a good layer of that Uchikoshi escape room quality, but the stakes were really low so it grabbed me less in that way.
7 - Shuten Order
A strange combination of visual novel with light gameplay elements of various types - from a dating sim to some kind of maze puzzle - Shuten Order had an overall very interesting premise, good characters and a few neat plot twists here and there. I really enjoyed what it tried to do, even if there were some moments where the game could’ve wrapped up certain story beats faster. The localization being a mess didn’t help too.
6 - Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army
I had barely played Raidou Kuzunoha on the Playstation 2 when it came out back in the day, it felt pretty obtuse to me, with janky combat and outdated adventure game exploration. This remaster really does a great job bringing the game back up to modern standards, allowing you to experience a neat action RPG with a plot that is very much “out there”. I really hope they remake the second one the same way.
5 - Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake
I have played very little in the Dragon Quest franchise, only the most recent entries, even tho I did play all the Final Fantasies along the years. I’m pretty happy if they keep remaking or remastering these games, because they’re pretty foundational for a whole genre, and they usually have good mechanics and writing. Dragon Quest 1 is a bit rough, because as a single protagonist your options are limited, but the game is built around these limitations. Dragon Quest 2 is a real treat with the amount of personality your party members have and things to do. Two great games in a neat package!
4 - Silent Hill f
I’m a big fan of survival horror games and after playing Silent Hill 2 last year, I was pretty interested in Silent Hill f. The gameplay really hit the spot for me, with exploration, puzzles (some obtuse), fine combat, things to unlock and improve while the story and themes kept me hooked through three playthroughs. Maybe I wish there had been more to do differently or to discover in the New Game Pluses, but I’m glad I’ve seen it all through the end. A gem in the genre!
3 - Donkey Kong Bananza
What a strange game Donkey Kong Bananza is; a spiritual successor to Mario Odyssey where you destroy your way through creative environments, finding Golden Bananas like collect-a-thons hadn’t gone out of style. Truly a love letter to the franchise, Bananza has so much to do and just feels great to play. I’m not sure if Donkey Kong needed a skill tree, nor if the endgame was sufficiently engaging, but I had a good time along the way, in one of the best reasons to own a Switch 2.
2 - Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time
I remember fondly my time spent on the original Fantasy Life game on the 3DS, and I was pleasantly surprised when they announced a new one. I would describe this as a single player MMORPG where you level classes (the titular Lives) in combat, gathering and crafting, as you go along quest and a storyline about mysterious ruins, but they’ve really kicked it up a notch this time around, with an extra open world map and some kind of village management system as well. There’s so much to do and it plays really well - although it might feel a bit grindy, but that’s part of the point - this is a very charming sequel and I’m glad Level 5 managed it so well.
1 - The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy
From all the games I’ve played this year, this is the game that’ll stay with me the most. A very ambitious visual novel even for Kodaka/Uchikoshi standards mixed with a pretty fun turn-based strategy game, Last Defense Academy follows a bunch of interesting characters as they live through a hundred days defending an academy from invading monsters. This game has one hundred endings spread across a bunch of routes, and while not all routes have the same level of care - and some might not be your cup of tea entirely - the sheer volume and scope of everything there is to see in this game is a testament to some great craftsmanship from everyone involved. If there was anything more to say about these characters or that world, I would play that immediately above all else, and for me that’s the sign of a top spot!