Post bot Posted October 9, 2025 Posted October 9, 2025 At Game Informer, writing game reviews is one of our primary functions. As such, we cover hundreds of titles each and every year, hoping to turn you on to your next favorite game. However, within that field, a select few rise to the top as the games we most highly recommend. While you're always welcome to peruse our reviews page for the latest and greatest (and sometimes worst) games on the market, we've gathered our highest-scoring reviews of 2025 right here. When Game Informer was re-launched in March of this year, we made it a point to review many of the games we missed, but we couldn't cover them all. As such, some critically acclaimed games, such as Split Fiction, aren't on this list, as we were unable to review them while playing catch-up. However, we have reviews for most of the biggest games of 2025, and you can see the ones we think are the most worthwhile below.Be sure to bookmark this page and check back frequently, as we'll continue to update it as more titles earn review scores on the top end of our review scale.10 Hades II Hades II is the pinnacle of the roguelike genre, a position I previously granted its predecessor, but one that its sequel has handily earned. Read review Platforms: Switch 2, Switch, PC Release Date: September 25, 2025 9.5 Blue Prince Blue Prince harnesses the innate, burning curiosity one feels when seeing a closed door at the end of a hallway and crafts it into an unforgettable experience. Read review Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Mac Release Date: April 10, 2025 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC), September 29, 2025 (Mac) Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector Buoyed by the excellent returning dice gameplay, incredible sci-fi writing, and a fantastic score, Citizen Sleeper 2 is a worthy sequel, even if its UI and finale didn’t quite match the heights of the rest of the package. Read review Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC Release Date: January 31, 2025 Doom: The Dark Ages With the Shield Saw and other great additions, id Software gives us something we didn’t know we wanted, proving once again that this legendary series can still evolve in ways we haven’t even dreamed of. Read review Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC Release Date: May 15, 2025 Kingdom Come: Deliverance II KCD2 is challenging, demanding, and often unforgiving. But, like the sharp blades I smithed in-game, through fire, it forges an exciting, surprising, and unforgettable fable. Read review Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC Release Date: February 4, 2025 Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound Across its 12-hour runtime, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound seamlessly blends gorgeous pixel art, inventive level design, and sublime gameplay to create one of the best retro throwbacks I’ve ever played. Read review Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC Release Date: July 31, 2025 9.25 Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles Final Fantasy Tactics is back to prove the grandfather of so many tactics titles hasn't lost a single step. Read review Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC Release Date: September 30, 2025 Ghost of Yōtei Ghost of Yōtei impresses. Read review Platforms: PlayStation 5 Release Date: October 2, 2025 Is This Seat Taken? Is This Seat Taken takes a beautifully simple premise – sitting people in chairs – and iterates on it in consistently creative and exciting ways. Read review Platforms: Switch, PC, iOS, Android Release Date: August 7, 2025 Monster Train 2 The realm of indie roguelikes is competitive and crowded, but despite years of tough competition, Monster Train 2 has strongly reasserted its series as one of the leaders of the pack. Read review Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC Release Date: May 21, 2025 Shinobi: Art of Vengeance Shinobi: Art of Vengeance should serve as a blueprint for delivering a retro-facing experience of an absentee franchise while still leveraging modern technology and game design conventions. Read review Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC Release Date: August 29, 2025 The Roottrees Are Dead Find every blood relative in a mysterious family tree in this engrossing puzzle game. Read review Platforms: PC Release Date: January 15, 2025 9 Absolum Combining classic fantasy brawler mechanics, top-notch art and music, and a roguelite progression loop add up to an incredibly fun cooperative adventure. Read review Platforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Switch, PC Release Date: October 9, 2025 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 I was eager to see the expedition's conclusion, but I did not want it to end. Read review Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC Release Date: April 24, 2025 Donkey Kong Bananza Donkey Kong and Pauline’s adventure is a showpiece for Nintendo’s new console, and it meets the incredibly high standard the developer has been setting for itself since the ’80s. Read review Platforms: Switch 2 Release Date: July 17, 2025 Hollow Knight: Silksong Hollow Knight: Silksong is beautiful, nuanced, and deeply rewarding, but it’s also tuned to be grueling in ways that aren’t always fun in the traditional sense. Read review Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC Release Date: September 4, 2025 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle The Great Circle reminds me of why I fell in love with Indy in the first place and should be a template for how to craft new interactive stories in this legendary series. Read review Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, PC Release Date: December 8, 2024 (Xbox Series X/S, PC), April 17, 2025 (PlayStation 5), 2026 (Switch 2) Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater Metal Gear Solid 3 didn’t necessarily need a remake, but now that it’s here, I’m not sure I will ever be able to go back to the original versions. Read review Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC Release Date: August 28, 2025 Peak A brilliant climbing adventure that stands out as a delight in a year of self-serious major game releases. Read review Platforms: PC Release Date: June 16, 2025 8.75 Death Stranding 2: On The Beach Death Stranding 2 is a game with faults and annoyances, but it also makes big, expensive swings and is trying to establish its own unique genre, often successfully. Read review Platforms: PlayStation 5 Release Date: June 26, 2025 Donkey Kong Country Returns HD Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a fantastic reminder that the franchise that began on the Super Nintendo in 1994 is a real competitor for Nintendo’s best 2D platforming series, an extremely competitive landscape. Read review Platforms: Switch Release Date: January 16, 2025 Monster Hunter Wilds The Forbidden Lands are an enticing new playground for the series, and I look forward to spending dozens more hours uncovering Monster Hunter Wilds' secrets. Read review Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC Release Date: February 28, 2025 Mouthwashing Mouthwashing is an existential horror show with unique visual effects, brutal dialogue, and surreal consequences that kept my eyes locked to the screen for the entire three-hour playtime. Read review Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC Release Date: September 26, 2024 (PC), 2025 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) 8.5 And Roger While I wouldn’t wish the plight of And Roger's protagonist on my worst enemy, I would happily recommend this experience as another strong example of video games' strength as a storytelling medium Read review Platforms: Switch, PC Release Date: July 23, 2025 Assassin's Creed Shadows In Assassin's Creed Shadows, playing as Yasuke and Naoe is as powerful as the Shoguns that ruled during this era of Japan, even if the story doesn't match the gameplay's towering heights. Read review Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Mac Release Date: March 20, 2025 Battlefield 6 Battlefield 6 hits the ground running with a 64-player multiplayer suite full of dazzling sandboxes just waiting to be leveled, but not every part of the package is as effective. Read review Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC Release Date: October 10, 2025 Borderlands 4 Though many of the series’ core elements remain intact, Gearbox has refined and reconfigured them in such ways that Borderlands 4 rises beyond anything the series has accomplished to this point. Read review Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, PC Release Date: September 12, 2025 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC), TBA (Switch 2) Dying Light: The Beast Dying Light: The Beast can feel a touch safe at times with a serviceable story, but the high-flying parkour and gorgeous graphics are top-notch. Read review Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC Release Date: September 19, 2025 EA Sports College Football 26 Like a standout freshman bursting onto the scene, College Football 25 was a pleasant surprise, but College Football 26 aptly demonstrates it wasn’t just beginner’s luck, delivering an equally impressive sophomore effort. Read review Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S Release Date: July 10, 2025 Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii An absurd tone with surprising pockets of earnest pathos, fun characters, and bombastic action are all present and accounted for here. Read review Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC Release Date: February 21, 2025 Marvel Rivals With a huge roster of free playable characters , a satisfying gameplay loop, and the fast matchmaking, Marvel Rivals executes a simple concept with skill and finesse. Read review Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PC Release Date: December 5, 2024 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC), September 12, 2025 (PlayStation 4) MLB The Show 25 MLB The Show 25 delivers perhaps the most well-rounded package of any of the mainstream sports video games, making for a title I first fired up during Spring Training and could very well still be playing when the World Series rolls around. Read review Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch Release Date: March 18, 2025 NBA 2K26 The absolute glut of content is impressive and intimidating all at once, and NBA 2K26’s on-the-court performance is so good that it’s worth the annoyances that come with the franchise. Read review Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC Release Date: September 5, 2025 Revenge of the Savage Planet The first game was a fun one-off experience, but its sequel is a far more complete and rewarding package that left me hungry for more savage planets to explore. Read review Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC Release Date: May 8, 2025 Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Though there’s substantially less content and replayability than its primary contemporary, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is concise and effective in its mission, offering the most well-rounded kart racer of the year. Read review Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC Release Date: September 25, 2025 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC), 2025 (Switch 2) Sonic X Shadow Generations The potent combination of Sonic and Shadow Generations makes a strong case for being the best package of 3D Sonic content we’ve ever seen. Read review Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC Release Date: October 25, 2024 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC), June 5, 2025 (Switch 2) South of Midnight South of Midnight's decent combat and platforming are elevated to great heights by stellar visual and musical presentation, resulting in a game I can't stop smiling about. Read review Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, PC Release Date: April 8, 2025 Star Wars Outlaws Moving between planets and wandering Outlaws’ dense cities is where the adventure shines, but shooting your way through your current gig so you can make it to the next is also compelling, if sometimes a little simple. Read review Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, PC Release Date: August 30, 2024 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC), September 4, 2025 (Switch 2) Sword of the Sea Sword of the Sea moves at the pace of a magical swordsperson speeding across sand dunes on a floating blade at 170 miles per hour, and it never gives you a reason to look away. Read review Platforms: PlayStation 5, PC Release Date: August 19, 2025 For more of our top reviews from recent years, head to the links below.20242023202220212020201920182017201620152014 View the full article Quote
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