Game of the Year 2025

20 Sektori PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

Dom:

A late arrival, as Sektori only entered my gaming list just before Christmas. I’d heard the name before but never paid much attention until I started seeing comments mentioning it was developed by ex-Housemarque staffer Kimmo Lahtinen. Knowing Housemarque’s legacy of fast, arcade-driven action, and hearing Sektori described as a heir to Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2, I had no choice but to jump in.

Honestly, I wish I’d played it sooner. Even with my limited time so far, Sektori has been incredibly promising. It nails that essential twin-stick shooter feel with flashy, vibrant visuals and lightning-fast gameplay. The classic arcade foundation is elevated by modern ideas, like the card-deck system: equip a deck of 8×3 power ups before a run, then collect a specific token during play to trigger one player picked out of three random upgrades from that deck. It’s a smart twist that adds variety without slowing the pace.

The psychedelic neon visuals paired with the pounding techno soundtrack pull you into a near-trance-like flow state, where everything just clicks. It might be early days, but I can already see Sektori becoming my new Geometry Wars fix in 2026, especially since it even features some familiar game modes. Deadline fans, where you at?! At just £12.79, this is an absolute steal. Pick it up and join me on the leaderboards for what feels like a spiritual successor to Geometry Wars.

19 s.p.l.i.t PC

Ian:

It can’t be much over half an hour long, especially if you’re at all familiar with a computer terminal and puzzles. But that blast of grungy sci-fi is tense, visceral, and a terrifying look into a dark dystopian world that I don’t doubt has already been researched heavily in some government facility, far, far below the reaches of the sun; as if that could hide anybody from divine judgement or their own internal festering sense of morality. It’s a meager yet perfect runtime that somehow held a place in my quiet thoughts over everything else this year. I still think about it, even. I try to answer the horrific question posed at the culmination of this tiny peek into a bleak future. Could I do it? If it meant escaping what could essentially mean infinite torture. Could I break my own biological mental barrier in such a critical moment and with so much on the line? Mike Klubniuka is a master of atmosphere. He’s the go-to creator for games I’d recommend you play in the small hours after midnight, when you feel the whole world drip away. s.p.l.i.t is a slice, a speck, a mote of a masterpiece. Actually, it’s more like a splinter.

18 Splitgate 2 (SPLITGATE: Arena Reloaded) PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One

Ian:

Splitgate 2 or Splitgate reloaded/revised/remade/re-whatever-you-wanna-call-it. What actually matters here is Splitgate is/was awesome, and so Splitgate 2 is also awesome (what with it being the same and all, pretty much). It’s fast, clean, and unique through a single gimmick that changes absolutely everything you thought you knew about FPS games. When you learn a map in another shooter, you feel like the world is your oyster but here that’s only the beginning, and what comes next is so damn satisfying. Pulling off portal shots that you’ve laid like a trap, or escaping through a network of teleports after a close call, will never not get your heart beating like a pulse grenade. The gun feel is excellent, the maps are crazy, and movement is pure speed right into the veins. I’m not sure I’ve ever come out of a game disappointed. I hope that the confusing re-releasing and whatever went on this year is only a blip in the system because the Splitgate system deserves recognition. Did I mention it’s FREE?! Totally absurd – give it a shot, there’s no way you regret it.

17 Ghost of Yōtei PS5

Dom:

I went into Ghost of Yōtei without having directly played Ghost of Tsushima, so I did not carry that prior experience with me when starting Sucker Punch’s follow-up to their 2020 release. Because of that, my experience may not resonate in the same way for fans of the series as this is all new to me. Even so, Ghost of Yōtei quickly won me over, mainly thanks to its setting.

I’m already a sucker for anything set in Japan, but placing the game in 1600s Hokkaido (known as Ezo at the time), and casting you as a samurai on a path of revenge, instantly hooked me. While the revenge narrative is not exactly original, it is carried by an exceptionally polished package that fully commits to its samurai themes and historical atmosphere. There was plenty of noise around the introduction of Atsu as the new protagonist, especially with fan-favourite Jin Sakai no longer at the centre due to the later time period. Atsu, however, embodies that vengeance-driven role well, as she is relentlessly focused and willing to do whatever it takes to avenge her family’s death at the hands of the Yōtei Six. Hunting down the Yōtei Six may tread familiar ground, but strong character writing and great voice performances help elevate the experience to the level you expect from a AAA Sony production.

What ultimately stayed with me most from Ghost of Yōtei was its world and combat. This is not a character action game, but it is also more involved than something like the Batman: Arkham games. Combat feels smooth, satisfying, and flexible, supported by a varied selection of weapons, each with clear strengths and weaknesses depending on the enemy. I especially liked the option to play without a traditional lock-on system, instead relying on character facing and a soft directional lock, which keeps fights feeling fluid. Add in Miike Mode (a shoutout to Japanese director, Takashi Miike), which brings the camera closer, amps up the blood and mud, along with reduced HUD, and what is left is combat that feels raw, personal, and cinematic.

And then there is the presentation. Ezo is stunning. It is clear the developers have a deep love for Japan’s landscapes, with Mount Yōtei looming in the background and environments drenched in rich yellows and reds from the surrounding vegetation. It is a world that constantly invites you to slow down and explore. For me, Ghost of Yōtei stands as one of the most beautiful open worlds of 2025, and arguably the best of the year.

16 Neon Inferno PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Switch

Ian:

I was hooked on this one from the first seconds of the demo I played near the beginning of the year and its release in late November made it the last one I really got to sink my teeth into as I travelled home for the holidays. But there wasn’t anything that wasn’t going to make me miss it. I mean just look at it – seriously, just open the Steam page and tell me your jaw didn’t just nearly break off. The pixel art is so ludicrous it feels like it shouldn’t even be possible. Then the lighting, and shadows, and 3D elements coming up from the background elevate it from incredible to damn near unbelievable. I realise I’m focusing a lot on the visual side of things here (it’s a bloody marvel!) but the game itself is also top notch. It’s a classic retro-style side-scrolling shooter in the same vein as something like Metal Slug pushed to the utter extreme. There’s dodging, parries, vehicles, cover, and the ability to shoot into the z-axis at enemies in the background, like in Wild Guns. The set-pieces are phenomenal and everything just feels so grand and epic. Don’t even get me started on the boss fights! Always some crazy-ass super teched-up dude or giant war mech that forces you into a ballet of bullets and fire. Man! And the music?! The only problem with Neon Inferno is I wish there was more because it will leave you drooling and there’s nothing else that even comes close.

15 Death Stranding 2: On the Beach PS5

Dom:

I enjoyed Death Stranding, but I never quite saw it as the work of art some of its fans did. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, however, clicked with me far more, delivering a noticeably more well-rounded experience than its predecessor. This time around, the game throws you straight into its systems, offering both the improved delivery mechanics and a much stronger focus on combat right from the start. With specialised guns and grenades available early on, the sequel has strong Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain vibes, especially as you navigate the open worlds of Mexico and Australia. These environments function as perfect backdrops for expanded stealth options and more flexible combat, letting you defend yourself even while hauling 180kg+ of cargo on your back across the rough terrains of the new locations.

As any great sequel should, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach builds on the foundation of the original, refining its mechanics, pacing, and overall engagement. The result is a game that is more accessible and satisfying to play. It’s also undeniably more forgiving than the first game, which may cause some die-hard stranders (whatever the correct term for hardcore Death Stranding fans might be) to drop their cargo, but that added flexibility allows players to approach encounters however they like, whether that’s carefully sneaking past enemies or going full Rambo.

Visually, the game is another showcase for the PlayStation 5, and arguably the best-looking title on the system this year. Whether played at 30fps or 60fps, the level of detail and visual fidelity remains stunning. Alongside last year’s Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, this is a game that pushes cinematic presentations, with character models edging close to lifelike. As expected from Kojima, the cinematics are top-tier, and while the story is more personal to Sam Porter Bridges, it remains wonderfully bizarre and outlandish. As sequels go, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach delivers. Better gameplay, better visuals, better characters, and more compelling environments make it a clear improvement over the original, and is a game that made me more of a Death Stranding fan than the first ever did.

14 Skate Story PC, PS5, Switch 2

Ian:

Bizarre, pensive, sarcastically philosophical, and an ode to the art of skateboarding. On a quest to eat the oppressive moons of the underworld, the only thing you can trust is your soul-bound board and your sack of tricks you’ll use to speed through the damned layers of the abyss, shatter barriers that would heed your journey, and destroy those inclined to block your pursuit of the impossible. Skateboarding is hard and requires a ton of co-ordination, so many games aim to replicate that feeling on a controller, making you work similarly for such freedom of mastery. Skate Story doesn’t do that – you’re set up to feel powerful and unburdened by realism but without going too far as to make it easy. Directly placing you in the center of the emotion of the experience, the player is gifted full creative control to feel cooler than you ever normally could without needing to put in so much time up-front studying. It’s emo: claiming the fragile protagonist is a demon shaped from glass and pain. It’s rebellious: putting the player in the sneakers of an anarchist fighting alone against the long-held status quo. It’s satisfying: making getting in ‘the zone’ pulling off well-timed tricks / and manipulating your board skillfully rewarding. And it’s painful: when it all comes crashing down after a beautiful arrangement of flips and grinds ends in a defeating bail. Skate Story is skateboarding.

13 Mecha Break  PC, Xbox Series X/S

Ian:

I’m worried I didn’t play enough of Mecha Break all at once to realise it’s actually sort of tedious and that that revelation may come. Instead, I only played it here and there both in beta and on release throughout the year and enjoyed every single match. It’s a game I naturally excelled at for some reason – it just sort of clicks with me, and I loved jumping between classes, customising my mechs, and trying everything out in the field. Now I probably easily played over a thousand hours of Overwatch between 2016 and 2021. It’s a game I have so many fond memories of, and the people I shared that time with, some of whom are no longer with us. I loved it, and I mean that quite literally. It got me through some pretty rough times and now it’s gone forever, which will always be the problem with ‘live-service’ games – they change so much that they don’t feel the same after a while. Mecha Break I realise is completely different in so many ways, and on a totally different scope, but it shares a spark with those earlier days of perhaps the best multiplayer shooter ever created, and I’m thankful for it just getting me close to that again. I only hope it doesn’t go the same way that so many in the space do as an abandoned cash-grab.

12 Dispatch PC

Dom:

Telltale-style storytelling makes a triumphant return with Dispatch, which comes from AdHoc Studio, a team largely made up of former Telltale Games writers and designers. What matters most is that Dispatch stands as the strongest evolution of that classic narrative-driven formula since the original Telltale’s The Walking Dead. This is Telltale DNA refined. The presentation is leagues above anything Telltale Games ever did, delivering a slick, polished look that often feels like watching an episode of a quality animated TV show. Its adult superhero narrative lands at the perfect moment, arriving while shows like The Boys and Invincible are at their peak, and it confidently occupies that same mature storytelling with adult humour that makes those shows so entertaining.

Across its eight-episode story, Dispatch impresses with stunning animation, vibrant and expressive art, an excellent soundtrack, and a stellar voice cast that consistently delivers memorable performances. AdHoc Studio also experiments with gameplay systems, placing players in the role of a dispatcher managing reformed super-villains as they attempt to become heroes. While this management mechanic isn’t particularly deep, it’s supported by sharp dialogue and humour that keep it engaging between major story beats.

Ultimately, Dispatch succeeds where it matters most. It’s a great choice-based narrative experience. For fans of story-driven games, this is a standout entry and a deserving spot on 2025’s best games list.

11 Megabonk PC

Dom:

Survivor‑likes? The market is overflowing with them ever since Vampire Survivors blasted the genre into the spotlight. Instead of simply copying the formula, Megabonk reimagines it, dropping players into open arenas with full directional movement and layering in mechanics like verticality, jumping, and sliding. The result is a survivor-like that feels more dynamic and physically expressive than most of those on the market.

What really makes Megabonk bonk hard is its mass of what seem like random ideas mashed together. It throws players into a chaotic mix of stupid characters, outlandish weapons, and punishing objectives, all wrapped in a constant drip of meme humour. Progression comes from completing specific and demanding challenges, such as surviving without moving, pushing players to experiment with a variety of weapons, tomes (buffs) and items. Every character and weapon are distinct, not just in appearance but in how they move, behave, and reshape the gameplay. Take Monke, for example, my favourite who can climb walls to escape overwhelming enemy waves and starts equipped with bananarangs… which are exactly as ridiculous and silly as it sounds. Many silly things like this define Megabonk’s charm and humour.

Megabonk may not boast the flashiest visuals, but at its budget-friendly price point, that’s hardly a dealbreaker, plus it totally radiates and knows its design that just adds to that undeniable personality and charm, paired with an endlessly addictive gameplay loop and a surprising wealth of content to devour. It’s the epitome of an evening chill game. Megabonk is a comfort title that’s anything but cosy, pure batshit crazy in fact, that’s dead simple to pick up and brutally hard to put down.

10 Parallel Experiment  PC, iOS, Android

Ian:

Man, if I don’t love puzzles. And I’m always hunting for new co-operative titles as I rip through them so fast. So naturally co-operative puzzle games focused around joint communication and shared discovery are some of my absolute favourites. I love love love Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes, and half of that one is literally just reading from an instruction manual! Dom and I have played through every ‘We Were Here’ and many others inspired by them – the world simply can’t keep up with our insatiable hunger for such experiences. Parallel Experiment was one such victim of ours and an especially delicious treat that kept throwing curveballs, introducing new mechanics, and pulling us along on a lovecraftian/sci-fi rollercoaster. It’s also a decent bit longer than many others in the genre, especially for a 2D game which usually end up falling back on similar mechanics and puzzle-structures after a while. Not here – no two rooms are even slightly similar and each player tackles different perspectives of the challenges, so it’s possible I’ll even replay it again in the future on the other side of things once I’ve safely forgotten enough of it to feel fresh again. Not only that but there are some devilish post-game secrets to uncover that add an entire new layer of depth to the whole adventure. I don’t recall hearing anything about this game but it was a real stand out for me this year – here’s hoping it gets discovered by the right people because it is a seriously underappreciated treasure.

9 Split Fiction PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2

Ian:

Everyone knows that even a terrible multiplayer game can be an absolute gem when played side-by-side with the right people. Split Fiction is a great game I played on the couch with my girlfriend, as a sort of date night/escape in the tired evenings after challenging days at work, so you do the math. My favourite thing about Hazelight Studios is that they get it. They only make two-player co-operative games and have been doing it so long they know exactly what works and what doesn’t. They realise there’s not much available in this niche these days, but also that longer titles can get stale all too quickly; so they continually change up the way you play, the abilities, the genre, even. And they understand the challenges of co-oping with someone of a different skill level, so they build around that by forgiving small failures without taking away from the experience or making it feel like you’re just being put on rails. And the best part is that, when we’re ready, we can just do another playthrough by swapping characters, as you’re always doing different things – solving separate halves of the puzzle. It’s both silly and serious, serene and stormy, simple and superfluous. A must-play for any couples, gamers by nature or not.

8 The First Berserker: Khazan PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

Dom:

2025 was anything but short on Soulslikes, with releases like Wuchang: Fallen Feathers and AI Limit, alongside a heavily cooperative focused Elden Ring in Elden Ring: Nightreign, major expansions like Lies of P: Overture, and substantial updates including Lords of the Fallen version 2.0. Despite all that, the standout Soulslike I played this year was The First Berserker: Khazan.

My love for the game comes down to one thing: combat. Khazan moves faster than most Soulslikes, combining weighty, impactful hits with agile, fluid motion that feels straight from an anime, which perfectly complements its high-quality anime-inspired visuals that are powered by Unreal Engine 5. The game draws inspiration from Sekiro and Nioh, demanding a more aggressive playstyle thanks to its faster pace. Mastery revolves around learning weapon-specific combo strings, with each of its three weapon types, along with their own custom skill tree, offering their unique combo attacks, plus mastering its parry and dodge system is key to winning.

The true stars are the elite combat encounters and boss fights. While level design and story are solid but unremarkable, the bosses consistently shine with challenging, stylish, and often, brilliant encounters. If you love Soulslike combat and don’t mind taking a few punishing hits along the way, The First Berserker: Khazan is absolutely worth your time.

7 Doom: The Dark Ages PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

Ian:

This one’s so hard to talk about because even though it’s great, I can’t help but compare it to Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal, both of which make it look like a bit of a joke in comparison as they stand out as two modern classics, each have their own unwavering acolytes. Hardly a fair starting point. Though it’s undoubtedly the runt of the litter, The Dark Ages still offers some of the best FPS action available today. The parry mechanic and focus on shields definitely slows down the pace of play, pivoting to a bit more of a ‘barbarian’ style feeling for the franchise but it nonetheless pushes you to control your space by use of your surroundings and new suite of abilities, as smart enemies catch you off guard; abuse weapon strengths against specific enemy types to turn the tables; and effectively manage your resources, especially now that glory kills no longer heal. All of the awesome things this new Doom trilogy are now known for. It also continues to build on the Doom Slayer lore meaningfully and, much like the Crucible sword, introduces new tools for our demon duster to play with, such as his cute new pet (not Daisy, RIP). The music, the graphics, the maps, the secrets, and the rip-and-tearing action are all still there – just not quite to the same degree.

6 Cronos: The New Dawn PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2

Dom:

After the huge success of the Silent Hill 2 remake, which was met with a lot of scepticism when Bloober Team was first revealed as the developer, things have clearly taken a positive turn for the Polish studio. Cronos: The New Dawn sees Bloober Team returning to an original IP and deliver what is their best original game to date, telling a tense story of viral horror set across Poland and unfolding through time-travel mishaps.

The game clearly has some inspirations, such as echoes of Dead Space and Resident Evil in both its atmosphere and combat, but Cronos never feels like it’s just being a copycat. Instead, it blends those influences into something that feels confident doing so. If you’re a fan of those franchises, this is absolutely a game worth checking out.

What really sets Cronos: The New Dawn apart is its enemy-merging system. Leaving bodies on the ground isn’t recommended as it turns into a dangerous powerup for foes. Enemies can absorb fallen corpses and become significantly stronger, forcing you to burn defeated viral infected bodies before alive ones absorb them, suddenly making the situation more dire. It’s reminiscent of the Crimson Zombies from the Resident Evil remake, but instead of the dead coming back stronger, the living actively use the dead to evolve.

This system pairs perfectly with the game’s tense, rugged combat, which rewards patience and smart resources management rather than recklessness. Add in solid level design and an intriguing story unfolding throughout the game within its oppressive ruined version of a Polish city and you get a survival horror experience that consistently keeps being engaging from beginning to end with thrilling encounters and intriguing locations.

5 Donkey Kong Bananza Switch 2

Dom:

DK! Donkey Kong! DK! Donkey Kong is BACK!

When Donkey Kong Bananza was first revealed as part of Nintendo’s Switch 2 line up, I thought it looked good, but I wasn’t prepared for just how superb it turned out to be. Crafted by the Super Mario Odyssey team, this is a Donkey Kong game made with creativity, and an obvious understanding of what makes Nintendo’s best platformers special.

The controls for Donkey Kong are fantastic, as one expects of an Nintendo game, giving the ape an incredible sense of freedom, especially through the game’s standout mechanic, those fully destructible environments. Unlike Super Mario Odyssey, Donkey Kong Bananza allows for far more vertical movement by letting you dig, smash, and burrow through terrain. This results in open-ended yet tightly designed levels that are constantly exciting to explore and tear apart.

Early on, I had to break out of my “destroy everything” mentality, as I was just never going anywhere. While the temptation is always there, the world is meticulously handcrafted even with this level of voxel destruction freedom, which could easily have been done subpar and become boring. With levels themed around jungles, metal, water, canyons, ice, and even more playful ideas like racing, music-focused zones, and food-themed area, every layer feels distinct, bursting with personality, and packed with cleverly hidden secrets that reward exploration with its destructive mechanics that somehow never feels mindless.

The presentation is top notch. The visuals are stylish and while they use the new Donkey Kong design from the recent Mario film, I actually like it, plus the soundtrack is outstanding, blending classic Donkey Kong tunes with fantastic new tracks. Pauline’s transformation songs are particular catchy and charmingly memorable.

Donkey Kong Bananza isn’t just a great comeback for DK, as it was simply Nintendo’s best game in 2025.

4 Hades II PC, Switch 2, Switch

Ian:

Let me get this out of the way first – It’s no Hades. I don’t think it beats the original in a single category, to be honest, nor does it have the same staying power. But is it just to expect any game to stand tall next to such a behemoth? The first entry made a huge impact and slurped up awards like nobody’s business for it. This sequel is actually rather excellent at being just that – a sequel. And although there are a few new twists in the mechanics, and two separate routes to make runs on, it’s mainly simply more Hades. Exactly what we wanted! New weapons, new upgrades, new abilities, new trinkets, new enemies and bosses, pets(!!!), and characters to learn about (and charm the pants off of). We really couldn’t have asked for anything more. In fact, I believe this was precisely the goal – nothing too out of left field or different and make sure all of the same bases are covered, down to counterpart characters that act as almost exact step-ins. Even the soundtrack has similar coverage, though I think Scylla and the gang take the cake for best track in the series – maybe even the top two places, actually! Ear-worms with attitude.

3 Silent Hill f PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

Dom:

I’ve seen people argue that Silent Hill f isn’t a true Silent Hill game because it doesn’t take place in the titular town, but honestly, I don’t care about that. To me, Silent Hill has been about the characters, their trauma, their psyche, and how the game manifests those horrors. Silent Hill f does that, and it does it brilliantly.

The story follows Hinako, a young Japanese girl living in the 1960s, struggling with her family, particularly her father and his terrible habits. There are twists I won’t spoil, as experiencing them first hand is part of the magic. Let’s just say that there are some Nier: Automata-like elements that make replaying the game surprisingly rewarding. What’s impressive is that NeoBards Entertainment, a studio mostly known for Capcom ports, has somehow crafted such a fantastic horror game. It also helps that the story is written by Ryukishi07, the author known for visual novels like Higurashi When They Cry and Umineko When They Cry that touch on topics like paranoia and psychological horror keeps it on the very Japanese side of things. The combat is melee-focused, built around dodging and precision hits that give it a tense, and often joked about, action RPG feel.

Where Silent Hill f really shines is in its presentation. The visuals are god damn beautiful and detailed, the sound design is creepy and eerie, and the excellent character performances combine to make the game deeply unsettling. The horror grows naturally from Hinako’s emotional turmoil, her anguish, and the oppressive situations she’s forced into. It’s distressing, creepy, and utterly tense. After the incredible Silent Hill 2 remake, it’s refreshing to see a new Silent Hill game arrive with confidence and quality, especially after the disappointing Silent Hill: Ascension and the experimental Silent Hill: The Short Message. Silent Hill f proves that the series is coming back strong and it makes me excited for what is next.

2 Hollow Knight: Silksong PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Switch 2, Switch

Ian:

It seemed impossible that, after so much hype had been built up for a game over a whole seven years – I mean just none-stop inflating of expectations and scope for close to a decade, that the real thing could even come close. It annihilated even the most outlandish preconceptions. I think it would have still been my game of the year if it had ended soon after Act 1, never mind Act 2. But Act 3?! Holy hell! Tight and blistering fast combat that is pure joy to engage in. Exploration that is so packed with discovery it makes every new screen an adventure. A story and interactions that has you thinking, giggling, choking up, gasping in shock, and without a doubt singing. Platforming which I could fairly compare to the likes of Celeste, which I consider the all-time greatest 2D platformer. Abilities and equipment that feed all of these other gameplay elements so perfectly, no two players will ever play the same game, feeling completely free to experiment endlessly or fall back onto preferred setups. Every single standalone element is a masterpiece in its own right. As such is the magnificent sound design that I believe very much is on par with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s insane soundtrack; and the art, which is so vibrant and full of life, you’re able to just fall right into the world itself – the edges of your monitor fading away. I loved Hollowknight. It’s fantastic, really. But I think I actually preferred Ori and the Will of the Wisps at the time, so I went into Silksong not with rose-tinted glasses, but instead with an attitude of ‘what could another metroidvania possibly offer me?’. Well, now I know. There may not be such a thing as a perfect game, but Silksong does a damn good job trying for it.

1 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

Dom:

What I’m about to say has probably been said in many other places, but for me, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is simply outstanding. The game exploded onto the scene seemingly from nowhere, developed by a small independent studio made up of a mix of ex-Ubisoft talent and people who hadn’t even worked in games before. Somehow, they managed to create a classic that will no doubt appear on top 10 lists of the best games of the 2020s. As a huge fan of JRPGs and JRPG-inspired games (Metaphor: ReFantazio won Game of the Year in 2024 on the site), Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 hits all the right notes across nearly every category.

The story in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is fascinating, engaging, and unlike anything I’ve experienced in a video game before. Heavily infused with a French aesthetic and sensibility, it gives the game a unique personality within the genre. The concept is twisted, and I love it for that. A mysterious figure known as The Paintress is systematically killing off the civilisation based on age, slowly counting down to younger victims. The Expedition teams are groups of people trying to stop her murderous spree. Each team gets closer but ultimately fails, leaving behind clues, notes, and discoveries for the next team so those who follow have a chance to secure a future. The narrative is gripping, full of shocks and surprises, all drenched in quirky, unforgettable French visuals powered by Unreal Engine 5. And it’s not just the story that impresses, as the game is a visual marvel with some beautiful vistas and locations that act as the game’s dungeons, and pairs it all with a banging, memorable soundtrack.

But behind all those amazing parts of the game is an incredibly engaging combat system. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 draws inspiration from games like Paper Mario, filling battles with layered mechanics that make every encounter feel alive. Combat is lively turn-based, with real-time dodges, parries, and jumps that let you avoid damage and react to threats. Characters can perform standard attacks and magic, but each has a unique skill system that changes their play style. Lune builds powerful elemental stains to amplify her attacks, Maelle shifts between stances to unleash devastating combos, Monoco transforms to mimic enemies and gain their abilities, and Sciel uses cards to stack power and manipulate the fight. These systems give each character distinct gameplay styles, keeping battles strategic and rewarding throughout the entire game.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 isn’t just an outstanding JRPG, it’s a masterpiece of story, visuals, and gameplay that deserves to be called Game of the Year for 2025.