We’re more than halfway through 2025, and it’s already been quite an eventful year for gaming. The launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 has grabbed most of the headlines, but across all platforms, including PS5, Xbox Series X and PC gaming, there have been great games to play in almost every genre.
From the cinematic highs of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the heavy-metal fun of Doom: The Dark Ages, and the delightful charms of Donkey Kong’s latest 3D platforming adventure on the brand new Switch 2, there have been must-play games to suit all tastes. And no year in gaming can ever be labeled underwhelming when you have a new epic from Hideo Kojima to unravel.
Here at Tom’s Guide, we’ve spent this week taking stock of the new games released in 2025 to date, and these are the 11 that have stood out the most to us. There are still plenty more contenders on the horizon, but any of these games could make a shout to be called GOTY.
(Note: This list is presented in release date order and is not ranked.)
Monster Hunter Wilds
Platforms: PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X
Capcom’s Monster Hunter Wilds brilliantly brings the company’s beloved franchise into the current console generation. It maintains the core of 2018’s Monster Hunter World but cranks up everything fans love, offering a bigger and bolder adventure. It doesn’t skimp on depth or features, yet it’s super easy for new players to jump in.
The story and gameplay of Monster Hunter Wilds revolve around the ever-changing environments and monsters. This makes the game’s fantasy world feel incredibly rich and real. While the stunning natural beauty will initially grab you, it’s the exciting hunts and deep customization that will keep you and your friends hooked for months (and potentially years).
I’ve already sunk about 180 hours into Monster Hunter Wilds, and I expect that number to continue going up as Capcom continues delivering new monsters and updates. Though the game still needs better optimization on PC, it works great on home consoles like the PS5. Right now, Monster Hunter Wilds is in the running for my personal game of the year. — Tony Polanco
Read our full Monster Hunter Wilds review
Split Fiction
Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X
I’ve been a huge fan of Hazelight ever since It Takes Two, and Split Fiction takes everything that made that game great — the co-op mechanics, the emotional storytelling, the wild shifts in gameplay — and pushes it even further.
This time, you follow Mio and Zoe, two rival authors trapped inside a simulation made from their own wild imaginations. To get out, they have to team up (whether they want to or not) and navigate these unpredictable, ever-changing worlds inspired by their writing.
I first played it with my dad. He took Zoe’s whimsical fantasy realm while I played Mio’s glitchy cyberpunk future. Watching how our actions influenced each other’s world in real time was pretty magical. Then I played again with my partner, swapping sides, and suddenly the story felt completely different (in a good way). That dual perspective serves as the heart of the game.
Hazelight really knows how to make co-op feel meaningful, and Split Fiction proves they’re only getting better. It’s bold, weird, emotional, and easily the best game I’ve played this year. I can’t wait to see how they bring this mind-bending story to life in the upcoming film adaptation! — Alix Blackburn
Read our full Split Fiction review
Assassin’s Creed: Shadows
Platforms: PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X
I’ve played every mainline game in the Assassin’s Creed franchise, and while I really enjoyed the RPG-style Origins, Odyssey, Valhalla and Mirage, I always wished Ubisoft would take it back to basics and focus more on stealth.
Assassin’s Creed: Shadows (kinda) granted that wish by delivering a well-balanced game which allows you to go guns blazing or sneak around quietly with its dual protagonists, and it wasn’t long before it became one of my favorite titles in the entire series.
As the name suggests, you can use the shadows to your advantage by extinguishing candles and sneaking around in the dark when you play as the assassin Naoe, and that’s the bit I’ve enjoyed the most. Navigating a high-stakes situation, like a castle full of powerful enemies who can one-shot you, feels thrilling and rewarding.
Ubisoft has also created a beautiful world. Feudal Japan feels vibrant and the changing seasons mechanic adds a degree of unpredictability to the game. Despite some of its (minor) flaws, I’ve sunk 100 hours into it and I keep going back for more. — Nikita Achanta
Read our full Assassin’s Creed: Shadows review
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
Platforms: PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X
Nothing puts me off a game quicker than wandering around aimlessly, not knowing what I’m supposed to do next. Open worlds? Not for me, which is why the titles that I love – from Until Dawn to Detroit: Become Human – tend to feel more like interactive movies than they do combat or puzzle-heavy playthroughs. There’s something so soothing about awesome vibes and visuals carrying you through a great story and Lost Records: Bloom & Rage fits the bill perfectly.
Set to haunting synths and pop-punk guitar chords, its dual timelines play out simultaneously. In 1995, sweet loner Swann strikes up a fast friendship with fellow teens Nora, Autumn, and Kat, and the quartet spends the summer writing music, shooting videos, and… stumbling across a supernatural force they dub The Abyss. In 2022, an apprehensive Swann returns to Vancouver to reunite with her old pals and try to unpack those life-altering few weeks.
The way you interact with other characters influences the story, making it easy to connect with them, and the central mystery makes it hard not to play it all in one sitting. It’s the perfect combo of cozy – I spent way too much time stroking Swann’s cat – and creepy. If you like shows like “Yellowjackets,” “Stranger Things,” or “The OA,” this one’s for you. — Amy West
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Platforms: PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X
I’ve been a longtime fan of turn-based RPGs, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is up there as one of the very best I’ve played. Boasting unique art direction and beautiful graphics, a complex, engagingly written story, thrilling and dense combat mechanics (and some utterly brilliant music), Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a fantastic game from top to bottom.
I relished exploring its many nooks and crannies for our Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 review earlier this year, and, even though I’m not usually someone who replays games and I felt like I had had a complete, satisfying experience by the time I rolled credits… I’ve frequently found myself itching to find the time to go back in and mop up everything the game has to offer. Yes, even the dastardly optional platforming sequences I bounced off first time out.
Simply put, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is an RPG that I wouldn’t be surprised to see cropping up on many “best games of 2025” lists come the end of the year; it’s just that good, and it deserves all the praise it earned earlier this year, and then some. — Martin Shore
Read our full Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 review
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5 and Xbox Seires X
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is the triumphant return of a classic fighting game series that’s been worth the 26-year wait. This isn’t just a blast from the past, however, thanks to its super smooth animations, flashy visuals, and deep gameplay. Like its predecessors, this latest Fatal Fury is a true rival to Capcom’s Street Fighter.
The new REV system gives you many ways to attack and defend, so you can really show off your style and pull off some seriously punishing combos. Whether you’re a casual player or a hardcore fighting game enthusiast, the strong single-player and online modes have you covered.
If you’re looking for something different from Mortal Kombat 1 and Tekken 8, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is the game to try. It’s a real treat for fighting game fans, and it’s my favorite fighting game of 2025 so far. — Tony Polanco
Read our full Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves review
Doom: The Dark Ages
Platforms: PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X
Although Doom was my favorite game of 2016, its successor, Doom Eternal, disappointed me with its repetitive ‘rock, paper, scissors’ combat. Thankfully, Doom: The Dark Ages corrects the course, offering a more engaging ‘stand and fight’ combat system and a medieval-inspired arsenal of weapons.
Central to your array is the new Shield Saw, which is paramount for blocking and parrying incoming attacks, but can also be hurled to decimate groups of demons. The Doom Slayer can also execute a powerful shield charge, allowing you to lock onto an enemy and launch yourself across the battlefield, effectively closing the gap between you and your targeted demon.
As an OG Doom fan, I appreciate id Software’s attempts to deliver more world-building in The Dark Ages — taking a more cinematic approach to storytelling than previous titles, the developer expands on series lore while also providing greater variety in gameplay. I particularly loved battling Titan demons in a giant mech suit, though I could’ve done with fewer Mecha Dragon sections.
The absence of long-time composer Mick Gordon is also felt, as the music is rather unmemorable this time around. Minor quibbles aside, Doom: The Dark Ages stands tall as my top game of 2025 so far. — Stephen Lambrechts
Read our full Doom: The Dark Ages review
Monster Train 2
Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X
If you liked and enjoyed the original Monster Train, then the sequel is almost a no-brainer. It’s a fantastic deck builder that encourages you to break the game. I’ve played the original near weekly since it launched; it was my Slay the Spire.
For those who never played, Monster Train 2 (and its predecessor) is a deck builder where you are fighting your way through hell on a train. You pick a clan like the Banished, who are fallen angels, to fight over three tiers on the train as it rockets through hell.
Randomness is the name of the game with decks that can die out after one battle, or one that will fly through the session. The sequel gives you more with new Equipment cards, clans, and monsters to battle. It is rogue-like in that your deck and enemies won’t always be the same, but that adds to the challenge and the surprises, especially when you find that combo of cards that blows through levels. — Scott Younker
Rematch
Platforms: PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X
I’m a little surprised to be selecting Rematch as my early GOTY pick, considering my first impressions of the new online sports game from Sifu developer Sloclap were not good. But I chalk that up to the game’s steep learning curve. Because once I got my head around it, I quickly fell in love.
See, Rematch strips away the generous auto-targeting found in the EA Sports FC series and forces you to place each pass and shot with careful precision. This can lead to embarrassing whiffs, but it makes every goal, assist or diving save feel truly earned. Your skills come through experience, not stat upgrades.
Taking cues from Rocket League, but minus the RC cars, it’s an online soccer game (football for us Brits) that sees you squad up in teams of up to five players, locked in a cage-style arena and battling to be crowned the king of the pitch. It will take you a match (or 12) to get the hang of things, but once the basics start to click, it offers a thrill few sporting games can match.
Just be warned, assembling a good squad is vital for success. Far too many random players online seem to think they’re Lionel Messi and hog the ball to a quite maddening degree. — Rory Mellon
Death Stranding 2
Platforms: PS5
I can only think of two games in my life that have truly moved me to tears, Death Stranding 2 being one of them. It has this captivating aura about it that’s hard to explain, beyond just its cinematic and jaw-dropping presentation. I may not be a father in the real world, but Death Stranding 2 makes me feel like one.
It’s in its characters that Death Stranding 2 finds its true soul. From the charming Rainy to the reserved Tomorrow, these characters not only propel the story forward, but give you (the player) a reason to fight on. It’s all thanks to game director Hideo Kojima’s unmatched storytelling. Death Stranding 2 is magical, heartfelt, and totally weird all the same.
While the first game largely focused on nonconfrontational combat, that’s put to the side in favor of some incredible action in its sequel. Each player will find in Death Stranding 2 their own underlying messages and themes. Lessons on fatherhood, forgiveness, loss, and redemption speak volumes in a fictional world that is fraught with loneliness. It’s hard to put to words what Death Stranding 2 makes you feel, but it’s almost enlightening in a way. — Ryan Epps.
Read our full Death Stranding 2 review
Donkey Kong Bananza
Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2
I still remember getting Donkey Kong Country in a bundle with my Super Nintendo and while Donkey Kong Bananza didn’t come bundled with the Switch 2 at launch, maybe it should have. Like Super Mario 64, Donkey Kong’s latest 3D outing shows exactly what the new system is capable of and why it’s worth upgrading from the original Switch.
The core Donkey Kong gameplay remains in Bananza but with a new destructive twist. You’re still running and rolling around, jumping on enemies and slapping the ground but now, you can destroy just about anything that gets in your way.
By adding destructible environments to the mix, you really have a lot more freedom and though you’re still in enclosed levels, they feel a lot more open-ended. This is especially true when it comes to how you progress through the story and collect the various Banandium Gems scattered throughout each sublayer.
This would be a good enough addition on its own, but you also collect various Bananza powers that let you transform between different animals like a zebra or an ostrich. Once you collect several, you can freely switch between them and this adds another layer of strategy to this already ambitious game.
Even after finishing my review, I haven’t stopped playing as there are still loads of things to collect and environments to destroy, which says a lot about this new take on a 3D Donkey Kong game. — Anthony Spadafora
Read our full Donkey Kong Bananza review
