3 Up, 3 Down – July 2025
July 2025 was another phenomenal month for video game releases! It’s the second month in a row where COGconnected awarded a game with a perfect score. And also for the second time in a row, that perfect score went to the most anticipated game of the month! We also had a hidden gem come out of nowhere. To get a third game for The Bad section, we had to pull a late release from June 2025. Without further ado, here are The Three Best (and Worst) Video Games July 2025:
The Good
Donkey Kong Bananza
***click here for our review***
Donkey Kong Bananza scored a perfect 100. As many suspected, it was made by the same team who developed Super Mario Odyssey, and it very much feels like the successor to that all-time classic. It’s an open world 3D adventure platformer, where Donkey Kong can smash everything. Our reviewer wrote that Donkey Kong Bananza “is beautiful, with an incredible soundtrack, seamless mechanics, relentless pacing, and brand new levels of Nintendo polish”. Nintendo fans rejoice! Donkey Kong Bananza is the highest scoring game in The Three Best (and Worst) Video Games July 2025.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
***click here for our review***
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is as great as everyone was hoping it would be! The developer of the Blasphemous games has brought us a new 2D entry in the Ninja Gaiden franchise. It’s incredibly challenging, with meticulously crafted boss fights. Our reviewer concluded “the gameplay flows effortlessly, making every segment feel exciting and rewarding”. It warms my heart to see a 2D action platformer in The Good section of an article like The Three Best (and Worst) Video Games July 2025.
Wheel World
***click here for our review***
Where did Wheel World come from!? It’s a bicycle racing game, with stylized cell-shaded visuals. The gameplay and customization options are elegant and simple. Our reviewer’s only complaint is that there wasn’t a ton of content, and it has a fairly short length of 4-6 hours. They concluded “Anyone looking for a chill, cool, slightly weird racing game would do well to check this one out”. Wheel World is the most unexpected entry in The Good section of The Three Best (and Worst) Video Games July 2025.
