Now that the dust has settled and 2025 is finally here, gamers can now get excited about the games coming for this year. Calling this year a blockbuster year for gaming is an understatement. We have dormant franchises returning, and there is an imminent arrival of Nintendo's replacement for the Switch. Instead of making a list of the biggest games coming out this year, this is a subjective list. These are the top ten games that I am most excited about this year.
DISCLAIMER
This list is MY personal top ten games. It would be completely different if I were to list anticipated video games based on the public domain. Please be open-minded about my selections, as you probably will not be able to guess my #1 pick.
#10: Mafia: The Old Country
I recently bought the Mafia trilogy on PS5, a series I cannot wait to pour hours into. As of writing this article, I have yet to play through the trilogy, but I will be diving in before the release of Old Country. This game is a prequel to the series, and the gameplay experience is in the same vein as Mafia and Mafia II with its use of cinematic, linear scenarios—contrasting with Mafia III, which was more open-world in its level design. There is no official release date yet for Mafia: The Old Country, but it will be released sometime during 2025.
#9: Judas
Judas does not currently have a confirmed 2025 release window. However, it does not lessen my excitement for Ken Levine's return to video games. Levine is best known as the creator of BioShock, one of the best narrative-driven games ever made, and he has not released a video game since BioShock: Infinite. Judas is his grand return, which is gearing up to be similar to BioShock. Gameplay footage from the trailer shows that Levine is not shying away from the art style and first-person-shooter gameplay of BioShock, but the game looks gorgeous. Judas deserves a spot on this list of my most anticipated games of 2025 (I hope it comes out this year).
#8: Little Nightmares III
Little Nightmares surprised me when I first played it a few years ago. It takes the eerie tone of Limbo and morphs together the filmmaking styles of Tim Burton and Henry Selick. The ending of Little Nightmares' DLC completely changed my perspective of the game, proving the potential and power of storytelling in the series. I have not finished Little Nightmares II, but I played the opening hour and liked it. Tarsier Studios are not developing Little Nightmares III since Embracer Group acquired them. Instead, Supermassive Games, the studio behind Until Dawn and The Dark Pictures Anthology, is developing the game. I am anxious about this change in the development team, but I am still excited to see what the team bring to the series.
#7: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
Even non-Metroid fans cannot help but be excited about the release of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. This game has been in development for so long that people, including myself, began to lose hope. After the game's big reveal at a Nintendo Direct last year, it felt like a fever dream. The game is real, and it really is coming out. I have only played a small portion of Metroid Prime, but it is an immersive and unique first-person shooter experience unlike any other I have played. I hope that Nintendo will bring Metroid Prime 2 & 3 to the Switch to fill the gaps before Metroid Prime 4. There is no official release date for the game, but it is coming out this year.
#6: Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
I would argue that Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding is one of the most polarising video games of the previous console generation. I personally love Death Stranding, but I fully understand why many people do not. It is a slow-paced, dystopian game where you spend all of the game traversing back and forth in a world stripped of civilisation, delivering packages. The gameplay feels rewarding, and you experience the difference you are making in the game's world the further you get through the game. Planning your route and choosing the best possible path to your drop-off never got tedious. I have not seen any full trailers for Death Stranding 2 because I want to go into the game blind. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is coming to PS5 later this year.
#5: Ghost of Yōtei
I first played Ghost of Tsushima when I first got my PS5. I adored the game; its combat is satisfying, the storytelling is philosophical, and the visuals are some of the best I have seen in an open-world game. Some of the game's side missions were my only letdown; it felt very Assassin's Creed-like. Sucker Punch Productions revealed a sequel, Ghost of Yōtei, last year. The game is a standalone adventure set 329 years after the events of Tsushima. Featuring a brand new protagonist and open-world, Ghost of Yōtei is set to release later this year.
#4: Split Fiction
One of my favourite games of this decade is Hazelight's It Takes Two. The game is a co-op adventure; there is no single-player mode. My girlfriend and I played the game together, and we were both captivated, delighted and in awe of how beautiful the game was. The platforming is top-notch, and the visuals are gorgeous. Finally, Hazelight Studios is back with Split Fiction, another co-op game. From the trailer alone, I can tell that Split Fiction will be one of my favourite games this year. Hazelight has multiplied It Takes Two's creativity by a million, and the trailer highlights just how far Split Fiction will go to surprise you. Split Fiction is coming out on March 6th, 2025.
#3: Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater
"Kept you waiting, huh?"
It has been far too long since the world last saw Snake. Not only is he making a return, but he is also returning to what is arguably the best game he has ever starred in: Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Snake Eater is the first game in the series's timeline, and I can vividly remember playing it on my PS3 for the first time. I played through all five mainline titles, and Snake Eater was the one that had the biggest effect on me. Not only was Big Boss an amazing character, but the plot was terrifying and beautiful, and the villains were some of the best in the series. The backstory of The Boss is one of the greatest in the history of video games. If you have yet to play Snake Eater or have never played any Metal Gear Solid game, there is no better time to start when Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater releases later this year.
#2: Grand Theft Auto VI
Yes, I know. GTA VI is not my most anticipated game of the year, but that does not mean I am uninterested. Rockstar Games is one of the most lauded game developers in history. I have played about 75% of GTA IV and all of GTA V. The series is not one of my favourites ever (I am a much bigger Red Dead fan than I am a GTA fan), but I still like the games. The reason for GTA VI being at #2 is because of how important and culturally significant it is, even before its release. Never has a video game release created so much excitement across all different walks of life. I have had discussions with people who are not gamers, who recognise how important the release of GTA VI is and are excited for it to come out. Even though I am not the biggest GTA fan, I cannot help but be beyond excited for the game's release.
I am looking forward to playing it when it releases in the second half of this year.
Honourable Mentions
I want to give some honourable mentions. I am excited about each of these games, but sadly, they did not make my top ten:
Borderlands 4
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD
Doom: The Dark Ages
Fable
The Outer Worlds 2
#1: Professor Layton and the New World of Steam
At the start of this article, I stated that this list is subjective. I said that because I knew from the beginning that the #1 game on this list would be Professor Layton and the New World of Steam. Professor Layton is a series so close to my heart that I could not possibly comprehend how important the series' return is to me. I recently replayed the original Layton trilogy, which consists of Professor Layton and the Curious Village, Professor Layton and Pandora's Box, and Professor Layton and the Lost Future. Playing through each game, working out every puzzle and exploring the stunning worlds took me straight back to my childhood. Nostalgia did not blind me; I was captivated by every game. Lost Future is still one of my favourite stories in any video game, and the game always makes me cry.
For years, Layton has been in limbo. After the revived success of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, I crossed my fingers and prayed that Hershel Layton would make a return. When Nintendo revealed New World of Steam in 2023, I screamed. I never thought Layton could come back, and I have never been more happy to be wrong. The upcoming sequel to Lost Future is the first game in the series to be on a home console, and I am sceptical about how the game is going to play without the DS' double screen display. Nevertheless, Professor Layton and the New World of Steam is my most anticipated game of 2025.
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