With one other stellar yr of gaming squarely within the rearview mirror, the employees right here at PlayStation Way of life determined to make a journey down reminiscence lane, tally up what new video games we performed over the previous 12 months, and see which of them obtained sufficient votes to land a spot on our coveted record of finest video games from 2025.
Apparently, in what could be an all-time document low, solely 5 Sony first-party titles launched this yr (discounting ports and rereleases), so a overwhelming majority of our record is comprised of indie and AAA titles from different publishers. Chances are high, you’ve heard of or performed many of the video games that made the minimize, however a few our inclusions would possibly take you unexpectedly.
And with out additional ado… the record!
10. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Displaying simply how loaded this yr with nice video games, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 barely managed to put declare to the quantity 10 spot. Nevertheless, there’s no denying the sheer artistry on show with Sandfall Interactive’s debut title. Most RPG followers price their salt are on the very least conversant in Clair Obscure, but when this one handed you by fully, we’d like to know what rock you end up residing underneath.
9. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
We wouldn’t blame you in the event you forgot that Kingdom Come: Deliverance II even got here out in 2025, seeing as the way it launched on the very starting of February. That is the second, and closing, European-developed RPG to make it onto our record, however in contrast to Clair Obscur, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II trades within the linear, darkish fantasy Belle Époque setting for a really gorgeous recreation of Fifteenth-century Bohemia. If an unmatched sense of freedom, an unlimited open-world that’s begging to be explored, and the unforgiving, harsh realities of medieval life and warfare pique your curiosity, you shouldn’t cross this one up.
With a handful of Metallic Gear followers on employees, it’s no shock that Metallic Gear Strong Delta: Snake Eater has slithered its means onto our record. Despite the fact that sequence creator Hideo Kojima parted methods with Konami a decade in the past and had zero involvement with the event of this remake, the unique PS2 model was (or reasonably, nonetheless is) such a exceptional sport, that its success was all however assured. With a handful of high quality of life enhancements, a modernized management scheme, and a next-gen coat of ray-traced paint, Metallic Gear Strong Delta: Snake Eater appears to be like and performs like a correct remake; anybody claiming that it’s a easy, by-the-numbers money seize is woefully mistaken.
7. Lumines: Come up
Very similar to the earlier entry on our record, Lumines: Come up doesn’t precisely reinvent the wheel in the case of its moment-to-moment motion. In reality, apart from the newly-added Burst mechanic, Lumines: Come up’s gameplay is sort of similar to the unique PSP model that launched over 20 years in the past. In fact, if you recognize something concerning the sequence, the gameplay is just part of the magic. From its entrenching, mesmerizing visuals to its stellar soundtrack, Lumines: Come up is a feast for the eyes and ears, and can be a sight to behold when taking part in in VR.
6. Break up Fiction
Having laid out the inspiration with A Means Out and upping the ante with It Takes Two, it’s hardly a shock that Break up Fiction was a smash hit proper out of the gates. Developer Hazelight Studios has perfected its craft of making compelling co-operative gaming experiences, and with Break up Fiction, it has even managed to upend our expectations as soon as once more. Whether or not you’re taking to the skies on the again of a dragon or keeping off cyber-ninjas, there’s loads of enjoyable available right here. If we had been to make one suggestion, in the event you give this one a go, attempt to discover a co-op buddy who can play on the sofa subsequent to you if that’s in any respect doable.
5. Blue Prince
Like a couple of different titles on this record, Blue Prince type of took us unexpectedly when it launched, and as soon as it sank its roguelike hooks into us, we couldn’t get sufficient of it. Granted, a few of its puzzles border on cruelly obscure, and not less than one author on our group misplaced hours of progress to the dreaded (and fortunately, fastened) save bug, however Blue Prince efficiently wormed its means into the interior recesses of our brains, holding us hooked on its addictive loop of drafting new rooms, uncovering extra lore, and peeling again extra layers of its seemingly unending puzzle. It’s an onion lover’s dream! Or, parfaits, in the event you favor.
4. Battlefield 6
After a string of middling releases and years of dropping floor to its opponents, Battlefield is lastly again, and child, it’s pretty much as good because it’s ever been. Certain, there are dozens of different shooters, aggressive and informal alike, which are consistently vying for our consideration, however Battlefield 6’s objective-focused, squad-centric taste of working and gunning provides an expertise that few different video games come near matching. The environmental destruction and sheer variety of automobiles and weapons to grasp are simply the icing on the cake.
3. Ghost of Yotei
Despite the fact that its story is a reasonably standard revenge story that doesn’t precisely break the mildew, Ghost of Yotei continues to be a top-tier expertise from begin to end. Constructing off the inspiration specified by Ghost of Tsushima, developer Sucker Punch is firing on all cylinders this time round and pushes the PS5 (and PS5 Professional, for that matter) to its restrict. It’s some of the attractive video games we’ve seen to this point, and with a handful of visible filters and audio mixes to select from, it’s nearly begging to be replayed a second (and even third) time.
2. Sword of the Sea
2025 noticed the launch of a handful of various skating video games, however none of them got here near matching the sense of marvel and awe that Sword of the Sea manages to evoke. It strikes a tremendous steadiness between providing up platforming challenges and puzzles, and letting you discover an attractive world that’s chock-full of surprises which are simply ready to be found and skilled firsthand. When you loved Journey, or both of developer Large Squid’s earlier titles (Abzû, The Pathless), this one’s a no brainer.
1. Dying Stranding 2: On The Seaside
Certain, its detractors might be fast to label it as a glorified strolling simulator, however Dying Stranding 2: On The Seaside is a lot greater than that. It’s a mirrored image on our present society, a world during which everyone seems to be extra linked than ever, however concurrently, extra remoted and alone. It’s a surprising achievement on a technical degree, serving up a number of the finest visuals and most lovingly crafted cutscenes we’ve seen to this point. And, for a handful of us staffers and contributors, it’s one other alternative to take a peek into the thoughts of Hideo Kojima, an absolute juggernaut of a sport developer who’s been reinventing genres and subverting expectations for 4 a long time at this level. However, above all, it’s a sport about sticks. And ropes. Oh, and chiral networks. And don’t neglect Timefall. Plate gates too!
