The best video games of 2025 revealed

It might not have been the year we finally got to play a new Grand Theft Auto game – after delays, we’ll now have to wait until November 2026 for that one to drop – but there’s no doubt that 2025 was a vintage year for video games.

The sheer variety of games in 2025 was ridiculous. From the masterpiece of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (many critics’ game of the year) to the mayhem of Donkey Kong Bananza to the long-awaited Silent Hill f, which terrified and thrilled us in equal measures, it has been a great year to be a gamer.

We’ve pulled out some of the best games of the year in case you missed them. Whether you have a PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2, you’re a PC gamer or you have a console from a previous generation, you’ll find something you’ll love in our round-up of the greatest video games of 2025.

Don’t forget, if you want to download any of these games directly to your console or computer, with a Virgin Media Broadband package for gamers, you’ll be set up to dominate the competition with a fast, stable connection. Find out more here.

Let’s get into the best games of the year.

Available now on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S

It was dubbed the biggest RPG of the year ahead of launch and it won the coveted Game of the Year gong at the Golden Joystick Awards, so it’s safe to say this is well worth your time. Join the ranks of Expedition 33 as its members – including a serene warrior, a bloodthirsty Gestral and a mythical being – journey to the perilous Continent to stop the Paintress from ravaging their world. You’ll find turn-based combat, compelling characters with their own inventory of melee weapons and ranged attacks, a star-studded voice cast including Andy Serkis (aka Gollum from The Lord Of The Rings) and an immersive storyline that’s just waiting to be explored.

Available now on Nintendo Switch 2

Let’s-a go! Hit the road with Mario for rip-roaring open-world racing in Mario Kart World, which launched exclusively on the Nintendo Switch 2 earlier this year and has been a massive hit for the newest console on the market. Choose from more than 40 playable characters with unlockable outfits and gear up for high-octane races against up to 23 opponents on the track – the most in Mario Kart history. Fans of the classic games can still play in Battle Mode and race on reimagined past courses, while those seeking new thrills can enjoy off-roading segments, boat racing and a knockout tournament mode.

Available now on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S

It had been a long time since the last mainline game in the legendary Silent Hill series – 13 years, in fact – so the expectations were high. And boy, did this game meet them. Set in 1960s Japan, it follows Shimizu Hinako, whose secluded town of Ebisugaoka is consumed by fog, transforming her home into a haunting nightmare. The game blends psychological horror with a haunting Japanese setting, and if you watch the trailer, you’ll think the “f” stands for the expletive we yelled when we jumped out of our skins. For those brave enough, navigate Ebisugaoka’s twisted paths, solve complex puzzles and confront grotesque monsters to survive.

Available now on PS5

One of the biggest releases of 2025 was Hideo Kojima’s second chapter in the Death Stranding saga. Set 11 months following the first game’s events, you resume the role of Sam Porter Bridges (played by The Walking Dead’s Norman Reedus), tasked with delivering cargo to scattered survivors across a post-apocalyptic open-world environment. You’ll face dangerous human and unworldly enemies, difficult terrains ravaged by natural disasters, more tactical and action-based combat, and all-new features to aid you on your mission, like stealth tactics, traversal tools and gadgets, including gravity gloves.

Available now on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S

Split Fiction took losing yourself in a good book to a whole new level in this boundary-pushing co-op adventure. Much like Hazelight Studio’s predecessor, It Takes Two, this split-screen game requires two players, who each assume control of either Zoe or Mio – two authors who have become trapped in their own fantasy and sci-fi stories respectively. To break free of these two worlds, you and your partner will have to overcome a series of surprising challenges, from escaping a sun that’s gone supernova and commanding dragons to riding sand sharks and challenging a monkey to a dance battle. Good luck!

Available now on Nintendo Switch 2

While Mario is undoubtedly Nintendo’s frontman, Donkey Kong is the company’s deeply underrated back-up singer. But perhaps no longer, following the highly-rated Donkey Kong Bananza – the first major instalment in the iconic Donkey Kong franchise for more than a decade. Players take control of the titular gorilla to complete missions, solve puzzles and fight enemies, while smashing everything in their path along the way (obv) to retrieve Golden Bananas that have been stolen by a villainous gang of apes in this action-packed 3D adventure. The back-up singer might have finally outshone the frontman.

Available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2

The biggest football game in the world returned in 2025 – as it does every year – with an instalment that was much loved by fans of the franchise. The pull of these games has always been the authenticity – and this year it features 20,000+ players across more than 750 clubs and national teams in 120 stadiums and 35+ leagues. But now it’s matched by peerless gameplay, which was overhauled this season based on community feedback and now gives you two ways to play based on whatever mode you’re into. With a load of tweaks under the hood, plus updates to Ultimate Team, the best just got even better.

Available now on PC and Xbox Series X/S

This spellbinding single-player action-adventure game will take your breath away. In the American Deep South, players take on the role of Hazel – a Weaver and magical mender of broken bonds and spirits – to explore a magical and fantastical world where creatures of Southern folklore lurk around every corner. Through captivating storytelling and stunning visuals, accompany Hazel as she fulfils her new destiny while untangling her family’s own complicated past.

Available now on PC, PS4, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S

We bet that you didn’t have Cristiano Ronaldo appearing in a fighting video game on your 2025 bingo card. But that really happened this year. In the first City Of The Wolves instalment for more than two decades, you can take control of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner in head-to-head bouts against franchise fighters like Terry Bogard, Billy Kane and Rock Howard. To aid his combat, he’s armed with super-slick special moves like Echo Shot, Field Dominator and Slide Tackle. And his trusty football, obv. Come on down to South Town and see for yourself.

Available now on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S

Borderlands 4 – the latest entry in the franchise that defined looter-shooters – catapults you to the war-torn planet Kairos, where you’ll join a rebellion against the tyrannical Timekeeper and his synthetic army in a game featuring the over-the-top action and humour we’ve come to expect from the series. Pick from four new Vault Hunters, each with unique abilities, and dive into a seamless, open-world experience without loading screens. Developer Gearbox says this entry has more than 30 billion possible weapon combinations, so you might not have time for any new games in 2026…

Available now on PS5

If you like Tim Burton’s gothic-inspired creations, then we think you’ll love this critically acclaimed dark fantasy adventure from the creative forces behind Lost In Random and Fe. Players assume the role of The Burnt One and, with the help of your new friend Potboy, you’ll journey through five creepy tales of darkness and fire while outsmarting enemies who are eager to devour your little friend’s flame. Critics loved The Midnight Walk and praised its visual style, along with its earnest soundtrack and a story that’s bleak yet full of hope.

Available now on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S

If you love your games to be retro-futuristic coded, look no further than this sci-fi extraction shooter. On a future Earth, machines have taken over and forced the remaining human population underground. Your mission? To leave the safety of your workshop and scavenge the desolate topside for valuable loot, while avoiding ARC robots and the unpredictable fellow survivors. It’s PvPvE (that’s player versus player versus environment), so you can play in teams of three or two or solo, and explore four distinctive maps with evolving weather conditions, enemies and mechanics, meaning that no raid will ever be the same.

Available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One

Set 10 years after the events of Call Of Duty: Black Ops II, the eighth entry in the Black Ops series follows franchise favourite David “Section” Mason, now a JSOC commander and leader of a covert team investigating the mysterious resurgence of supposedly deceased terrorist Raúl Menéndez. Form a squad with up to four players or go solo in a narrative-driven campaign where psychological warfare and danger lurk around every corner. With 16 electrifying 6v6 maps, two 20v20 maps and Treyarch’s legendary Round-Based Zombies mode, fans of the franchise were delighted with this new chapter.

Available now on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S

A game unlike anything else on this list, but its place among the elite is more than justified, because you’ll lose yourself for days playing this one. In Blue Prince, you inherit the eerie, sprawling Mt Holly manor – and nothing stays the same for long. Every time you blink, corridors shift, rooms vanish and hidden passages emerge. Your mission: find Room 46. It’s part puzzle labyrinth, part psychological horror-adventure, with an ever-changing map, cryptic clues and secrets that are buried deeper the more you explore. Expect goosebumps, frustration… and pure “just one more night” addiction. It has had five stars across the board.

Available now on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2

In 2025, we finally returned to Kalos for the first time in more than a decade. Pokémon Legends: Z-A takes place in a reimagined Lumiose City, the region’s Paris-like capital blown up into a sprawling open world, packed with secrets, vertical exploration and, yes, plenty of cafés. The vibe is part urban adventure, part futuristic mystery, with Mega Evolutions also making a comeback. You’ll still be sneaking up on wild Pokémon, chucking Poké Balls and building out your dream team, but this time the stakes feel bigger. Game Informer said it may be the “best Pokémon game in years”.

Available now on PS5

Set 300 years after the critically acclaimed Ghost Of Tsushima, this new samurai epic is a grim and gorgeous standalone voyage into vengeance and memory. You play Atsu, a lone mercenary haunted by ghosts, who returns to 1600s rural Japan to track down the “Yōtei Six” who destroyed her world. Wind-whipped snow forests, ancient shrines bathed in moonlight, eerie whispers on the wind – every setting oozes atmosphere. With razor-sharp swordplay, emotional storytelling and immersive world-building, it’s another example of how gaming in 2025 delivered in spades.

Available now on PC, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2

One of the highest-rated video games of 2025, Hades II puts you in the boots of Melinoë – Princess of the Underworld – on a crusade to bring down Chronos, Titan of Time. Think slick roguelike combat, mythic abilities, godly upgrades and foes that test your every reflex. Gorgeous hand-drawn art, haunting music and a gorgeously twisted version of myth make this more than just another dungeon-crawler: it’s a journey through darkness, danger and divine reckoning. If you’re yet to play it, maybe it’s time to see what all the fuss is about, because Hades II makes stepping into the underworld seem quite appealing.

Available now on PC and PS5

In Dispatch, you’re not the hero – you’re on comms instead. After Mecha Man’s suit fails spectacularly, the ex-hero steps in as a cut-price bureau chief, sending a variety of ex-villains on “redemption missions”. Between the office politics, mission chaos and moral dilemmas, your every decision – from who gets paid to who gets a second chance – matters. This episodic adventure game has sharp storytelling, the voice cast is stellar and the whole vibe swings between quirky comedy and explosive superhero action. It’s messy. It’s chaotic. And it might just be the most original twist on “save the world” we’ve seen this year.

Available now on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S

In the war for first-person shooter supremacy, Battlefield 6 – the 18th instalment in the Battlefield series – might have just tipped it this year, with a critically and commercially successful entry that ushered back big-budget, full-throttle warfare. Battlefield 6 is all about scale: giant maps, destructible environments and battlefield carnage that screams next-gen. Whether you parachute in solo or rally with friends, the intensity hits you fast. Explosions, vehicles, frantic firefights – the whole thing feels cinematic, brutal and relentlessly addictive.

Available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2

Final Fantasy Tactics, the turn-based tactical RPG that launched on the original PlayStation in 1997, has often been hailed as one of the greatest video games of all time. This expanded remaster brings that magic roaring back. With modernised visuals, voice-acted cut scenes and a smoother interface – but the same deep tactical combat and political intrigue – this re-imagining is for veterans and newcomers alike. Assemble your party, pick your jobs and lead your troops through sprawling battles across Ivalice. Classic feel, modern polish, heaps of replay value – this is exactly what a remaster should look like.

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