Branching Path: Kite Stenbuck’s Top 10 Games of 2025

2025 was a turning point for me as a gamer. I’d been a PlayStation fan since the very beginning, but I became increasingly frustrated with Sony’s decisions that seemed to distance them from Japanese game developers and players. Eventually, I canceled my PlayStation Plus subscription and switched to PC gaming.

At the start of the year, I finally saved up enough money to build a new gaming PC. It’s packed with high-end components – an RTX 4070 Ti Super graphics card, a Ryzen 9800X3D processor, and a motherboard that can handle multiple SSDs. I was excited to play all my favorite games at the highest settings, aiming for a smooth 60+ frames per second at 1440p resolution. From now on, this PC will be my main gaming machine for anything that isn’t a Nintendo exclusive. And, I recently got my hands on a Switch 2 as well!

I spent most of the year catching up on games I’d bought during Steam sales, and revisiting older favorites I’d originally played on PlayStation. I especially enjoyed Ace Combat 7, particularly with the anticipation building for Ace Combat 8 in 2026. I also discovered a new interest in automation games, finding myself really engaged with titles like Dyson Sphere Program and The Colonists that I’d had in my backlog.

Okay, so for this article, I’m just focusing on the games I actually bought in 2025 – no free-to-play stuff here, and mostly talking about the full releases. I did most of my playing on my new PC. Honestly, I finally played enough new titles to put together a proper Top 10 list! But before I get to that, I want to give a shout-out to some great games that almost made the cut – definitely worth checking out, even if they didn’t quite reach the top ten.

Side Mentions

Tokyo Xtreme Racer

The popular Japanese car racing game has returned after nearly 20 years! It was initially available in January through Early Access, and now has a complete release. Players can explore a large section of Tokyo’s real-life highways and race all kinds of vehicles – from other racers and taxis to even trucks.

Although the game was nominated for a Steam Award for its soundtrack, I usually prefer listening to my own Eurobeat playlist – the same songs featured in the Initial D and MF Ghost anime, like I do with most racing games. With the new season of MF Ghost just released, I expect to be adding even more tracks to it soon.

Super Robot Wars Y

Whenever a new Super Robot Wars game drops, I’m already hyped, but this latest one, Y, is different. They completely rebuilt the engine using Unity, which meant a big overhaul of the menus and how everything looks. Thankfully, the core gameplay is still what I love about the series. One thing I really appreciate is how easy it is to see the attack range for each robot right in the attack list – it’s a small thing, but it makes a big difference!

Besides the exciting first-ever global release of Macross Delta, the initial lineup of games felt a bit disappointing. Most of the included titles were either already available locally or came from the SRW DD mobile game. The new additions also heavily relied on previously featured series, making the overall selection feel less fresh.

I was really disappointed that Bandai Namco included DLC packs with extra game titles, like in SRW 30, because it ruined the story for me. I’m currently only playing the beginning of the game and plan to finish it once all the Season Pass content is released.

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED: Battle Destiny Remastered

I spent a lot of time playing Gundam SEED: Battle Destiny on the PlayStation Vita, so I was really happy to see Bandai Namco rerelease it on modern consoles.

The core gameplay remains largely unchanged from the original PlayStation Vita version, though it now features a redesigned interface and enhanced visuals. However, even as someone who prefers playing alone, I find the removal of online multiplayer – while keeping a mode to play against the computer – a bit strange.

The 2025 remaster didn’t offer much new content compared to the original, which was disappointing, especially with the focus being on the Gundam SEED Freedom movie. The release timing also meant it didn’t include newer stories like Gundam SEED Eclipse and Astray: Princess of the Sky. It did remind me, though, that my favorite character, Shiho Hahnenfuss, wasn’t in the original PS Vita version either.

10) Dynasty Warriors Origins

Okay, so a lot of people are probably wondering why I, as a longtime Dynasty Warriors fan, am ranking the newest game, Dynasty Warriors Origins, so low. Honestly, I was really disappointed with one particular thing about where they took the game, and it just didn’t click with me. It’s tough when a series you love goes in a direction you don’t enjoy!

Honestly, even now, this game is still awesome if you’re just starting out or haven’t played in a while. They really nailed the core gameplay and the battles look fantastic, so if you’re all about a good challenge and fun combat, you’ll probably love this version.

As a long-time fan of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series, I’ve grown attached to its characters and world. My main problem with Origins is that it unnecessarily cuts out familiar characters, which weakens the story. For example, leaving out Lu Xun, even with the addition of Sun Ce’s battle, creates a significant gap in the Sun family’s storyline. Even more frustrating are the changes to established events, like portraying Cao Ren as leading the attack at Xinye and altering how Cao Cao recruited Xu Huang, completely changing what happened in the original story.

I’m excited about the new Visions of Four Heroes DLC because it should improve support for factions beyond the primary three. However, I’ll still be disappointed if the existing factions don’t receive any new story content.

Also, my experience with DW Origins contributed to my decision to stop using PlayStation. Sony and Koei Tecmo made a strange choice with the PS5 version – they released a separate version just for Chinese language support. This meant you couldn’t use English subtitles with Chinese voiceovers on PlayStation, but you can do that on the PC and Xbox versions.

9) Monster Hunter Wilds

I built a new PC partly because of the latest Monster Hunter game. My old PC, with its i9-10900 processor, struggled to reach 60 frames per second in the game’s benchmark. Thankfully, my new PC delivered, consistently staying above 60 fps even during the most demanding scenes, like exploring the plains panorama.

After playing the complete version of Monster Hunter Wilds, I found myself with mixed feelings about the changes Capcom made to the Lance weapon. While the new camera focus mode allows for more accurate attacks on specific monster parts, as someone who has played the Lance since Monster Hunter 3, the altered basic combos felt quite disruptive and unfamiliar.

I appreciate that our character now has spoken dialogue during the story cutscenes. However, as someone who’s played for a long time, I was disappointed to see the Monster Hunter language voiceover removed. I’ve ended up using the German voiceovers instead, as they seem to be the closest match to the original feel.

8) Freedom Wars Remastered

I really loved Freedom Wars back when a bunch of Japanese developers were trying to create their own versions of Monster Hunter. So, when Bandai Namco and Dimps announced a remaster, it was like a trip down memory lane for me – I was so excited to revisit it!

Unlike the updated version of Gundam SEED: Battle Destiny, Freedom Wars didn’t receive any extra story content in other releases, so I wasn’t concerned about the amount of content it offered. However, the chances of enemies dropping specific parts are still unpredictable.

Playing the game on PC lets me switch between different control options. I can use a mouse and keyboard for precise shooting, and then switch to a PlayStation controller for regular movement and close-combat attacks.

7) Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment

Of all the Warriors/Musou games released in 2025, I really preferred Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. I wasn’t familiar with the game’s story beforehand – similar to how Age of Calamity built on Breath of the Wild’s history – which allowed me to fully immerse myself in the new narrative. Unlike Dynasty Warriors, I had no prior knowledge, and that made the experience much more enjoyable.

As the first Switch 2 game I got to try, I anticipated that Age of Imprisonment would run at a smooth 60 frames per second when played on a TV. However, I was especially impressed that it maintained that same smooth performance even when playing in handheld mode.

I also tested the previous game, Age of Calamity, on the new Switch 2. It seemed to run at a fixed 30 frames per second, even when connected to a TV. It would be great if Nintendo released an update or a special version for the Switch 2 that allowed it to run at a smoother 60 frames per second.

6) Juufuutei Raden’s Guide for Pixel Museum

I’ve been having fun with Picross and Nonogram puzzle games lately. But unlike most games in that genre, which just reveal the final picture, this new game featuring Hololive Vtuber Juufuutei Raden takes things much further.

Juufuutei Raden’s Pixel Museum stood out because its puzzles were cleverly based on real artwork – paintings, sculptures, and crafts – and classic rakugo stories. What I especially loved was that the game didn’t stop at just the puzzles; the results screen also included thoughtful explanations by Raden herself. It’s fantastic when games offer extra information about the historical and cultural elements they feature!

5) JDM: Japanese Drift Master

In 2025, two racing games really stood out, but I only had room for one in my top 10 list. After a lot of thought, I chose JDM: Japanese Drift Master to take that spot.

Despite being developed by a Polish team, this game feels like a tribute to Japanese racing games, anime, and manga—particularly Initial D. The developers even included a radio station featuring Eurobeat music, blending both Japanese-influenced ‘J-Euro’ tracks with traditional English-language Eurobeat.

A recent update last December surprisingly included actual Eurobeat tracks from Initial D, such as “Running in the 90’s,” “Chemical Love,” and “The Top.” With that, the game’s tribute to the series is now complete.

4) Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition

Okay, I’ll admit it – I never actually got a Wii U. So, I was really excited when I heard Xenoblade X was finally coming to the Switch! And thankfully, it actually happened – the port is here, and I couldn’t be happier!

The game truly comes alive when you start piloting the Skell mechs. You can explore a vast open world and battle monsters all from inside these powerful machines. Plus, the incredible soundtrack was created by Hiroyuki Sawano, a renowned composer known for his work on series like Gundam Unicorn, Narrative, and Hathaway’s Flash.

It’s funny how in most Xenoblade games, failing a battle doesn’t penalize your characters – you even get rewards! But if you mess up the quick-time event when ejecting from your Skell, you do get punished. It’s like the game values the Skell’s parts more than the lives of the people inside.

3) Winning Post 10 2025

Umamusume’s popularity definitely brought a lot of new attention to horse racing, and I was among those who became interested. However, the game’s choice to portray both male and female horses as girls isn’t really my preference. That led me to start exploring Koei Tecmo’s Winning Post series instead.

Okay, so basically, in this game, I’m a horse racing owner and breeder. I spend most of my time figuring out when my horses race, what strategies they should use, and giving them extra training. I also have to pick the right jockeys for each race and trainers to keep them in shape overall. Then, when breeding season hits, it’s all about pairing up my best horses to try and breed foals with the best possible traits – it’s a lot of fun!

I quickly became absorbed in the game’s cycle of progression. Over time, you develop not just your horses, but also your family – you can get married and have children, some of whom can pursue careers in horse racing. The game features races from around the globe, including major events in Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, and the Middle East. As you advance, you can even manage horse ranches in Japan, the US, and a European country.

Winning Post is available on PC, but it’s only accessible through Steam in Japan. That’s why I chose to play it on the Switch. It’s strange to me that Koei Tecmo continues to limit the game’s release to Japan, especially since the games include famous horses and races from across the globe. The upcoming release, Winning Post 10 2026, doesn’t seem to change this, so I’m not sure if we’ll see a wider release until the next major version, Winning Post 11, comes out – hopefully while there’s still a lot of excitement about horse racing worldwide.

2) Once Upon A Katamari

The King of All Cosmos is back, and he’s brought his family with him! Following remasters of the original Katamari Damacy games, Bandai Namco has released a completely new game for consoles called Once Upon A Katamari.

Unlike previous games – even the recent one on Apple Arcade – this new installment sets its levels in different historical time periods. However, it still maintains the series’ signature silliness, like characters wearing dinosaur costumes during the Jurassic period stages.

The game’s music is fantastic, as expected. The final stage is particularly thrilling with the new track, “Power of Katamari Damacy” by Matsuzaki Shigeru, and “Suisei Biyori” is beautifully composed. A really fun addition is the ability to create your own cousin, letting you feel like a true member of the Katamari family.

While I’d have loved to see features like jumping return from the PS3 game Katamari Forever/Tribute, and for Eternal mode to be available on more levels, overall Once Upon A Katamari was still one of my favorite games of last year.

1) Digimon Story: Time Stranger

I’ve always been a big fan of the Digimon Story games – they’re among my favorites in the entire Digimon series and the RPG genre as a whole. I especially enjoy the gameplay introduced with the DS titles, where you scan data from wild Digimon to create and train your own team. A really cool part is getting to decide how your Digimon evolve!

The Cyber Sleuth games were already impressive with their detailed online world and engaging stories. So, when the next installment, Time Stranger, was announced and released, I went in with high hopes. Thankfully, the game largely delivered on those expectations.

Time Stranger felt like a return to classic Digimon storytelling, with the Digital World playing a central role. I found the story particularly engaging after the halfway point. I also appreciated the changes to how skills work – instead of being permanently set, they’re now Attachments, making it much easier to personalize each Digimon’s abilities.

My biggest criticism is that the soundtrack for this game wasn’t quite as good as Takada-san’s work on the Cyber Sleuth games. While Cyber Sleuth had consistently great music, this one felt a little uneven—it had some fantastic tracks, but also a few that didn’t quite hit the mark, especially the standard battle themes. Also, even though I bought the Cyber Sleuth music DLC, it surprisingly didn’t include all the music from those earlier games.

It’s still too early to say if Digimon Story: Time Stranger will be as memorable as the Cyber Sleuth games were for the 2010s, but as of now, it’s definitely my favorite game of 2025.

2026-01-07 05:00