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 choices that seemed to distance them from Japanese game developers and players. Eventually, I cancelled 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 powerful 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 exclusive to Nintendo. And, by the way, I also managed to get my hands on a Switch 2!

I spent most of the year catching up on games I’d bought during Steam sales and replaying older favorites I 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 passion for ‘automation’ games, like Dyson Sphere Program and The Colonists, which I finally got around to playing from my existing collection.

In this article, I’m focusing on brand new, paid games and remasters that were fully released in 2025. I played most of these on my new PC, unless noted otherwise. I’ve played enough new titles to create a Top 10 list, but first, here are some other great games that didn’t quite make the cut, but are still worth checking out.

Side Mentions

Tokyo Xtreme Racer

Okay, so this classic Japanese racing game is finally back after being gone for almost 20 years! I got my hands on it through Early Access back in January, but the full release just dropped in September. It’s seriously cool – you can drive all over a big chunk of Tokyo’s real highways and race pretty much anything you find, from other street racers to taxis and even huge trucks. It’s a blast!

Speaking of the music, while the game was nominated for a Steam Award for its soundtrack, I usually prefer listening to my own Eurobeat playlist – the same songs from Initial D and MF Ghost that I always use in racing games. With the new season of the MF Ghost anime just starting, I expect to add even more tracks to that playlist soon.

Super Robot Wars Y

A new Super Robot Wars game is always welcome, and the latest installment, Y, has undergone a significant technical change by switching to the Unity engine. This also meant a redesigned interface. Thankfully, the core gameplay remains familiar, and I especially appreciate the convenient feature that lets you view each unit’s attack range directly from the attack list.

Besides the exciting first-ever global release of Macross Delta, the initial lineup of games felt a bit disappointing. Most of the available titles were either previously released locally or came from the SRW DD mobile game, and the new additions were heavily connected to games we’ve already seen.

I was really disappointed that Bandai Namco included DLC packs with extra titles, like in SRW 30, because it ruined the story for me. Right now, I’m only playing the beginning of the game, and I’ll finish it once all the content from the Season Pass 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 for modern consoles. It was a great surprise!

The core gameplay remains largely unchanged from the original PlayStation Vita version, though the interface has been updated and the graphics improved. 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.

Releasing this remaster in 2025 with almost the exact same content as the original was a bit disappointing. With the Gundam SEED Freedom movie being so popular, it felt like poor timing. It also meant the remaster 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 release either.

10) Dynasty Warriors Origins

You might be curious why, as a longtime fan of the Dynasty Warriors series, I’ve ranked the newest game, Dynasty Warriors Origins, relatively low. The reason is that I, like many fans, was disappointed with a particular choice the developers made.

Even now, this game is a great choice if you’re just starting out or returning after a break. The original DW Origins had solid gameplay and impressive battles, so if you prioritize those aspects, you’ll likely enjoy this updated version.

As a longtime 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 needlessly cuts out returning characters, which weakens the story. For example, leaving out Lu Xun, even with the addition of Sun Ce’s battle against his relatives, creates a significant gap in the Sun family’s storyline. Even more disappointing are the changes made to established events – specifically, altering Cao Ren’s role in the Battle of Xinye and Man Chong’s involvement in Xu Huang joining Cao Cao.

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

Also, Dynasty Warriors 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 play with English subtitles and Chinese voiceovers on PS5, but you could on the PC and Xbox versions.

9) Monster Hunter Wilds

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

Okay, so I finally jumped into the full release of Monster Hunter Wilds, and honestly, I’m a bit torn about how Capcom reworked the Lance. The new camera focus thing is cool – it lets me target monster parts way more accurately. But I’ve been a Lance player since Monster Hunter 3, and these changes to the core combos just feel…off. It’s a big shift from what I’m used to, and it’s taking some getting used to.

I enjoy that my character now has a voice during the story scenes. However, as someone who’s played for a long time, I’m disappointed the Monster Hunter language voiceover is gone. I’ve ended up using the German voiceovers instead, as they seem the most similar to the original.

8) Freedom Wars Remastered

I really enjoyed Freedom Wars when a lot of Japanese developers were trying to create games similar to Monster Hunter. So, when Bandai Namco and Dimps released a remastered version, it brought back a lot of good memories.

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. However, the chances of getting specific parts from enemies are still unpredictable.

Playing 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 overall movement and close-combat attacks.

7) Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment

Of all the Warriors-style 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 upon Breath of the Wild’s history – which allowed me to fully immerse myself in the new narrative. Unlike other games in the series, like Dynasty Warriors, I didn’t have any existing knowledge of the plot.

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

I also tested the previous game, Age of Calamity, on the 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 new console to allow it to run at 60 fps.

6) Juufuutei Raden’s Guide for Pixel Museum

I’ve been having fun with Picross and Nonogram puzzle games lately. But unlike most games of that type, which just reveal the finished picture, this new game featuring the Hololive Vtuber Juufuutei Raden offers a much more engaging experience.

Juufuutei Raden’s Pixel Museum stood out because its puzzles were cleverly designed around real artwork – paintings, sculptures, and crafts – and classic rakugo stories. What I especially loved was that after solving each puzzle, Raden provided detailed explanations and background information. It’s fantastic when games offer extra insights into 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.

Surprisingly, this game wasn’t developed in Japan – it’s the work of a Polish team. They’ve explained the main character’s background, but the game strongly feels like a tribute to Japanese racing games, anime, and manga, particularly Initial D. To complete the experience, the game even features a radio station playing Eurobeat music, including both Japanese-style Eurobeat and songs in English.

A recent update last December surprisingly included elements from classic Initial D Eurobeat tracks like “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

I’ll admit something else: I never had a Wii U. That’s why I was so excited to hear that Xenoblade X was finally being released on the Switch, and it happened! It’s been a long wait, but it’s here.

The game truly comes alive when you and your team start piloting the Skell mechs. You’ll be able to explore a vast open world and battle monsters all from inside these powerful machines. Plus, the incredible soundtrack was created by Hiroyuki Sawano, the composer behind popular 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 giant mechs more than the people inside them.

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 quite for me. That’s why I’ve decided to give Koei Tecmo’s Winning Post series a try instead.

This game puts you in the role of a racehorse owner and breeder. You’ll be responsible for managing your horses’ racing and training schedules, choosing jockeys for races, and trainers for overall fitness. You’ll also get to breed your horses, carefully selecting pairings to create foals with the best possible traits.

I quickly became engrossed 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, many of whom can pursue careers in horse racing. The game features races not only in Japan, but also major events around the globe, including North America, Europe, Australia, and the Middle East. As you advance, you can even manage horse ranches in Japan, the United States, and a European country.

Winning Post is available on PC, but only in Japan through Steam. That’s why I played it on the Switch instead. It’s strange to me that Koei Tecmo continues to limit the game to Japan, considering it includes famous horses and races from across the globe. The upcoming ‘Winning Post 10 2026’ doesn’t seem to change this, so I’m not sure if players outside Japan will get access until a completely new version, like ‘Winning Post 11’, is released – hopefully while interest in horse racing is still high.

2) Once Upon A Katamari

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

Okay, so this new game is totally different from anything I’ve played in the series before – even the recent one on Apple Arcade. Instead of modern settings, the levels are set in different time periods throughout history! But don’t worry, it’s still just as crazy and fun as always. I’m talking about running around in the Jurassic period with people dressed as dinosaurs – seriously! It’s a really cool mix of history and the series’ usual wacky style.

The music in this game is fantastic, as usual! The final stage really gets you pumped with Shigeru Matsuzaki’s new track, “Power of Katamari Damacy,” but “Suisei Biyori” is just beautiful too. But honestly, my favorite part is being able to create my own cousin – it’s so cool to feel like I’m part of the whole Katamari family now!

While I’d have loved to see some features from the PS3 game Katamari Forever/Tribute return, like the ability to jump, and for Eternal mode to be playable 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 huge fan of the Digimon Story games – they’re among my favorites in the Digimon series and the RPG genre as a whole. I especially enjoy the gameplay that started with the DS titles: scanning data from wild Digimon to create and train them, then guiding their evolutions into different forms.

The Cyber Sleuth games were already impressive with their detailed online world and engaging stories. So, I was really looking forward to Time Stranger, the newest installment. Thankfully, it largely lived up to my expectations.

Time Stranger returned to a more traditional Digimon storytelling style, heavily featuring the Digital World where Digimon come from. Despite this, I found the story compelling, particularly after the halfway point. I also appreciated the changes to how Digimon learn skills; instead of fixed abilities, they now use customizable ‘Attachments,’ allowing for more personalized skill sets.

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

It’s 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 13:00