7 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
The Best Video Games of 2025 (So Far)
Nintendo
Donkey Kong Bananza takes Nintendo's favorite gorilla and dumps him into a subterranean world of magical creatures, gem-like bananas, and a teenage sidekick, Pauline. But instead of being limited to the side-scrolling platforming he's done for 30 years, stuck in a world made to be destroyed, Donkey Kong (or DK to Pauline) can now smash in any direction, digging his own caves, leveling mountains, and generally creating chaos out of thin air.
The scope of the mess you can make in Donkey Kong Bananza is staggering, but it's not just for show, and there's a real, proper Nintendo game here. Plus, the optional multiplayer mode allows a second player to control Pauline and her powerful voice, which makes this game perfect for people of varying skill levels to enjoy together. Donkey Kong Bananza is an easy contender for game of the year. It's full of singing, slapstick humor, and secrets, and it's available on the Nintendo Switch 2.
— Arthur Gies
Hazelight
Split Fiction is a cooperative split-screen game following two aspiring writers, Mio and Zoe, who volunteer to take part in an experimental simulation designed to let the authors live out their stories firsthand. But when things go awry and the two are unwittingly trapped in the simulation together, they're forced to journey through each other's stories to find a way out. Each chapter shifts between Mio's action-packed sci-fi adventures and Zoe's fantasy tales, and the gameplay mechanics change vastly from one level to the next. One moment, you and your partner will race on the back of a motorcycle through a neon dystopia as gravity-defying cyber ninjas, and the next, you'll glide through mountainous castle ruins as baby dragons.
Every story you progress through introduces a new set of distinct abilities for each player, and the two of you have to combine your skills to solve puzzles, fight enemies, and traverse daunting landscapes. It's a deeply innovative adventure that's difficult to put down, and it's by far the best co-op game we've played this year so far. Split Fiction is available on PC, PlayStation 5, Switch 2, and Xbox Series consoles.
— Haley Perry
Capcom
Monster Hunter Wilds puts you in the role of a Guild Hunter, one of a specialized class of freelancers licensed to research and eliminate dangerous beasts in the wilds of the Forbidden Lands. Along with your Palico companion — an anthropomorphic talking housecat, naturally — you take contracts and wander mountains, jungles, deserts, and icy wastes, discovering new factions, new monsters, and new mysteries.
Monster Hunter Wilds has plenty of fantasy clichés to latch on to, but it also has a generous helping of the series' trademark humor, including monster-based meal prep and the hilariously chaotic Palicos. Its swashbuckling style that sets it apart from other online action games, too. And while the bigger emphasis on multiplayer makes this title a great game to play with friends, AI-controlled hunters are ready to join solo players on more challenging encounters. Monster Hunter Wilds is available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series consoles.
— Arthur Gies
Id Software
Doom has been a video game phenomenon since 1993, and Doom: The Dark Ages picks up the mantle and runs with it headfirst into and through a wall of armored demons. Set before 2016's Doom and 2021's Doom Eternal , this title bridges the series' shockingly convoluted timeline in a surprisingly story-driven way. But if you don't have your Doom bible handy, don't worry: All you need to know is that Doom: The Dark Ages is one of the most viscerally satisfying, graphically impressive shooters of 2025.
In the boots of the Doom Slayer, your every step sounds like the angry clomp of a freight train granted legs as you stomp, charge, and obliterate everything in your path. And Doom: The Dark Ages adds a remarkably fun counter system that adds a real sense of up-close combat to the series. Doom: The Dark Ages is available on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Game Pass, and Xbox Series consoles.
— Arthur Gies
Ivy Road
Wanderstop is a peaceful game about an undefeated warrior named Alta, who finds herself at a rest stop in the woods after she has fallen from exhaustion. She has been rescued by the kindhearted owner of a tea shop, who invites her to help him make tea for other travelers as she attempts to regain her strength. The narrative is driven by Alta's need to rest, heal, and care for herself after a lifetime of exertion, but the game also invites players to slow down and enjoy the simple things.
Rather than quickly greeting customers and pumping out tea to the masses, you have to take the time to chat with each traveler to hear their stories and identify the perfect brew for them. You graft fruits with different properties in your garden and infuse them into the tea machine, which requires moving through multiple steps to churn out a single cup. There's no urgency to rush back to each guest, nor is there any pressure to nail a recipe on the first try. While this lesson in relaxation is vital to Alta's recovery, Wanderstop reminds you that it's a practice everyone would do well to adopt now and again. Wanderstop is available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series consoles.
— Haley Perry
Sandfall Interactive
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 takes inspiration from classic Japanese role-playing series such as Final Fantasy and Persona and sets them in a fantasy world deeply inspired by Belle Epoque sensibilities. That late 19th/early 20th–century Parisian aesthetic smashes into the fantasy world of Lumiere, where a godlike presence known as the Paintress has for the past 67 years drawn a steadily decreasing number in the air — at which point all inhabitants over that age vanish.
The titular Expedition 33 is the most recent group assembled to seek out the Paintress and halt her inexorable extermination of their friends and loved ones. On their adventure, they are beset by magical creatures both friendly and otherwise, and the result is one of the best-reviewed games of 2025, a turn-based RPG with acclaimed performances and a distinctive world and characters. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is available on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Game Pass, and Xbox Series consoles.
— Arthur Gies
Ubisoft
Assassin's Creed has set sales records for nearly 20 years as its heroes and settings have jumped across world history, and fans have demanded that the series visit feudal Japan for almost as long. Assassin's Creed: Shadows finally meets and exceeds years of expectations with a stunning vision of Japan's late Sengoku period, with a game full of history, exploration, stealth, and combat. The last aspect sees the biggest departure in the series' history, as players can now choose between two characters: the more traditionally stealthy ninja Naoe, or Yasuke, a formerly enslaved African taken under the wing of the legendary Oda Nobunaga and a giant trained in more brutal, samurai-style combat forms. How you navigate Assassin's Creed Shadows ' striking Japanese countryside and its changing seasons depends on which character you choose.
This title is the best the series has been in a decade or more, and it's available on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series consoles, and even macOS.
— Arthur Gies
Obsidian Entertainment
From the original creators of Fallout: New Vegas, Pillars of Eternity , and The Outer Worlds, Avowed is an expansive role-playing game that brings players into the Living Lands to investigate a mysterious plague corrupting its people, creatures, and flora. As you journey through landscapes ranging from verdant forests to arid canyons, you recruit companions who are eager to share their complex and colorful backstories when they're not fighting by your side.
The freedom you have over your decisions and dialogue — be it with your companions or other characters you come across — makes Avowed feel involving and personal, and the combat is just as expressive. You can mix and match melee weapons with guns or spellcasting abilities to build your loadout to your liking, and you can call on the companions in your party to deploy their unique skills mid-battle. And when you're not fighting off rabid creatures and ethereal enemies, Avowed extends ample treasure, dungeons, and narrative-driven quests to players who take the time to explore its many regions. It's available on PC, Xbox Game Pass, and Xbox Series consoles.
— Haley Perry
This article was edited by Arthur Gies and Caitlin McGarry
