I’ve finally played the five best games of 2025 – Reader’s Feature

I’ve finally played the five best games of 2025 – Reader’s Feature GameCentral Published April 12, 2026 2:00am Share this article via whatsappShare this article via xCopy the link to this article.Link is copiedShare this article via facebook Comment now Comments Assassin’s Creed Shadows – not quite making the cut (Ubisoft)

2025 might be long over but one reader has only just got around to playing some of its most acclaimed games, as he lays out his top five from last year.

The sun is starting to shine; spring is just around the corner (we hope), so what better time to review the year just gone. I know it’s very late, but I’ve only just managed to get to a point where I’ve played some of the more notable titles.

The games that didn’t make the cutI’m sorry to say that I didn’t enjoy Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. I wanted to, I really did. I can tell it was made with a great deal of skill and love. The graphics and art style was beautiful, the story and narrative was engaging, and I genuinely wanted to know what would happen next. However, I couldn’t get on with the gameplay and wasn’t engaged enough to carry on for another 20+ hours, so traded it in after playing only about two or three hours.

I also didn’t finish Metroid Prime 4. I enjoyed it at first but after I found the third area on the map a bit dull compared with the previous two levels the game became a bit of a chore.

Honourable mentionsStar War Outlaws is obviously an older game, but I played it for the first time on the Switch 2. Personally, it’s probably the game I enjoyed the most last year. The gunplay and combat is solid if unspectacular and the stealth is pretty forgiving if you are a bit naff like I am. But the real star of the game for me is the exploration. Sneaking through Empire bases or speeding across Tatooine never lost its magic.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows just, I think, loses out on the top five. The stealth and combat are fun, but I got distracted by other games. I need to come back to it at some point. I’ve also played The Séance Of Blake Manor, albeit for an hour or so. Seems promising so far but I need to come back to it.

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My top five video games of 2025

5. Sword Of The Sea

A game I subscribed to PS Plus for the month so I could play. Sword Of The Sea is hard to describe but in many ways is kind of a skating game. A unique game which can be completed in a few hours, which adds to the charm.

4. Donkey Kong Bananza

For me this was a slightly disappointing game. The first half of the game was very good, and the mechanics were what I expected and wanted. However, for me some of the levels seemed less inspired than the earlier levels. I’d have preferred less levels that were a bit bigger to encourage more exploration. Despite that I still think Donkey Kong Bananza a must play game for Switch 2 owners and a lot of fun.

3. Mario Kart World

I know for many Mario Kart World was a letdown but for me it surpassed Mario Kart 8. The game looks very pretty, the Knockout Tour mode is a winner, especially with the greater number of players, and I enjoy that there’s a mix of point-to-point races and the traditional three-lap structure. My only slight issue is that I wish there was a more detailed map in free roam mode, to locate new P-switch locations.

2. Ghost Of Yōtei

Somewhat superficially I bought Ghost Of Yōtei because I had new TV and wanted to get a game that would look impressive on the new screen. And my oh my is it a beautiful game. Surprisingly though, I didn’t think I’d like it as much as I did; even getting the platinum trophy, which I’ve only done a couple of times before. I kind of agree with your review. Ghost Of Yōtei is in someways quite vanilla and safe and doesn’t really take any risks but I still had a great time.

I was invested with the main character and the narrative even though it was fairly rote one. The combat never got boring and I felt compelled to find all the collectables and complete side quests. The game was also I massive bargain. I bought it for £35 on Facebook then sold it for £30 after I’d finished. 50 hours of play for a fiver!

1. Dispatch

I was unsure at first whether to put Dispatch in pole position. Mainly it’s a passive experience with some interactive elements, so not a video game in the traditional sense. However, everything is just so well done. The characters are flawed yet likeable, the writing and dialogue is great, and at times very funny. And the voice-acting and animation is also excellent.

So there you have it, my rundown of 2025. I’ll have my review of 2026 sometime around early 2027.

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By reader matc7884

Dispatch – semi-interactive entertainment (AdHoc Studio)

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