What A Year! 2025 Nearly Killed My Gaming Time - These Games Fought Back

2025 didn’t just have good games - it had too many worth committing to.

Think about it: if each game needs at least 30 hours to finish (not including all the side events and optional quests my completionist brain wants to accomplish), I’ll probably be stuck on one game for a couple of months. Plus, the Gundam Card Game came out this year, so that’s even more time I had to split my attention for.

Nevertheless, below is a list of my favourite games of the year. They were fun enough that I chose them over lying on my sofa doomscrolling on TikTok, and up to the point my wife was literally calling me on my phone to go to sleep.

Monster Hunter Wilds

This was the first AAA game of 2025 and my long-awaited new-gen "Monster Hunter" game. I can’t believe it’s been seven years since "Monster Hunter World" came out.

"Monster Hunter" is a tough game to play, but the idea is simple: hunt Monster A, make weapons and armour out of Monster A, then take on Monster B. Storylines for "Monster Hunter" games were just so-so - but "Wilds" was different. I was really into the more lore-driven approach and the characters I met along the way.

But the best part is still texting friends to ask if they’re free to hunt, especially when there’s a new update. Exhausting? Yes. Worth it? Also yes.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A

"Pokémon Legends: Arceus" is my all-time favourite Pokémon game. Switching from a typical RPG to an action RPG really refreshed the franchise for me. So of course, for "Z-A", on day 1, I went all the way to Clementi to redeem my CDC and SG60 vouchers to buy a brand-new Nintendo Switch 2 - and the game.

Did it deliver? Personally: yes. I like the new day-night system, where you catch Pokémon in the day and battle trainers at night. Lumiose City feels gigantic, and there’s a lot to explore if you’re completing all the side quests. I’m also happy they introduced more character customisation to the "Legends" games. That was the only thing lacking for me in "Arceus".

The Mega Pokémon boss fights are cool too. And the story, yes lah, especially for someone who played X and Y before (no spoilers). The only thing I didn’t like was that the dialogue choices didn’t really matter, which I hope changes in future "Legends" games.

Umamusume: Pretty Derby

Rarely would I put a mobile game on a list like this, especially a free-to-play title like "Umamusume". But you’re really getting a lot for a “free” game.

Essentially, you’re a coach training your chosen horse girl to become the fastest runner. Each girl has her own backstory, and the way you train them differs slightly. Decisions matter, and you may want to retrain the same girl again to optimise your champion racer. When she loses, you feel it. When she wins, it’s genuinely exciting.

The only downside is that being free-to-play means you have to keep “gacha-ing” for the best cards. But thankfully, the developers are generous with in-game currency. If you’re not competing online and just playing for fun, you’ll still enjoy the lore.

I went into this sceptical, and came out rooting for digital horse girls. Life is funny - neigh, creative - like that. Did you know there’s an anime on Netflix too?

Dispatch

Speaking of decisions that matter, this narrative-based game really changes the plot based on what you say or do.

It’s a superhero game, but you’re not the hero. Instead, you’re coordinating villains-turned-good to… do good. You’re making the calls to direct heroes to save lives, all while trying to uncover the Big Bad and navigating a love triangle with hot-headed ex-bad guys.

Highly recommended if you have a partner who’s not really into video games but wants to play together.

Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles

The best tactical RPG in the world gets another remake for current gen consoles? Yes please, just take my money.

The new UI is so clean. It’s much clearer to see how much damage I might deal, and undoing a move is so much easier. The devs kept all the best parts of the game. The battle system and jobs are all still here. I love that you have total freedom to bring over unique abilities from different classes to create your dream characters. Also, it’s one of the few games where you can bring Chocobos into battle.

Can I just say though: hearing the characters voiced for the first time feels a little funny. I already had my own version of their voices in my head, and now it sounds… not quite right.

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves

I’m not a huge fan of fighting games. I bought this solely because Cristiano Ronaldo is a playable character.

It’s absurd that you can bicycle-kick your opponent to finish them off - but the game itself is very solid. I don’t always pull off the super moves correctly, but the fighting is simple enough for an ok-ok player like me to enjoy. And that’s the most important part.

As an RPG fan, I really dig the "Episodes of South Town" mode, where you learn about the background of the other characters while levelling up and unlocking new moves. Can’t all fighting games have this mode, please?

Clair Obscure: Expedition 33

Funny story. I apparently bought this game a few weeks after release because of all the hype and somehow forgot about it. Then, when it won Game of the Year, I told my wife I was heading to the game shop to buy it. Before leaving, I decided to check my game shelf first, and there it was, still sealed. LOL.

Let’s talk about gameplay first. At the beginning, it felt like I was playing "Final Fantasy": choose your moves, attack. Later on, as parrying and dodging became more important, as well as character customisation through Pictos, the game felt like it brought a unique take on the genre. Like it was paying homage to the games that came before it - and if you’ve played "33", you’ll understand my double meaning.

The story is… wow. A masterpiece. It’s like watching an HBO drama, with constant reveals that keep you on your toes. From the moment I pressed "Start Game", I didn’t put the controller down until about 3am. The hype was real.

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