// My Most Anticipated Games of 2025
2025 is looking to be a very strong year for gaming. Many massive franchises are planning on releasing entries this year, and the AA and indie space look as good as ever.
In this article, I’ll be looking ahead and picking out what games excite me most. Specifically, games that actually have a decent shot of releasing this year.
Despite having a very solid lineup, who knows how the second half of the year will go. Concrete release dates drop off in the later parts of 2025 as everyone waits for GTA to decide when it wants to come out.
On top of that, who knows what might come out that isn’t even announced yet!
This time last year, we all had no idea just how much 2024 would revolve around Astro Bot and Balatro. It will be run to revisit this list at the end of the year and see how everything landed.
In no particular order, here are my most anticipated games of 2025.
// Avowed
Release Date: February 18
I only got caught up in the hype cycle for this one when the last round of previews went around at the end of 2024. You can tell Obsidian put a lot of love into this game between the initial showing and now, because the game looks vastly improved.
Obsidian should never have been doubted, they’re some of the best RPG-ers around for a reason.
Hearing that Avowed has a slightly smaller scope is also very appealing to me. I like RPGs that don’t require 100+ hours to complete.
// Doom: The Dark Ages
Release Date: 2025
It’s freaking Doom, dude. It’s gonna rip (and tear) so hard.
Taking it in a medieval/fantasy direction is such an imaginative direction. I rewatched the trailer again while writing this and man. I forgot you could pilot a giant mech and ride a dragon.
// Monster Hunter Wilds
Release Date: Feb 28
I’m a relatively new Monster Hunter fan. The first entry I played was Monster Hunter: World. But I’ll be gosh darned if that game didn’t hook me.
There’s nothing like squadding up with the pals, going out to hunt some giant freakazoid, and making a nifty hat out of its skin.
Wilds seems like more of that, so I’m sure it will be a hoot and a half.
// Pokémon Legends Z-A
Release Date: 2025
I thought Pokémon Legends Arceus was a breath of fresh air for the franchise in a lot of ways. I loved the aspect of collecting multiple of each Pokémon, and all the new mechanics for doing so.
I felt more compelled to engage with the collecting aspect than I did with the recent mainline Pokémon games.
So, more of this, please! Hopefully it will get some sort of performance bump on the Switch 2 and not look like ass this time.
// Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Release Date: Spring 2025
They had me at Ben Starr.
You’re telling me I can take Clive and Shadowheart on a crazy RPG adventure? Sign me the heck up.
The official blurb describes the story thusly:
Once a year, the Paintress wakes and paints upon her monolith. Paints her cursed number and everyone of that age turns to smoke and fades away.
Year by year, that number ticks down and more of us are erased. Tomorrow she’ll wake and paint “33.” Tomorrow we depart on our final mission – Destroy the Paintress, so she can never paint death again.
-We are Expedition 33
What a creative, original concept. The turn-based combat looks snappy and dynamic to boot.
// Rematch
Release Date: 2025
When I first heard that Sloclap would be at the Game Awards, I was really excited. I love SIFU and even wrote about it last year. But then I found out it was going to be a soccer game, and my excitement dropped a bit.
However, over the past month, my excitement has been growing again. Slow Clap makes really good games with perfect mechanics. So, I think I’ll give it a try. I’ve enjoyed arcade-style soccer games before, like the Mario Strikers series. Even though I’m not a huge soccer fan, I think this game could still be a lot of fun.
// DarkwebSTREAMER
Release Date: Estimated 2025
This one looks bizarre and creepy as hell. DarkwebSTREAMER is a roguelike game in which you are a 90s internet streamer. You spend your time exploring the dark web for your followers. As you might expect, creepy shit begins to happen, both on screen and in the real world around you.
The art looks stupendously eerie.
I think a key thing this game needs to nail is the procedurally generated runs. When generating content, you run the risk of losing a certain hand-crafted quality. That being said, I haven’t seen anything yet to indicate this will be anything other than a banger.
// Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog
Release date: February 20th
Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog is a retro-inspired visual novel. The pixel art looks fantastic and the vintage anime character designs are immediately appealing.
The gameplay takes on a classic point-and-click style inspired by titles of the era.
It’s seemingly the first title from Space Colony Studios. But worry not, it’s publisher, Astrolabe Games, has a good track record.
