2025 Games Review

 1 Star Game

Star Trucker. Not for me. Too frustrating to load and unload a truck

 

2 Star Game

 

Pokémon Legends ZA Mega Dimensions: Way too much grinding and RNG

 

Breakout Beyond. Dodgy physics ruin what should have been a fun game

 

Little Big Workshop

 

Project High Rise

 

Tomb Raider 2. This game is too dark to enjoy

 

3 Star Games

 

The Case Of The Golden Idol

 

Beyond Galaxyland . Dull RPG

 

Unicorn Overlord. Not nearly as good as 13 Sentinels Aegis Rim

 

Freedom Planet 2. Frustrating sequel to the first game.

 

Monster Hunter Stories. Ok for what it is but not for me.

 

I Am Dead. Nice story but dull gameplay

 

Bloomtown

Royal Roads 2

Railbound

Cube Famer

Cube Airport

Cube Railway

Cat Pipes

Amazing Maze

A Memoir Blue

Teacup

Hindsight

The Office Quest

Railway Islands

Spectrum Retreat

 

4 Star Games

 

Sunshine Shuffle

 

Dordogne

 

Animal Well: The base game is full but I didn’t get into the deeper levels

 

Europa. Flying mechanics are done really well, but unremarkable otherwise

 

A Fold Apart. Nice story but uninteresting gameplay

 

Star Wars Outlaws. This game just didn’t feel as good as the Jedi Survivor games

 

Marsupilami

 

Deliver Us The Moon: This  really feels like it’s set on an actual moonbase, if such a thing exists.

Candivity. Suika Game but with sweets in a dome.

Lego Voyagers. Slightly dull but sweet co-op game.

5 Star Games.

Persona 3 Reload + The Answer

 

Tens

 

Hole Down

 

Pokémon Yellow Legacy. Excellent emulated remake and rebalancing of the original game.

 

Yakuza 0. I understand what all the hype is about.

 

Lorelai and the Laser Eye: Unique and difficult puzzle game

 

Lonely Mountain Snow Riders: Not just as good as Downhill but still an excellent skiing game

 

Plucky Squire. A joy to play and to look at

 

Pokémon Crystal Legacy. Another fantastic rebalance emulation

 

Tiny Sticker Tale. Short and simple puzzle game

 

Mario Party Jamboree

 

Sonic X Shadows Generation. Base game has not aged well but the Shadow section is great

 

Tomb Raider 1. My first time to complete this. Hard, frustrating, but satisfying.

 

Mario Kart World. Doesn’t quite justify it’s high price but still excellent overall.

 

Steamworld Heist. Can’t beat a good Steamworld game.

 

Mario and Luigi Brothership. A good Mario RPG, first in a good while

 

Mind Over Magnet

 

Dragon Age The Veilguard. I had low expectations for this game because of the reviews but I really enjoyed it.

 

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. Little did I know when I tried this at EGX just to get a badge, that I’d end up completing it and really enjoying it 2 years later.

 

Locomotive. I definitely know when I tried this at EGX, that I’d end up completing it and really enjoying it 2 years later.

 

Disco Elysium. Fantastic story game.

 

Still Wakes The Deep. The non sci fi bits were better but overall a good first person story

Pokémon Legends ZA.I have low expectation for Pokémon ZA but it surprised me. There was a lot to do, the city was small but dense with activity. New battle system is great. New Megas are interesting and the Rouge battles varied. Zones are too small, and I still wish there were areas outside the city

Locomoto. Charming train delivery game. 

  

Top 10 Games of 2025

Split Fiction. Ingenious coop game. The final sections are unique.

 

Alan Wake II. The gameplay is ok and Alans memory mechanics didn’t grab me but Sagas memory murder boards are excellent. And the overall quirkiness of the game really elevates it.

 

Hi Fi Rush. I’d heard nothing but good things about Hi Fi Rush and I agree with all of it. Syncing the music to the battles is brilliant, the world is colourful and vibrant, characters are so alive, it’s all so good.

 

Like A Dragon Yakuza. The “real-life” RPG I’ve always wanted to play, After 0 I wasn’t sure that a Yakuza RPG cold work but it does.

 

Master Detective Archives Raincode. There is nothing better then a compelling visual novel and like all the best ones I just kept wanting to play so I could find out what happens next.

 

Caravan Sandwich. Caravan Sandwich has a simple loop, collect enough colour circuit boards to advance to the next area, what makes it compelling is the exploration of the pseudo-abandoned world and the drive to solve the games central mystery. This game is sick( as opposed to making you sick)

 

FFVII Rebirth. What makes FFVII is it’s cast, the interactions between the entire party are frequent and joyous.

 

Zelda Echoes of Wisdom. The “play as Zelda” game I’ve always wanted.Giving Zelda unique mechanics to differentiate her from Link while also having the standard Zelda gameplay.

 

Astrobot. Absolute, undiluted, platforming joy.

 

Metaphor Refantazio. Persona mechanics in a high fantasy setting. Incredible RPG. Mantis shuttlecraft.