The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is a gem among indie games and one of the best narrative driven games I've played. There wasn't one boring moment in the entire story and I got emotional several times from start to finish. Deconstructeam was simply excellent in everything it tried to with this game.

More than a simple homage to 90s RPGs, Sea of Stars is a game that shines on its own using a well known formula, creating its own identity. The spectacular art direction, level design rich in details and charismatic characters make a perfect match with a combat system that is simple yet rich in options. Sea of Stars is, in essence, a turn-based RPG as brilliant as the classics.

With an excellent political plot that brings impactful reflections into dialogue with contemporary reality, a cunning villain, magnificent soundtrack, Homeric combat and captivating characters, Metaphor has established itself as one of the masterpieces of the fantasy JRPG and one of the candidates for the 2024 Game of the Year (GOTY) award, as well as bringing back memories of Final Fantasy 9 and other emblematic titles in the genre.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is everything the long time fans of the franchise were yearning for but didn't get for a long time. The story will be relived and retold, but now there's uncertainty about the fate of each character. Every expectation was met with surprise and reward in a game that is not perfect, but is a true masterpiece of a genre that became popular exactly because of the long running Square Enix franchise.

God of War Ragnarok is beautiful, rich, exciting, and even bigger and better than the 2018 adventure, which shows that passion and quality work has gone into its creators. I had many doubts about whether a sequel to something that reinvented the wheel of the god of war would be able to surpass its predecessor and admit, with great pleasure, that I was wrong. This is a must-do adventure for action-adventure fans, and probably Kratos' best adventure in a video game. It's a work of art, a retelling of the hero's journey and a game that delivers on everything it promised and more, and serves as an excellent conclusion to the Norse arc of Kratos and Atreus.

Bigger, better, and more challenging than its predecessor in virtually every way, Hades 2 is a true lesson in how to make a sequel. With some of the best combat ever created for action games, Supergiant Games' new work impresses with great dialogue full of sarcasm, originality in its representation of Greek mythology, an excellent soundtrack, and beautiful art direction. The roguelike retains the essence of the first game in the franchise, but adds a number of elements that make the gameplay more strategic and challenging. In a 2025 marked by great titles from independent studios, Hades 2 emerges as another strong contender for Game of the Year.

Final Fantasy XVI is a game from the franchise worthy of a new generation of consoles, and its combination of classic and modern brings everything we love with what we didn't know we needed. It's strong, tense, exciting, revealing, it's a mix of feelings, places and stories. Clive's (anti-)hero journey, the people he encounters along the way, the weight of decisions, all culminate in a tale that moves and excites. And all that combined with a diverse and fun combat, and the beauty of the whole that this game is makes this a necessary title for any fan of the franchise or a good action RPG.

More dynamic and intense, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach dodges the judgments of tediousness that the first game received. The gameplay plays on the safe side with high doses of Metal Gear for more action and fun. As for the narrative, the plot is sublime with its criticism of large corporations, social networks and AIs, but it is also extremely emotional when talking about family, friendship, love and depression.

Tekken 8 is a game that arrived to establish a new quality standard for fighting games, just like Street Fighter 6 did before. With spectacular, agile and fluid gameplay, a good story mode and excellent online component, the newest game from Bandai Namco is a technical achievement that fixes almost all the problems the franchise had without losing its essence. If Tekken 3 is stil the biggest and most important 3D fighting game of all time, Tekken 8 is the best and most complete 3D fighting game ever made, and it should keep this title for many years.

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's new game brings back the best of the Yakuza franchise and pirate games. Humorous, unusual, with frantic combat and full of extra content, the crazy experience of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii shows that the game doesn't know the words “limits” and “boredom” and provides an extremely entertaining journey for new and old fans alike.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance marks the triumphant return of the classic franchise, revitalized by the talent of LizardCube. The game delivers beautiful scenery and intense combat that blends the essence of Shinobi 3 with Metroidvania elements. Even with a simple story, its solid execution, responsive controls, and balanced challenges make Art of Vengeance not only a great revival, but a modern classic of the 2D action genre.

Tears of the Kingdom is a sequel that knows how to present new things and adds more lore to the incredible universe of Zelda. Islands with a sense of freedom, exciting game, and twists from start to finish will make you play for countless hours in this game and its immensity.

Such creativity, inventiveness and irreverence, characteristics that define Josef Fares and Hazelight, make Split Fiction a formidable experience on every level. It's no exaggeration to say that this is the best game of the generation so far. With a touching narrative, captivating characters and a very entertaining gameplay, the game is the culmination of several lessons learned by the developer who mastered the cooperative games and proves that the clamor for It Takes Two is no coincidence.

In a 2025 marked by the excellence of independent games, Absolum arrives to set a new standard of quality for the beat 'em up genre. The game takes the best of the roguelike genre to give a new face to modern beat 'em ups. With extremely varied gameplay and a combat system that encourages a high-risk, high-reward approach to overcoming enemies from common foes to bosses, Absolum presents a progression that requires a strategic approach to each fight, but always offers the player all the tools necessary to overcome these challenges. If beat 'em ups, even in their best recent games, have always been characterized by subtle innovations, Absolum emerges as a true beacon of creativity for the genre.

Hidetaka Miyazaki gets it right once again by masterfully expanding the world of Elden Ring. Some defects such as the repetition of enemies return in this DLC, but they are not enough to overshadow the excellence that surrounds the Realm of Shadows. Unfortunately, some questions regarding the narrative of the Lands Between remain unanswered, but following in Miquella's footsteps is incredible. The boss battles are more exciting than ever and the new map is gigantic, providing many hours of exploration and, of course, many deaths.

More than just an excellent representative of the adventure genre, Blue Prince is proof that a game doesn't need a combat system or require quick reflexes to be challenging from start to finish. The title developed by the Dogubomb studio and published by Raw Fury is on the same level of quality as young classics such as Return of the Obra Dinn and What Remains of Edith Finch, requiring players to pay great attention to detail in order to proceed through a mansion that will take us down different paths each day, requiring constant adaptability. Full of mysteries and with a story that surprises from start to finish, Blue Prince is a brilliant chapter in adventure games and, even with a smaller scope, has everything it takes to be remembered as one of the best releases of 2025.

Elden Ring delivers what it promises: it's a souls-like fantasy action RPG game developed by FromSoftware, with the influence of Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin, that brings a sprawling realm fully immersed in a rich and bloody story and that certainly will have every fan of fantasy and challenge ready to immerse themselves in this universe for hours and hours. Get ready for lots of action, epic battles, adventure, exploration and hardship.

New game from the most impactful franchise in the history of fighting games, Street Fighter 6 accomplishes everything it sets out to do almost perfectly. The game shines for its diverse and accessible gameplay, stands out for its excellent art direction and soundtrack, and offers many possibilities in World Tour mode. The game's story is the only truly weak point of a title that was born as one of the best fighting games in history.

Dispatch is one of those games that is already among the best of the year and puts a smile on your face from the very beginning, even bringing tears to players' eyes — whether from joy or sadness. The writing is brilliant, the choices carry weight, the characters are captivating, and everything in the game just made me look forward to a second season even more. The absence of more interactive moments like in Telltale titles is a little frustrating, but it doesn't weaken the game at all.

Resident Evil 4 Remake has what it takes to be our favorite action game of 2023. While it doesn't have the industry impact that RE 4 did, and it doesn't rewrite how Remakes should be (like RE 2 did), it's an excellent game, which deserves to be appreciated by everyone, whether or not they are lovers of the franchise. The bestiary of creatures, its action-packed story, and its rich, action-packed world make so many improvements over the original that it's well worth a ticket to revisit this darker-than-ever universe.

A strong contender for game of the year, Monster Hunter Wilds marks another great success for Capcom with its most popular franchise. With a grand and impressive world, a huge variety of biomes and fights against breathtaking monsters, the new chapter in the franchise offers some of the best and most varied gameplay of the entire generation of consoles, rewarding players who explore the enormous possibilities that Monster Hunter Wilds has to offer. Whether you're a beginner or a veteran of the series, it will be hard not to be charmed by yet another brilliant piece of work from Capcom.

Silent Hill 2 Remake is a breath of fresh air and a revitalization of a nearly dead video game franchise. Everything that survival horror has to offer is present here in one of the best and most profound narratives in history. The game masterfully recreates the town of Silent Hill while expanding and making familiar locations and moments even scarier, and shows that Bloober Team can, indeed, make incredible horror games.

Even though it is one of the most different games in the entire franchise, Silent Hill f remains true to what the series has always stood for and impresses with its soundtrack, story, graphics, and terrifying atmosphere. Hinako is an impressive protagonist and carries the dark and profound themes with great skill.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the best the franchise has seen in terms of visuals, with lots of new items, power-ups, enemies and stages with depth that really transform the player's experience, be they familiar with Mario games or not. The Wonder Flower's unpredictability makes the game always surprising and engaging, forging new paths and rhythms to keep players involved.

Starfield is an RPG that brings the best out of previous Bethesda games with the best sci-fi narrative about space ever created. With elements inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey and Interstellar, a game about space has never been this grand and with such satisfying exploration until now. The team led by Todd Howard can be proud of the fantastic work they've put out.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a true homage to the best games in the adventure genre that were a hit in the 90s, but with a series of technical improvements provided by the new generation of consoles. With a setting rich in detail, an extremely rewarding sense of exploration and a story that maintains excellence from start to finish in the journey of pop culture's most famous archaeologist, the title closes 2024 on a high note and recaptures the spirit of the classic Indy movie trilogy of the 80s. More than just relying on the name of the Indiana Jones franchise, The Great Circle delivers one of the best games of the year and reinforces MachineGames' excellence as a developer.

Alan Wake 2 is a complex, exciting and thrilling journey through the world of horror. The narrative is extremely well constructed and plays with metalanguage in an impressive way. The gameplay enjoys a solid and consolidated base within the survival horror genre that is expanded thanks to the characters' mental locations. Full of horrifying, shocking moments and hair-raising twists, the game presents one of the best plots ever created in games. Unfortunately, bugs overshadow the maximum potential of the title, but Remedy Entertainment's work is a true masterpiece of gaming and is enough to fight for the GOTY (Game of the Year award) of 2023. It took 22 years for a game to finally threaten the position Silent Hill 2 (2001) as the best survival horror in history, and Remedy's game can look to Konami's timeless classic on an equal footing in this dispute.

The Night Springs DLC really shines in its narratives presented in each chapter and raises many questions not only for Alan Wake, but for Control and even Quantum Break, who enter this great spiral that is the multiverse created by Remedy. The three episodes are fun, bring humor, terror and impress with the quality of the plot and gameplay.